▁encourag ed ▁him ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁NY PD ' s ▁offer ▁since ▁Cla ire ▁was ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁ ▁Details ▁of ▁Mac ' s ▁military ▁service ▁are ▁sketch y ▁as ▁he ▁has ▁rarely ▁discussed ▁his ▁past ▁to ▁his ▁colle agues ▁but ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁imp lied ▁that ▁Mac ▁had ▁a ▁distinguished ▁and ▁decor ated ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁Marine . ▁There ▁are ▁conflic ting ▁details ▁about ▁the ▁rank ▁at ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁dis charg ed ▁as ▁his ▁D D ▁Form ▁ 2 1 4 , ▁as ▁shown ▁in ▁the ▁Season ▁ 2 ▁finale , ▁states ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁Serge ant . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁episode ▁he ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁Lieutenant ▁while ▁serving ▁in ▁Be ir ut ▁and ▁in ▁Season ▁ 6 , ▁in ▁a ▁flash back , ▁he ▁is ▁shown ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁Major . ▁ ▁Thanks ▁to ▁his ▁Marine ▁training , ▁he ▁is ▁sk illed ▁in ▁un ar med ▁hand - to - hand ▁combat ▁and ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁an ▁int imate ▁knowledge ▁of ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁weapon ry , ▁from ▁b ows ▁through ▁East ▁Asian ▁weapon ry ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁every day ▁guns ▁and ▁kn ives . ▁To ▁Mac , ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁weapon ▁used ▁is ▁as ▁reve aling ▁as ▁anything ▁else ▁at ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁the ▁crime . ▁ ▁Mac ▁holds ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁armed ▁forces ▁and ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁officers ▁in ▁high ▁este em ▁and ▁to ▁an ▁even ▁higher ▁standard . ▁He ▁cons iders ▁a ▁uniform ▁a ▁" bad ge ▁of ▁honor ". ▁As ▁Det