Hi Matti. I enjoy your posts, but I, too, don't visit the forum very often. Anyway, to a few of your points...

In an otherwise forgettable and tedious episode, I actually found the music for this one to be pretty good. The opening march adds the right flavor to an anticipated military episode. That being said, it's not on the same level of top tier episodes, musically speaking.

As for the military, it is indeed painful to see the half-baked soldier wannabes parading and stumbling about, dropping by to interview with Columbo. Poor scripting, poor envisioning by the director and poor acting dooms the military aspects of this dreadful episode. The only positive soldier portrayal is turned in by veteran Andy Romano, who, of course plays the victim, thus robbing the episode of his solid presence by being killed off early.

I think the flashlight was supposed to be significant because it was found UNDER a rock overhang on a DOWNHILL slope? How did it get all the way over there and crawl back up the hill unless it was placed by someone? Col. Braille would argue that it was thrown by the explosion. That's fine - it could definitely get launched over to the rock. But how did it back up the slope? Lucky bounce? Backspin? Not sure. Anyway, my recollection is that's why it was significant.

The Special Projects Fund is where Col Braille hides his military shenanigans. He doesn't want Gen. Padget to know about the details, so he concocts a phony report to help keep him in the dark.

Keep posting away, Matti!