Daniel Kaffee
Daniel is a Lieutenant in the Navy. He is enlisted by the court to be the lawyer for the murder case of William Santiago. He does not take his work seriously and initially tries to close the case in a hurry without investigation. He, however, overcomes his shortcomings and solves the case better than he even thought he could. He uncovers major abuses of power from top-ranking officials of the Navy. In the end, he earns the respect of his fellow officers.
Nathan Jessup
Nathan is a Colonel in charge of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. He orders a code red on William through Jonathan, his second in command. Nathan is a corrupt leader who abuses his position by subjecting William to an extrajudicial punishment. He rejects William’s transfer request and in turn orders one of his men to punish him for disrespecting the chain of command. After his death, Nathan fabricates William’s transfer to conceal his crime. He incriminates himself of the crime in court and is placed under military arrest.
Jonathan Kendrick
Jonathan is First Lieutenant and second in command after Nathan. He receives the code red order from Nathan, and he passes it along to Harold who carries it out without question. He publicly declares that no harm should come to William for requesting a transfer when in truth, he secretly orders Harold to proceed with the order that leads to William's death. He is also found guilty and placed under military arrest.
Harold Dawson
Harold is a Corporal in the Navy. He is a loyal soldier who obeys his superiors. He is ordered by Jonathan to carry out a code red on William. Harold enlists the help of Louden and together they carry out the order that leads to William’s death. Harold is acquitted of murder but is found to be unfit for military service. He is dishonorably discharged for failing to protect a comrade in need.
Louden Downey
Louden is a First Private Class in the Navy. He joins Harold in carrying out the code red order on William. Initially, it is believed that he also received orders from Jonathan but it's later revealed that Harold enlisted him on his own to carry out the illegal order. He is also acquitted of murder charges but found unfit for military service. Louden is also dishonorably discharged from the Navy.
Matthew Markinson
Matthew is a Lieutenant Colonel at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. He tries to advocate for William’s transfer but fails to convince Nathan and Jonathan. After William’s death, he tries to do the right thing and tells Daniel the truth about what transpired at the base. He reveals William’s fake transfer and the secret code red order issued by Nathan. Scared to take the stand and testify against his comrades, he commits suicide.
William Santiago
William was a Private First Class at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. He is very unpopular among his comrades. He requests a transfer to a different base. Nathan rejects his transfer and secretly orders an extrajudicial punishment on him. Harold and Louden humiliate William by shaving his head. They stick a rag down his throat and due to an underlying medical condition, he dies of suffocation.
