NCIS has officially reached 300 episodes and the March 15 episode featured real soldiers from the MusiCorp. Program and actor Taye Diggs in a memorable role. When the episode began, American couple Spencer and Elaine Dodd, who was a Petty Officer, were in Iraq for research on a novel Spencer was working on. They are seen being driven through a remote area when a sniper targets them. Elaine is able to get out of the vehicle, but through a targeted scope, the sniper shot her dead.

Back home at NCIS headquarters, Tim and Ellie discussed spring cleaning. Ellie got to work on some boxes her mom sent her, but Tim was distracted by a seven layer burrito his girlfriend made. He promised to start with his desk, where he found a caricature drawing Kate Todd did for him a decade ago. Tony came to work, talking about cleaning himself and finding a Valentine’s gift certificate from his father to a fancy Italian restaurant two hours away.

Gibbs came in with coffee, having not slept the night before, before telling the team to get to MTAC to speak with Special Agent West. They learn about the shooting and based on evidence at the scene, it appeared to be a sniper attack.

Down in autopsy, Ducky and Palmer discuss sniper history and how a single action could lead to long-lasting consequences. Gibbs arrived to hear the victims likely time of death was three days earlier. Gibbs went to see Abby, who was looking at a Caf-Pow helmet she found online.

After talking to Gibbs, she informed him the bullets that killed the victims came from a .338 and was manufactured for the military. She had discovered that there was a firefight months earlier in Iraq and four sniper rifles with a technological scope mechanism had been destroyed. One soldier survived the attack, Gunnery Seargeant Aaron Davis, who has been undergoing rehabilitation since almost losing his leg.

Gibbs spoke to Grace, the therapist Taft had wanted him to see. She informed him that she wasn’t Davis’ therapist and he was suffering from severe PTSD. Grace thought with his history as a sniper, Gibbs could get Davis to open up. But when Gibbs went to meet with Davis, he was unable to relive what happened.

Tony and Tim talk to Vance about the case, but they haven’t made much headway. Tim answered a call from Gibbs, who informed Vance that he would have to wait since snipers often responded to patience and stubbornness.

Ellie and Tim interview Riley, Aaron’s daughter, who has been unable to see her father as he did not want her to see him. She was a very detail-oriented young woman, who noticed stains on Ellie and Tim’s white shirts and gave them information on her father, such as his love for singing. She also talked about how spring cleaning was a great way to embrace the memories they got from what they found.

Gibbs and Grace watch a group of soldiers in MusiCorp., a program that allowed soldiers to play instruments and music as a form of therapy. Aaron had been coming to the sessions, but has not participated. Sure enough, Aaron came, but left when he saw Gibbs.

Riley showed Ellie and Gibbs a Hog necklace she received from her father, which was a bullet he wore around his neck for protection. When Tony summoned Tim and Ellie, Riley asked the agents if she could stay to write more things about her father.

Tony informed his team that Spencer Dodd’s passport had been stolen and someone used it to come into the United States. Abby was able to pull airport surveillance, but the person in question was able to hide their face. She had called the cab company that picked him up to find out where he went. While about to tell Tony and Tim about MusiCorp., she got a call that the passenger had been taken to the Drake Motel.

Tim and Tony went to the motel, but no one was there. They did find packages that had been shipped from Baghdad, supposedly with photography equipment, but in actuality held an XR-30 rifle, the same kind that Aaron Davis had used before his injuries.

After going back to work, Ellie learned from the guys that the man they are looking for registered under the name Robert Quinn. While Tim headed down to see Abby, Ellie wondered who was being targeted.

Gibbs continued to wait for Aaron to let him in and had flashbacks of his time as a sniper. Aaron opened the door and spoke to Gibbs, who said he hadn’t slept well due to a bad spring in the couch. After Aaron asked about a wife, Gibbs informed him it was their bed and she passed away. Davis gave his condolences before telling him what he remembered about the attack. He had seen a man whispering after going into a building and there were others on a hillside. Aaron genuinely thought the weapons had been destroyed along with the remains of his fellow soldiers. He told Gibbs the weapon that they were looking for was likely his.

After finishing her list, Riley gave it to Tony and spotted his restaurant gift certificate. He had been thinking about who to take and he got an idea when she talked about going once with her father and how driving to an Italian restaurant two hours away was like being with family.

Abby told Gibbs about helping a member of MusiCorp with a percussion instrument that a soldier who lost his legs could use. She then told Gibbs that there were numbers written on the package that was used for the rifle. Gibbs began thinking about Davis and the whispering when he remembered that insurgents would record their attacks. However, they have not seen anything online about the attacks on the soldiers. Then they remember that the Iraqi military had immediately closed off the area so the insurgents could not come back and it was likely the camera was there if footage was recorded.

Gibbs headed out, but Tim stopped him to inform him Davis left the hospital. He left and found Davis in his car with a weapon on his dash. Getting in, Gibbs told Davis about his daughter talking about him nonstop and not leaving their building until she practically wrote a book about her father. Davis had not wanted her to see him in the condition he was in, but something resonated with Gibbs’ words.

Some time later, Gibbs spoke with Grace, who informed him how well Davis was now doing in therapy. Then she asked him if Davis helped him at all and Gibbs realized he was being shrinked. However, he didn’t say if anything came from his end.

The team got the footage after Special Agent West found that a kid had gotten ahold of it. They identified the insurgent as Matthew Cross, who had formerly been in the British military. Abby came in to inform the team Matthew had been looking at airport radio frequencies for flight information, specifically Lafayette air space.

For three days, the team spent their time at the airport waiting for a targeted flight. Gibbs got into position as a sniper, looking around for signs of Matthew. The team did not think anything would happen, until vehicles emerged on the tarmac. Ellie looked at the flight log to see a last minute addition from an oil bigwig named Lamar Cresset, who had a passenger named Ansaar Bashaarat, who worked under a Saudi oil minister.

Realizing this was the target, Gibbs focused on finding Matthew’s sniper nest. Seeing movement, Gibbs got ready and fired his rifle before Matthew could shoot down the plane. After taking him down, Gibbs went to see Aaron to inform him the case was over. Davis then tells Gibbs the experience made him realize he had to be who he was now and stop trying to be who he had been in the past.

Through a montage of Davis singing “Hallelujah” with MusiCorp, Ellie talked to Tim about how Riley’s mention of embracing memories through spring cleaning made her think of his burrito. It showed how much Delilah loved him that she would make him a big breakfast right before work. Tim agreed before looking at an online site for engagement rings. In another part of the city, Ducky, Palmer, Vance and Tony prepared to ride motorcycles to the restaurant while Gibbs made a journey up his stairs to sleep in bed for the first time.