Berryhill

Berryhill functions as a senior military advisor invoked by President Bartlet and Leo McGarry during a crisis over a downed American airliner. Referred to only by surname, Berryhill appears as part of a cautious, procedure-driven defense contingent alongside Cashman, repeatedly accused of delaying operational response. Though offscreen, Berryhill's presence anchors the episode's tension between executive urgency and military caution; staff treat him as an institutional voice whose risk-averse posture shapes response scenarios and draws presidential frustration, exposing civil–military friction under acute political pressure.