Jason Rother (July 16, 1969 – August 31, 1988) was a 19-year-old United States Marine who was abandoned in the Mojave Desert during a training exercise, causing his death from dehydration and exposure.

[2] Lawson disobeyed the order to place road guides in pairs,[3] got lost, forgot where he had placed Rother, and along with Sergeants Thomas Turnell and Christopher Clyde who were responsible for Rother, failed to report he was missing upon completion of the exercise.

Only once acting squad leader Corporal Harbison realized late in the afternoon on September 1 that he had not seen Rother all day did an investigation commence into his unaccounted-for status.

It was believed that Rother likely died less than 24 hours before the first search was launched and that the temperature on the day had reached 107 °F (42 °C).

The Marine Corps commandant, General Alfred M. Gray Jr. ordered an outside investigation which resulted in the court-martial of 1st Lieutenant Lawson, finding him guilty of dereliction of duty and sentencing him to discharge and four months in military prison.