NationStates Jolt Archive

I wont claim the idea for my own, as I took it from someone else, but in order to get it moving, I'm posting the OOC sign up for the thread. Please read carefully, I too would like these rules followed carefully. Also, put some depth into your characters, as well your posts. Further info will be available as we need it, and hope to see a good story get going.

The storyline will be that of a small group of private contractors (a nice way of saying mercenaries) travelling to Africa to help in the training of the government peacekeepers already fighting over there, like in Darfur. While technically their mission profile does not include direct action, most experts agree that advisors need to run through a couple of operations with their trainees to make sure they have the hang of what they've been taught.

I'm going to place tech limitations to modern-tech, obviously. I'm also going to outlaw uber-characters, i.e. those individuals who are so supremely gifted that they never, ever fail, especially those with shallow backgrounds that don't support such claims. Former CIA, NSA, whatever are allowed, but within reason. The possibility for four former spooks in Africa for the same reason is slim to none.

I want the characters entered in this RP, should it ever come to fruition, to be deep and complex individuals, real people with real reasons for diving head-first into one of the most bloody genocidal conflicts in history. Backgrounds are a must here, with deployment histories (if former military), early life references, motives for even taking the assignment in the first place, that sort of thing.

The year will most likely be 2007-2008, basically tomorrow for all practical purposes. As such, no weaponry or equipment that won't be out in such a time frame should be carried, but I'll list a few websites that you might find useful for research. Select the sort of gear you yourself would carry into such a place. While your character won't have to carry everything around on his/her back, I'm going to limit the loadout to keep it realistic. Equipment should not come from current national inventory (i.e. if your nation has designed and manufactured an assault rifle, it cannot be used as this RP is set in the real world, not the NS version).

Operational Loadout limitations:

Two (2) Rifles (Includes assault rifles, sub-machineguns, shotguns, sniper rifles, and any sort of anti-vehicle weapon you might desire to carry, like a man-portable rocket launcher or grenade delivery device)

Three (3) Pistols (Includes any sort of handgun or revolver, as well as any small sub-machinegun without a stock etc.)

Five (5) Grenades (Any sort of thrown explosive device, including incidiary, noise-makers like flash-bangs, smoke generators, or standard fragmentation grenades)

Four (4) Misc Items (Any knife, plastic explosive, flashlight, night-vision equipment, binoculars, light-sticks, canteens, or any other such random piece of equipment you desire to carry, excluding anything already listed to be limited in quantity, i.e. rifles and such. Food items you plan to bring on an operation are also included here)

Body Armor and optional Ballistic Helmet

Machine Guns and other such emplaced weapons are forbidden, as no human being can carry such a weapon around for long periods of time. Vehicles are also banned, as transportation will be provided, along with lodging and food, although you might want to bring your own. Random stuff like katanas, ninja-stars, nunchucks, wazikashis, etc. are also forbidden. A modern crossbow or compound bow won't be questioned, however, it will leave you grossly under-equipped against an enemy packing assault rifles and technical attack vehicles.

Total Loadout Limitations:

As your character will be provided with a place to sleep and store equipment, you can bring much more than you can carry.

Four (4) Rifles (As above)

Six (6) Pistols (As above)

Fifty (50) Grenades (As Above)

Fifty (50) Misc Items (As Above)

Three (3) Body Armor Vests (Helmets optional, but one per vest)

Any food items you wish to bring along will not be counted in the equipment limitations, such as MRE's.


Keep in mind that language is also a barrier, so one of the group must be able to speak some form of African dialect, as very few of the people they will encounter will speak English/German/Your Character's Native Language. Weight issues are a factor as well, so carrying two Barrett M82A1 rifles and three Desert Eagles on an operation would have your character passing out from fatigue and dehydration, since combined weight including ammunition and body armor would be in excess of two hundred pounds (at least). I'm hoping you'll put more thought into your equipment choices than this, but it's mainly an example.

So please, feel free to jump in, and lets get something good going.

Name: Sean McQuaye
Age/DOB: 38 (June 17, 1968)
Hieght/Wieght: 6'0", 215lbs, Athletic Build
Scars: One scar across left calf
Tattoos: To Secure the Blessings of Liberty[/b] in old english script across upper back; [i]Sic Alius May Ago wrap around left bicep; Air Force Pararescue Jumper insignia on right bicep inbetween two vertical angel wings (similar to the SAS badge)
Military Service: United States Air Force Pararescue Jumper, enlisted in 1990, retired in 2004 with a rank of Master Sergeant

Bio:
Sean was born and raised in Boston, Mass. His mother was a home maker, and his father was in the Air Force, having served in Vietnam with the MACV-SOG (Studies and Observations Group) until the end of the war. Almost every male in his family had served in some faction of the US military, and having a close relation with his extended family, he often heard stories of military service. In highschool, he was an average student, but did well in the school's JROTC program. Instead of enlisting in the military directly out of highschool, and at the urging of his father, he went on to higher education, attending The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass, but was not involved in the ROTC program. He did very well in college, graduating in the upper part of his class with a Bachelor degree in Political Science. After graduating in 1990, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, seeking AFSC 1T2X1, an Air Force Pararescue Jumper, or PJ.

Sean enjoyed the physical rigors of training, and having played rugby and football, it was nothing to intense for him. He showed great leadership skills, and often pushed his squadmates as hard as he pushed himself in basic training, ensuring him a spot in PJ training. Upon finishing his PAST and Indoctrination Course, he was placed as the sqaud commander for his training squad, doing well in all schools he attended. He was noted as a natural leader, but often turned down offers for OCS. Upon completing PJ training, he was quickly assigned to an active duty unit, and three weeks later was sitting in the back of an Air Force MH-53 as it crossed the Iraqi border in the dead of night, his STT team operating in support of a US Army 1st SFOD-D team hunting SAM units before the air campaign would begin.

In Iraq, Sean completed a number of rescue operations for both downed aircraft pilots and both special operations units and regular units that had suffered casualties, but never saw any direct combat actions. In 1993, he had his first real taste of combat, serving with the Air Force in Somalia. Durring the October 3rd raid on Mogidishu, he was sent into the city four times to assist with the rescue of downed helicopter pilots and trapped Ranger units, often puting down the medical kit and taking his part in the firefights that friendly units were engaged in.

Durring the rest of the 90s, he took part in the numerous NATO operations in the former Eastern Bloc countries, rescuing downed pilots, many times at night and under heavy fire. He was also involved in the SAR operations durring the huricaine season in Florida and the north east coastal areas. After the Sept. 11 attacks, he worked with New York EMT and Paramedics as a voulenteer at ground zero until his unit was called back into action, and he was sent into Afghanistan attached to a Special Forces unit, along with a Combat Controler. He saw extensive combat in the mountainous regions, taking fire as soon he touched the ground from his HALO jump in. After a year on the ground, he was reassigned to an STT, and was promoted from Technical Sergeant to Master Sergeant. He continued to see combat in Afghanistan until 2004, when he felt his calling lay elsewhere. With no hard feelings on either side, he left the Air Force and returned to Boston.

Upon returning to Boston, he worked as a Special Corespondant for a local news station, providing a military outlook on the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and started a small SAR/Survival training outfit for Paramedics, firefighters, and police officers known as ForceLife. The business was marginally successful, but wasn't enough to support himself and his new fiancé. Shortly before reenlisting in the Air Force, he was given an offer for a job position with Final Solutions, Inc., a Private Military Contracter. The pay was excellent, far more than he would be recieving in the Air Force, even as an officer. He accepted the job position, and was soon sent off to Iraq for the second time in his carrer, serving as a body gaurd for contracted builders and assisting with diplomat protection. Due to his training, he was tasked to lead a number of rescue operations for kidnapped and missing personel. After his Iraq tour ended in 2005, Final Solutions was one of the many PMCs contracted to help maintain order and peace in post Katrina Louisianna. Again, his training, and connection with the PJs, allowed him special access to operations that other PMCs were unable to get to.

In March of 2006, he left Louisianna, and was preparing for another tour in Iraq, when new of the Darfur massacres and genocide was made known. Final Solutions began probing its ranks for voulenteers to go to Africa, and Sean was one of the first to sign up. He felt that his special medical training would be of definate help to the displaced persons, and that it was his duty as a person to take up arms and make the move to the African theatre.

Because of his service time, Sean is proficient in Farsi, and speaks enough Russian to survive. Despite his job as more of a life saver, he is often found at the range perfecting his shooting. He is a valuable asset to Final Solutions, often using his connections to the PJs and Special Operations Command to get special information and advanced notice of military operations in the theatre of operations. Sean is soft spoken, but able to take command of a situation when needed. He displays many leadership qualities, but would rather take the back seat to a leader in an operation, prefering to just get his job done. He is married, and often talks to his father, sharing stories that aren't still classified.

Equipment:

Rifle-Lewis Machine and Tool Gaurdian Lower Reciever with dual stage trigger, Lewis machine and Tool CQB MRP Upper Reciever, chambered for 6.8mm SPC, L3 EOTech 550A Holographic Weapons Site, Surefire Scout Light
Sidearm-Sig Saur P226 Crimson Trace with Insight weapon light; Steyr MA-1 as a 'Last Resort' weapon
Other Equipment-Micortech HALO III combat knife; numerous medical kits and equipment, gunshot wound kits, etc.; other surivial gear (radios, lightsticks, etc.)
Two sets of Pinacle Armor DragonSkin body armor vests; One MICH TC-2000 Combat Helmet; Pro-Tec helmet and pads; One set of NVGs; Other misc. tools and gear


OOC1: I am not, nore will I make any assumptions that I am, a paramedic. My character is, I am not. So please, do not expect me to put up detailed or deep medical info if your character gets hurt
OOC2: You do not need to go as deep as I did above. I've been working on this character for a while. However, as stated, I don't want four line posts or two sentences about your character and that be it.

Name: Paul Harrington
Age/DOB: 33 (28 July 1973)
Height/Weight: 5'1", 185 lbs, lean and wiry
Scars: Four bullet impacts, right side of the chest, two exit wounds in the back.
Tattoos: The Canadian Forces crest over his heart with the words "Lest We Forget". Canadian flag on his right biceps with the caption "Made in Canada". The words "Who Dares Wins" on his left calf
Military Service: Joined the Canadian Forces as a Field Engineer in 1991. Completed his training early in 92. Qualified as an explosives expert, paratrooper and was top student on his Pioneer course. Joined Joint Task Force 2 in 1998 Four tours of duty in the Balkan and two in Afghanistan. Well-decorated: (Canadian Decoration, Star of Military Valour, NATO (Former Yougoslavia), NATO (Kosovo), South West Asia Service Medal, Campaign Star, Mentionned in Dispatches. Retired in 2006 with the rank of Sargent. (E-6/E7 equivalent)

Bio:
Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario. He was no more than an average student throughout high school and dropped out after the first two years of college, finding no challenge there and no interest despite his track record with the varsity hockey team.

Looking for something that might challenge him, he signed up for the Canadian Forces and there he found what he was looking for. The camaraderie found there and the discipline that was drilled into him quickly turned a disabused youth into a man and a dedicated, proud soldier.

Upon graduating from his QL3 in Gagetown, he was posted to 2 CER in Petawawa where he quickly made himself known as one of the fittest in his troop, and soon within the whole regiment and was a proud part of his unit's contigent at Nijmegen, the Bataan Death March and the Ottawa Marathon several years running.

Soon, his first deployment came in the Balkans, in which he was shot for the first time but recovered well. Another two tours of duty, one to Kosovo and another in Bosnia, earned him another pair of bulletholes in his chest, the last two earned while recovering a wounded child from a possible minefield while under fire from pro-Milosevic rebels. This single action earned him also the Star of Military Valour.

Following the Bosnia years, he did his first tour in Afghanistan in 2002, after successfully completeing both Jump and Pioneer training. Following his return to Canada, he successfully applied for the mysterious JTF2 and served with them for the remained of his career, having several deployments under his belt with them, including two unclassified ones in Afghanistan.

Upon retiring, he found work within a security firm, training demining contractors going to the Balkans or Afghanistan. Thanks to his extensive language skills, which include French, Pashtu, Arabic and Dari, he was in very high demand. However, due to his extensive background in combat operations and his expertise as a special forces assaulter, when a call came from another company seeking to recruit security contractors for work in Darfur, he was quick to accept the offer. His application, according to the Human Ressources Manager, had barely touched the desk before it had been accepted, partly because of the sheer amount of operational experience he has under his belt.

So far as his personnal life goes, he is married to a pearl of a woman named Kate and is the father of two young children. Despite some difficulties due to his high operational tempo and the secrecy required by his line of work, he has managed to avoid messy divorces and he has become known as a good family man who also doubles as a Cadet instructor and a Scout Leader in his off-time.


Gear:
Through some contacts within military suppliers, Paul has managed to acquire the following:

-1 Diemaco C7A2 assault rifle with C79 optical sight and secondary reflex red-dot sight, flashligh, underbarrel bipod and forward pistol grip. Additional modifications include a heavyweight barrel;
- 1 FN C9A1 light machinegun with C79 optical sight;
- 1 Timberwolf sniper rifle chambered for .338 Lapua, fitted with US Optics 1.7-22X variable MILSPEC scope. Ammunition includes Frangible and Armour Piercing rounds;
- 2 Sig Sauer P226 pistols with mounted tactical lights;
- Gerber and SOG Multitools;
- EOD- and Demolitions specific tools and supplies;
- Tactical vest including mag pouches, canteen pouch, utility pouches.
- 2 sets of full ballistic armour, including helmet, knee and elbow pads, eyewear, body armour with ballistic plates and frag vest;
- Other various items, including but not limited to NVG's, GPS, various pieces of communications equipment, first aid kit.




OOC: I know, this isn't my RP, but I am a soldier OOCly and I am here speaking from experience when I am saying that only 4 miscellaneous items is nowhere near the amount that anyone carries in the field. In Afghanistan, people from my unit carry, as miscellaneous item, a minimum of the following: 50' of 550-pound test nylon cord, 1 Gerber multitool, 1 SOG multitool, 1 bayonet, 1 full canteen (1 or 2 litre, depending on preference), a 2-litre Camelback, a full utility pouch containing a weapon cleaning kit, full first-aid gear, 1 mini Maglite, 1 personal role radio and their ballistic glasses. Often they'll also schlep a satellite phone, specialized equipment and whatnot. Please note that I am NOT a combat engineer.

Name: Sergei Zoyala
Age/DOB: 26 (1 January 1980)
Height/Weight: 6'2", 149 lbs, very thin
Scars: Left eye shot out; covered by an eye patch.
Tattoos: None
Military Service: No formal military experience; Joined a Chechenian Rebel group in 1996 at the age of 16. Fought as an insurgent against Russian forces until 2003, when he left his homeland to join various mercenary groups.

Bio: Born on the battlefield in Grozny, Chechnya, Sergei's family was killed by a Russian bomb when he was sixteen-the same age he went underground with groups of Chechenian Rebel. He spent eight years drifting among various insurgent organizations and fighting Russian forces, losing his eye in one particularly vicious melee.

After he managed to escape a growing influx of Russian troops in Chechnya in 2003, Sergei started traveling Europe looking for work as a soldier for hire. He failed in his attempt to join the French Foreign Legion, although he did find some success in an Italian firm.

As far as his abilities, Sergei is not a perfect soldier. He has only a little formal military experience, and much of his skills were picked up on the battlefield in Chechnya. He is a good shot with a rifle, having spent much of his fighting time hiding in building and picking off individual Russians as a sniper. His actual experience in firefights is extensive, however. He knows Russian and Arabic, and is a proficient hand-to-hand fighter knowledgeable in both Sambo and a slightly distorted Chechenian version of Spetsnaz GRU combat.

Knowing that the conflict in Darfur is not all that different from that of his own homeland, Sergei decided to take part in a peacekeeping mission to help the region. He hopes that, after returning to Chechnya, he can use this mission experience to help formally train his fellow resistance fighters.

Sergei has no family life; most of his best friends and his entire family have been killed or captured in Chechnya.

Equipment:

Rifles
KSVK 12.7 Heavy Anti-Material rifle with SUSAT 4x optical sight
AK-47 Assault Rifle

Sidearms
Taurus Raging Bull .454 Casull revolver
9 x 21mm Gyurza revolver

Other Equipment
Machete
Two Kindjal daggers
Three M67 grenades
Two sets of camouflage outfits

So far looks good. Only note I have, Ravea, is I assume you understand that Sergei wont just be ripping off shots with that .454 like nothing. With his rifle, I am leaning towards the idea he is more of the sniper of the group?

OOC: I know, this isn't my RP, but I am a soldier OOCly and I am here speaking from experience when I am saying that only 4 miscellaneous items is nowhere near the amount that anyone carries in the field. In Afghanistan, people from my unit carry, as miscellaneous item, a minimum of the following: 50' of 550-pound test nylon cord, 1 Gerber multitool, 1 SOG multitool, 1 bayonet, 1 full canteen (1 or 2 litre, depending on preference), a 2-litre Camelback, a full utility pouch containing a weapon cleaning kit, full first-aid gear, 1 mini Maglite, 1 personal role radio and their ballistic glasses. Often they'll also schlep a satellite phone, specialized equipment and whatnot. Please note that I am NOT a combat engineer.

As I stated, this wasn't my origional idea, most of it, well, all of it, was thought up by someone else. So with this advice, he has the final word. I'm just managing the game.

So far looks good. Only note I have, Ravea, is I assume you understand that Sergei wont just be ripping off shots with that .454 like nothing. With his rifle, I am leaning towards the idea he is more of the sniper of the group?

Indeed. His "Sidearm" is just that-a sidearm. Keep in mind Sergei doesn't have much armor, and if he's cornered by anything heavily armed or at too close a range to use his sniper rifle, he'll want something with very good stopping power. The AK-47 pretty much handles that problem, but there's nothing like some extra protection when the ammo gets low.