Keenan, James.

[Keenan, J.]

UNITED NATIONS SPACE COMMAND DEFENSE FORCE

PERSONNEL COMMAND (PERSCOM)

CAREER SERVICE VITAE

Basic Information
Name: James Harris Keenan (James, H. Keenan)
Age: 24
Birth Date: 2518
Birth Place: New Calgary, Canada, Earth


Service Information
UNSC Military Identification: 5569182
Service Number: 09010-98481-KJ
Rank: First Lieutenant
MOS: 7565 (AC-220 Vulture Gunship)
Billet: Vulture Pilot

RIFLE QUAL: 218
PISTOL QUAL: 201
SWIM QUAL: S2
PFT: Class 2


Unit Information
Command: 27th Marine Expeditionary Unit
Wing: 18th Marine Air Wing (18 MAW)
Group: Marine Aircraft Group 98 (MAG-98)
Squadron: VMA-981

Medical Information
Gender:
Male
Height:
6'1
Weight:
190
Eye Color:
Blue
Hair Color:
Brown
Blood Type:
AB+

Personality Profile:
James is a fairly calm individual, known to stay level headed and composed during combat. Some mistaken this calmness as a lack of care for his own life, thinking that he is either depressed or just tired of the war. Even though he is fairly young, he is rather wise and shows it from time to time. James is knowledgeable, kind and caring for the people under his command and around him. Though he can be tough to get to know, especially on a personal level, he can be laid back occasionally depending on his mood and who he is surrounded by.

On a mental level, he has a 'personal official embargo' on adapting to Marine culture completely. He is strong minded, but stubborn, because of this. Thankfully, James is also reasonable and will attempt to understand things he doesn't understand and be fair when it is needed. Furthermore, James is also known to explore and learn about topics that he feels he needs to know, showing ambition and determination.

Lastly, James has also shown a decent level of initiative.

Physical Description:
James stands at six feet, one inch in height with a moderate build. He doesn't have a lot of muscle tone, but is surprisingly strong for his apparent size. He is fairly thin, though he does have a developing 'beer baby' and slightly looser cheeks. In comparison, he is actually fairly average. Underneath the uniform is a fairly untouched skin with no major scars or tattoos, save for the small tattoo of his family crest on the center of his chest, the same height a typical 'necklace' would hang. It is not visible through clothing and the tattoo is a shield with the family name, 'Keenan', written inside the decorated exterior.

James has a sharp jaw line, but has below average thyroid cartilage (Adam's Apple) protruding from his neck. He shaves his head and appears bald, or very short shaven, while on duty or on active service within the Corps. Typically, James will also have close cut nails, and keeps himself hygienically clean. In fact, when not in combat, he smells like tropical islands... or, well, at least that's that the bottle says.

Background Information:
James was born September 4th, 2518 on Earth. Born to two lower income parents he never had the 'luxury' people talk about periodically. While he had his video games, movies, food and a roof over his head he didn't have fancy cars, the next generation technology each time it came out or a good looking and appealing home to live in. He was taught at home by his mother until grade nine, where he went to the local high school by his own choice. Even though he had lived in the city his entire life, his parents refused to deliver him to public schools for the elementary and middle school grades. His parents were satisfied with the school they chose, however. James had parents that 'controlled' his life for the most part, if something wasn't what they had dreamed for their son, he wasn't allowed it. Games, books, friends and opportunities were lost.

By the time he graduated high school he had achieved a grade and education level that met university standards. He applied and was accepted at the age of eighteen, but much to the surprise of to his parents, it was for the UNSCDF. Why? He joined the officer candidate school after clearing the ASTB. The platoon leader course would be two six week training courses during his first and second year summers. It was a ten week course for his third and final year. He graduated with a masters degree in science and joined the Marine Corps for further training.

After completing his required training the young officer, now almost twenty three years of age, was commissioned as a qualified AC-220 Vulture Gunship pilot.

His first year of service was rather limited, being deployed over Earth and then Reach further into his young career. He was stationed initially aboard the Marathon Class warship UNSC Say My Name over Earth before joining the crew of the UNSC Trafalgar over Reach. Months passed and he would actually get his promotion to First Lieutenant based on time in grade and time in service rather than meritorious actions. He would be redeployed to the UNSC Charles Town, a carrier within the UNSC Navy, and see his first glimpse of combat a mere twelve days after achieving the rank of First Lieutenant.

He was deployed planet side once to assist Marine forces in securing the space port where he would remain for the duration of the battle. He would be assigned to an air support group with three AV-22 Sparrow Hawks as his 'escort' and additional support. The group would be based out of the airfield a dozen kilometres away and together they would respond to two individual calls within a seventy kilometre radius. The AC-220 was a slower craft, but when at full momentum, wasn't as slow as you'd expect a heavily armed and armoured flying tank. He'd rack up over eleven hours of flight during his two dispatches from the airfield and helped military personnel hold an evacuation center and the main space port.

He was grounded, however, during the later stages of the battle as the Covenant gained air superiority. Shortly before the brass called for the evacuation of military personnel and assets, the airfield would be strafed by sixteen banshee fighters. The First Lieutenant was the first bird to respond to the attack by firing ninety percent of their Argent V surface to air missiles. They registered two confirmed kills and crippled a third while still on the tarmac. Once airborne, the gunners were able to use the thirty mike-mike cannons to greater effect. Though the airfield had been damaged, anti aircraft batteries and other birds that scrambled to get off had held off the attack. All sixteen of the intruders had been destroyed, but at the cost of three grounded pelicans, an AV-22 and two heavy lift Albatrosses.

The First Lieutenant's aircraft had also been splashed by plasma fire and damaged. Two of the underbelly direct-thrust jets had been disabled and the left thirty millimetre cannon had been 'melted off'. When the call for the evacuation did come, the damaged Vulture would remain near the space port until the last of the Pelican transports were taking off. Though he wasn't the last VTOL to leave the planet, he was on the list of the aircraft to stay the longest. Once exiting the planets gravity well he learned the carrier he had served on had been destroyed by the Covenant Navy along with the majority of the UNSC Navy - which had taken a tremendous beating - to a point where only three ships out of the original twenty were left operational. He boarded an over crowded Cruiser and was fortunate enough to get away from the battle.

They'd return to Reach, eventually, and James would be reassigned to the UNSC Vengeance.