Personnel

[natehale1971]

2LT Sterling Ashton Snyder M.A.E., US Army Combat Engineer Officer:
adult Caucasian male Smart 3/Specialist 3 (6th level).

Sterling Ashton Snyder was your classic overweight, bearded, long-haired, poorly dressed stereotypical nerdish geek well before the start of The Twilight War. Aston is the son of a well-off upper middle class family that spoiled him, never denying him anything that he wanted as he was growing up. The Snyder family that was well connected both in business and social circles. And it was through these connections that he was able to get into a decent college despite his lackluster grades in high school despite his natural gift for mathematics and engineering.

Somehow while he was in college he had earned a Master in Civil Engineering degree and a couple of Associates in the Sciences degrees, in addition he became fluent in Russian and took classes in Russian Literature to fit in with his the anti-establishment crowd that had made up the majority of his friends. Much of his possibly comes from his youthful resentment to his parents and upbringing in a conservative and religious family.

After his graduation from college he had slummed around for a couple of years, until his family used their connections to secure for him a cushy consulting job working for various engineering companies that had kept him in the style that he had grown accustomed to while in college (i.e. he didn't have to shave, cut his ponytail, or dress like "a corporate drone"), allowed him to always buy the newest high tech toy and allowed him to spend his extensive leisure time surfing the web (mostly looking for porn), playing online computer games, and subsisting off a diet that was composed of almost nothing but junkfood, heavily caffeinated drinks and cigarettes. And the only physical exercise he would get seemed to come when he would take part in many public demonstrations and protests that was dedicated to many various causes that were associated with the goals of the Union for a Progressive New America.

Ashton had finally settled down in Chicago, Illinois where he became involved in supporting local elected political officials that he respected… among them was State Senator Barrack Hussein Obama. A man who he greatly admired, especially after the first high-profile anti-war rally on 2 October 2002 that B.H. Obama had spoken at, setting himself up as a leading anti-war candidate for the United States Senate from the State of Illinois.

But suddenly in October 2003, his comfortable world had come crashing down when he found himself drafted after the United States found itself drawn into The Twilight War. While he didn't agree with the war (in fact he was partial to socialist ideology), he found himself in a position that would not allow him to just file for status as a conscientious objector. Namely the fact that his family had stated that if he did not live up to his patriotic duty and obligation to his country that had provided him with all the luxuries that he enjoyed, they would cut him off… and he would quickly loose his cushy consulting job. And that they would not keep helping him pay off all of his student loans.

His educational background was able to get him a pass on having to experience the majority of US Army Basic Combat Training, and he found himself being sent to Officer Candidate School where he became one of the eight week wonders that was being trained to provide leadership in various combat support positions. He had somehow managed to survive the severe culture shock and overcome the trauma of having to shave daily and keep his hair cut to a regulation length, and he even eventually was able to graduate from Officer Candidate School to be commissioned as a US Army Second Lieutenant in the Combat Engineering Branch… where his knowledge of structural engineering was the most needed by the United States Army.

The rigorous physical training inflicted upon him in the truncated Basic Combat Training and Officer Candidate School had helped him loose nearly 100 pounds and had improved his overall physical health and well-being. But despite all of the physical labor and exercise, he was still quite heavy (something he claims comes from being 'big boned' and not form the fact he is always eating anything he can get his hands on). He also used his rank, position and family connections to make sure that he was able to keep as many of his precious luxury items as possible.

After arriving in theater, was assigned to command a combat engineering support platoon assigned to instruct soldiers in the construction of forward bases and later, he would eventually be teaching them how to build and maintain the fortifications of their cantonments. He and his platoon sergeant, SFC Hamilton Dodge had very different styles of leadership. Where SFC Dodge takes a much more hands on approach, 2LT Ashton Snyder would rather stand back and watch while others did the work he had just told them to do.

Being of a naturally cynical (and in his own mind, imaginative) mindset he has been quick to come to the decision that the world had totally changed in the year after the Thanksgiving Day Massacre, and that his Second Lieutenant bars were worth less than a roll of toilet paper. And he has been vocal in his feelings that the world has changed and that things back in the states has either devolved into a Mad Max-esque wasteland… or that the Right-Wing Christian Fundamentalists (whom he exclusively refers to as Christo-Fascists) have taken the opportunity to impose a new, theocracy over the United States, where atheists like himself are sent to re-education camps (or just sent to concentration camps for eventual execution). Even when given evidence that this is not the case… and that the biggest domestic treats to liberty back in the United States has been from the Union for a Progressive New America, he accuses those people of being duped by the Christo-Fascist MilGov Propaganda.

This has combined with his overall condescending and pompous attitude of personal superiority, that 2LT Ashton Snyder and SSG Chandler Wheeler have not been able to get along well at all. SSG Wheeler and 2LT Snyder have had many disagreements over the situation back stateside, as well as disagreements over the existence of God had combined with the intermittent news and mail service arriving from stateside. And even after SSG Wheeler tried to show that his letters from home this was not actually the case, 2LT Snyder accused him of being nothing more than a dupe of MilGov propagandists.

And after finding out that SSG Wheeler is such a devoted Christian he always set aside time each every day for prayer & fasting while he reads his bible, 2LT Snyder started to make off-hand comments that over time became increasingly offensive and insulting even to other non-Christians whom were in the unit. 2LT Snyder has never made it a secret that he is a dedicated atheist who sees any reliance in the belief in either God or a higher power as being nothing more than a lack of intelligence and common sense. It has been the fact that he has been such a total ass about it, has caused even other atheists in the unit to start to question their position with the contrast between the strength of character of the two men.

SSG Chandler Wheeler is a much more down-to-earth and compassionate man who practices what he preaches, does not force his ideals upon others, and helps anyone who needs it without asking for anything in return. While 2LT Snyder is a brash and hypocritical man who forces his ideals and opinions upon others, and will not do anything for someone unless he sees that there is something in it for him.



Service Record & Advanced Education:

1997-2001: d (1997). Joins the Union for a Progressive New America (1998). d (1999). d (2000). d (2001).
2001-2007: Moves to Chicago, IL (2001). d (2002). Drafted into the United States Army (2003). Officer Candidate School (2003). Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army of the United States (2004). Reprimanded for political campaigning while in uniform and attempting to force subordinates to vote for specific political candidates (2004). d (2005). Reprimanded for insubordination (2006). d (2007).
2007-Pres.: d (2007).



2LT Sterling Ashton Snyder M.A.E., US Army Combat Engineer Officer (callsign: '<callsign>'): adult Caucasian male Smart 3/Specialist 3 (6th level).
Real Name: Sterling Ashton Snyder; Rank/Title: US Army Second Lieutenant; Other Aliases: "Duce" (callsign), "Il Douche" (behind his back); Place of Birth: Staten Island, New York City, Richmond County, New York, United States of America; Legal Status: Citizen of the United States of America w/no criminal record; Marital Status: Single; Occupation: US Army Combat Engineer Officer, Architectural Engineering Consultant; Allegiances: Himself; Known Languages: English (native), Russian (fluent), Polish (fluent), Italian (fluent), Mandarin Chinese (speak-only), French (speak-only), Japanese (understand-only); Ethnicity: Caucasian; Gender: Male; Orientation: Heterosexual; Age: 28 (day month 1979); HT: 5' 10"; WT: 210lbs.; Hair: Dark blonde; Eyes: Blue; Physical Appearance: 2LT Sterling Ashton Snyder is an average looking adult Caucasian male in excellent physical condition for a man his age, height and build who engages in light regular exercise on a daily basis.
Distinguishing Physical Characteristics: 2LT Sterling Ashton Snyder is a heavyset man with a perpetual five o'clock shadow since he's not required to shave regularly he now has a several day growth beard, thinning dark blonde hair, a perpetual potbelly, his right earlobe is pierced and tattoo of a red Hammer & Sickle on his right hip.
Normal Attire: 2LT Sterling Ashton Snyder wears his US Army Combat Utility Uniform that consists of a digital woodland camouflage ACU forage cap, a digital woodland camouflage ACU jacket, a digital woodland camouflage ACU combat shirt, a pair of digital woodland camouflage ACU trousers, a light tan moisture wicking tee-shirt & boxers, a pair of brown cushioned soled socks, a pair of combat boots, a quartz military watch, a pair of sage Interceptor-X gloves, a set of dogtags w/black silencers, a pair of Uvex XC protective eye wear, a pair of sun/wind/dust goggles, a pair of tactical knee & elbow pads, a PASGT ballistic helmet w/an digital woodland camouflage Helmet Cover, MICH 2000 Helmet attachment w/NVG Mount (Die-cut Black EVA Inner Pad), a helmet band, digital woodland camouflage D.A.P./M-Tac 300 Level IIIA Ballistic Vest w/groin & bicep protectors, Coyote Brown Chest Rig w/pouches holding 4 M4 magazines, crookneck flashlight, a PRC 148 Radio w/a headset, an M4 5.56mm carbine w/an M4 Butt Stock magazine pouch holding 2 spare M4 magazines.

Personality Trait:
Most Valued Person: Politician (B.H. Obama)
Most Valued Thing: Letter from B.H. Obama and a picture of him with B.H. Obama
Most Valued Abstraction: Possessions (D-2), Fun (N-2), Social Welfare (L+1), Political belief (D+1),
Alignment: Self-Centered
Light-side Traits: Organized, Imaginative
Neutral Traits: Atheistic, Curious, Materialistic, Skeptic, Hedonist, Loquacious, Creative, Closed minded,
Dark-side Traits: Irreverent, Hateful, Egoist, Thoughtless, Selfish, Vengeful, Pessimist,
Behavioral Tags: Know-it-all,

Known Realities: Alexander Snyder (father, 54); Francine Baracchini Snyder (mother, 50); Jennifer Olivia Snyder (sister, 24); Sterling Alexander Snyder (paternal grandfather, 71); Jennifer Marcos Snyder (paternal grandmother, 64); Ashton Gabriele Baracchini (maternal grandfather, 69); Olivia Elaine Motta Baracchini (maternal grandmother, 66).

Field Gear: a Geiger counter, a mine detector, an EOD toolkit, an Explosive satchel charge,

Personal Belongings: several Hustler & Barely Legal porn magazines, 2 portable DVD players w/a set of rechargeable batteries, a small collection of various DVD movies & TV Show collection, a small collection of porn DVDs, a mp3 player w/2GB memory space & a set of rechargeable batteries, a Panasonic Toughbook laptop w/a collection of computer games & a set of rechargeable batteries, a collection of nine 4GB flash drives full of various books and pornographic material, a SIGMA SD10 digital SLR camera w/ a set of rechargeable batteries,
29 rolls of toilet paper,