OK, this is a modified version of what I was originally planning, with some parts staying in but other parts out and some major background changes. I think most importantly for me, I've resolved the question of what motivated her to go for a military career in the first place. It is still a draft, so comments are welcome. I'll try and finalise it by Wednesday (I'm out tomorrow). Would have probably got it done today but I got a Microsoft 10 mandatory update that took two and a half hours. The name is a placeholder (I didn't think of the similarity in names with Carissa until a minute ago).
Charisse Okamoto
Name: Charisse Okamoto
Age: 31 (born Honolulu, Hawaii, May 1999)
Rank: Captain, United States Air Force
AFSOC: 31PX (Security Forces)
Languages spoken: English (Native speaker), Japanese (Native speaker), German (Basic)
Primary Weapon: M4A1 Carbine w/ M68CCO
Secondary Weapon: M17 Automatic Pistol (military designation for SiG Sauer P320)
Melee Weapon: Gerber StrongArm Knife (in the absence of a kendo stick).
Callsign: Nisei
Skills
Expert (12+): Navigation, Observation, Small Arms (Rifle)
Advanced (10+): Armed Martial Arts, Forward Observer, Grenade Launcher, Scrounging, Survival, Unarmed Martial Arts
Professional (8+): Autogun, Climbing, Computer, Ground Vehicle (Wheeled), Instruction, Leadership, Medical (Trauma Aid), Parachute, Persuasion, Scuba, Small Watercraft, Stealth, Swimming, Thrown Weapon, Tracking
Competent (6+): Meteorology, Pilot (Rotary Wing)
Appearance
Charisse Okamoto stands five feet seven inches tall, with dark hair that falls to her shoulder blades when she lets it down but is usually worn pulled back into a tight bun. She is usually attired in Airman Combat Uniform fatigues in the Operational Camouflage Pattern, OCP aka multicam, camo pattern, over which she wears an OCP Soldier Plate Carrier System vest which has the usual assortment of pouches attached. In non combat situations she will frequently replace her Enhanced Combat Helmet with either an OCP boonie cap or no headgear at all, while her brown eyes will be hidden behind a pair of gold rimmed Ray ban aviators.
Her fatigues bear a full color U.S. flag on the upper left sleeve as well as a nametape with the words
U.S. AIR FORCE over her left breast pocket and second nametape with her surname over the right. Rank insignia is worn on both of her collar points. Out of uniform she'll favour casual civilian dress, usually jeans or, in low threat situations and the heat of an Arkansas summer, cargo shorts, and a hooded top, while she'll occasionally be seen in a blue Air Force Falcons tee shirt (she was a member of the women's soccer team at the AF Academy).
Background
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1999, Charisse Okamoto's decision to follow a military career came as something of a surprise - and perhaps a disappointment - to her father, a Surgeon who had hoped that his daughter would follow in his footsteps. Rather than going to medical school Charisse secured a place at the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, obtaining a Congressional nomination from Hawaii's junior Senator, who regularly played golf with her father.
She was determined to do well at the Academy, throwing herself into every aspect of it, realized that as a girl in what was primarily a boys' club she had to give as good as she got. Graduating from the Academy in the class of 2020 with a Bachelor's Degree in History, she was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and assigned to the 86th Security Forces Squadron at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Routine promotion to First Lieutenant followed in due course, and in 2024 Charisse was accepted for training as a Combat Rescue Officer (CRO). She completed the initial phases of the training - Army Airborne School, Combat Diver School, basic and advanced SERE - but dropped out midway through the actual seventeen week CRO course itself, something that she did not take well at all.
When the shit hit the fan Charisse was a newly promoted Captain, serving with the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. She was still at Barksdale when the War started, watched the BUFF's take to the skies once the nuclear genie had slipped out of the bottle. When lack of fuel grounded the last remaining B52's she initially found herself taking part in various operations aimed at maintaining law and order and providing humanitarian aid in north western Louisiana, until the Mexican led
Allianza crossed the border and drove north.
As
Allianza forces approached the Texas / Louisiana State line Charisse was part of an ad hoc American force that had been flung together to try and halt the invaders. The fighting was bloody, brutal, with Mexican columns making it as far as Barksdale itself, causing heavy damage before they were repelled. Charisse was in command of a provisional Company that consisted mainly of surplus support and maintenance personnel from Barksdale and Louisiana State and local law enforcement officers, and her unit was hit hard, almost overrun. After it was over it was suggested in some quarters that she had been reckless, had pushed too far forward, allowed her unit to become almost surrounded by the invaders. A few people went as far as to say it was only through good fortune that the whole Company hadn't been wiped out. Some of the surviving Louisiana State Police troopers were particularly scathing of her afterwards, and, as is the nature of such things, various versions of Charisse's role in what has become known as 'the Battle of Barksdale' are in circulation, most of which have been through various stages of embellishment.
Shortly afterwards Barksdale - or at least what was left of it after the fighting - was evacuated, with the Air Force blowing up anything they could not take with them. One column headed for Texas to reinforce the American forces fighting the
Allianza there, while another, smaller, column went north, eventually ending up at Little Rock AFB in Arkansas. Charisse was in the latter group, and, along with other Air Force personnel at Little Rock, soon found herself engaged in operations supporting the Arkansas State Guard.
Contacts
TBC