Ishida Hisashi
Changes
27/2/2015: Added a radio to Hisashi's gear. Which soldier won't carry them? Also, I've added some notes on his unit and personality.
Name: (Family Name) Ishida (Given Name) Hisashi
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Asian, Japanese
Description: Hisashi is not a very tall man, standing at the average height of 1.78m. As he had been practising in the traditional arts of Kenjutsu, Iajitsu and various other armed and unarmed sports, he is toned and hardy, though not to the point of excess that could only be gained through bodybuilding. He found solace in such tradition, but regarded them more as art and fitness regime than anything. His eyes are a dark shade of brown that they appear black in less than bright settings, and as such can be hard to read at times. His hair is simply black, as it would be for asians. Being a soldier, and being traditional, he doesn't dye it. However, as he is more civilian in attitude than military, he did not adopt the standard short, spiky hair, but has let it grow a little bit longer right to the edge of military requirement. He thought it would put his patients at ease.
As a regular soldier with the JSDF and UN, he is always found in the uniform of his service, in whatever standard required of his operation. As he has been sent into the United States with the 2nd Kyonshikirapeitai Company (In other words, the Zombie-Killer Military Unit), he is equipped like any other in the unit.
Over a light kevlar vest, he wears a suit of riot gear custom designed and made for the fight against the infection. In addition to hardplates that could withstand stabs and blunt trauma, whatever openings there are is covered with leather or PVC to reduce the chance of scratches and bites breaking the skin. The suit covers the function of knee and elbow pads, so those aren't included in his kit. Instead of a normal M88 ballistic helmet, the Kyonshikirapeitai helmet, like riot gear, has a clear visor that could be locked in closed position, preventing trauma to the face. This is not perfect however, as the throat is still exposed via a thin slit of opening. As he is part of the UN, his helmet is covered in blue cloth.
Beyond that, his gear consists also of some state-of-the-art borderline space age stuff, parts of Japan's own future warrior programme that was rushed into service when the dead began to rise. Only a small percentage of the programme was implemented, namely a forearm mounted PDA, which gives access to GPS, a messaging system, and in Hisashi's case, a doctor's assistant program. It is also connected to a RCF system on his rifle, which enables him to use it to peek around corners without exposing himself. A camera is mounted on his helmet so that soldiers of the same unit could patch into his line of sight. A radio allows quick communication, and is similarly charged. All of this, however, would be useless without power, and power could be gained from tiny solar panels built into the gadgets, as well as a larger one on his backpack.
On his uniform and zombie gear would be clearly indicated his national flag, UN affiliation, the red cross, his rank, as well as his prestigious unit badge: Two katana crossed at the bottom of a tori gate with the rising sun in the horizon.
As a medical officer, he is also required to carry an extra large military fieldpack filled with not just his personal gear but also medical equipment, supplies and drugs. As a Kyonshikirapeitai, he is required to carry a wealth of weapons with him adapted for combat against zombies, tweaked according to his profession (different kinds of soldiers in the unit carry different assortments of weapons). His primary weapon (though in the Kyonshikirapeitai doctrine, what is the primary weapon is fluid) is the Howa Type 89-F rifle, carbined for extra manueverability when being swarmed or in tight spaces. The folding stock adds to that agility. It has an attached bayonet, which is equally important. Sidearm consists of the Sig Sauer P226. But what truly makes a soldier with the Kyonshikirapeitai is his return to the military roots of Japan: the Samurai. Indoctrinated in the old ways, he is also armed with modern katana made of alloy steel and a wakizashi as backup and contingency for tight corners. He has 2 fragmentary grenades.
Biography: Hisashi was born into a traditionalist samurai family, the kind that did not acknowledge the atrocities of World War 2, the kind that spat at the circumstances leading up to the disbandment of the Samurai. As such, he is brought up this way, and has been practicing the traditional arts required of the Samurai ever since he was able to walk and speak. This traditionalist streak changed, however, when the time came for him to make his decision for further studies. In addition to being traditionalist, everything anyone had ever done in the family is done in the name of joining the military and climbing the ranks there, to fight wars, bring honour to family and country.
Instead, he had an interest in medicine, through his study of herbs, and through his friends, who were hoping to get into medical school as well. So he joined them, and flew to a neighbouring province to study in a medical school. His family and clan began to suspect his intentions, but thought it fine as medics are soldiers too. In university, Hisashi had made alot of likeminded friends, including foreigners, and it was there that he learnt more about the atrocities of WW2. He was further encouraged to go down a more pacifistic path, much to the chagrin of his kin.
Upon graduation when he was 22, he defied clan orders to join the military, and instead worked in a hospital as a surgeon. After numerous high profile surgeries and 6 years later, he decided to kick back and relax, and promptly became a general practitioner with his own clinic and staff. He got married, and had children five years later. He found out after that that he could relate well to children and their innocence - many of his best patients were children, and so he began specialising as a pediatrician, seeing that they were some of those in most need of medical care.
Paradise did not last. It was only a few years later when he was 36 when he clan began to act against his wishes, out of frustration and shame. The ultimatum: join the military or be disowned and abandoned. He gave in, and reluctantly joined the military as an officer. Due to his education, he was offered the position of medical officer, which he took immediately, finding it to be the only escape he has from his circumstances. But he was a reluctant soldier; he was never serious in his exercises and training, and could barely pass his fitness tests and marksmanship package.
When the outbreaks began, he was immediately put on the frontlines on account of his skills in medicine, which was sorely needed as casualty rates were high in the early days, and doctors were needed to research the pathogen that caused the dead the rise. He was kept back on most occasions in military operations to tend to the wounded and assist in disease research, but had his scrapes with the dead. The dead were piling up high before the war stabilised in Japan.
By luck (or ill-luck, or perhaps politics), he was put on a ship bound for the US, as part of a reconnaissance mission going ahead of a UN operation to reestablish communications with the US. Upon landfall, a base camp was set up in Florida, and overran. The 2nd Kyonshikirapeitai was decimated after putting up a fierce last stand (they were outnumbered 60:1. 90 soldiers were killed but so were about 3000 zombies) and its commander killed, forcing Hisashi, who was next in command, to lead what remained of the unit deeper into Florida, where they found what they were looking for; what remained of the US government in the form of a United States Army Refugee Camp.
As they were bringing two truckloads of supplies and 10 hardened Japanese zombie hunters into their fold, they were welcomed with open arms, and celebration, inasmuch as half-starved refugees could celebrate. Hisashi had set up a practice in the refugee camp since then, looking after the people and children there, as well as providing much-needed defence and morale boosts.
Pre-Infection Career: He became a surgeon for 6 years before settling as a general practitioner. This does not mean that he stopped doing surgery completely however, as some cases required him to perform operations. 5 years as a general practitioner in addition to those 6 years before had helped him decide on a pediatrician specialisation. He was then forced into the military ever since, and took the vocation of a medical officer readily. However, he had never been promoted past the rank of Captain, which was where he'd remain for the rest of his life.
Other
Personality: Hisashi is a pacifistic man, kind hearted, approachable - especially towards children. He is idealistic in his approach, and would not compromise even if circumstances change. Some would call him stubborn and rigid. He would normally respond to his detractors by calling them immoral, inconsistent and lacking in integrity. While some might venture further to call him naive, it was just that he was easy to misunderstand that way; naivety requires him to be ignorant of the consequences of his beliefs. The thing is, he isn't.
However, circumstances throughout his life did change him, just not in the above. He was once a confident, forward-looking optimist. He'd earned that through his successes in his medical career. However, his clan's meddling in his life had blunted such optimism. The war did the rest. He would frequently feel helpless and overwhelmed when faced with the prospects of the plague. He had to put down hundreds of patients who had contracted the incurable disease. Almost two years of research yielded nothing but sketchy theories, no cure; the best they could do was to delay the inevitable with medicine. His time fighting in the frontlines went a similar route. There were times when people would die under his watch, no matter how vigilant he was.
It didn't help that his company was decimated within days of setting foot in the United States. A legion of the dead was a rare thing - herds were usually under a thousand rotten heads strong, something a hundred soldiers of the Kyonshikirapeitai could easily handle.
Notes on the 2nd Kyonshikirapeitai Company
The company belongs to a larger unit, the Kyonshikirapeitai Division. They are a new 'special forces' type military unit created to fight specifically against the infected. While they may stand shoulder to shoulder with commandos and other elite units, they are not as adept against human enemies. This is due to their combat training and method, which were mostly created to deal with the infected.
Half the time, they would be fighting hand-to-hand or at close range. The equipment that they use were ill-suited against human enemies as well. Their armour is bulky, which slows them down, making them easy targets. Some of their weapons, namely their swords and bayonet (as well as riot shields, spears and even gladius), would only be useful in specific circumstances against people. This disadvantage, however, would not be a big problem if the enemy consists of civilians and criminals without substantial firepower.
The reason they flourished in Japan was only due to the way people reacted to the outbreak. There, people were less prone to anarchy and competition, and instead turned to cooperation (mostly) to survive. This allowed the military and society at large there to concentrate on the real enemy, and adapt accordingly.
