Katrina wasn’t too surprised to see a Vietnamese soldier in this small elite group, she had fought through Vietnam along side them and have seen their worth as fighters. When Thanh smiled it made her day, she hadn’t seen anyone smile for the whole time she’s been out of the train, mostly it was just Europeans complaining about the heat of the tropics. When Thanh shook her hand and said, "Don't worry about it. I'm too used to the dirt already." she let out a deep sigh of relief. She had thought she made a bad impression by having such dirty hands, but it seems she needn’t have worried. Promptly after he shook her hand with a firm, confident grip he introduced himself, "I'm Thanh. Pham Van Thanh. You can pronounce it however you want. I don't mind." She was at first confused by that statement, after a while in Vietnam, she learned to pronounce the names with some degree of accuracy.
She continued to admire the view and observe the little bubbles of interaction happening all around them, the scenic view was only hampered by one thing – the yells of men and the smell of war all around her. It was then that Thanh spoke to her, asking her about a few things and even reminiscing a little about his village.
"You mentioned that you draw earlier? Are you an artist? You do remind me of a lady in my village back then. She also likes drawing and sometimes would sketch the sceneries. A nice girl." He seemed to pause just for a moment, perhaps admiring a fleeting memory, a small moment passed until finally he realized he was was nodding off, he shook himself back to his senses to ask one last question, "Anyway, where do you come from, Katrina?"
She shuffled in her boots a little, no one had thought to ask her about her being an artist, she promptly answered each question with a small smile. ”I wanted to be an artist before the war, I was suppose to be enrolled into an art school...” she paused for a moment as she looked for the right words to say, ”Then the Japanese attacked my homeland – the Philippines and I lost my father in the battle of Manila. I was only fifteen when they attacked...” Her smile turned bitter, as she attempted to keep herself together, ”I promised that I’d return to my country to free it one day… I intend to keep that promise, what about you Thanh? Do you have a personal promise to fulfill?” She said his name with near perfect pronunciation, months of fighting alongside the Vietnamese have given her at least that and a very small vocabulary of Vietnamese.
The tiny alarm on his desk began to ring out an annoying sound, it was quiet enough not to be heard outside but it was enough to wake Thomas from his slumber. It was 4:00 AM, he hauled himself out of bed, no doubt there were already people awake with him – after all, habits are hard to break. He made himself some coffee and poured himself a mug full, he then started cooking breakfast. When he was done cooking he got it onto a table and started eating – it was corned beef and eggs with rice on the side, the perfect breakfast, but he only ate half after ten counts, something his instructors would make their trainees do. He opened up a few pill containers for his daily vitamin supplements, it didn’t matter whether or not he took them, but it did help improve his overall health so he took them anyway. When he finished his coffee, he cleaned up the table, washed the dishes, and had a quick shower.
After he showered, he prepared his gear, wore his BDU and readied his equipment. He was wearing his usual woodland camo BDU, his boonie hat, and sniper veil. His BDU was adorned with patches, with the AFPSOCOM patch on one shoulder and the Light Reaction Regiment patch on the other, on the front were various patches of certifications, from the master parachutist certification to combat diver certification. A few hours had passed and it was already 6:00AM, he heard knocking and yelling down the corridor, "Up and at 'em. Fifteen minutes to get your arse's to the South Wing before someone drags you there! Wear combat dressings. All equipment is in the armory within the South Wing. Grab your stuff when instructed and prepare. It's training time, lads and lasses."
He passed by Thomas’ room, and repeated the same thing, funnily enough though, Thomas already brought his armory with him, he grabbed his M1A SOCOM 16” and strapped it to his ruck, he grabbed his M4 and slung it over his shoulder, he then heard another set of footsteps not long after the wake-up call. He took a bit of face paint on his four fingers and ran them down diagonally across his face creating four streaks of black stripes, he then wore the rest of his equipment and followed behind the two men. He made a quick jog towards the south wing, compared to what he’d already endured, a jog was almost like nothing. He made it there a little winded, but overall ready and reporting. He looked around the area and found the two men already there conversing, he decided to keep quiet – it wasn’t a conversation he would want to interrupt. He instead took his time to examine the scenario and try to think of logical and unorthodox methods of entry; he wanted to maximize shock through overwhelming violence and surprise and take control of the situation quickly. However, as he thought out the situation thoroughly, he found that there was no good way of doing that currently, he needs the help of the other operators and that meant getting to know them and their particular skill sets, otherwise they weren't going to cooperate smoothly. He did know one thing though, they weren’t going to make the scenario easy, if anything they're going to try and mimic the scenario at Bellagio hotel.
”Putang ina” he whispered a curse under his breath, he understood what he needed to do, but he didn't have any meaningful connection to anyone, he then commits to another idea – improvise during the exercise. He will get to know them through their actions, decisions, and communications in the training session, after all, training is meant to make people better than they once were, what is failure if you cannot learn from it? That being said, he wouldn't mind talking to people before they get to training, it would be a more effective way of learning from them.
He calmed his nerves and focused himself for what was next, he relaxed and hoped that today would come out okay. A successful mission would be a bonus for what he aims to achieve and he had a feeling that it might not go as badly as he thinks it's going to go. He also noticed that he was at least going to match everyone's outfit now, he had patches galore and even had the flag of the Philippines as a patch on his shoulder above his AFPSOCOM patch. He wore it with pride and he hoped to carry it with him through his service in Rainbow.
Katrina sighed heavily as moments pass without anyone approaching her. She began to think that perhaps she seemed too approachable and in the moments that passed she noticed another man step down from the train, he then proceeded to interact with the other man she noticed earlier. Towards the edge of this social bubble of awkward conversations, she saw a woman who looked completely different from everyone else – much like herself talking to a red army soldier who seemed to have had his fair share of fighting.
She was about to just talk to someone regardless of what language they spoke, but out of nowhere, she heard a familiar expression, "Xin chao (Hello)", Vietnamese – a language she’s heard plenty of times. She turned to glance at who spoke and saw this east asian man who looked only to be a few inches taller than herself, he looked as though he wanted to talk to her as he continued "Beautiful day isn't it? Do you speak Russian?" She was at first a bit gobsmacked, it didn’t occur to her that some of the Vietnamese would be in squad 914. She had learned bits and pieces of Vietnamese, enough to know what people were talking about most of the time, but not enough for proper conversation – unless they could understand her broken Vietnamese. As for her Russian she was still looking for a teacher who knew enough English to be able to teach her without confusing her. The only words she’s learned so far are “Da, Nyet, Privet, and Do svidaniya”
A brief few seconds passed and she finally spoke, ”Oh, uh… No, I don’t speak Russian, it is a very beautiful day. Much like my homeland actually...” She looked back at the scenery and pondered what she would say next, this was her only interaction so far, ”You’re Vietnamese correct? I think you’re enjoying this weather as much as I am...” she turned to face him and introduced herself properly, ”I’m Katrina Santiago, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” she beamed while reaching out her hand for a shake, she however realized it was a bit dirty and added on a quick explanation, ”Don’t mind the black spots, they’re from drawing with vine charcoal.” she blushed slightly, as she let out a nervous laugh, embarrassed at how her hands looked at the time. She had no idea whether this man was the down and dirty type, she couldn’t judge just by looks alone, she could only judge through someone’s actions.
There was something about watching the landscape change over a span of several hours that was just so interesting to Katrina; how the landscapes changed so gradually but in drastic form and measure - it was calming. It was accompanied by a variety of different sounds all around her, the rhythmic vibrations and sounds of the train clacking along the tracks, the small whispers and snores of people in the different compartments, and just how quiet and calm the atmosphere was in the train. Eventually, she too gets bored and to pass the time she would draw a little bit in her sketchpads; they were well used and had many pages filled with intricate figures and landscapes. She found herself encapsulated in the memory of seeing hard working red army soldiers in uniform and decided to draw them.
Katrina took out some of her vine charcoal and started to make shapes visualizing as she went along, she started out with a rough shape, quickly creating an outline of what she wanted it to look like. At first it was like a white silhouette with black outlines, awkward shadows, and rough facial features and clothing, but as she continued to develop the piece, her lines became darker, the features on her drawing became sharper and the background was starting to pop into detail – three minutes into the drawing and it was starting to look more like a person but it lacked depth, which she quickly addressed it by giving him more character and giving more emphasis towards the background, the shadows, and the clothes. After an hour of rough sketching and detailing with different charcoal sticks, she came out with a product that she was happy with. A young red army man with his mosin nagant slung over his shoulder, he had a smirk on his face, the background looked like he was in the middle of a crowd shoulder to shoulder to another man in the army. She produced such a masterful art piece using only charcoal, some cloth, and her hands to get the right shades and shapes that she had visualized.
Katrina’s hands were covered with black marks from her art materials, but she didn’t care, she produced a piece she was proud of – another piece to add her collection of art. Before she knew it, the train’s rhythm slowed heavily and a loud screech followed as she lurched backwards from her hunched position facing towards the rear of the train. The sudden stop surprised her, she heard muffled yells and chatter from outside her cabin. Katrina took one look outside and it was as if she was looking at the Philippines, a tropical hue of greens, browns, yellows, and reds.
She packed her things up and head outside still wearing the USAFFE uniform she received back in the Philippines. Unsurprisingly, her outfit stood out among the rest of the rest of the men and women in their group, she took a stride towards the exit of the train and heard names being called and unsurprisingly she wasn’t among them – usually they only called the men to do the heavy lifting. She took in a few breaths of air and tied her hair into a neat pony tail before she continued outside – her hands still dirty from all the drawing she’s been doing. As she gazed out at the Indian landscape she couldn’t help but reminisce about her home. She stepped down onto the soil and scanned the faces around her, most of them were unfamiliar to her, the crew however she’s seen once or twice around the train. However, she did notice two people stand out, one man who looked much different from the Russians around him and another woman who looked as if she was in a daze. She would speak to them, but she pondered for a minute whether they’d understand English – instead she just stood there and admired the landscape and all it was worth, she put one hand on her waist and let the other hang to the side, standing with her feet slightly apart, while the corner of her lips rose to form a warm smile.
She thought that if anyone wanted to talk they’d come to her, she was usually more chatty, but she doesn’t even know if these people spoke a language she could understand. She stood there just reminiscing about the past and just how much she missed the Philippine’s warm summers like the ones here in India. In that moment she had an idea of what she would draw next, a landscape of the Philippines and how she remembers it. Deep emotions stirred as other thoughts accompanied that idea, but she kept up the smile - she didn't want to be seem unapproachable, especially to the people who she might be working with.
Villamor air force base, 4:00 P.M., an unfamiliar aircraft silhouette sat in the middle of the runway – a private jet commissioned by Rainbow for discreet travel. Thomas was set to board an hour before it even arrived, the extra time allowed him to say his farewells before being sent across the globe to meet with other elite operators. He shed no tear, he wasn’t that sentimental, in fact he was nervous more than he was sad. He found himself looking back at the beginning of the Scout Ranger Selection course – everyone is stripped of rank, everyone is equal, everyone has to prove themselves. “Ingana nasad na” he whispered to himself in his own dialect in an attempt to calm himself down. He had gone through this before, it wasn’t a big deal.
He walked out of the hangar wearing an OD green T-shirt, a pair of woodland camo pants, standard issue boots, his M1911 holstered to his hip, and two bags slung over him. One bag contained his equipment, the other was filled with extra BDUs, extra clothes, and toiletries. He took a moment to look around the base and felt himself let go of all the other things in his head.
“Sir!”
He turned his head to see who was shouting – it was the pilot, “It’s time to go!” the pilot had an accent Thomas couldn’t quite place, it was a lot like British or Scottish, but it wasn’t really the same. He jogged towards the steps on the plane and climbed up to board the passenger compartment, he placed his bag on the carpeted floor and opened the file he was given to catch him up on the situation. The now infamous Bellagio Incident was detailed carefully, some details were left covered in black ink. He couldn’t help but notice how similar the experience was to the Marawi Crisis but compressed into a small hotel and a matter of hours, he thought back to one experience when in Marawi where he called in an APC, only to have its engines catch fire due to an RPG. He pulled out much of the crew, some were in need of immediate amputation and treatment for burns. It made sense why they were suddenly on the look out for new talented operators, they needed replacements.
“Hala buanga, naunsa to sila?” He was left shocked as he found the list of K.I.A. for the incident, some with names that are still blocked in ink – so many dead operators. He closed the document and processed how the people who survived must’ve felt and how they would feel about other people coming in to fill their places. Thomas already experienced that feeling of having someone close to everyone in his squad die only to have the spot filled by new blood the day after. It was difficult, it was frustrating, it was almost insulting – the man that he knew in that spot wouldn’t have ever done anything like what that rookie did, but that man was gone and this rookie is trying his best. In that moment, his thoughts spiraled into a deeper and deeper hole, thinking about how many friends he’s lost over the years, how many funerals he’s attended, how many times he was called in to be a replacement for someone like that – new blood. He didn’t expect a warm welcome, he expected to be treated how others treat replacements – with disgust and contempt.
He sat back in his seat and tried to get some sleep, Thomas knew that he and the others probably won’t have much of it.
Thomas arrived at an air field a few miles away from Hereford Base was, from his window he could see a familiar looking sight – a truck with tarp spread along the top. He rubbed his eyes for a second and blinked twice, he pushed himself off of the passenger seat and grabbed his gear and took a stride towards the exit. As he climbed out he first gave the men meeting him a crisp salute and a firm handshake and without a word he climbed into the truck as quickly as he came out the plane. He remembered the times where he and his other teammates would have to ride alongside their dead, covered in white or black tarp, he wondered whether or not the previous rainbow operators had to do the same after Bellagio.
He was distracted from his inward thoughts by the mere smell of the country, it was so different in many ways; it was a lot colder than the Philippines, it wasn’t raining as much, and unlike the Philippines the U.K. actually experiences snow cover. Although, it wasn’t cold enough yet for snow to start falling.
When he had arrived at Hereford base, he grabbed his equipment and went into the designated building where other operators were gathering. Unlike the others, he carried his equipment, not because of pride or a false sense of machismo, but because he didn’t really need much it was tolerable to carry – but because he didn’t want to be the odd one out, he placed his bags near the entrance to retrieve later. Inside he was met with an array of different operators from different corners of the globe with different backgrounds and levels of experience. He was surprised to see some people in battle dress uniforms and just uniforms in general, was it to represent pride in the patch? He didn’t know, he wasn’t even wearing a BDU or a coverall uniform – essentially he was unidentifiable in terms of nationality. However, he wasn’t the only one there who was the odd one out, someone came in with just casual clothes – in his mind it was practical, they weren’t expecting combat, but he was armed for one if ever it occurred. Inspecting the room further, it was apparent he was one of the shortest operators in the room, it wasn’t even a contest and his mocha colored skin also stood him out from the crowd, his facial features were different to those who came from South America – no he wasn’t from anywhere very familiar and it was understandable really, the Philippines isn’t really big on the international scene, the only people who would have the tiniest chance of recognizing where he’s from are Americans who’ve trained in the Philippines during their joint training exercises.
It was then he noticed something else, everyone in the room was just standing there, waiting for something, no one had ordered them to do anything the past few minutes they were here. Without warning, a man arrived and some gave him a crisp salute as he entered the room, he too followed their example – better to be respectful than to be sorry later. When the man signaled at ease, Thomas immediately thought back to his drills, feet apart, hands behind the back left over right in a cross. When the man finally spoke, he wasn’t at all surprised with what he had to say – they were replacements, they were new blood, rank or status didn’t mean jack here because in that man’s eyes they were all equally unimpressive. He understood why, he had gone through this with the Scout Rangers and the Light Reaction Regiment, it would’ve been foolish for him to even think he could get a free pass in Rainbow – no he had to earn their respect and their trust the hard way.
When he started to call out names for each recruit, he heard virtual silence until one operator responded with a loud resounding “Sir” and a salute followed by another who followed her example but this time without a salute. When his name finally came up, he replied in the same way they did – in the same way he has done for many years, “Sir!” he gave a crisp salute with a satisfying heel click, and a straight, no nonsense expression on his face; when the man moved on, he just as quickly and crisply snapped back into his at-ease position.
When all was said and done, he stepped up to take an envelope from the desk and opened it. He read and double checked each word before turned around and head towards the exit of the Operations Department not even noticing the awkward conversation between two operators. He grabbed his bags and head towards the living quarters. He read his moniker aloud, “Armoury…” his Filipino accent was showing through, “Ah-rrr-moh-rrri” rolled Rs and stiff vowels, not to mention the fact that his accent doesn’t pronounce V, F, and Th. The V sounds come out as B sounds, F sounds come out as P sounds, and Th gets replaced with either D sounds or T sounds depending on the word. He does have formal education in English and attempted to tone down his accent, with moderate success, it was a little more articulate, but with a few quirks here and there.
When he arrived in the living quarters, he started to look for his assigned room. Walking through the corridors he found that the others had already found their room assignments and were making themselves comfortable. When he got to his room, he opened the door and was surprised to see how big and well furnished it was. It was almost like living in his parents old apartment, there was a single bed, there was a TV in a corner, there was a fully equipped kitchen and a stocked fridge, there was even a desk in the other corner that was presumably to allow operators a clean workspace to clean their weapons and equipment. It was home away from home, but somehow he knew they might need it. He started to unpack and arrange his things and prepare for tomorrow, a few minutes of warming up and another few minutes for a short burn routine. At night he cooked himself Adobo and rice for dinner and got to bed to gather strength for what was to come.
Name: Thomas De Rossario Nickname: Tom/Tommy/Tomas Operator Alias: Armoury Age: 28 Gender: Male Country of Origin: Republika ng Pilipinas/The Republic of the Philippines Birth-date: 12/08/1989 Birth Location: Davao City, Mindanao island, Philippines
Physical Profile Thomas is a fit, 28 year old, Southeast asian male who is approximately 5’4ft or 164cm in height. Thomas has an angular jawline, a hooked shaped wide nose, round brown eyes, and light brown skin. He prefers to stay clean shaven or with a slight stubble and he likes his hair relatively short and well kept. As stated before he is a fit individual, he is very muscular and maintains a strict work out to keep in shape. Psychological Profile Thomas’ attitude when it comes to field work comes down to caution and methodology. He is trained to strike when the moment is opportune and when that moment presents itself he will strike as hard and as fast as possible to inflict the maximum amount of damage while making sure he himself does not take any. He will be thorough and adaptive in the field making use of whatever is available to him. He will do his best to coordinate with the team through constant communication in order to minimize confusion. He will always confirm the kill – if it isn’t possible to confirm the kill, he will stay on high alert and on the ready. His teammates’ welfare is prioritized over the mission, even more valued than his own. Good men are hard to find – the best ones always are.
He displays diligence and strict discipline with himself, even during his allotted off-time. As soon as he recovers from an operation or an injury, it’s straight into self training and getting fit. He also values family and will often call home while doing his workout routine. He will not hesitate to help anyone in need of it – be it training or otherwise. He is friendly and talkative enough to converse with others on his breaks, but when he’s on duty he will often respond laconically. He is a workaholic, constantly reviewing his past operations and thinking of how he could’ve done better in order to train over areas he could improve on. The only other time he’s not working is when he’s recovering from a workout or eating. His experience throughout the years as part of AFPSOCOM has taught him that one can never be too prepared. This means that even though he lacks in a few areas, he is willing to listen, learn, and train. His mentality is ”can do – never quit” and it’s been that way since the beginning. Combat Profile Attacker-Defender, his particular skill set allows him to carefully analyze the situation and make the smartest decision based on the circumstances. His experience throughout his military career and the way he is equipped allows him to be flexible in the field.
Rucksack filled with extra equipment and ammo – Operator Ability
Operator Ability Thomas’ strong physique allows for him to carry and bear the load of the rest of the team. He’s able to bring extra ammo, grenades, and other utility items. His method of carrying all this equipment is through distribution in rucksacks and bags of differing sizes. This arrangement allows his team to resupply on the go and makes it easier for the supply bags to be dropped in a tactical location for later use.
Thomas was born in Davao city, Mindanao – Mindanao is one of the most divided regions in the Philippines. There are multiple domestic and foreign terror threats – from the communist led “New People’s Army” (NPA), to the Islamic extremists known as the Abu Sayyaf. Thomas had often heard news of enemy activity through his father who was on active duty at the time and from friends who were all too close to the enemy’s ideologies.
Thomas had a good education as a child and always strove to be better than he was the day before. His father and his mother would often not be there for him, so he had to learn how to be responsible for himself at a young age – cooking, cleaning, studying, etc. He wasn’t the best in his class, but he certainly wasn’t just barely passing either. His strong ”can do – never give up” attitude was what led his class to elect him as the student body president.
His life changed drastically one day when his father was killed in action during a patrol after an NPA ambush. The funeral was held and he was buried, but the words of each of his squad mates and their recounts of their experiences with his father left a permanent impression on young Thomas; they spoke of his father as an inspiration, a person deserving of immense honor as he never left a man behind, never backed down in a fight, and showed admirable mercy and respect to those they’ve defeated.
It was then that he aspired to become like his father - like the man his father was. Five years after graduating highschool, he signed up for the army. Little did he know how far he’d surpass his father’s legacy.
Thomas enlisted on the 1st of Febuary, 2011 at the age of 21 – he was fresh and naive for what was about to come. Months of basic training hadn’t prepared him enough and he found that it was grueling and more intense than anything he had ever done before. They trained hard everyday from communication, basic formations, breaching and clearing, basic weapons training, etc. – he endured and got through it with flying colors. He was assigned to the 6th infantry division based in Camp Gen. Gonzalo Siongco in Maguindanao.
The troops were very active hunting down rogue Islamic extremist during the ongoing Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines” that started back in 2002 and aimed to reduce the capabilities of domestic and transnational terror groups operating in the country. On the 27th of January, 2014, the 6th I.D. would participate in operation Dark Horse. Thomas was part of the 40th infantry battalion – one of two infantry battalions fielded for the operation along side the 1st mechanized brigade and FSRR (First Scout Ranger Regiment).
The operation was executed in Maguindanao, North Cotobato and the engagement lasted six days in total against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
January, 28, 2014
The first day of engagement saw the use of 105mm howitzer artillery and military airstrikes. The military aimed to pummel enemy encampments and reduce enemy morale. The government military racked up 20 confirmed kills against BIFF militants.
January, 29, 2014
The second day saw the BIFF spokesperson open for negotiations – he stated that their people was extremely disappointed with how the government treated them; he then went on to say that BIFF wanted a “straight to the point” and “direct” peace negotiation compared to the negotiation with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The 6th ID spokesperson, Col. Dickson Hermoso declined BIFF’s request for negotiations and stated that BIFF must first face criminal charges before any negotiations can begin.
January, 30, 2014 – January, 31, 2014
The next two days saw the military successfully mount an assault against five strategic BIFF encampments. Thomas and his company went on to attack BIFF strongholds in barangay (district) Ganta, which the rebels were using as a training base and IED factory. His actions during this day would earn him a promotion as not one soldier was killed in the engagement successfully seizing both the training camp and the IED factory.
One soldier in the other two encampments in a different barangay during the engagement and overall twenty friendly troops were injured; the enemy suffered 53 casualties, 49 injured, and 101 captured throughout the entire operation.
Febuary, 1, 2014
The military was finally able to capture the enemy stronghold in barangay Ganta, when the fighting was over the BIFF standard was lowered and the Philippine flag was raised. The operation was drawing to a close.
Febuary, 2, 2014 The military pulls out of North Cotobato and allows civilians to return to their homes.
A few months after the operation, Thomas decides to join the Scout Ranger Selection course. In six months he would become a Philippine Scout Ranger.
The First Scout Ranger Regiment – to get in, you must endure six months of selection going through a series of tests – The physical endurance test, the rappel test, the air insertion test, the swimming endurance test, the zipline test, the navigation tests, the escape and evasion test, and the teamwork and coordination test. The FSRR are known to have a low graduation rate, it is one of the toughest selection processes that a soldier can go through. Many are broken in the physical endurance test where they go through a number of physical exercises, others are broken through their fear of heights, others because they are weak swimmers, and others still because they could not navigate the terrain.
Thomas passed the selection course and underwent additional training to become a fully fledged scout ranger. He was deployed to many missions and operations around the country, participating in hostage rescue and active patrols against insurgent elements. But the true test wouldn’t come until the Basilan Clashes.
9th of April, 2014, 8:00AM, Abu Sayaf forces began to engage government forces as they entered tipo-tipo (a town in Basilan). The military was in search of Abu Sayaf forces in the area until they were ambushed by about a hundred or so militant insurgents. During that day, four soldiers were beheaded by extremists, but they suffered a blow to their leadership as Ubaida Hapilon, son of Isnilon Hapilon – an international criminal, and Mohammad Khattab, a Morrocan bomb maker and extremist preacher were killed in the engagement.
The fighting lasted five days with heavy casualties as an entire platoon was wiped out. The Basilan clashes lasted until the 14th of April, 2014. Thomas performed admirably in adverse conditions, leading his squad through the battle of Tipo-tipo, it is said that his squad were the ones responsible for killing Mohammad Khattab – an internationally wanted criminal.
At the time, the Light Reaction Regiment was looking for new members to fill their ranks. Thomas was recommended by his commanding officer for a transfer into the regiment. There he will undergo extra training and participate in operations that are hidden away from the public eye.
Many of the operations that the Light Reaction Regiment have participated in are covered in black ink. However, what is known is their history – they were trained by U.S. special forces and developed their training from the ground up to fit Philippine standards. Their recruits are taken from Scout Rangers and Special Forces passers; their training methods are classified, but from the confidential nature of LRR’s operations, one could assume that they fill in the gaps of knowledge for recruits, from scuba training to possibly unconventional warfare training.
Thomas’ time in the Light Reaction Regiment was largely confidential for understandable reasons. He operated around the Philippines – especially in the Sulu archipelago, participating in hostage rescue, unconventional warfare, and search and destroy operations, the details of which are classified as confidential by the Philippine government.
The event that garnered international attention and therefore Rainbow’s attention was the battle of Marawi. The battle lasted five months involving 6,500 government troops against 1000 I.S. rebels led by Isnilon Hapilon, an internationally wanted criminal and the Maute brothers, a group that was responsible for the Batig clashes of last year. Over those five months, LRR was in charge of hostage rescue, evacuation of civilians from the war zone, and elimination of hostile elements such as snipers and RPGs.
Thomas’ squad was responsible for taking out the most number of insurgents in a day, racking 40 confirmed kills across his squad, and managing to evacuate 39 people while under fire. His squad continued to rack up kills throughout the entire five month conflict, even conducting waterborne operations to stop enemy supplies and militants from coming into or out of the city via . AFPSOCOM units like LRR, FSRR, and SFR (Special forces regiment) coordinated with foreign intelligence in order to locate and rescue civilians and trapped personnel while engaging the enemy in combat.
The world was watching the Marawi crisis unfold. They watched as valiant men and women fought within the city. IED’s, Snipers, and ambushes lay in wait at every corner, and if that wasn’t enough – the terrorists deliberately sent hostages dressed as insurgents to further humiliate armed forces by tricking them into shooting the people they were suppose to rescue and defend. However, some well-trained soldiers were able to discern the difference through movement and actions alone. Through this event and its brutal circumstances, being able to bring back hostages and evacuate civilians under constant threat was a feat all on its own.
When the fighting was over, it was stated in the news that Isnilon Hapilon and the Maute brothers were killed by a unit that left undetailed by the commanders in charge of winning Marawi back from hostile insurgents. In truth, it is classified because the operator is part of an AFPSOCOM Unit – Thomas’ unit.
Name: Thomas De Rossario Nickname: Tom/Tommy/Tomas Operator Alias: Armory Age: 28 Gender: Male Country of Origin: Republika ng Pilipinas/The Republic of the Philippines Birth-date: 12/08/1989 Birth Location: Davao City, Mindanao island, Philippines
Physical Profile Thomas is a fit, 28 year old, Southeast asian male who is approximately 5’4ft or 164cm in height. Thomas has an angular jawline, a hooked shaped wide nose, round brown eyes, and light brown skin. He prefers to stay clean shaven or with a slight stubble and he likes his hair relatively short and well kept. As stated before he is a fit individual, he is very muscular and maintains a strict work out to keep in shape. Psychological Profile Thomas’ attitude when it comes to field work comes down to caution and methodology. He is trained to strike when the moment is opportune and when that moment presents itself he will strike as hard and as fast as possible to inflict the maximum amount of damage while making sure he himself does not take any. He will be thorough and adaptive in the field making use of whatever is available to him. He will do his best to coordinate with the team through constant communication in order to minimize confusion. He will always confirm the kill – if it isn’t possible to confirm the kill, he will stay on high alert and on the ready. His teammates’ welfare is prioritized over the mission, even more valued than his own. Good men are hard to find – the best ones always are.
He displays diligence and strict discipline with himself, even during his allotted off-time. As soon as he recovers from an operation or an injury, it’s straight into self training and getting fit. He also values family and will often call home while doing his workout routine. He will not hesitate to help anyone in need of it – be it training or otherwise. He is friendly and talkative enough to converse with others on his breaks, but when he’s on duty he will often respond laconically. He is a workaholic, constantly reviewing his past operations and thinking of how he could’ve done better in order to train over areas he could improve on. The only other time he’s not working is when he’s recovering from a workout or eating. His experience throughout the years as part of AFPSOCOM has taught him that one can never be too prepared. This means that even though he lacks in a few areas, he is willing to listen, learn, and train. His mentality is ”can do – never quit” and it’s been that way since the beginning. Combat Profile Attacker-Defender, his particular skill set allows him to carefully analyze the situation and make the smartest decision based on the circumstances. His experience throughout his military career and the way he is equipped allows him to be flexible in the field.
Rucksack filled with extra equipment and ammo – Operator Ability
Operator Ability Thomas’ strong physique allows for him to carry and bear the load of the rest of the team. He’s able to bring extra ammo, grenades, and other utility items. His method of carrying all this equipment is through distribution in rucksacks and bags of differing sizes. This arrangement allows his team to resupply on the go and makes it easier for the supply bags to be dropped in a tactical location for later use.
Thomas was born in Davao city, Mindanao – Mindanao is one of the most divided regions in the Philippines. There are multiple domestic and foreign terror threats – from the communist led “New People’s Army” (NPA), to the Islamic extremists known as the Abu Sayyaf. Thomas had often heard news of enemy activity through his father who was on active duty at the time and from friends who were all too close to the enemy’s ideologies.
Thomas had a good education as a child and always strove to be better than he was the day before. His father and his mother would often not be there for him, so he had to learn how to be responsible for himself at a young age – cooking, cleaning, studying, etc. He wasn’t the best in his class, but he certainly wasn’t just barely passing either. His strong ”can do – never give up” attitude was what led his class to elect him as the student body president.
His life changed drastically one day when his father was killed in action during a patrol after an NPA ambush. The funeral was held and he was buried, but the words of each of his squad mates and their recounts of their experiences with his father left a permanent impression on young Thomas; they spoke of his father as an inspiration, a person deserving of immense honor as he never left a man behind, never backed down in a fight, and showed admirable mercy and respect to those they’ve defeated.
It was then that he aspired to become like his father - like the man his father was. Five years after graduating highschool, he signed up for the army. Little did he know how far he’d surpass his father’s legacy.
Thomas enlisted on the 1st of Febuary, 2011 at the age of 21 – he was fresh and naive for what was about to come. Months of basic training hadn’t prepared him enough and he found that it was grueling and more intense than anything he had ever done before. They trained hard everyday from communication, basic formations, breaching and clearing, basic weapons training, etc. – he endured and got through it with flying colors. He was assigned to the 6th infantry division based in Camp Gen. Gonzalo Siongco in Maguindanao.
The troops were very active hunting down rogue Islamic extremist during the ongoing Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines” that started back in 2002 and aimed to reduce the capabilities of domestic and transnational terror groups operating in the country. On the 27th of January, 2014, the 6th I.D. would participate in operation Dark Horse. Thomas was part of the 40th infantry battalion – one of two infantry battalions fielded for the operation along side the 1st mechanized brigade and FSRR (First Scout Ranger Regiment).
The operation was executed in Maguindanao, North Cotobato and the engagement lasted six days in total against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
January, 28, 2014
The first day of engagement saw the use of 105mm howitzer artillery and military airstrikes. The military aimed to pummel enemy encampments and reduce enemy morale. The government military racked up 20 confirmed kills against BIFF militants.
January, 29, 2014
The second day saw the BIFF spokesperson open for negotiations – he stated that their people was extremely disappointed with how the government treated them; he then went on to say that BIFF wanted a “straight to the point” and “direct” peace negotiation compared to the negotiation with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The 6th ID spokesperson, Col. Dickson Hermoso declined BIFF’s request for negotiations and stated that BIFF must first face criminal charges before any negotiations can begin.
January, 30, 2014 – January, 31, 2014
The next two days saw the military successfully mount an assault against five strategic BIFF encampments. Thomas and his company went on to attack BIFF strongholds in barangay (district) Ganta, which the rebels were using as a training base and IED factory. His actions during this day would earn him a promotion as not one soldier was killed in the engagement successfully seizing both the training camp and the IED factory.
One soldier in the other two encampments in a different barangay during the engagement and overall twenty friendly troops were injured; the enemy suffered 53 casualties, 49 injured, and 101 captured throughout the entire operation.
Febuary, 1, 2014
The military was finally able to capture the enemy stronghold in barangay Ganta, when the fighting was over the BIFF standard was lowered and the Philippine flag was raised. The operation was drawing to a close.
Febuary, 2, 2014 The military pulls out of North Cotobato and allows civilians to return to their homes.
A few months after the operation, Thomas decides to join the Scout Ranger Selection course. In six months he would become a Philippine Scout Ranger.
The First Scout Ranger Regiment – to get in, you must endure six months of selection going through a series of tests – The physical endurance test, the rappel test, the air insertion test, the swimming endurance test, the zipline test, the navigation tests, the escape and evasion test, and the teamwork and coordination test. The FSRR are known to have a low graduation rate, it is one of the toughest selection processes that a soldier can go through. Many are broken in the physical endurance test where they go through a number of physical exercises, others are broken through their fear of heights, others because they are weak swimmers, and others still because they could not navigate the terrain.
Thomas passed the selection course and underwent additional training to become a fully fledged scout ranger. He was deployed to many missions and operations around the country, participating in hostage rescue and active patrols against insurgent elements. But the true test wouldn’t come until the Basilan Clashes.
9th of April, 2014, 8:00AM, Abu Sayaf forces began to engage government forces as they entered tipo-tipo (a town in Basilan). The military was in search of Abu Sayaf forces in the area until they were ambushed by about a hundred or so militant insurgents. During that day, four soldiers were beheaded by extremists, but they suffered a blow to their leadership as Ubaida Hapilon, son of Isnilon Hapilon – an international criminal, and Mohammad Khattab, a Morrocan bomb maker and extremist preacher were killed in the engagement.
The fighting lasted five days with heavy casualties as an entire platoon was wiped out. The Basilan clashes lasted until the 14th of April, 2014. Thomas performed admirably in adverse conditions, leading his squad through the battle of Tipo-tipo, it is said that his squad were the ones responsible for killing Mohammad Khattab – an internationally wanted criminal.
At the time, the Light Reaction Regiment was looking for new members to fill their ranks. Thomas was recommended by his commanding officer for a transfer into the regiment. There he will undergo extra training and participate in operations that are hidden away from the public eye.
Many of the operations that the Light Reaction Regiment have participated in are covered in black ink. However, what is known is their history – they were trained by U.S. special forces and developed their training from the ground up to fit Philippine standards. Their recruits are taken from Scout Rangers and Special Forces passers; their training methods are classified, but from the confidential nature of LRR’s operations, one could assume that they fill in the gaps of knowledge for recruits, from scuba training to possibly unconventional warfare training.
Thomas’ time in the Light Reaction Regiment was largely confidential for understandable reasons. He operated around the Philippines – especially in the Sulu archipelago, participating in hostage rescue, unconventional warfare, and search and destroy operations, the details of which are classified as confidential by the Philippine government.
The event that garnered international attention and therefore Rainbow’s attention was the battle of Marawi. The battle lasted five months involving 6,500 government troops against 1000 I.S. rebels led by Isnilon Hapilon, an internationally wanted criminal and the Maute brothers, a group that was responsible for the Batig clashes of last year. Over those five months, LRR was in charge of hostage rescue, evacuation of civilians from the war zone, and elimination of hostile elements such as snipers and RPGs.
Thomas’ squad was responsible for taking out the most number of insurgents in a day, racking 40 confirmed kills across his squad, and managing to evacuate 39 people while under fire. His squad continued to rack up kills throughout the entire five month conflict, even conducting waterborne operations to stop enemy supplies and militants from coming into or out of the city via . AFPSOCOM units like LRR, FSRR, and SFR (Special forces regiment) coordinated with foreign intelligence in order to locate and rescue civilians and trapped personnel while engaging the enemy in combat.
The world was watching the Marawi crisis unfold. They watched as valiant men and women fought within the city. IED’s, Snipers, and ambushes lay in wait at every corner, and if that wasn’t enough – the terrorists deliberately sent hostages dressed as insurgents to further humiliate armed forces by tricking them into shooting the people they were suppose to rescue and defend. However, some well-trained soldiers were able to discern the difference through movement and actions alone. Through this event and its brutal circumstances, being able to bring back hostages and evacuate civilians under constant threat was a feat all on its own.
When the fighting was over, it was stated in the news that Isnilon Hapilon and the Maute brothers were killed by a unit that left undetailed by the commanders in charge of winning Marawi back from hostile insurgents. In truth, it is classified because the operator is part of an AFPSOCOM Unit – Thomas’ unit.
Thomas De Rossario, North Cotobato Deployment, Operation Darkhorse, 2014
”Hindi tayo nag-iiwan ng kapwa-tao natin, yun ang tungkulin natin sa ating kasmahang sundalo sa loob ng syudad na kailangan ng support at sa mga tao na nahuli sa gitna ng bakbakan. Naiintidihan!?...”
”We don’t leave our fellowmen, that is our duty to our fellow soldiers that need support in the city and to the people who were caught up in the middle of the fighting. Understood!?...”
Name: Thomas De Rossario Nickname: Tom/Tommy/Tomas Operator Alias: Armory Age: 28 Gender: Male Country of Origin: Republika ng Pilipinas/The Republic of the Philippines Birth-date: 12/08/1989 Birth Location: Davao City, Mindanao island, Philippines
Physical Profile Thomas is a fit, 28 year old, Southeast asian, male who is approximately 5’4ft or 162cm in height. Thomas has an angular jawline, a hooked shaped wide nose, brown round eyes, and light brown skin. He prefers to stay clean shaven or with a slight stubble and he likes his hair relatively short and well kept. As stated before he is a fit individual, he is very muscular and maintains a strict work out to keep in shape. Psychological Profile Thomas’ attitude when it comes to field work comes down to caution and methodology. He is trained to strike when the moment is opportune and when that moment presents itself he will strike as hard and as fast as possible to inflict the maximum amount of damage while making sure he himself does not take any. He will be thorough and adaptive in the field making use of whatever is available to him. He will do his best to coordinate with the team through constant communication in order to minimize confusion. He will always confirm the kill – if it isn’t possible to confirm the kill, he will stay on high alert and on the ready. He will put his teammates welfare over the mission and even over his own because good men are hard to find – the best ones always are.
In his off time Thomas doesn’t slow down, as soon as he recovers from an operation or an injury it’s straight into self training and getting fit. He also values family and will often call home while doing his work out routine. He will not hesitate to help anyone in need of it – be it training or otherwise. He is friendly and talkative enough to have a conversation with on his breaks, but when he’s not on his break he will often respond laconically. He is a workaholic, constantly reviewing his past operations and thinking of how he could’ve done better and trains over areas that he could improve. The only other time he’s not working is when he’s recovering from a workout and at the table eating. His experience throughout the years as part of AFPSOCOM has taught him that one can never be too prepared. This means that even though he lacks in a few areas, he is willing to listen, learn, and train. His mentality is ”can do – never quit” and it’s been that way since the beginning. Combat Profile Attacker-Defender, his particular skill set allows him to carefully analyze the situation and make the smartest decision based on the circumstances. His experience throughout his military career and the way he is equipped allows him to be flexible in the field.
Rucksack filled with extra equipment and ammo – Operator Ability
Operator Ability Thomas’ build allows for him to carry and bear the load of the rest of the team. He’s able to bring extra ammo, grenades, and other utility items. His method of carrying all this equipment is through rucksacks and bags of differing sizes.
Thomas was born in Davao city, Mindanao – Mindanao is one of the most divided regions in the Philippines. There are multiple domestic and foreign terror threats – from the communist led “New People’s Army (NPA), to the Islamic extremists known as the Abu Sayyaf. Thomas had often heard news of enemy activity through his father who was on active duty at the time and from friends who were all too close to the enemy’s ideologies.
Thomas had a good education as a child and always strove to be better than he was the day before. His father and his mother would often not be there for him, so he had to learn how to be responsible for himself at a young age – cooking, cleaning, studying, etc. He wasn’t the best in his class, but he certainly wasn’t just barely passing either. His strong ”can do – never give up” attitude was what led his class to elect him as the student body president.
However, one day his father was killed in action during a patrol after an NPA ambush. The funeral was held and he was buried; the words of each of his squad mates and their recounting of the event left an impression on young Thomas. He would wait five years after he graduates high school he will enlist in the Army as an infantryman like his father. He would leave the same impression on some of his peers and strive to rid his home of threats both foreign and domestic.
Thomas enlisted on the 1st of Febuary, 2011 at the age of 21 – he was fresh and naive for what was about to come. Months of basic training, it was grueling and more intense than anything he has ever done before. They trained hard everyday from communication, basic formations, breaching and clearing, basic weapons training, etc. – he endured and got through it with flying colors. He was assigned to the 6th infantry division based in Camp Gen. Gonzalo Siongco in Maguindanao.
The troops were very active hunting down rogue Islamic extremist during the ongoing Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines” that started back in 2002 and aimed to reduce the capabilities of domestic and transnational terror groups operating in the country. On the 27th of January, 2014, the 6th I.D. would participate in operation Dark Horse. Thomas was part of the 40th infantry battalion – one of two infantry battalions fielded for the operation along side the 1st mechanized brigade and FSRR (First Scout Ranger Regiment).
The operation was executed in Maguindanao, North Cotobato and the engagement lasted six days in total against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
January, 28, 2014
The first day of engagement saw the use of 105mm howitzer artillery and military airstrikes. The military aimed to pummel enemy encampments and reduce enemy morale. The government military racked up 20 confirmed kills against BIFF militants.
January, 29, 2014
The second day saw the BIFF spokesperson open for negotiations – he stated that their people was extremely disappointed with how the government treated them; he went on to say that BIFF wants a “straight to the point” and “direct” peace negotiation compared to the negotiation with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The 6th ID spokesperson, Col. Dickson Hermoso declined BIFF’s request for negotiations and stated that BIFF must first face criminal charges before any negotiations can begin.
January, 30, 2014 – January, 31, 2014
The next two days saw the military successfully mount an assault against five strategic BIFF encampments. Thomas and his company went on to attack BIFF strongholds in barangay (district) Ganta, which the rebels were using as a training base and IED factory. His actions during this day would earn him a promotion as not one soldier was killed in the engagement successfully seizing both the training camp and the IED factory.
One soldier in the other two encampments in a different barangay during the engagement and overall twenty friendly troops were injured; the enemy suffered 53 casualties, 49 injured, and 101 captured throughout the entire operation.
Febuary, 1, 2014
The military was finally able to capture the enemy stronghold in barangay Ganta, when the fighting was over the BIFF standard was lowered and the Philippine flag was raised. The operation was drawing to a close.
Febuary, 2, 2014 The military pulls out of North Cotobato and allows civilians to return to their homes.
A few months after the operation, Thomas decides to join the Scout Ranger Selection course. In six months he would become a Philippine Scout Ranger.
The First Scout Ranger Regiment – to get in you must endure six months of selection going through a series of tests – The physical endurance test, the rappel test, the air insertion test, the swimming endurance test, the zipline test, the navigation tests, the escape and evasion test, and the teamwork and coordination test. The FSRR are known to have a low graduation rate, it is one of the toughest selection processes that a soldier can go through. Many are broken in the physical endurance test where they go through a number of physical exercises, others are broken through their fear of heights, others because they are weak swimmers, and others still because they could not navigate the terrain.
Thomas passed the selection course and underwent additional training to become a fully fledged scout ranger. He was deployed to many missions and operations around the country, participating in hostage rescue and active patrols against insurgent elements. But the true test wouldn’t come until the Basilan Clashes.
9th of April, 2014, 8:00AM, Abu Sayaf forces began to engage government forces as they entered tipo-tipo (a town in Basilan). The military was in search of Abu Sayaf forces in the area until they were ambushed by about a hundred or so militant insurgents. During that day four soldiers were beheaded by extremists, but they suffered a blow to their leadership as Ubaida Hapilon, son of Isnilon Hapilon – an international criminal, and Mohammad Khattab, a Morrocan bomb maker and extremist preacher were killed in the engagement.
The fighting lasted five days with heavy casualties as an entire platoon was wiped out. The Basilan clashes lasted until the 14th of April, 2014. Thomas performed admirably in adverse conditions, leading his squad through the battle of Tipo-tipo, it is said that his squad were the ones responsible for killing Mohammad Khattab – an internationally wanted criminal.
At the time, the Light Reaction Regiment was looking for new members to fill their ranks. Thomas was recommended by his commanding officer for a transfer into the regiment. There he will undergo extra training and participate in operations that are hidden away from the public eye.
Many of the operations that the Light Reaction Regiment have participated in are covered in black ink. However, what is known is their history – they were trained by U.S. special forces and developed their training from the ground up to fit Philippine standards. Their recruits are taken from Scout Rangers and Special Forces passers; their training methods are classified, but from the confidential nature of LRR’s operations, one could assume that they fill in the gaps of knowledge for recruits, from scuba training to possibly unconventional warfare training.
Thomas’ time in the Light Reaction Regiment is largely confidential for understandable reasons. He operated around the Philippines – especially in the Sulu archipelago, participating in hostage rescue, unconventional warfare, and search and destroy operations. The details of which are confidential.
The event that garnered international attention and therefore Rainbow’s attention was the battle of Marawi. A battle that lasted five months involving 6,500 government troops against 1000 I.S. rebels led by Isnilon Hapilon, an internationally wanted criminal and the Maute brothers, a group that was responsible for the Batig clashes of last year. Over those five months, LRR was in charge of hostage rescue, evacuation of civilians from the war zone, and elimination of hostile elements such as snipers and RPGs.
Thomas’ squad, was responsible for taking out the most number of insurgents in a day, racking 40 confirmed kills across his squad, and evacuated 39 people while under fire. His squad continued to rack up kills through out the entire five month conflict, even conducting waterborne operations to stop enemy supplies and militants from coming into or out of the city via . AFPSOCOM units like LRR, FSRR, and SFR (Special forces regiment) coordinated with foreign intelligence in order to locate and rescue civilians and trapped personnel while engaging the enemy in combat.
The world was watching the Marawi crisis unfold, they watched as valiant men and women fought within the city. IED’s, Snipers, and ambushes lying in wait at every corner, if that wasn’t enough – the terrorists deliberately sent hostages dressed as insurgents to further humiliate armed forces by tricking them into shooting the people they were suppose to rescue and defend. However, some well trained soldiers were able to discern the difference through movement and actions alone. Through this event and its brutal circumstances, being able to bring back hostages and evacuate civilians under constant threat is a feat all its own.
When the fighting was over, it was stated in the news it is stated that Isnilon Hapilon and the Maute brothers were killed by a unit that was not detailed by the commanders in charge of winning Marawi back from hostile insurgents. In truth, it is classified because the operator is part of an AFPSOCOM Unit – Thomas’ unit.
Yeah, upon second thought I might go with the Filipino insurgent. on an unrelated note, my Tagalog sucks so hey, not much I can immerse with
I can help you with your Tagalog if you'd like, but really it depends on what island and region your Filipino is coming from. Because they could end up not using Tagalog at all but rather a regional dialect, like Visayan, Ilocano, or Cebuano, etc.
[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180608/d4bbef67240f61a7ae8c3bbfaf8eb569.png[/img][/center]
[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/faca2651-b94f-4700-a18c-c9c60cad6818.jpg[/img][/center]
I'm a space cat.
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180608/d4bbef67240f61a7ae8c3bbfaf8eb569.png" /></div><br><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/faca2651-b94f-4700-a18c-c9c60cad6818.jpg" /></div><br><br>I'm a space cat.</div>
Member
Sigma
Atalanta
Marlowe
X Fiendfyre X
ThatLostDude
Eventua
Izurich
Birdboy
