Colonel John Thatcher is Second Company's commanding officer. Thatcher is part of the Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment, the primary Special Forces Unit of the British military. Specialized in battle space intelligence, surveillance, target acquisitions, and reconnaissance, he is also highly trained in counterterrorism and force protection.

Background

Thatcher comes from a long family lineage of English officers dating back to the Revolutionary War. He has led many British contingents around the world and was on several covert missions in East Africa during the Resource Wars. His peers consider him a classic Englishman for his cultured sensibility and charisma as a team leader. He is well versed in etiquette, tradition, and British military history. Outside of the military profession, Thatcher is known for wearing expensive suits. He has the SAS motto “Who Dares Wins” tattooed in large letters across his upper back.

One of the most difficult issues for Thatcher is being away from his five-year-old daughter, Margaret, and his wife, Diana, who he shares a strong bond with. Diana worries about the potential for him to be severely wounded or killed in combat. Thatcher planned on retiring from the military and becoming a carpenter, but the threatening rise of The Revolution and the opportunity to lead a CONTRA company changed his mind. He told his Diana, "After this is finished, I’m coming home."

Thatcher's codename Crosshill is in remembrance of his closest friend Winston Blair, who was killed in action in the low-lying mountains near Tibet when part of a forward recon unit. Chinese snipers spotted Thatcher and Winston, expending intense fire on their position. Thatcher suffered a direct hit to the shoulder but managed to carry his best friend away from the most severe shooting. Despite Thatcher's best efforts, Winston lost his life due to the multiple shots he sustained. Thatcher constructed a cross on the hillside where he left Winston's helmet.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexa Kress is second in command. A leading member of the Iceland Defense Force, she is strong willed, known for her toughness, and ranked as the top sniper in all of NATO. She was stationed at alliance headquarters in Brussels the day it was attacked by The Revolution and was awarded numerous medals for killing over a dozen assailants while protecting a room full of dignitaries.

Background

Kress grew up in the Iceland backcountry with her family, hunting and living mostly off the land. In the winters she would practice shooting tips off icicles for fun. Kress later trained as a professional sharpshooter and took great pride in her marksmanship. As Iceland's premier talent, Kress was selected to carry the national flag at the 2020 Olympics. She won the silver medal, missing the gold by the slimmest of margins in her final competition; a moment she constantly replayed in her mind.

The international media recognized Kress for her extreme beauty at the games, a trait she was often complemented for. After the Olympics, Kress accepted an offer from a New York modeling agency and signed a multi-million dollar contract thinking she could warm up to the new lifestyle. Kress never felt comfortable and broke her contract just six months in, returning to her childhood home in Iceland and pondering what to do next. She missed using her weapons for a purpose, telling her father, "The gun is my compass."

A former shooting competitor from the Netherlands called Kress to announce she had joined the military as a sniper. Kress soon did the same. The regimented lifestyle of the military suited her. She developed a strong sense of leadership and a renewed confidence as male and female colleagues alike admired her marksmanship. Kress selected her codename following the gift of diamond earrings from Tyler Northcutt, codename Raption, who she met during CONTRA training. Though Alexa has always been revered for her stunning beauty, Raption is the only male she's ever felt a connection with.

Major Nathan Lewis is Second Company's third in command. Lewis is regarded as one of the foremost American experts in Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) as it relates to both satellites and unmanned drones. He is also the brother of famed Station #1 News reporter Lydia Lewis.

Background

Lewis grew up creating inventions in the garage of his quiet middle-class Miami neighborhood. He had a natural technical genius and creativity that made him a young "whiz kid" – a nickname he loathed. When he was only thirteen-years-old, Lewis received national recognition for modeling an oxygen transistor that could theoretically suck pollution out of the air. He sold several high-tech inventions as a successful young entrepreneur. Lewis blogged about his desire to one day see action alongside his technology. He said, "I don't want to just design the next spaceship, I want to ride in it as an astronaut."

Wanting to challenge himself on a larger scale, Lewis accepted one of the many government offers extended to him. He started working for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on advanced satellite technologies at the age of eighteen. After leaving the NRO for a brief stint at NASA, Lewis began working for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on next-generation space targeting systems and the deployment of a new space based laser constellation.

Lewis went on to develop groundbreaking unmanned aerial control systems and platform integration technologies for DARPA, giving unmanned drones and their operator's greater situational awareness and modular sensor options. In his final project at DARPA, Lewis designed The Perceptor tactical unmanned drone. The Air Force recruited Lewis as a C4ISR Specialist. At his request, Lewis trained to work in the battlefield with Special Forces units implementing new tactical space technologies. As a result of his widely respected work and attention it garnered, he was one of the first officers selected to CONTRA.

Captain Tyler Northcutt is the operations officer of the Second Company and a member of the Fourth Marine Expeditionary Brigade. After years of specialized training and study, he mastered the tactics and strategy of jungle warfare. A part-time instructor at the Jungle Warfare Training Center, Northcutt has expertise in survival, evasion, resistance, and escape, along with years of combat experience.

Background

In his teens, Northcutt dreamed of becoming a pro-surfer. He spent his entire early life on the beaches of Southern California where surfing, hanging out with friends, and partying were daily rituals. That was before Northcutt's wealthy family fell on hard times. America's economic hardships directly affected his family's once thriving business and his father was forced to close its doors. Northcutt's life of leisure changed. Never a good student, he recognized that he could no longer depend on surfing to support himself. Northcutt decided to enlist in the Marine Corps, where he excelled.

Northcutt was deployed on several missions to the South American jungle as part of ongoing counternarcotics operations against resurgent drug cartels fighting security forces in the expanding Drug Wars. He was on the mission that found the Demon Lab –considered the first Critical Event that led to CONTRA’s creation and the realization of the true threat posed by The Revolution. When asked about what his unit saw in the Demon Lab, Northcutt is required by the Department of Defense to respond in generalities.

In his downtime, Northcutt draws comic book characters and avidly listens to hard rock music; his body is covered with eleven different tattoos. Known for his calm under fire, he has an ongoing secret love affair with Alexa Kress, codename Diamond. In comments to the NATO selection board on his readiness to return to Colombia as a part of CONTRA, Northcutt stated, "It doesn’t matter what we found. I want back in."

Captain Roberto Chavez is an officer and a member of the United States Army Special Forces, or Green Berets. He is trained in unconventional warfare, assisting foreign indigenous forces, special reconnaissance, and information operations. Chavez has been deployed on various overseas missions and has extensive experience working with allied and foreign militaries.

Background

Growing up in a poor Latino neighborhood of Houston, three things defined his early childhood: Hollywood Western movies, NASCAR racing, and hip-hop music. Feeling oppressed by poverty, Chavez wanted to find adventure. His family was opposed to him joining the military after Chavez lost two uncles and an aunt in the Terror Wars. Though he struggled with his family's fears, he could not think of a better way to change his life.

One quiet Sunday afternoon, Chavez requested his mother’s blessing to join the service. She cried all afternoon but seeing his desire, she gave her approval. Later that night Chavez snuck out and entered a dangerous neighborhood park. With his pocketknife, he inscribed "To Free From Oppression" on a tree marked with gang tags. The inscription was the Green Berets' motto – the unit Chavez planned to join.

Chavez drives on the NASCAR junior circuit in his free time and loves new age rap music. He is extremely proud of his younger brother who was recently promoted to manager of America's newest rap group phenomenon, PHLO. Chavez selected his codename Breakdown in homage to that group's lead vocalist. Prior to his CONTRA selection, Chavez befriended two fellow officers. He met Raption in a weapons training program and he served with Battlestar during a brief stint on the secretive Nightwatch.

Karl Slawik is an officer. As a member of the Polish Wojskowa Formacja Specjalna, or Operational Mobile Reaction Group, Slawik is a highly trained and capable special-forces operator in stealth, anti-terrorism, direct action, and peace-restoring operations. He served under the command of Crosshill during a United Nations Stabilization Force (UNSFOR) mission intended to restore order to a large area of Sierra Leone during the most intense period of Africa’s Resource Wars.

Background

Slawik is a devout Jewish man whose great grandfather took part in the famous uprising against the Nazis in the Warsaw ghetto. He comes from an affluent family and has a big heart, but is often known for his stern responses and stubbornness on issues. Slawik has attempted to quite smoking cigarettes ever since he joined the military, though he’s unable to shake the habit. Responding to a NATO nurse who was arguing with him about the habit, he said, "I hate cigarettes. They smell like dirt and taste worse, but please, never tell me to stop smoking again. Stating the obvious is of no use."

Captain Kate Hurst is an officer. A PhD with multiple degrees in biology and genetics, Hurst grew up dreaming to be the doctor who finds cures for the world's deadliest diseases. After completing her doctorate, Hurst spent two years in central Africa working as an UNSFOR medic. She witnessed the aftermath of a biological attack on a tribe of Sudanese peasants who refused to follow rebel government orders and relocate away from "precious resources."

Background

Hurst joined Canada's Joint Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence Unit within the Canadian Special Operations Regiment upon her return from Sudan. She began exploring genetic recombinant DNA codes that could ward off the effects of biological weapons. Later Hurst was transferred into Joint Task Force 2, Canada’s premiere counter terror unit, where she was trained in combat skills. Asked by a friend why she accepted a transfer to the front lines, Hurst responded, "Canada's best defense against a biological tragedy is me in this unit. Every minute after infection counts. Being the first on the scene matters."

Still, Hurst is unsure if military service is right for her and often feels out of place in uniform. She fell in love with Shawn Rapport, codename Justice, from the moment they first met. Hurst wants to start a family and often talks to Rapport about different career options they might have together. She fears that one day something tragic will happen to one of them if they remain in the military. Hurst was selected for CONTRA service because of her groundbreaking work in genetics and bioengineering.