Reuben Baptiste
Name Reuben Wolff Baptiste
Position Survivor
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Age | 34 | |
| Birthday | November 14, 1976 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5’10” | |
| Weight | 156.5 lbs. | |
| Hair Color | Dark brown, almost black hair, with strands of silver and white showing. Worn scruffy and disheveled fashion to his shoulders. | |
| Eye Color | Rich and distinguishing amber hue. | |
| Physical Description | Since his medical retirement from the Air Force Reuben has allowed his hair to grow out to his shoulders. He keeps it in a scruffy manner. He has also grown a scruffy mustache and beard, yet he keeps himself immaculate, just uses the scruffy look to keep people at bay. He wears special eyeglasses, wrap around with an extremely dark grey tint, for his photophobia and to correct his bitemporal hemianopsia, during the day and outside; for evening/night or indoors a pair of octagon frame eyeglasses with light blue tint gradually going to deep purple, the sides of the frame having leather side covers. When he sleeps at night, he wears an eyepatch over his right eye. He tends to wear DCU’s (the right upper pocket has his wallet, the left upper pocket a RFID-Blocking Credit card/Debit card wallet, the left lower pocket has a hardcase eyeglass holder for his indoor glasses and his eye patch, the right a hardcase eyeglass holder for his wrap around glasses), tan T-shirt, tan combat boots with brown gaiters, a desert shemagh (around his neck) and a desert camouflage bonnie hat. Reuben has a good solid frame shaped by years of first being a S.E.R.E. instructor, then as a Special Operations Weather Team Specialist. Underneath his clothing one will find that Reuben is very fit. Muscle covers his body, enough to catch the eyes of women. He has a bullet scar on his left abdomen and left thigh, that goes all the way to the back of both. He has two scars on his face, one over his right cheek through the eye to the forehead. The other crossing the forehead on the left, horizontally starting midway above the nose, these tend to make his already striking amber eyes stand out. Both his lower legs. ankles, and feet have surgical scars from multiple operations to repair the bones. |
Family
| Spouse | None | |
| Children | None | |
| Father | Treyton T. Baptiste | |
| Mother | Alice W. Baptiste | |
| Brother(s) | Dalton W, Baptiste (Youngest child) | |
| Sister(s) | Catalina C. Baptiste and Carsyn S. Baptiste (Twins, middle children) | |
| Other Family | Jebediah Austin Baptiste (Grandpap, Great Grandfather, paternal), George Alfred Baptiste (Papap, Grandfather, paternal), Helen Marie Jimenez (Grandma, maternal) |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Reuben is a complex and multi-faceted individual with a personality shaped by his experiences and challenges in life. He is a quiet individual and has of late become more introspective. He has questions about how his role in life is now that he has been medically retired from the Air Force. His whole adult life has been consumed by service in the Air Force and to his country. He is also introspective about his relationship with his best friend Autumn Iturburua, feeling that she is the one woman for him. He is a cautious and secretive individual, shaped by his years as first as a S.E.R.E. Instructor and then as a Special Operations Weather Team Specialist. This has also instilled in him a determination and resilient nature, as one does not easily attain positions in the respective career fields. Add to this his surviving multiple combat missions and tours. He has leadership abilities and is extremely loyal to those who earn his respect. He is a gracious team player and knows how to follow a chain of command. He has an independent spirit and will not blindly follow someone he considers an idiot or ignorant in the matter at hand. He has a dry and dark sense of humor that those who have seen too much death and destruction tend to develop. He also has self-doubt and fears of failure, manifest because of several military missions that have resulted in significant losses. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | Stengths Extremely knowledgeable in survival techniques, as well as S.E.R.E., was a SERE instructor for six- years Knowledgeable in meteorology (weather forecasting) and equipment used for it. Excellent combatant; both with firearms and in melee/hand to hand Weaknesses Bilateral neuropathy in lower legs and feet (Pins and Needles/Burning and itching) causes him discomfort when trying to sleep or resting for a prolonged time. TBI Bitemporal Hemianopsia: Loss of visual field in outer half of each eye (limits his ability to see in the peripheral {outer] vision without his special made glasses). Photophobia right eye (limits his daytime acuity and marksmanship). Severe PTSD (which leads to severe night terrors). Severe Night Terrors (limits his restful sleep to about four hours a day). |
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| Back Pack Contents | U.S. Surplus Large A.L.I.C.E. Pack with metal frame and pack cover (Backpack): 1,) U.S. Army Mess Kit M.A. Co 1944 (with Spoon, Fork and Knife, Fathers p-38 military can opener) 2.) Sleeping roll made of a bed spread, an old quilt, and two sheets. 3.) G.I. Style Ripstop Nylon Poncho, 3 color Desert. 4.) Desert Camouflage Uniform with spare T-Shirt, Underwear and two pair socks. 5.) Toiletry Kit (Comb, Straight Razor 5/8 Inch, Toothbrush, Towel 30" x 60", Wash/Face cloth, Miscellaneous Motel/Hotel soaps & shampoos/conditioners) 6.) CamelBak Stowaway 3L Insulated Reservoir with Reservoir Filter Kit filtered by LifeStraw 7.) 150ft of 550 Paracord |
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| Weapon | Multi-Functional Tactical Axe: Axe/Hammer, Extension Bar-Long, Fish knife, Extension Bar-Short, Flint/Magnesium Rod, Emergency Whistle, Safety Hammer, Compass, Hand rope loop. Leatherman multi-Tool Masada Tactical – 9mm Parabellum Pistol with three magazine and 17 rounds. - two boxes of 9mm Parabellum, one of hollow shot the other eagle claw Model 37 Home Defense Ithaca shotgun - two boxes of 12 guage: one box of slug, one box bird shot. |
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| Hobbies & Interests | 1.) Hunting 2.) Fishing 3.) Boating and kayaking 4.) Rodeo, both as a spectator and participant 5.) Horseback riding 6.) Hiking and rock climbing 7.) Cooking and watching cooking shows 8.) Reading Speaks Fluent: Basque and Spanish (Learned it from the ranch hands that work his family ranch) Basic (elementary grade) Understanding and Speaks: Pashto and Arabic (Learned on his military tours) |
| Personal History | Reuben Baptiste was born in Gillette, Wyoming. He was raised on the family ranch in Rozet, Wyoming. He is the oldest of four children born to Treyton and Alice Baptiste. His family is relatively wealthy, having close to four hundred head of cattle, and owning several oil and gas wells on their land. Reuben learned early on how to ride horses, as he assisted his father and grandfather, as well as the hired hands, in taking care of the cattle. He learned the family business quickly. In school he was an excellent student, maintaining A to A- grades. He played football, was on the swim and dive team, and participated in, and was a member of both the National Junior High and National High School Rodeo Association. When not engaged with chores on the ranch or school and extracurricular activities, he and his best friend Udazken (Autumn) Iturburua, a local Basque ranch daughter who prefers to be called the Autumn the English version of her name, explored the wilds of Wyoming. Upon graduation from high school Reuben joined the United States Airforce to become a S.E.R.E. specialist, joined by his best friend Autumn (Udazken) Iturburua. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his great grandfather, a World War 2 Ranger, and his father, a Marine Force Recon in Vietnam. He joined the U.S. Air Force as a S.E.R.E. specialist. He was an excellent airman during his six-year enlistment as a S.E.R.E. specialist; going to several specialty schools. During his time as a S.E.R.E. specialist he was sent to Thule Air Base, Greenland for a top-secret training mission. It was while in Thule he became interested in becoming a Special Operations Weather Team Specialist. After completing his first six-year enlistment in the Air Force he re-enlisted to become a Special Operations Weather Team Specialist. He completed the grueling training and earned the coveted pewter grey beret. He was immediately thrown into action with the war in Afghanistan. He performed a combat jump with the 75th Ranger Regiment to take Objective Rhino. He then was reassigned to the 5th Special Forces Group and participated in both the Fall of Kabul and the Battle of Tora Bora. On New Year’s Day 2002 he was sent back to the U.S. Once stateside he began training up for a new mission. On March 26, 2003, he did another combat jump into Iraq as part of Task Force Viking in Operation Northern Delay. He was attached to a U.S. Marine Corps Scout and Target Acquisition. On November 7, 2004, he was part of Operation Phantom Fury (Second Battle of Fallujah). He and his friend, Ryan Domina, an Air Force tactical air control (TACP) where on a roof top overwatching as their marine counterparts were clearing a building across from them to set up for overwatch of the area. While he and his friend were providing the overwatch they came under attack by insurgents. Ryan took two bullets to his hips and was unable to move to cover. Reuben immediately moved out of cover and was grazed by a bullet in the left thigh, creating a through and through wound. He persevered and grabbed his friend by the armpits and started to drag him to safety when he was again hit by a grazing bullet in his left lower abdomen, leaving a through and through wound. Still, he persevered and got himself and Ryan to cover. There he bandaged both Ryan and his wounds and repelled the insurgents trying to over run their position until the Marines they were with made it to them and got them medevaced. Reuben was sent to Landstuhl Medical Center, while his friend was sent stateside for further care. After he was medically cleared for duty, he was sent back to the U.S. for remedial training to see if he was still fit to be a Special Operations Weather Team Specialist. He passed with flying colors and was assigned to go to Colombia as an advisor in the narco-war. Will there he also participated in missions. After eighteen-months he again came stateside and trained up for another tour in Afghanistan. While on a top-secret patrol in the Uzbin Valley, the vehicle he was riding in was hit by an IED and flipped several times. His lower legs were shattered by the explosion and the turret gunners' legs exploded into his face. The team he was with were engaged with the Taliban for fifteen minutes before the Air Force was able to bring a Spectre gunship and two A-10 Warthogs, followed by three Blackhawks and two Apache gunships. He was evacuated and had surgeries to stabilize him, then shipped to Landstuhl Medical Center for five surgeries then sent Stateside for more surgeries. After one and a half years of surgeries and rehab he was medically retired from the U.S. Air Force. He has since decided to walk each state in the Union, a sort of homage to one of his favorite non-fiction writers, Peter Jenkins, and the books Walk Across America and the Walk West. He started his journey in Van Buren, Maine and made it to Millinocket, Maine just in time to meet two of his friends and enjoy the Trail's End Festival. |
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| Service Record | 5/1993: Graduated Campbell County High School (Gillette, WY) 6/1993 to 8/1993: Basic Military Training - 7 ½ weeks (Lackland AFB, Tx) S.E.R.E. Specialist Instructor: 8/1993 to 6/1999 8/1993 to 12/1993: S.E.R.E. Specialist School: - SERE Specialist Training Orientation Course (SST-OC) - SERE Specialist Training Indoctrination Course (SST-IC) Emergency Parachute and Water Survival Training Water Survival Training Underwater Egress Training 12/1993 to 3/1994: SERE Specialist Training Apprentice Course (SST-AC) - The United States Army Airborne School (Jump School) - Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP) - S-V81-C, SERE Specialist Journeyman Arctic Survival Training 6/1994 to 7/1994: US Army Military Free Fall Course 8/1994 to 10/1994: Navy Dive Course – SCUBA -Combat diver course 11/1994: SERE 370A, Urban Evasion Training 04/1994: Airman Leadership School 12/1994: Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer Academy Associate Applied Science in Survival Instructor (Community College of the Air Force) Undergraduate Certificate in Weather Forecasting (PennState World Campus – Online) Special Operations Weather Team Specialist (SOWT-E): 6/1999 to 2008 6/1999 (2 weeks): Special Operations Weather Selection Course 6/1999 to 12/1999: Special Operations Weather Initial Skills Course 1/2000 to 4/2000: Special Operations Weather Apprentice Course 5/2000 to 6/2000: Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy Associate Applied Science in Weather Technology Operation Enduring Freedom (U.S. War in Afghanistan): Operation Rhino (Airborne operation) Fall of Kabul (ODA 555, 5th Special Forces Group) - 2001 Battle of Tora Bora (2001) Operation Iraqi Freedom (U.S. War in Iraq): Task Force Viking (Operation Northern Delay) (Airborne operation) Operation Phantom Fury (Second Battle of Fallujah) - (WIA) Plan Colombia (Advisor, Top Secret Narco-war interdiction) Operation Enduring Freedom (U.S. War in Afghanistan): Uzbin Valley (WIA) |