Kyle Armalin: Difference between revisions

Kyle is a '''very''' big fan of root beer.

Kyle has been involved in martial arts since he was eleven years old, gaining his black belt in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isshin-ry%C5%AB Isshinryu Karate] and a brown belt in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tae_Kwon_Do Tae Kwon Do] in just under a year. He is also highly skilled in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninjitsu Ninjitsu] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo Kendo], and is especially proficient with edged weapons. Kyle has a preference for machetes and short swords, particularly the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachi Kodachi].

Kyle attended the U.S. Naval Academy at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapolis%2C_Maryland Annapolis, Maryland], where he held a double major (engineering and psychology) and was sixth in his graduating class with an overall GPA of 3.87. After being recruited into DELPHI, he attended [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mason_University George Mason University], where he received a Master’s Degree in sociology (graduating with highest honors) and a Ph.D in psychology.

Kyle’s doctoral thesis was entitled ''Culling The Herd - The Psychological and Socio-Political Effects, Moral Considerations and Legal Ramifications of Median- and Long-Term Human Engineering Within Closed and Isolated Social Constructs.'' After being published, ‘Culling The Herd’ became a best-seller, reaching #4 on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Times New York Times] Best-Seller list. His Master's thesis was entitled ''The Brightest Light and The Darkest Shadow: A Comprehensive Examination on Morality and Law from the Metahuman Viewpoint.'' The thesis was immediately classified by the U.S. Government, ''but it is considered required reading for all metahuman operatives working with U.S. interests.'' It was '''only''' after his Master's thesis was reviewed by DELPHI administrators that Kyle was approached for consideration of [http://www.dariawiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Project_Nightbreed Alpha Nightbreed] status (he was considered only viable for P.O.G.O. operations beforehand). It was also because of his theses that Kyle (after returning from Operation Desert Storm) was selected to act as a Special Presidential Fellow on Military Affairs who personally briefed the Commander-in-Chief on metahuman operations - although he played it down to others by referring to himself as a 'briefing officer'. He served in that post for one year before returning to DELPHI and being placed in the Special Assignments Division, where he was tasked with the delicate task of recruiting new operatives.

During his time at Annapolis, Kyle was a member of the Academy football team (second string). He played defensive tackle, and scored five sacks during an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army-Navy_football_game ‘Army-Navy’ game]. He was approached by a number of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL NFL] franchises just after his time at Annapolis, and immediately after he completed flight training, but refused every offer.

As a Marine aviator, Kyle flew F/A-18 combat aircraft for 18 months aboard the USS Emancipator (as a member of VMFA(AW)-387, also known as ‘the Black Sabers’). He has retained his current flight status; according to his file, he is currently qualified in the [[F/A-18 Hornet]], [[AV-8B Harrier II]], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EA-6B_Prowler EA-6B Prowler], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CH-53E_Super_Stallion CH-53E Super Stallion] (due to his POGO duties). During his time in POGO, Kyle trained on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sr-71 SR-71] (several were kept from retirement for special covert recon activities); during a flight to test a SR-71 variant using twin [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_detonation_engine pulse detonation engines] for propulsion, he took the SR-71 to a height of more than 100 kilometers, and was subsequently awarded astronaut wings. (The mission was officially classified as a failed test, but because of his 'handling of the situation and ability to recover the craft under extreme circumstances that a lesser pilot could not have effectively dealt with', he was awarded the wings and the Distinguished Flying Cross.)

Due to his POGO training and activities, Kyle is an expert at survival in many environments, and has been trained to resist interrogation and psionic attack.

As a POGO team leader, Kyle has seen action in several major U.S. military actions including [[Kosovo]] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulf_War Persian Gulf War], as well as places such as the Arctic Circle, South America, Micronesia, Afganistan and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_DMZ Korean DMZ].

On a POGO operation during the Persian Gulf War (officially known as Operation Desert Storm), Kyle acted to save the lives of hundreds of coalition servicemen by single-handedly destroying six enemy helicopters that had ambushed a troop convoy and destroyed their armored escort. He did this by engaging the hostiles from his exposed recon blind with a bolt-action [http://www.biggerhammer.net/barrett/ .50 caliber sniper rifle] even after coming under heavy chain-gun and rocket fire. Due to internal politics instigated by General [[Robert Bakeson]], Kyle was awarded the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_Cross Navy Cross] instead of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor Medal of Honor]; in response, the British Monarch appointed him an Honorary Knight Commander of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Victorian_Order Royal Victorian Order], as two-thirds of the men saved by Kyle’s action were [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Royal_Marine_Commandos Royal Marines].

While recruiting for DELPHI, Kyle had a 96% retention rate – the highest of any recruitment officer. Only three of his recruits left the program, and only one of those because they didn’t want to be involved with the program. Kyle is well-known throughout DELPHI as being unflinchingly loyal to his recruits.

Kyle is derisively known through the POGO Program as ‘Major Body Count’, because of his predilection towards the use of overt tactics to unnerve opposing forces, and of wiping out enemy forces to the last man.

In an eerie coincidence, Kyle's initials are KIA - the military term for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killed_in_action 'killed in action'.]

Because he refused to use any methods necessary to keep Trent Lane in the POGO Program, Kyle was court-martialed, demoted from full Colonel to Major, forfeited twelve months pay and was transferred to an Arctic Circle listening post for two years. Had he successfully recruited Lane, Kyle would have been promoted to [[Brigadier General]] and was the front-runner to become the Chairman of the [[Department of Defense]]’s Special Assignments Oversight Committee, which controls the POGO Program (and other military-oriented metahuman projects).

Kyle is a certified psychologist, & speaks English and fluent Russian. Also, as noted in the works of [[psychotol]], he has a working knowledge of the Klingon language.