Character Spotlight: Samuel Woolheater

Posted on Sun Sep 18th, 2022 @ 4:56pm by Elisha Pryce-Randal [ADMIN NPC] Ms & Captain Samuel Woolheater

Mission: Character Spotlight
Location: Crew Lounge
Timeline: Current
1910 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

1st Lt. Woolheater took his seat in the interview room. He had on a fresh uniform, he was as clean shaven as he got and he was prepped for an interview. When the FNS journalist entered, Sam got to his feet and greeted her, "It's my pleasure to see you Ms. Elisha Pryce-Randal". Then he took his seat and listened for her questions.

Brief Interview with Ms Elisha Pryce-Randal - onboard Ship Reporter

EPR: What is your role on the Elysium? And what does it entail?

1ST LIEUTENANT SAM WOOLHEATER: "Well, may I first just say what a pleasure it is to meet you and to be interviewed by you. I remember watching you when you reported on some very nasty events, very ugly things and very dangerous as I recall. I've seen some of your interviews here on the ship and I know that you are an experienced professional journalist. So, thank you. I'm glad to be here and having this oppourtunity. OK. What's my role, I am the CO, the commanding officer, of the first platoon for the sixty-second detachment for the USS Elysium. The answer that I want to give you is a little more to it than, y'know, name, rank, serial number. Why are there marines on starships anyway? Because that's not true on many more starships. Starfleet is the exploration and the scientific arm of the Federation. Right from the UFP charter. Over time, we know that space can be a dangerous place. And as we explored, it became clear that ships needed ways to defend themselves and Federation citizens. As well as help our other member worlds. OK, so you have a military prescense starting, almost from the beginning that was there to help augment ships Security. Marines have a history of being the rapid reaction force. We have different skills and training and tools to go in and deal with hostile situations better than asking your Security department to do that. Som we are here to augment security but also to be the hammer when a hammer is needed. We can also be a shield if that's needed too. Elysium has a Company sized detachment of three platoons. Galaxy Station is the SFMC HQ out here and we are a detachment from that regiment, the sixty-second. Why three platoons? You've got a rapid deployment, first-fire action platoon, that's the first platoon. And then you have a standard rifle platoon and infantry platoon. And each of them have little bit different functions. They give Colonel Azhul and the Captain options when we need a little extra muscle. Within those platoons you can break it down further, but it is enough to say that within a platoon you can have specialists. I'm in command of the platoon but I am also a sniper/scout.



EPR: What made you choose that line of work?

WOOLHEATER: "You know, I've always wanted to be a marine. Can I say something to my Dad if he's watching or reading this? Yeah? OK, Dad, I love you, but I always wanted to be a marine. I know that you and mom thought I was crazy. I was just waiting for the right time to tell you." Sam laughed and the interview continued. "Pacifica got hit by the Borg. Not as much as some but we were attacked and then later, when the Dominion came through. I guess, it was just that, I saw as a kid that these guys and gals, these people called marines...they weren't afraid of shit. There was a job to do and they just did it. And, my brother, Barclay, younger brother and I were hanging out and a bunch of marines came by in their really cool, big ass vehicles. And they were there to protect us. My parents got separated from us, for a week, and it was the marines that took care of us. Not in combat of course, but they made two kids feel like Colonels. Like we were...like we mattered. And they rescued many people and they got sent behind the lines and back to the camps we were in. Out of harms way. I don't know...it made an impression you could say. So, when I went to boot and I got my training and SFMC found out I wasn't as dumb as I look, they put me into the Academy, the marine version of that, and I got a sniper specialty because my old man taught me hot to hunt. I have good eyesight and I hit what I aim at. And that's pretty much it."


EPR:How do you handle the pressure that comes with being a Starfleet officer?

Sam took a drink of water as he listened to the next question. Setting the glass down he though for a moment,

WOOLHEATER: "Stress,,,and pressure of this job is different for everybody. So, I think that you;re going to get a different answer depending on who you are talking too. I think I'll rephrase your question. I'm a marine officer...I earned that. I worked for it and I'm proud of it. SFMC doesn't turn out dumbass marines or people die. I'm a marine officer who is part, who is privileged, who is lucky to be part of the larger Starfleet solution. Now, there are tough decisions that have to be made. And I mean, life or death sometimes. And, I'm lucky because, I had good training and good officers on which to model myself. And, you learn that you make the best, informed decision that you can and then you move on. You can't agonize over it or second-guess it. You make a choice and then move on. And we try very hard to make the right choice every time and all the time. I learned that from being a sniper. Once the arrow is spent...I'm speaking rather poetically here...once the spent arrow is away you can't call it back. You made a choice and an action and you gotta live with it. With that comes stress. I work out, I run and I play as much as I can. Marines take pretty good care of me and we have a whole crew to keep things running. And, if I need to, I have the Colonel's ear and the ear of the MXO as well. So, I can talk to people smarter than me and more experience than me."


EPR: What would you say to a cadet aspiring to do what you do?

WOOLHEATER: "Go for it! This is a great job. Starfleet is a great way for many people to see the universe and travel to other worlds. We are so, immensly, lucky to be living when we are. I come from an old, old human family. There's probably a Woolheater in the bible. Probably somewhere in the back, but we're in there" Sam chuckles. "And it doesn't matter who you are or where you came from; there is a place for you in Starfleet. Let me say that again OK? I want to say this to anybody who is thinking about a career in Starfleet. Whoever you are. And whereever you are on your journey in life; there is a place for you in Starfleet. The good ones are marines; but there is aplce for you in this family of explorers. It's a tough road. You will be challenged. But don't be afraid to try. Because you have more strength than you know, you're potential is only limited by what you think you can't do. If you can dream it up; you can make it happen."



EPR: What is your favorite memory of your time at the academy?

WOOLHEATER: (thinks) "I did my boot camp at Parris Island, that's back on Earth. Then for sniper I did mine at Quantico before I got shipped out to OCS at Camp Margrave on Titan. I remember that at Quantico, you know, these are some tough fuckin' guys there. Real mean, brash, tough studs. And I was still pretty young back then. But I was a good sniper and I was getting high scores, coming close to theirs. So one day, it was close to hell week. Five days of no sleep, little food, no breaks, cold water swims, hot environments....the equivalent of what Starfleet Officers go through but we pack it all in just five days. I'm coming back, I think it was Day Three. And we were deployed to a place called, the 'Devil's Den'. There is a real place called that but this was just a local name for a flat area that we had to do an overwatch on our team. And they've got these older guys, tougher guys trying to trip me up. Dressing in wigs, putting on fake tits so I think it was a woman, a civillian. Wearing close protection gear...lots of dirty tricks. But they didn't get to me. I was, in the zone, and nothing they tried quite worked. So when it was over, and I was dead tired and we gotta hike some more, I was in no mood for any of their bullshit. One of these guys, must have meet six foot eight comes up to me and in a straight face says and in a low, mean voice, "Hey cocksucker! You gonna suck down all of my life points? Suck it right down from under my nose?" In other words, he's asking me if I'm going to beat his record. And I said, without thinking, "Yeah, I guess I am if I gave two-shits and tried." He stops. I stop. The platoon stops. He pokes me in the chest, "You've got some guts numbnuts. You better stay outta my way." To which I say, not thinking of course, "Gladly. With breath like that I can small you before I see you." He stops and just starts laughing. It felt good. I was just - done - and no more tolerance for any BS. Thise are good memories."


EPR: Do you have any funny tales to tell about your time on the USS Elysium?

WOOLHEATER: (grins) "Well now, let me see. I've not been here too long. But I do tend to get into shenanigans from time to time. OK, so....(hesitates)...ok I'll tell you this one. I'm waiting on the turbolift and it's taking a long time. I get impatient and so I press the button on all four. Well, all four arrive at the same time. Commander S'hib, you know him? Chief of Security pokes his head out of one and seems me. I shrig my shoulders and before I could get to any of the other cars, they all close and move. And he's holding the door for me. He asks me if I saw who pressed all the buttons for the turbolifts? To which I deny all knowledge. But...I gotta ride with him. So the whole journey, not two words, he's just staring at me. I make eye contact just one time. The lift starts to slow and I saw before the door open, "I'll keep at least one eye open for whoever pressed all those call buttons. I got you covered gluestick. The door opens and ten people get on and I make it out. To this day, I don't know if he even heard me say, 'Gluestick'."