Major Joe West

[Bogwoppit]

Name: Major Joe West

Age: 35

Sex: Male

Appearance: 6ft 2, slim but well-built and muscular, short, thick, dark brown hair, pale green eyes, usually frowning, but can look quite boyish. Has a disconcerting habit of seeming to look right through you. See picture above.

Personality: Hard, tough, very single-minded and ruthless when it comes to his job. A loner, with a deep-seated sense of honour and loyalty. Can be soft-hearted, and is a sucker for a woman in distress. A romantic at heart, although this has been drummed out of him over the years, leaving behind a hard shell.

Job Description: Major in the US Air Force, leader of SG-2

Race: Human

Homeworld: Earth

History: As a child he idolized his father, himself a pilot in the Air Force, and didn't understand that his hero wasn't much of a hero at all. Captain Gene West was a wife-beater, but he hid it well, and Joe's mother learned from an early stage to hide it too. Therefore Joe, along with everyone else, thought the captain was wonderful. At the age of nine Joe saw what was happening, and although at first he didn't understand, he gradually became aware that it was up to him to protect his mother. He did his best, but he was only small, and one night after a heavy drinking session his father hit his mother just that little bit too hard. She never regained consciousness. Joe grew up far too quickly after that, having to watch his father being thrown into jail and gradually succumb to the drink that ran his life. He died of alcohol poisoning when Joe was 18, leaving him alone in the world. He joined the air force at the age of 16, still intent on becoming the best pilot he could be, to prove something to himself and to his father, who had always thought Joe something of a mummy's boy. He was good at his job, and soon worked his way up through the ranks as an NCO, earning various medals for bravery in the field. Although he has several years' experience as a fighter pilot, he now commands SG-2.

As a child, watching what his mother had to go through taught him to respect women, and now he has a hard time accepting them as equals in the field, his instinct being to protect them. He doesn't know how to treat military women, so often comes across as brusque and arrogant, even chauvinistic, although he is far from it.

He has had two long-term relationships, both of which he thought were The One and poured everything into. The first one decided she didn't like the military or the fact that Joe wasn't allowed to tell her anything about his job, and the second was knocked down and killed by a drunk driver. Joe later found out that she had been pregnant. He has never forgiven himself.

Strengths/Weaknesses: Joe is a good soldier and a good leader. He is very communicative, liking to talk through problems and get to the bottom of things. He is very sensitive, although he has to hide this side of himself often in his line of work. He can be a man's man, but many of his closest friends are women, as they find him easy to talk to, as well as drop dead gorgeous! He brings out the best in people, often difficult characters finding themselves wanting to do their best for him, as he expects of them only what he himself would do, and would not dream of sending one of his people into a situation he wouldn't go into himself. People trust Joe, and he would die rather than let them down.
He can be chauvinistic with women, but only through a sense of duty and the need to protect them. He really thinks women shouldn't be allowed to fight alongside men, or be sent on dangerous missions. He doesn't quite know how to cope with 'capable' women. Sometimes his sense of duty prevents him from following his instincts, and his past has made him very slow to trust anyone, even while encouraging others to trust him.


Canon/Own character: Mine mine all mine!!


Sample Post (Not less than 150 words): Don't have to do one 'cause I'm the boss!


OOC Name: Teejay


Contact: [e-mail]