Samuel Gwozdz

"In the years to come, we will be tested as a warfighting unit. No matter who or what stands in our way, we will succeed. Not for our glory and personal gains, but for humanity to live another day."

- Samuel Gwozdz in 2568.

Master Gunnery Sergeant Samuel Gwozdz is a retired staff noncommissioned officer of the UNSC Marine Corps. He served in the 44th Marine Reconnaissance Division as a reconnaissance marine and scout sniper before moving up to the 105th Shock Troops Division during the Human-Covenant War. He spent the rest of his career serving in many leadership positions till retiring in 2578.

Following his retirement from the UNSC Marine Corps, Samuel worked for Khunjerab Group and served as a civilian consultant for the Office of Naval Intelligence during the Excession Conflict. As a civilian consultant, he worked with the Bravo-9 Division as a subject matters expert among other advisory positions. Samuel went on to found Aperture Group where he is the Chief Executive Officer.

Early life
Born on May 17, 2520, Samuel grew up in Côte d'Azur on Sigma Octanus IV. His father served in the UNSC Army Rangers as an officer while his mother taught linguistics at the University of Côte d'Azur. Samuel and his younger sister were raised to follow the family's footsteps of serving in the United Nations Space Command. He took an interest in the history of the UNSC and its notable successes surrounding the Inner Colony Wars, Insurrection, and other major activities in between. Samuel enjoyed learning about the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers and their legendary status among the UNSC Special Warfare Community. After his father's retirement from the UNSC in 2536 as a Lieutenant Colonel, Samuel promised his father to serve in the UNSC and make him proud. His teachers noted him being excellent in mathematics and history while citing he wanted to serve in the UNSC. He decided to join the Marine Corps with a goal of becoming an ODST. After graduating from St. Veridiana School in 2538, Samuel enlisted into the UNSC Marine Corps to become a Reconnaissance Marine.

Military career
Enlisting into UNSC Marine Corps at 18 years of age in 2538, he was assigned to the 44th Marine Reconnaissance Division, 46th Reconnaissance Regiment, 1st Battalion, A Company on Alluvion as a basic reconnaissance marine. He rose to become a scout sniper and became a Scout Sniper Fireteam Leader during the Battle of Alluvion in 2542 alongside the XV Marine Expeditionary Force. Following the fall of Alluvion, Sam relocated to Reach and volunteered for an ODST tour. He joined the 105th Shock Troops Division and deployed with the 105th Marine Force Reconnaissance/ODST Battalion (Special Operations Capable), B Company for one rotation as a Scout Sniper Combat Element Team Member where he was attached to a Naval Task Force in Gemini Sector. After a rotation within the 105th, Sam completed another while attached to the 193rd Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC), he deployed within the ODST Special Purpose Force as a Scout Sniper Assistant Combat Element Team Leader. Sustaining wounds at the Battle of Actium in 2545, he returned to Sigma Octanus IV where he joined the 77th Reconnaissance Training Battalion as a Scout Sniper Instructor. After graduating from Enfield Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis, Samuel tried out for the 105th Shock Troops Division and joined the 9th Shock Troops Regiment, 10th Shock Troops Battalion, G Company, on Reach in 2551. He went on to serve as an ODST Combat Element Team Leader of a reconnaissance combat team during the Battle of Reach and Battle for Earth in 2552 while attached to various units.

Following the end of the Human-Covenant War, Samuel transferred to the 105th Shock Troops Training Center where he served as a Scout Sniper Instructor for the ODST Individual Training Course. He joined the 2nd Shock Troops Regiment, 4th Shock Troops Battalion, E Company, and served in another reconnaissance combat team as a Combat Element Team Leader. He deployed to support Operation: INHERENT STANDARD, Operation: NIRVANA, and other contingency operations till his promotion to Gunnery Sergeant in 2557. Samuel joined the 105th Shock Troops Division Headquarters Battalion, Intelligence Company where he operated with Detachment THREE as an Assistant Combat Team Leader then took command of Detachment ONE to lead forward reconnaissance missions as a Combat Team Leader. During his time, Samuel deployed to support Operation: AUTUMN'S REST. After being promoted to Master Sergeant in 2563, Samuel served as a Platoon Sergeant for a Reconnaissance Drop Jet Platoon of the 19th Shock Troops Regiment, 20th Shock Troops Battalion to complete rotations to Mamore and Alpha Halo till 2566. He then served as a Headquarters and Service Operations Sergeant for the 9th Shock Troops Regiment, 10th Shock Troops Battalion till 2568. Samuel attended Naval Special Warfare Senior Enlisted Academy to be promoted to Master Gunnery Sergeant in 2569.

Becoming a Master Gunnery Sergeant, he served as a Battalion Operations Chief for two years with the 9th Shock Troops Regiment 10th Shock Troops Battalion, G-3 Operations till 2571 to support various special warfare operations in FLEETCOM Sector ONE. Samuel was reassigned to the 105th Shock Troops Division, 105th Shock Troops Training Center, Tactics and Evaluation Branch to oversee all tactics, techniques, and procedures as a Staff Senior Enlisted Advisor until 2575. During his time, he helped create new war game simulations with help from Human-Covenant War veterans to prepare new ODSTs for a Covenant warfighting experience. Samuel was assigned to 105th Shock Troops Division Headquarters Battalion, Operations Company as a Special Skills Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Strategic Threat Section for the remainder of his career. During his time, he helped prepare plans, policies, and programs to help combat the growing surge of Covenant remnant activities. He leveraged his knowledge of Covenant tactics to advise the Division Commander and their staff on how to handle the various threats within their Area of Responsibility. Samuel retired from the UNSC Marine Corps at the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant in 2578.

Post-Military Careers
Following his retirement, Samuel joined Khunjerab Group on Tribute as a Partner in 2578. He provided advisory services for crisis management and leadership development. Samuel worked with multiple private military and executive protection companies in handling conflicts and high-stress situations. In the rise of the Excession Conflict, he returned to the UNSC as a civilian consultant and subject matters expert for the Bravo-9 Division in 2582. Working inside of the Special Operations Group, Samuel served as a consultant to the group's operations officer by studying plans and providing advice on how to retake the Sol system. Samuel also served in various positions as a Squadron Principal Consultant, Special Warfare Liaison Officer, and Senior Project Manager. During his time, Samuel was awarded Civilian of the Year in 2586 by the Bravo-9 Division. Following the end of the Excession Conflict in 2587, he left the Bravo-9 Division and rejoined the Khunjerab Group as a Senior Partner.

In 2589, Samuel was elected as Chapter Vice President and later Chapter President of the Helljumper Foundation on Tribute to assist active duty and veteran ODSTs across the colony world. He joined Nomad Tactics as a Marksman Instructor and subject matters expert to train clients in target analysis and scout sniper tactics. During a ceremony with the 105th Shock Troops Division in 2590, Samuel was inducted into the 105th Hall of Fame for his service with the 105th Shock Troops Division. He left Khunjerab Group in 2590 to form a private technology firm named Aperture Group with support from ONI. Samuel served as the Chief Executive Officer and hired people he worked with while in the UNSC. The firm provided cyber spyware, intelligence, research and, exploitation technology services to private companies and later the UNSC. He joined the Board of Directors for a private military company named Tenet Solutions in 2594 and a data consulting firm named Securitas Analytics in 2597.

Personality
Throughout Samuel's life, he focused on being a calm and patient individual. He took the time to understand situations as they unfolded, waited for the perfect opporunity to strike, and managed his time to get the most of the experiences he endured. His cool-headed nature makes him known as a respected leader within the ODST community and business world. Samuel is known to be extremely analytical with his decision-making and task orientation to give him the chance to make the best decision. During times of crisis, he is capable in handling various tasks and procedures to help make the best decision at the time. Samuel is relentless in pursuing the next goal. Ranging from joining the ODSTs to running his own company, he attacks the process and incorporates his experiences to ensure he walks away from each task successfully.

Following the end of the Human-Covenant War, Samuel took the chance to become a mentor for many of the new ODSTs joining the 105th Shock Troops Division. As an Instructor, he focused on producing quality traits in candidates and teaching them the importance of well-being. Many of the ODSTs Samuel served with were given the chance to see what life was like within the Division during the Great War and the valuable lessons he learned. He made a significant effort to pass along the skillsets and experiences he had to younger ODSTs. Samuel spent various times as an Instructor throughout his career and helped with creating ODSTs the Division needed. Taking his lessons from the battlefield, he continues to mentor and teach leadership in the business world as a way to help people grow from his experiences.

Personal life
His father and mother were killed during the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV in Côte d'Azur. His younger sister, Imka Gwozdz, survived the Human-Covenant War on Cascade. She served in the UNSC Aerospace Force as an Operations Research Analyst, Space Operations Officer, and Multi-Domain Warfare Officer between 2540 to 2570. She retired as a Colonel with her final position being Wing Commander of the 727th Command and Control Wing. She works as a Senior Partner in Aperture Group.

Samuel graduated from Enfield Military Academy in 2551 and earned a Master's of Science in Operations Research from the University of Cabash in 2571. He is fluent in French, English, and Hungarian.

Samuel married Aniela Kasowska, an Office of Naval Intelligence Section One officer in 2557. The two met at the end of the Human-Covenant War in 2552 before she attended university. Aniela retired as a Commander in 2577 after serving as a Squadron Commanding Officer in the Bravo-9 Division's Cyber Warfare Group. The two had a son in 2561 named Wolfgang Gwozdz and a daughter in 2564 named Laralyn Gwozdz. Wolfgang graduated from the Tribute Naval Academy in 2582 to commission into the UNSC Marine Corps as a Cyberspace Warfare Officer. Laralyn graduated from Tribute Naval Academy and later Tribute Naval Medical School to commission into the UNSC Navy as an Aerospace Experimental Psychology Officer.