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 where he spent the rest of his career serving in many positions.

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 footsteps of serving in the United Nations Space Command. After his father's retirement from the UNSC in 2527 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 Marine Corps. After graduating from secondary 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 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. He joined the 105th Shock Troops Division and deployed with the 105th Marine Force Reconnaissance/ODST Battalion (Special Operations Capable), Bravo Company for one rotation as a scout sniper combat element team member till joining the 193rd Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC). With the 193rd MEU (SOC), Samuel deployed within the ODST Special Purpose Force as a scout sniper assistant combat element team leader during the Battle of Actium. 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 while recovering from his wounds. After graduating from a local university with a degree, Samuel tried out for the 105th Shock Troops Division and joined the 9th Shock Troops Regiment, 10th Shock Troops Battalion, Golf Company, on Reach in 2551. He went on to serve as an ODST combat team element leader of a reconnaissance combat team during the Battle of Reach and Battle for Earth in 2552.

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, Echo Company, and served in another reconnaissance combat team as a combat team element leader. He deployed to support Operation: HIGH TIDE and Operation: INHERENT STANDARD till his promotion to Gunnery Sergeant in 2555. Samuel then 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 2559, 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 2562. He then served as a Headquarters and Service operations sergeant for the 9th Shock Troops Regiment, 10th Shock Troops Battalion till 2564.

Becoming a Master Gunnery Sergeant in 2564, he served as a Battalion operations chief for two years for the 9th Shock Troops Regiment 10th Shock Troops Battalion till 2566 to support operations on Mamore and Carrow. Assigned to the 105th Shock Troops Special Missions Detachment, he served as the Detachment staff senior enlisted leader for four years. He oversaw all operations and missions within the detachment and assisted the command in day-to-day tasks till it was reassigned outside of the 105th Shock Troops Division in 2570. Samuel was reassigned to the 105th Shock Troops Division, 105th Shock Troops Training Center to oversee all training as a staff senior enlisted leader until 2574. After working on the training staff, he became the staff senior enlisted leader of the 9th Shock Troops Regiment. There, he served as the senior enlisted leader of the Regiment and monitored the day-to-day operations of the enlisted personnel. Samuel retired from the UNSC Marine Corps after 40 years of service in 2578.

Post-Military Careers
Following his retirement, Samuel joined the Khunjerab Group on Tribute as a senior 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 Operations Officer by studying plans and providing advice on how to retake the Sol system. Samuel also served in various positions as a squadron chief consultant, special warfare liaison officer, and project senior consultant. 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 advisor.

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. 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 in the UNSC. The firm provided cyber spyware, security and, exploitation technology services to private companies and later the UNSC. He joined the board of directors for Victaus Security in 2592 and Securitas Solutions in 2595.

Personality
Known for being a calm and patient individual, Samuel built his career in the UNSC through striking at the right time. Whether it was taking down an enemy or navigating politics during a crisis, he always knew how to adapt to the situation and survive. As a veteran of the Human-Covenant, survival, and luck went hand-in-hand for Samuel as he had near-death experiences with each encounter. Honing his skills as a scout sniper taught him the importance of battlefield stress management and crisis response.

Samuel distinguished himself as an elite among many due to his assignments with the 105th Shock Troops Division and participating in famous missions during the Human-Covenant War. Despite the recognition, he seeks no fame for his actions and strives to improve on his failures to be a better Marine. Being an experienced enlisted Marine, Samuel placed his emphasis on teaching the new members of the 105th to not make the same mistakes as him.

Personal Life
Samuel married Aniela Kasowska, an Office of Naval Intelligence Section One officer in 2557. She retired as a Captain in 2577 after serving as the Group Commanding Officer for the Bravo-9 Division's Cyber Warfare Group. The two had a son in 2561 named Wolfgang Gwozdz. He graduated from the Tribute Naval Officers Academy in 2582 to commission into the UNSC Marine Corps as a Cyberspace Warfare Development Officer.

His father and mother were killed during the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV in Côte d'Azur. His younger sister survived the Human-Covenant War on Cascade. She served in the UNSC Aerospace Force as a Multi-Domain Warfare Officer between 2540 to 2570. She retired as a Colonel and serves as a senior partner in Aperture Group.