Lieutenant John Sandoval
Name John Benjamin Sandoval
Position Chief Diplomatic Officer
Rank Lieutenant
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 34 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5’ 6” | |
| Weight | 175 lbs | |
| Hair Color | Black | |
| Eye Color | Brown | |
| Physical Description | J ohn Sandoval is slightly shorter than average and is a bit heavier than he'd like (still within Starfleet physical standards). His left leg occasionally bothers him, so he'll periodically walk with a cane (he has an ornate one for diplomatic or social events, and another simpler one for duty). Ethnically he is something of a melting pot, his slightly darker skin revealing many South-East Asian ancestors. |
Family
| Spouse | Katherine Anne Sandoval (née Bennett) | |
| Children | None | |
| Father | Benjamin Reid Sandoval | |
| Mother | Dalisey Jasmine Sandoval | |
| Other Family | Reid Louis Sandoval (paternal grandfather, only surviving grandparent) Various distant relatives |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | John Sandoval was an academically-minded youth who joined the Marines to fight the Dominion. His injury brought him back to academia, where he learned to value dialogue over violence as a means of bringing peace. He still knows how to use a rifle, but would prefer a few hours of research and a personal conversation. | |
| Ambitions | Sandoval has a keen interest in military history that sparked in his youth. He wants to continue his academic research, analyzing the history of war and peace with a view of identifying important lessons from them. He wants to publish some of his research while serving in Starfleet. Sandoval also has ambitions to one day be part of a mission that results in an armistice between warring societies. | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Growing up, Sandoval was very interested in military history, especially from the 20th to the 22nd centuries. That interest never went away. He has a collection of holodeck programs re-creating key battles from throughout that time period (nothing more recent than 2200, as to him it becomes much less fantasy and much more real). Sandoval also loves to read, and will gladly spend his free time reading academic literature and fiction alike. He also enjoys games, and has a theory that they're useful in bringing disparate people together. |
| Personal History | John Benjamin Sandoval was born and raised in the city of Toronto, on the North American continent of Earth. As a youth, he spent much of his time reading whatever he could find, and developed a deep love of military history. His parents encouraged him, and even managed to identify ancestors of his who fought in the Klingon War, the Earth-Romulan War, World Wars I and III, and even as far back as the War of 1812. He read about as many historical figures as possible, idolizing them as war heroes. He was enamored with the idea of going off to war and fighting to defend ones values and way of life. At the end of secondary school, Sandoval enrolled at the University of Toronto's Department of History as an undergraduate student. He began the 2373 academic year and finished the first semester just as the Dominion War began. Inspired by his personal connection with his ancestors who served in countless wars, as well as the historical figures he spent his youth reading about, he put his studies on hold and enlisted in the Starfleet Marine Corps. After three months of boot camp, Sandoval was posted to the Marine Transport USS Belleau Wood, from which he was deployed on numerous worlds. In mid-2374, his unit was stationed on Betazed when the Dominion invaded the peaceful world. Though Starfleet and the Marines were forced to retreat, Sandoval helped hold the line as fellow Marines and civilians evacuated to the Belleau Wood. His actions in earned him a promotion to full Private First Class. The USS Belleau Wood was part of the landing force at Chin'toka during the Federation's first offensive against Dominion space. However, his shuttle was damaged by anti-air fire and crashed to the planet. Sandoval was one of the few survivors, but his back and left leg were seriously injured. Sandoval was returned to Earth for medical rehabilitation. After multiple surgeries, artificial muscle tissue, and months of physiotherapy, he was able to walk again, but he could not return to the war. While being rehabilitated, he did extensive reading, and when he returned to the University of Toronto for the start of the 2375 academic year, he was given credit for his first year's missed semester. In 2378, he was transferred to King's College London's Department of History to complete a Master's degree and later a Doctorate, focussing on military history on pre-Federation Earth, with a focus on the war against the Xindi and efforts to eliminate the terrorist organization known as Terra Prime. During his time in London, he took some time with therapists and learned some important truths about himself. First, having seen war first-hand and having read so many accounts from those he considered great war heroes, he learned it was not appropriate to glorify war. One should instead do everything possible to prevent violent conflict, and only fight as a last resort. Second, in his role as occasional instructor at King's College London, he learned the teaching side of academia was not for him. He loved reading and studying, but also needed to be out in the real galaxy. A number of his former history/humanities/social science classmates had gone on to become diplomats in either the civilian arena or Starfleet, and he was convinced he could do the same. Sandoval applied to join Starfleet, with a view to becoming a Diplomatic Officer on a starship. Though his back and leg still caused him occasional pain, he was able to pass the necessary physical tests, and Starfleet officials acknowledged his time in the Marines and his academic career. He was immediately brought to the senior year, where it was crucial that he learn about starship operations and the niceties of the diplomatic world. During his year at the Academy, Sandoval met Katherine Anne Bennett, a civilian science instructor at the Academy. The two discovered a variety of shared interests and formed a romantic relationship. After graduation, Sandoval served as a diplomatic officer for three years aboard USS Saturn. During that time, he and Katherine married, though she remained on Earth at the Academy. In 2389, after spending three months of personal leave on Earth with his wife, he was transferred to USS Pandora to fill the role of Chief Diplomatic Officer. |
|
| Service Record | Undergraduate student, University of Toronto Department of History (2373) -Marine Recruit, Starfleet Marine Corps Boot Camp (2373-2374; Rank: Private) -Marine, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment (Infantry), 3rd Marine Division, operating out of USS Belleau Wood (LKA-343) (2374; Rank: Private) -Marine, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment (Infantry), 3rd Marine Division, operating out of USS Belleau Wood (LKA-343) (2374-2375; Rank: Private First Class) -Medical leave (several months in 2375; discharged from Marine Corps) -Undergraduate student, University of Toronto Department of History (2375-2378) -Graduate Student, King's College London Department of History (2378-2385) -Cadet, Starfleet Academy (2385-2386; Rank: Fourth Year Cadet) -Diplomatic Officer, USS Saturn (NCC-28400) (2386-2387; Rank: Ensign) -Assistant Chief Diplomatic Officer, USS Saturn (NCC-28400) (2387-2389; Rank: Lieutenant junior grade) -Chief Diplomatic Officer, USS Pandora (NCC-80114) (2389-present; Rank: Lieutenant) |