#where i sent an ask and op didn't respond until months later when they were sick of the joke and i got made an example of lol

[erisolkat]

idk why but whenever someone responds to a stranger online like this i instantly get such visceral second hand embarrassment for both of them and rsd for the person that is Under Attack that i have to turn my phone off and walk away for a minute

[goldenhour-goldenboy]

hi triple frontier request here: the movie didn't give us much background as to why the five guys got into the military or their back stories with the special ops, could you please write your interpretation of how all of them got into / involved with special forces bc i feel like that was really missing from the movie, thank youuuu!!!!!!

I’m sorry this took so long! But I’ve kinda done them separately and tried to mix in everything as well as I could! I hope you enjoy this :) 

Joining the Military/becoming Airborne Rangers 

For Ben it was about proving himself. To his father, to his brother and also to himself, the competitive spirit between the two brothers pushing that thought. Benny wanted to make sure that everybody knew, he was just as good as the older Miller one and that he was tough enough for the army. Ever since he could think, there was nothing that he wanted more - or anything else that he’d dream to become. Growing up under the watchful eyes of his father shaped him into a man who checked his records, checked his time at training, checked who was above him and what he had to do to beat them. For Benny it was higher, faster, stronger and it landed him right at the top of his unit. It wasn’t destiny as much as it was the natural occurrence that needed to happen at one point, since he never stopped working to strive for an improved version of himself. His talent as a sharp shooter came out later, at first he made the cut  for his excellent physical and mental health, being able to control his nerves and having the endurance that was needed to get through the toughest tests, while maintaining an overlook over the whole situation. He was young and focused and his caring nature, to never leave a brother behind, was the bonus he needed to make the cut for the Special Forces. Overall Ben was the poster boy any unit could hope for, the perfect example of what one might achieve if they’ve put their minds to it.

William made the choice to join the army as he did everything in life - very well thought through. It made sense to him in a way that his family had a long line of soldiers and now it was his turn to contribute to that and honor, not only his father, but the men that came before him. For him it was about to continue to do what was right. That was the second part, giving back to his country and ensuring a better, brighter future. William liked the routine of the army, that it had rules that he understood and he could follow, the machinery of it all and he felt at secured in a way, knowing where he stood and what was expected of him. He quickly realized though, that the position he started in wouldn’t be for forever. He didn’t mind the physical part but he missed putting his brains to the test, feeling as if he got stuck in a position that would leave him more and more unchallenged, mentally speaking. He wanted to know more, about the operation, why they were send where they’re sent and what the motive was behind all of that. But as more and more answers where withheld from him, he felt himself getting stuck in the routine he once admired and needed. Now, he wanted more. So William did what he did best - he informed himself what he needed to do to get as much intel on the situation as possible. His intelligence, strength and potential for leadership (though he never wanted to take that kind of responsibility for others) made him an immediate candidate for the special tactics team. He’d constantly butt heads with Tom, the older operation leader being annoyed with the younger soldier who’s questions never seemed to stop and who’d wait for him outside the commando tent after every meeting. It took a while for Tom to figure out that Will didn’t want to take his position, he simply wanted to be informed and needed to know that he could trust the man in charge and after they’d settled their dispute, they were able to move past their first dislike against each other. Later on Tom highly appreciated William’s calm nature, the big guy seeming to have a softer and almost philosophical side to him and they’d spent many nights talking, about life, the upcoming mission and their families back home.

Poverty, corruption and the dream for a better life formed what may be the most adaptable character of the whole group. Growing up Santiago was surrounded by obstacles he and his family had to overcome. He learned a lot in his younger years, surviving was a trick purely based on how well someone could handle situations life tends to throw at one, nothing was ever meant forever and everything came and had a price. Many of his future talents came from the experiences in his childhood, growing up in Columbia, and it was only later on in his life, long after they’d migrated to America, that he learned to turn them into something he could make a profit of. Joining the army at first was about stability, to find a place where he could settle for a while, that offered a consistent paycheck at the end of the month and a roof over his head. His natural charm and easy going nature never seemed to leave him, earning him more than one warning from his superior officer, but overall Santiago enjoyed his time in the army for a while. Becoming a ranger wasn’t something he’d planned on. It was after loosing one too many of his close mates in a mission and the desperation of needing to be in control of something after that hard loss, that he knew he’d to improve of his rank in order to be granted the possibilities for real change. He didn’t want to stay a soldier of many, never fitting in in the first place and his loss sparked a dedication that pushed him to train harder. He turned out to be the best investigator later on, even though he almost broke every law he encountered on the way. Santiago was never a poster boy for the rangers, rarely playing by the rules but his natural talent to gather information and blend in was something that couldn’t be taught.

Tom really had nothing left when he joined the army. He never talked about it and the other boys could only guess the reason, but his life before being drafted seemed to be something that’d be stuck with him forever. Joining for him was, really, a last resort. The Special Forces Team seemed out of reach for him, he never thought that this was something he’d qualify for and it wasn’t until one of his mates told him about their ambition to join and the qualification process, that he started to slowly gain interest. It took a lot of carefully asked questions at his superior officer, that he started to consider taking a chance and trying to get in as well. Tom kept this thought, as he did many things at the time, to himself, training alone, at times where he was sure none of his roommates would interrupt him and shying away with excuses when being asked what he planned on doing next, answering that he might extend his contract as a simple soldier, even though by then the dream of getting drafted was strong enough to keep him laying awake at night. The taste of a small chance felt almost real on his tongue and almost didn’t dare to dream that he could built something great for himself for once. He’d never forgotten the day his name was called, hot pride filling his chest, cheeks burning with confirmation, that yes, he was good enough. The rush of confidence he gained that day stuck around with him until the end of his deployment and his past self, insecure little Tom that first joined the army, vanished in that exact moment.

Stumbling into the army on a second chance, was none other than Francisco. He failed his flying license as a normal pilot just a couple weeks before signing up, leaving him drowning his sorrows for four nights in a row. On the fifth day he woke up with a hangover and his girlfriend standing at the end of his bed, declaring to leave him if he touched a single drop of alcohol for the next week. He nursed his pounding headache in a café with sunglasses and two Advil that day, grumbling at the staff, and whoever seemed to listen to him, about failing his dreams and his life being destroyed. It was an annoyed waitress that handed him the idea of trying out for the army, her brother just signed up a couple of days ago and they’d always seemed to need more people, maybe even an almost pilot. It took another week and the end of the month with rent coming up, that Francisco took what he had left (which wasn’t his girlfriend at this point, he’d turned to the bottle once again that week even though he’d promised not to) and make the decision to join, set on becoming a pilot and doing it right this time. Francisco and Santiago met at the first responder course, Francis failing miserably at keeping his dummy alive and swearing (and sweating) up a bilingual storm. It was a friendship at an “almost” first sight and even though the dummy didn’t make it, a strong foundation blossomed that late afternoon, both man not being able to keep their focus up on their tasks, as they were much more amused about making comments and cracking jokes. They later bonded over drinks, Francis having to promise Santi to never perform first aid on him if he’d get shot in battle, as he’d rather die then let Francisco make it worse by trying to stop him from bleeding out. It were the stories and the shared feeling of homesickness that night, comparing similar foods and relishing in familiar tastes. Both of them connected on a level that neither quite could explain. They just got each other and not having to have a lot of words spoken between the two of them, an easiness flowing between them that was comforting to both of them. Francisco decision to get his head straight and try out for the test to become a ranger, specifically an airborne pilot, really drew from himself wanting to fly more than a simple helicopter, transporting soldiers in and out of war zones. Even though he might give a different impression to some, his actually calm and collected nature was something very valuable as a pilot candidate, the fact that he spoke multiple languages and having an IQ over 125 outweighed his first failed flying license and his average physical score, leaving him to be the next-to-last soldier to be accepted as a ranger recruit that draft.

They’ve really all met before, at least brushing by or spotting each other at training and even though they all came from different backgrounds and joined for different reasons, being elusively picked for the Special Forces Program had nothing to do with luck. It was their talent and their dedication that got them drafted, every one of them signing up freely for the tests and they were chosen because they’ve proven time and time again to be best. Fish had the highest score when it came to everything to do with piloting and aerial strategics. Tom was the best and quickest to analyze a situation and to map out an unplanned exit route, making him a specialist for missions with a time sensitive priority. Santiago was an outstanding inside man, being able to hide in plain sight, charming on more than one levels and having a way with locals to tell their secrets and gather information as quickly and as delicate as possible. Benny was a sniper that every team could only dream of, never faltering, always concentrated and almost never missing. He was fast and sharp and dangerous. William was the well balanced of them all, talented in almost every area. He was deadly, fast on his toes and his one-on-one combat incomparable. Together, they not only learned to trust each others skills but really had a chance to grow and develop a rhythm as a team, that made the combination of all five an exclusive and highly valuable unit.