Here's a rough timeline for 09 Ghost that my mate @idk-i-just-write-tings and I worked out together based on the comics for a fic he's writing.
We needed Riley as young as canonically possible, so we set his enlistment age at 18 (though I think he probably joined a bit later than that.) Comic panels (all sfw so no torture shown don’t worry haha) are at the bottom for evidence/examples of certain events. Hopefully they upload in order. Let’s go:
Start of timeline:
1983 — Year of birth
no rank / 0 years
2001 — Enlistment after 9/11 happened *picture 1*
pvt / 18 years
2002 — Out of basic training, possibly already aiming for SAS
pvt / 19 years
2003 — This is the earliest he could've made it into the SAS. Any rank he earned during this time will therefore have been reset.
pvt / 20 years
2004 — By now in the comics he's been promoted to Cpl as seen by the rank on his shoulder *picture 2*. (As far as I know this doesn't make much sense timewise, but this game sucks with ranks anyway.)
Cpl / 21 years
2004-2006 — These are the years that he takes leave to go back home and fix his family. Within these years he kicks his father out and helps Tommy, who soon marries Beth.
Cpl / 21-23 years
2006 — Here we had to begin theorising a little more. To be a liutenant he'd need to be commissioned, which means he'd need to undertake officer training. Usually this takes 44 weeks, however there is a shorter course for experienced soldiers, and since half a year has passed already for Tommy's marriage, *picture 3* let's put him on the 8 week course.
Under Officer / 23 years
2007 — By now he will have finished officer training entirely and be a commisioned officer.
2Lt / 24 years
2009 — This is the year he gets sent to Mexico. By now he’s a Lieutenant. *picture 4* Usually it takes 3 years to reach this rank from 2nd Lt, but exceptions are made for certain officers if the higher ups deem them ready for a promotion. He’s captured early November of this year.
Lt / 26 years
2010 — He remains captured until July of this year (9 months) although no specific date is given. His teammates escape moments before he’s taken to be buried alive. He digs himself out and manages to get across the border into Texas about a month later (August). Between then and December he’s in recovery. By December he wants to go back, but isn’t allowed to yet. *picture 5* Very soon after this is when his family is killed and he becomes Ghost. He goes back to Mexico and takes out Roba before Shepherd (I think??) finds him.
Lt / 27 years
2011 — This is where the game COD 4 MW takes place. He's not in this campaign, we just thought it'd be useful to include this date.
Lt / 28 years
2016 — Finally, this is the year that MW2 is set, five years after the first game. Here we finally meet Ghost in game.
Lt / 33 years
That's it! If you find any mistakes please let one of us know!! We’re not perfect. Neither of us entirely agree with the ages in this timeline (we both think he joined later than 18), but for the sake of Shroom's fic we were trying to keep him younger than Cpt MacTavish whilst keeping it as cannon as possible.
P.S. thanks Shroom for helping me with this! — Zip
things have just gotten a bit more serious with what’s happening in the Middle East. I can’t say much as my socials are 100% being monitored and I’ve been specifically told to watch what I say, but my work has gotten harder and I have no choice but to keep up with it. On top of that I’m back to physical training now that the stab wound’s healed over so I don’t have much spare time left over.
I’ll try to get a couple posts out soon if I can, but no promises.
Stay safe out there, remember to look after each other — Zip
I was fighting with another lad on base (it wasn’t all that serious) and he accidentally dislocated my shoulder. Tell me why the medic refused to give me anything before popping it back in.. I about punched someone.
Anyways I might have less to do tomorrow ‘cause of that, so maybe I’ll catch up on my asks finally. — Zip
Day 2 of not have a appendix, the stitches hurt more than the illness what the freak man this a rip off
Stitches are always one of the worst parts, especially when they pull. I hate them too.
[no but for real, I just got my stitches out recently and I don’t miss them at all. Take it slow and easy is all I can say, the more you rest the faster you’ll heal — Zip]
[I’m still alive!! Just very busy and super burnt out from training 😞 I’ll try answer some asks later but any rps (dms or reblogs) might take a while.. gonna wait for things to settle down again before I get back to those, sorry — Zip]
It’s feeling a lot better since I had the stitches out!! I’m not allowed to go back to weight training until at least March or April though, which sucks a lot, but apparently a full recovery takes no less than four months 😞
It still aches like a bitch sometimes and the recent cold weather isn’t helping, but I’m just over a month in and it’s feeling a lot better than it was.
The main thing is that I’m back on my feet now and able to get on with most of my life — just no heavy lifting or crazy strenuous stuff
