Rank: Sergent
Name: Jean Luis Dornier (
Tyus Morse) Nickname: Fossoyeur, Foss, Fossy or Sergent
Date/Place of birth: (34) 15th August 1983 -- Providence, RI (USA)
Character history: Tyus Morse was born in Providence, RI (USA) in 1983. He grew up in Central Falls along the border with Massachusetts and had a fairly rough life. His father was a bastard of an alcoholic who abused his son regularly. Tyus did pay attention in High School graduating in 2001. Although he had fairly decent grades, he had no real goals after school.
As a child, his mother encouraged him to train in martial arts. Before the age of 18, the summer after graduating High School, Tyus earned a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Kempo Karate. The positive influences of his Martial Arts school kept him safe during his childhood years under his mother's watchful eye. While in High School, Tyus learned to speak French in High School. Learning a second language always interested him and he loved the sound of spoken French.
After the fall of the World Trade Center in September 2001, Tyus joined the United States Marine Corps and served as an 0300 Infantryman. He performed his Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Camp Lejeune, NC. In January 2002, Tyus Morse was assigned to 2nd Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines at Camp Lejeune, NC. After two years with the Marines, he was promoted to Corporal and assigned as a Team Leader in the 3rd Platoon, A Company. While in the Corps, Tyus trained in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) , which was similar to his experiences in Kempo. He reached brown belt before leaving the Corps.
Later in 2004, Tyus was deployed to the Oruzgan Province in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On 5 August 2004, his squad came under fire from no fewer than eighty Taliban soldiers. His squad leader was one of the first casualties, losing his ability to move and communicate. The Squad Leader would need immediate evacuation in order to survive. While the squad kept up an effective base of fire on the enemy, Corporal Tyus Morse rendered first aid to his Squad Leader calling in an immediate Casualty Evacuation Request (CASEVAC). He then reported the squad's situation to the Company Command Post (CP), which was able to coordinate support with a pair of nearby loitering AH-1W Super Marine Cobras to provide supporting fires in the CASEVAC operation.
The Assisting Cobras helped to suppress the enemy long enough for a vehicle convoy to reach the pinned squad, evacuate the wounded squad leader along with the remaining squad members. Coporal Tyus received the Bronze Star for his actions that day.
By 2005, 1-6 Marines was back in the United States and Tyus Morse was promoted to Sergeant. Later that year, he left the Marine Corps with four years time in service.
When he came home, he found that his mother passed away six months prior and no one attempted to contact him. He was devastated to learn of her death and his father wanted nothing to do with him. He was able to live at a friend's house in East Providence and secured a job working at McDonald's. Tyus was depressed.
After a year of living this life, unable to find suitable employment, Tyus was at wits end. Then, he got the idea to join the French Foreign Legion. He considered re-enlisting in the USMC, but there were factors in the Corps he no longer wanted to tolerate. The idea of joining the FFL appeared as a chance for adventure and excitement. He also missed the combat environment he once detested. It was calling to him every time he considered going. He also rationalized that he could do well in the FFL because he had completed five years of High School French.
In 2007, Tyus Morse found himself in Paris, France at a Foreign Legion Recruitment Center signing paperwork and taking a physical for a five year stint in the French Foreign Legion. He knew that signing these documents would commit him to the Legion and he was signing his old life away. He signed and sighed. After a second week at Aubagne, Tyus was
incorporated into the Foreign Legion as a trainee. Additionally, Tyus Morse was given a new identity and a new name. He would be from then on known as Jean Luis Dornier.
Upon arrival at the garrison in Castelnaudary, a small community in Southern France, Jean Dornier was assigned to No. 1 Compagnie d’Étranger Volontaire (1st Foreign Volunteer Company) in the 4e Régiment étranger (4th Foreign Regiment).
With the ability to speak French under his belt, Jean felt he had an advantage over other foreign soldiers, but that edge, rapidly diminished as his platoon mates learned to speak French. He completed his initial training in four weeks with an introduction to military lifestyle; outdoor and field activities; learning Foreign Legion traditions and French language. With his previous experiences in the US Marine Corps, he found this to be both challenging and that he was more than capable of meeting the standards.
He eagerly anticipated the March Képi Blanc, a 60–75 mile (100–120 km) three day march in full kit, from Perpignan to the Basic Training camp at Castelnaudary. The March happened after the month long initial training and he then graduated from the Basic Training portion of his induction.
The next three weeks were spent training as an Infantrymen. These tasks were not too different from what he experienced in the Corps. He never spoke of the Corps. For now, he was a Legionnaire. Once he was considered a capable infantryman, he was sent to the Chalet at Formiguière in the French Pyrenees where he learned mountaineering techniques for a full week. Next came more examinations, training in the desert, jungle and urban environments and then instruction on driving and repairing light vehicles and trucks. Finally, after the full 15 weeks were complete, he returned to Aubagne, France for assignment to an operational unit. As luck would have it, he was assigned to 2e Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes (2nd Foreign Airborne Regiment), 11e Brigade Parachutiste (11th Parachute Brigade) at Camp Raffalli near Calvi, Corsica.
Upon arrival at Camp Raffali, Jean Dornier felt as though he had not finished Basic Training. The 2nd REP has an indoctrination process that takes 12 months to complete. He still had more training to complete before assignment to a Section and Company of the regiment.
This indoctrination process is referred to as
"Sharping up". It is a rigorous test of physical, mental and psychological challenges across all terrain and weather conditions including special operations training. Légionnaire Dornier was very excited about this training and embraced it thoroughly with his section-mates. The Legionnaires spent their parachute training in Calvi within the walls of the regiment. While at Camp Raffili, Dornier was introduced to the French Army's hand to hand combat system, Savate. He trained in this style for the entire time he was in the Legion and eventually acquired 3rd Degree black belt in Savate.
During the Sharping up process, Jean Luis was promoted to Legionnaire 1e Classe (Private First Class). Upon completion of the year of indoctrination, 1eC Dornier was assigned to 4th Section, 1st Company (Urban), specializing in urban warfare as a Light Machine gunner. In 2009, the 1st Company was deployed to Djibouti, attached to the 13e Demi-Brigade de Légion Étrangère, 13e DBLE (13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade). During his time in Djibouti, 1eC Dornier found himself in four separate fire fights with Somali men fighting along the southern border.
In 2010, the Company rotated back to Calvi, Corsica, to build up and recover from their deployment to the Horn of Africa. By the end of 2010 tensions were building in the Ivory Coast. Elements of the 2nd REP were deployed to this war torn country and conducted an airborne insertion into an airfield that had been overrun by Rebel fighters. The Legionnaires of 2nd REP secured the airfield in two hours with no loss of personnel. 1eC Dornier was involved in some of the more intense fighting in the Ivory Coast. He experienced numerous patrols and even more air assault operations into the hinterland.
In 2011, 2nd REP Legionnaires returned to Corsica to recover from the deployment in the Ivory Coast. In November, 2011, the 1st Company was then deployed to the United Arab Emirates as a rotational deployment in support of the 13e Demi-Brigade de Légion Étrangère, 13e DBLE which had moved from Djibouti. This was a much more peaceful deployment. There were no encounters with terrorists in the UAE. There are a growing number of French citizens living in the Abu Dhabai region. The Legionnaires had a very relaxing trip to this luxurious Middle Eastern nation.
In 2012, the 2nd REP units returned to Camp Rafilli on Corsica and were permitted to make an airborne jump into one of their own Drop Zones. In the summer of 2012, 2nd REP Legionnaires had the opportunity to participate in a joint military training exercise with 2nd Battalion, 8th US Marines in Camp des Garrigues, France. The training focused on MOUT fighting. Near the conclusion of the training exercise, 1eC Jean Luis Dornier caught up with his past when Gunner sergeant Keith Mason, his former squad leader, who's life he saved eight years earlier in Afghanistan recognized him. At first, Jean Luis Dornier was uncomfortable about the re-union because he had left Tyus Morse behind in a Legion Recruiting Station five years ago. But the re-union was pleasant and there were no difficulties.
By the end of 2012, his discharge from the Legion was rapidly approaching. He had experience all four terrain types the 2nd Foreign Airborne Regiment specializes in. One month prior to termination of service, Jean Luis Dornier re-enlisted with the condition that he could attend Sniper school and demolition school in order to become a member of the 4th Company of the Regiment. By mid 2013, he successfully completed both Sniper school and demolition school and was assigned to the 2nd Section of the No. 4 company (Snipers and Demolitionists).
On 1 January 2014, Jean Luis Dornier was promoted to Caporal and was posted as a team leader in 2nd Section, 4th Company, a demolition squad. In September 2014, Jean Luis submitted a request to join Groupement des Commandos Parachutistes, GCP (Commando Parachute Group). He was accepted and transferred from 2nd REP to GCP training command for the three month course of instructions.
By April, 2015, Caporal Jean Luis Dornier was assigned to Number 2 GCP Team of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment. He continued to serve with the Commando Teams until his promotion to Sergent on 1 March 2017. On that date, he was reassigned as a 3rd squad leader in 1st Section, 1st Company, 2nd REP. In the fall of 2017, Sergent Jean Luis Dornier re-enlisted for an additional five-year hitch in the French Foreign Legion.
While a member of Team 2, GCP Caporal Dornier participated in no fewer than forty clandestine patrols and raids throughout the world including operations in South America, Africa, South East Asia and South West Asia. Most of these operations are considered classified Top Secret by the French Army and not to be discussed by anyone.
As their deployment into Ukraine approached, the men of the 2e Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes approached the day with the same respectful professionalism they have approached every combat operation. Silence was the tenor of the day. Sergent Dornier's nickname, "Fossoyeur" is French for Grave digger. It is symbolic of the number of people he has planted as a member of the Legion.
Appearance:
Tyus Morse or as he is now known, Jean Luis Dornier stands 5'10" tall, weighing 170 Lbs. He is in excellent condition for a man who has trained in the Martial Arts all of his life and continued with similar activities in the military. The military also, has provided him with ample opportunity to be physically fit and mentally capable.
Jean Dornier is of African descent with brown skin and brown eyes. His african hair kept cut short, high and tight, the way it is preferred in the Legion Etranger (Foreign Legion). He also has a smattering of scars and tattoos decorating his body from several firefights around the globe.
Image: Jean Luis DornierGear: 65-Litre Airjet British rucksack, French tactical assault vest, black combat boots, kevlar helmet, French combat uniforms, Green beret, bush cap, OD green wool cap, black leather combat gloves, trip wire spools, Leatherman, Entrenching tool /w case, two 2-litre canteens, camelback hydration system, and Duffel bag for additional equipment.
Weapons and equipment: FAMAS F1 (5.56mm), Gerber Mark II survival knife, Glauca B1 knife and bayonet
Role: Legion Squad Leader
Skills and Abilities: - Excellent hand to hand combat skills; 3rd Degree black belt in Kempo Karate, 3rd Degree black belt in Savate and brown belt in Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
- speaks English (Native) & French (90%)
- Use of American small arms
- Infantry tactics, techniques and procedures
- Use of French Army small arms
- Outdoor and Field activities (survival)
- Endure vast quantities of pain and discomfort
- Military Mountaineering skills (Mountain Warfare)
- Military Operations in Urban Terran (MOUT)
- Desert Warfare
- Amphibious Military Operations
- Sniper School
- Demolitions School
- French Commando/Special Forces School
