GI Joe

Background
GI Joe is the codename for a US military task-force, dedicated to counter-terrorist operations. Founded in 1963 at the behest of President John F. Kennedy, the unit has been disbanded twice, first in the mid 1970s, and then in 1994. Both times, the Joes have been re-established.

In 1980, the US, along with many of its NATO allies recognised the threat of international terrorism and formed a special unit to counter that threat: Action Force. However, following the capture and brainwashing of the man now known as The Black Major, and the subsequent theft of the Heavy Artillery Laser by the Major, the US withdrew support for Action Force and most of their personnel, instead reforming the GI Joe team. Through the 1980s, the Joes concentrated on battling the forces of the Cobra organisation, largely in the US itself. With the perception that the threat of Cobra had lessened, due to their shift to Central Europe, and due to internal political bickering by Pentagon officials, the Joes were disbanded once more in the summer of 1994.

The GI Joe team was soon revived once again when the Red Shadows returned to attack the US, as well as other nations. Presidential authorisation was given for the Joes to combat the threat from the Shadows, Cobra, The Coil and later, Skull Squad and the Black Dragons.

Several of the interfering Pentagon generals ended up leaving the Army soon after the Joes retirement. The few who didn't were forced in to early retirement by President Clinton and Hawk after the GI Joe team were reinstated.

Key Personnel
Hawk - original field commander, later full unit commander.

Duke - senior NCO.

Flint - Warrant Officer.

Stalker - senior NCO after Duke's retirement, first Black member.

Snake Eyes - commando.

Scarlett - first female member and counter-intelligence specialist.

Lady Jaye - undercover operations specialist.

Ace - First Air Force member, commander of the Air Detachment.

Wild Bill - leader of the helicopter detachment.

Torpedo - first Navy member and leader of the SEAL team.

Cutter - first Coast Guard member and head of Naval Operations.

Gung-Ho - First US Marine Corps member.

Falcon - US Army Special Forces commando, leader of the SF team.

Colonel Courage - Operations officer.

Airborne - First Native American member, air assault specialist.

Major Storm - commander of the Mechanised Assault/Mobile Artillery unit.

Stories
The GI Joe team appears in the following stories:

Heroic Commandos

War of the Red Shadows

The Coils of the Serpent

Offshore Extortion

In Blackest Night

Operation Archangel Michael

Brownout!

Men of Action

The Road to Yuma

Always Faithful

Battle Beyond the Skies

The Hunted

Steel Raptors

A Woman's Touch