RANK: Ensign
APPEARANCE:
AGE: 26
BIRTHDATE: 11/18/49
HEIGHT: 1.81 meters
WEIGHT: 102 kilograms
SEX: Male
RACE: Human
HAIR: Black
EYES: Brown
BACKGROUND:
Born in 2349 on the Federation colony of Turkana IV, John Thomas Decker was hardly assured a happy life. The planet's government had all but collapsed, and most approaching ships were warned away with threats of force. As a result, Decker's parents were unable to leave the colony. Nonetheless, they did their best to shield him from the deteriorating society by taking refuge in an underground barracks with the remnants of the planetary government, but it soon became apparent that they were still not safe. In a few years, the government was nothing more than another of the many factions battling for control of the planet, a battle which would claim both Decker's parents when he was seven. After that, he joined the Alliance, one of the larger factions on the planet, until 2367, when he was injured during the starship Enterprise's brief visit to the planet, and transported to that starship for medical care. Decker elected not to return to the surface and moved in with his aunt and uncle on Mars, where he spent several months studying to bring his academic level up to the norm for his age. That same year, he enrolled in Starfleet Academy.
STARFLEET CAREER:
Technically, Decker failed his entrance exam. However, his instructor saw "great potential" in him, and managed to get Decker accepted, provided he could pass the late exam in a few months, a condition which he made sure to meet.
While his marks were only slightly better than average, it soon became clear that Decker was hardly a typical student. He made a strong impression on many of his teachers, and often came to the attention of the Academy superiors. Upon graduation, Decker's Academy record--unexceptional grade marks with glowing recommendations--read as almost contradictory.
Following his graduation, Decker was assigned as a junior tactical coordinator on Deep Space Eight, where he served until the Klingon War of 2373, when he was transferred to the USS Ajax. On board the Ajax, Decker was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade and given the position of Acting Tactical Officer in 2374; however, both were withdrawn on Stardate 52010 due to gross insubordination. Decker then transferred back to the Academy and enrolled in Advanced Tactical Training. Upon completion, he requested a transfer to Bravo Fleet and assignment on a deep-space vessel. He was assigned to the USS Victorious on Stardate 52972 and currently serves as deputy chief of security.
FAMILY:
Decker comes from a long line of Starfleet officers, starting with Colonel Franklin Decker, who served in the Romulan War and became instrumental in first contact with the Andorians. Probably his most distinguished ancestor, however, is his great-great-grandfather, Matthew Decker. Decker's parents, however, rejected the legacy of their great-grandfather and great-uncle (Willard Decker), believing Starfleet to be too dangerous a way of life. On his mother's side, Decker is distantly related to Lieutenant John Kelly, the commander of the Ares IV Mars mission, though he himself does not consider "being the descendent of a great-uncle's cousin to be anything to write home about." Decker's only surviving relatives are his aunt and uncle, Janice and Andrew Nelson, and his cousin Sarah.
PROFILE:
In a personnel review, Decker's supervisor on DS8 related a story: "Ensign Decker was doing some fine-tuning on the month's fleet maneuvers, when he found some kind of inconsistency in the low-priority assignments. So he stays up all right completely rewriting the orders to compensate, sends them out, and doesn't even report it for two days. And his pattern worked just as well as the one I had approved...I've never seen anything like it." Decker's entire career is filled with similar reports, painting an interesting picture. Decker is not a team player; he tends to assume he'll have to do everything by himself. And, more often than not, he can. However, he rarely demands recognition for his actions, and will sometimes not even bring them up unless asked. He also has a tendency to speak his mind first and think later. These traits have caused many of his superiors to doubt how effective of an officer he will make. Nonetheless, he gets the job done, and his superiors have often stated that to get results, the best way is simply to let him work.
Decker is trained in four different forms of martial arts, and is a master in both the Vulcan Kal-sinn and the Klingon Mok'bara. However, he most values his skills as a sharpshooter, and rightfully so. Decker is also a level two pilot for both starships and support craft, and is qualified in starship and strategic operations, as well as a beginning degree in basic physics and psychology. His interests include twenty-first century history, Romulan, sociopolitical interrelations, and chess. He is also skilled at both Fencing, sparring, and Velocity, which he claims to be his personal favorite.
Decker's personality has been described as cold, almost Vulcanlike at times, with a manner which is often perceived as rude, as well as a certain lack of respect for those of superior rank. However, this is merely a symptom of his childhood experiences on Turkana, and not due to any real disrespect or hostility. Decker is cynical, with a dry wit which adds to his dispassionate attitude.
