Thomas A. Merrick

Captain Thomas A. Merrick is a main character in Call of Duty: Ghosts. A Navy SEAL before the ODIN strikes caused by the Federation, Captain Merrick is the field commander for the Ghosts in 2027, and later becomes the Commanding Officer after his Captain's death in Las Vegas. He lead soldiers during the final battles of the Federation War. 
==Biography==
===Early life===
Thomas Merrick was born in 1986 in the third generation of his family to enlist in the U.S. military, after his grandfather, Clyde E. Merrick, who was killed in Normandy during Operation Neptune in World War II and after his father, SSgt. Nicholas "Bull" Merrick, who was killed in Fallujah, Iraq. Thomas Merrick was one of the youngest recruits to complete SEAL training at age 17. He was then assigned to SEAL Team 2, then over the years, he was assigned to a Tier One group under the command of Captain Gabriel Rorke and Lieutenant Elias Walker.
===Military career===
In Operation Sand Viper, his group of sixty operators were tasked with defending a civilian hospital from five hundred enemy fighters. Only a quarter of the entire group survived, including Rorke, Elias, Keegan, Ajax and himself. The group defeated all enemy fighters; leaving only one to tell the tale of a menacing force, calling them "Ghosts". Merrick was recruited into Task Force: STALKER, better known as the Ghosts and was given the callsign Ghost Two-Two.
===Operation Return to Sender===
He then would later join the Ghosts in the invasion of Caracas, Venezuela in order to assassinate General Diego Almagro in Operation Return to Sender. After being forced to higher ground due to Almagro destroying the dam, thus flooding the city, the team fought against countless Federation soldiers.
Making it to Almagro's helicopter, Elias assassinated Almagro as the helicopter crashed. Elias and Rorke fell. Elias grabbed ahold of a wire, and Rorke grabbed ahold of an unknown object. A ladder blocked the possibility for Elias to be able to hold on to Rorke without killing the whole team. Merrick, who knows Rorke is holding the weight, and that if Elias held on all three of them would die, told Elias to let him go and save two people rather than killing three. Elias lets Rorke go and he falls into the floodwaters; this caused him to be captured by the Federation and brainwashed by them to get revenge on the rest of the Ghosts.
===Post Operation: Return To Sender===
Merrick was soon promoted to Lieutenant after Elias became the C.O. within the Ghost element. He took the callsign Stalker-Six. His location- along with Keegan and Ajax's- was unknown during the ODIN strikes, the day when the Federation hijacked the ODIN Space Station and launched kinetic projectile missiles on the southern half of the states (including San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston, etc.). Afterwards, Merrick, Keegan and Ajax would serve extensively in "No Man's Land", the stretch of devastation between Los Angeles and San Diego created when ODIN was turned against the US, deep inside Federation territory. During the years, Merrick, around 2027, was promoted to captain.
===Finding Hesh and Logan===
The Walker brothers were sent by Elias into "No Man's Land" to clear the Federation activity around Recon Team. Hesh and Logan clear the area with their German shepherd Riley. Hesh talks with Merrick (Stalker-Six) about seeing a American Federation Commander interrogating Ajax (the missing member of Keegan and Merrick's squad), ordering his men to take him to "Firebase Charlie" and proceed with Operation Homecoming. Hesh, Logan and Riley are attacked by a pack of wolves. Logan is saved by Captain Merrick, who introduces himself with Keegan. The team fight through the LA river checkpoint, Logan shoots down some helicopters (one or two), they all hop in a vehicle, and they head to the stadium to rescue Ajax.
===Rescuing Ajax===
The Ghosts and Walker brothers set a Remote Sniper and find Ajax being tortured by Federation soldiers. Merrick and Logan with MK32's plant charges on Fed vehicles in an incoming convoy. The team go to the garage, get into trucks and go through the convoy. Logan sets off the charges and a battle ensues. The team clear through the enemies in their path, and find Ajax barely alive. Ajax tells them of Rorke (who survived Caracas) targeting the rest of the Ghosts. Ajax bleeds out and Federation troops arrive. The team escape in helicopters as they head to Fort Santa Monica to complete Operation: Homecoming.
===Operation: Homecoming===
The Federation Operation Homecoming was the invasion of Fort Santa Monica. Merrick and Keegan joined another helicopter as the Walker brothers fought to defend the fort. The two brothers would try to find their father in the rubble, but were trapped in a building after Logan was stabbed. A unidentified operator named "Ghost" and Keegan roped in and rescued the two soldiers, leaving Fort Santa Monica. "Ghost" reveals himself to be Elias and tells his sons they've passed all their tests, and are now members of STALKER (Ghosts). Merrick intervenes and asks Elias "what they're going to do about Rorke".
===Capturing Rorke===
The Ghosts learn of Rorke's location in the Gulf of Mexico. Assisted with Apache pilot Pirate Five-Zero who fights against the Federation's defenses, the Ghosts get off the UH-60 Blackhawk and fight countless Federation soldiers across the center. The Ghosts make their way into the center of Freeport and find Rorke waiting for them. Rorke says, "You boys sure know how to make an entrance." Merrick replies by punching him, telling him to shut up, and throwing him through a window. Merrick stands before Rorke, and tells "Scarecrow" of securing him, and bringing him in for interrogation.
===Rorke's Interrogation/The Hunted===
Logan repeatedly punches Rorke in the face until his father orders him to stop. Elias asks Rorke a question until he interrupts him, and tells Elias "everyone breaks", and tells him, "Why don't you ask your buddy Ajax... well... if were still with us." Angered, Elias orders his sons to grab Rorke's chair, opening the cargo door, and ask him what he was doing in the dig site of San Diego.
Elias tells him it's over, but Rorke rebuffs this and tells him he made his job "a hell of a lot easier". A Y-8 appears and attacks the plane the Ghosts are in. Elias tells everyone to get back, but the plane is destroyed with Merrick, Keegan, Hesh, Elias and Logan falling in the sky into the Jungle. Merrick and Hesh pull their parachutes; they contact with Elias and tell them to regroup with each other, but stay silent. Merrick and Hesh are captured by Federation and are held at gun point until Logan, Keegan and Elias saved them.
The duo pick up their Honey Badgers and the Ghosts either fight against Federation soldiers until they reach their rally point, or stay silent and evade patrols to the rally point. The Ghosts than jump into a water fall from the Jungle and are picked up by Task Force Mako (with Riley on one of boats).
===Operation Black Ice===
The Ghosts launch an assault against an oil platform. First, he plants charges under the ice to ambush ground forces. Logan detonates the charges and open the assault. Merrick moves with Hesh and Logan to find the foreman, overload the fuel pumps, then destroy the facility. After overloading the fuel pumps, the facility begins to fall apart, with Merrick, Hesh, and Logan making a vital extraction via helicopter.
===Operation: Clockwork===
Captain Merrick, Keegan, Hesh, Logan and Kick infiltrate the Federation's weapons factory high in the Andes mountains (by fooling the Fed's with outfits from their dead teammates) to find out what they've been building to use against the US. Merrick groups with Logan, and they kill Federation soldiers. The Ghosts regroup and enter the factory. Inside, they find out that the Federation is rebuilding another kinetic projectile (rods) like the ODIN Space Station.
After obtaining the information, Elias orders an airstrike on the entire complex, and the team begins to hack a computer for more information. But before the hacking can be completed, the team is ambushed by a large enemy patrol. They use smoke grenades to blind them and take down most of them with the help thermal-imaging goggles. But the goggles are fried by flashbangs and they are forced to remove them. Fortunately the smoke clears and the Ghosts neutralize the soldiers. They fight their way to a parking lot, where Kick rescues them on a flatbed trailer. As the Ghosts escape the factory, it becomes leveled by the airstrike Elias ordered.
===Sin City===
Captain Merrick and the Walker family regroup at a safehouse in Las Vegas, but are gassed and captured by Rorke and Federation soldiers. Merrick is tortured alone, causing his ribs to break as he shouts insults to his tortures. Merrick learned of Elias' execution by Rorke, as he, Hesh and Logan are left. Rorke orders his men to execute Merrick and Hesh, leaving Logan for Rorke's recruitment. Keegan saves the trio, and the four attack the forces together.
The group makes their way though the enemies and end up hiding in a pantry, but a Fed spots them. Keegan quietly takes down the soldier. The four run from the room, and a short time after, Rorke announces on a loudspeaker that the trio has gone missing and that if they were returned to him, dead or alive, they will have done their county a great service. After the nest firefight, the group finds Riley taking down an enemy soldier, but he is wounded by an enemy sniper. Hesh orders Logan to carry Riley to the extraction point. The Ghosts fight and make their way to extraction.
===Defending the U.S.S. Liberator===
The Ghosts regroup to the U.S.S. Liberator and plan their assault against the Federation. Merrick is promoted the Commanding Officer and tells Hesh he will lead his assault. He tells the brothers of their seeing the "same potential" in the two, and gives Logan his father's mask. Merrick from then on is only heard through the final missions by the characters.
===Taking LOKI===
Merrick gave the order for Icarus to attack the LOKI Space Station and take control of its orbital weapons. Merrick gave the orders for Icarus as they told him of any occurrences. Icarus killed all Federation soldiers and took over the orbital weapons, Merrick ordered them to help the soldiers on the ground with the orbital weapons. Rods were send on the battlefield below as Hesh and Logan were on the train, getting to Rorke.
===The Ghost Killer===
Hesh and Logan fought against Federation soldiers on the train and helicopters. Making their way to the front of train, Hesh ordered Merrick when he heard the word "Checkmate", he would fire a rod down on the train. Merrick ordered Icarus to do what he ordered, sending a rod once it was said. Merrick was then heard again after Hesh and Logan "killed" Rorke and escaped the train. Merrick told the brothers that the rescue team was on their way, but Rorke survived and took Logan as a prisoner of war and tried to brainwash him into becoming an agent for the Federation. It's assumed that Merrick's rescue team got Hesh to him and the two tried to locate and rescue Logan.
==Quotes==
==Gallery==
Merrick Artwork CoDG.png|Pre-release artwork of Merrick.
Thomas Merrick Honey Badger CoDG.png|Merrick capturing Gabriel Rorke in "Birds of Prey" with team Ghosts.
Thomas Merrick with mask on CoDG.jpg
Thomas Merrick taking cover CoDG.png
Thomas Merrick CoDG.png|Tom Merrick in "End of the Line".
Thomas Merrick infobox CoDG.jpg|Concept Art
Thomas Merrick awards dossier CODG.jpg|Captain Thomas Merick's Dossier
Regrouping No Man's Land CoDG.png|Merrick grouping with "Hesh" and Logan Walker in No Man's Land.
Thomas Merrick skull mask pattern CoDG.png|Merricks skull mask pattern.
David 'Hesh' Walker Keegan Russ Thomas Merrick CoDG.png|Hesh, Merrick and Keegan (end) in "Homecoming".
Thomas Merrick David 'Hesh' Walker Riley CoDG.png|Merrick with Hesh and Logan Walker and Riley in All or Nothing.
Elias Scarecrow Walker interrogating Gabriel Rorke The Hunted CoDG.png|Merrick during Gabriel T. Rorke's interrogation in The Hunted.
Atlas Fall Beginning CoDG.png|Merrick, in under water suit in the opening of Atlas Falls.
Dragunov Silencer on tripod CODG.png|Merrick in Struck Down.
Legends Never Die Gabriel Rorke Thomas Merrick CoDG.png|Merrick with Rorke in Legends Never Die.
==Trivia==
*His blood type is AB+.
*He is the announcer for the Ghosts in multiplayer.
*According to his Naval NEC Code in his dossier which stated he was a 5326 that means he was a Combatant Swimmer.
*He served with Seal Team One which was deployed to support in Operation SandViper.
*He was the one whom came up with the idea for the remaining 14 to hide under their brethren to ambush the enemy.
*Despite having the rank of Petty Officer 2nd-Class, Gabriel T. Rorke called him a sergeantIn the level 'Legends Never Die' when the Ghosts regroup after the dam floods Caracas, Rorke explains to Merrick on their objective, and calls him a sergeant.
==References==
Category:Call of Duty: Ghosts Ghosts Characters