Ashley Hartmann

**Lieutenant Colonel Ashley "Redtail" Hartmann** is a character in the upcoming InsurgentAces Creatives story, *Ace Combat: Insurgent Skies*. Undoubtedly smart and full of wit, he is one of the most cognitive and logical aces in the series.

Ashley W. Hartmann
"Belka's Best Bet"
* 303 Squadron "Sky Knights" (Executive Officer)
 **Aircraft Flown:** | * F-16C Fighting Falcon (primary)

## Childhood and Early Years

Ashley is born to an ordinary family in Hoffnung, including his brother Paul and his parents. Being an eldest in a family where often money was tight, Ash grew up to be a refined gentleman, learning to give to others before himself. As a kid, Ashley was an ordinary student, but because of his kind nature, people tend to abuse it, and as a result, the once kind boy became hurt and broken, preferring solitude and loneliness. It is there that he decided not to be abused anymore, and felt that he needed to redeem his whole personality.

## Belkan Air Force Career

At age 18, he joined the Belkan Air Force Fighter School under the instruction of then-General Hermann Austerlitz, himself a student of Ashley Bernitz and Dietrich Kellermann. Ashley regained confidence in himself, and became one of Belka's most sought-after aces.

It is here that he built upon his once-broken confidence, and re-established his sense of family. He often excelled in operations involving critical thinking, such as suppressing enemy air defenses and close air support. He was then nicknamed "Redtail" for having earned the coveted Kellerman Efficiency Award for always topping marks and being a kind yet undaunting fighter pilot under the command of Colonel Hans-Christian Von Manstein.

## Meeting "Mulawin" and the 111 VFU

His marks were his ticket to the then-Task Force ATLAS, in which he met his comrades Raven Dizon, Karl S. Geronimo, Sulaiman Arvian, Harris Hanwell and Reginald Aleksandersson. However, ATLAS fell short of its campaign and lost in Nichihan. This made Ashley flee with Raven into obscurity, flying to Kunthea and establishing the 111 Volunteer Fighter Unit with him. It is here that they meet volunteers, Lieutenants Irina Himiko and Hiromi Sonoda from Nichihan, Reginald's brother, Lieutenant Theo Aleksandersson, ISC mercenary Arvo Vecroze, and Ignat Pavelovich of the Yuktobanian Air Force. They liberated Kunthea and was able to join the newly formed IJSF (International Joint Security Forces), becoming the executive officer of the 303 Tactical Fighter Squadron "Sky Knights", and combatting the new threat named Pax Aeterna.

## Journeying With The Knights

A loyal second-in-command, his duty became short-lived with Raven as Raven seemingly sacrificed himself in the Battle of Cenizia. Ashley saw this very sadly, and promised to uplift his friend's memory. His despair was not a long one, as Sulaiman, Reginald, and Harris returned, prompting the formation of a new Sky Knights roster.

## Flight Tactics

A master of SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses), do not underestimate him; as he is also a very skilled dogfighter who can be the bane of aircraft, maximizing his F-16C's optimum speed and agility to mow down bad guys with ease.

## Personal Life

He is currently in a very close relationship with his first girlfriend, Osean Red Cross nurse Stephanie Myers, his childhood friend of eight years.

A very friendly but secretive man, he often harbors thoughts about the conflict he is in, primarily triggered by Raven's "sudden demise."

## Trivia

* He shares the name of another famous *Ace Combat* ace, Ashley Bernitz.