Paul Jackson

Sergeant Paul Jackson was an operator of the USMC 1st Force Recon who was one of the main protagonists in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Biography
Sgt. Paul Jackson and the 1st Force Recon of the USMC are sent into an unnamed Middle-Eastern country in search of Khaled Al-Asad. They invade the country by flying in over the coast. Jackson's squad, led by Lt. Vasquez, land in a coastal town and head to the local OpFor Headquarters where they believe Al-Asad is hiding. After the search in the HQ proved unsuccessful, Vasquez was informed by Command that Al-Asad was broadcasting in a TV station not far from their position. The Marines pushed through the town easily eliminating OpFor resistance. Once inside the station, they regrouped with SSgt. Griggs and his squad before clearing the broadcast room. Unfortunately, Al-Asad was not there either and the Marines headed out to continue the search.

The USMC forces continue their push towards the capitol in pursuit of Al-Asad. Lt. Vasquez is given orders to help protect an Abrams tank - callsign "War Pig" - which was stuck in a bog. The Marines move out and manage to eliminate OpFor troops in an abandoned building before destroying OpFor tanks and infantry who were moving along an overpass. They manage to reach "War Pig" on time and stop it from being overrun by the OpFor. Vasquez requests air-support but his request is denied due to anti-air in their vicinity. Jackson heads out and destroys the anti-air allowing two Cobras to come in and finish off the enemy. A few hours later, War Pig has managed to escape the bog and provides support for the Marines. They head through the city and with the help of War Pig reach the LZ for extraction.

Jackson is then part of the strike-force sent to the capital city to capture Khaled Al-Asad. He is the Mk19 gunner aboard a Sea Knight helicopter and provides air support for Abrams' attempting to enter the city limits. Jackson also eliminates resistance around the Ministry of Defense clearing an LZ for troops to land and begin the ground assault. Vasquez is ordered by Command to head further into the city and extract a group of Marines. They manage to extract the Marines with the assistance of a Cobra, callsign "Deadly." Following the discovery of an armed nuclear device in the city center, Command recommends that Jackson's squad displace to a position outside of the effect radius. However, Deadly is shot down and Jackson's squad decide to go and rescue her. They manage to retrieve her and head back to the chopper. However, just as they begin leaving the city, a nuclear device goes off and Jackson's helicopter crashes. He survives the crash but dies a few moments later after seeing the aftermath of the explosion. Sgt. Paul Jackson was one of 30,000 personnel who lost their life under General Shepherd's command as is revealed in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Trivia

 * Jackson wears gloves, so it's impossible to determine his race or ethnicity. Although, Sergeant Jackson might be African-American; in a pre-release version's gameplay video shown at the E3 2007 event, he was not wearing gloves and his hands looked brown skinned. Also, his arm is brown skinned on the Marine's first person view hand texture file.
 * Jackson is listed as Killed in Action after the brief controllable cut scene "Aftermath", confirming that he was killed due to the injuries he sustained. "Aftermath" was likely used to dramatize the effects of war and the death of the character.
 * He was a Marine under the command (not known at the time) of General Shepherd.
 * Jackson is the second of five playable characters in a Call of Duty game that is scripted to die, the others being Al-Fulani, Private Allen, Sat1, and Roach.
 * It is thought that Jackson was a father because in "Aftermath" it is possible to hear a voice (presumably a very young girl) say, "I love you daddy" if the player walks towards the destroyed playground (this can be difficult as Jackson fades out and dies after approximately 120 seconds, and also due to the background sound effects).
 * Its possible that Jackson is the Marine on the front cover of the game, much like how James Ramirez (the Army Ranger from Modern Warfare 2) is believed to be on the front cover of the sequel.

Appearances

 * (1 game)
 * Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (First and last appearance)