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David Armstrong is the recurring name of multiple characters throughout the ARMA series.

Appearances[]

David Armstrong is the main protagonist of ArmA: Cold War Assault's Cold War Crisis campaign.


Background
A U.S. Army soldier deployed on the island of Malden, Armstrong was a squad member of Alpha under the command of Sergeant Berghof.

Initially, Armstrong specialised as a grenadier within the squad but eventually become elevated to the position of squad leader by Colonel Blake.

His service number is 17582. He goes by the radio callsign of Alpha One.


Cold War Crisis (1985)
Armstrong and the rest of his squad (aside from Berghof) were casually relaxing before a scheduled training exercise. While fellow Corporals Fowley and Kozlowski bickered over radio channels, Bormioli urged them to shut and listen to a news broadcast instead.

It's not long before SGT Berghof interrupts the squad, reprimanding them for being late as they were due for training ten minutes ago. Armstrong's squad quickly assembles and carries out their routine exercises, with Berghof singling out Armstrong to perform various exercises before ordering him to take command of a truck to ferry them to another part of the camp.

During their training, the squad begin to discuss rumours regarding the sighting of an unknown force around Everon. Later that night, those rumours would be confirmed when Berghof rouses them from sleep and orders them to assemble in front the barracks.

Colonel Blake, the commanding officer of the garrison, briefs them on the situation; all contact with another camp on Everon was lost, and helicopters sent to investigate the unknown attackers never returned. To that end, Blake mobilises Alpha squad and several others to immediately head for Everon to find out what exactly had happened.

Landing on the coast near the village of Morton, they soon came under fire and responded in kind. Despite their numbers, Armstrong's squad quickly gained the upper hand against the unknown attackers without any losses and retook Morton soon after.

« Combat. They tell you it'll be tough, your first time under fire and, sure, no-one was expecting it to be easy but Christ, there were men dying out there, all around me. Bullets so close to my head I swear I could feel their heat. Mayhem.
Armstrong's first experience of real combat
»

Their next target was the village of Regina, not too far away from Morton. Heading out, they again came under fire from the entrenched defenders, who (though unconfirmed) were suspiciously looking like Soviet Red Army soldiers.

Regina is also liberated temporarily but reports come in of a platoon of enemy tanks rapidly closing in onto the village. NATO command immediately ordered Armstrong and all the other U.S. forces to retreat, pulling back to Morton for the time being while the situation stabilised.

« So we took the village, Regine. Took it, as ordered and held on to it for about two whole minutes.
Jesus, what a mess. While I was still catching my breath, this tank platoon comes charging in from the South, and all hell breaks loose. To be honest, I was lucky to make it out alive. Some weren't so lucky. There are more empty spaces in our parade line. No-one says anything, but we all notice them.
Ivan's getting stronger in the South, but it looks the central part of island is almost under NATO control. Seems like we're settling in for a long fight here.
The aftermath of the failed attack on Regine
»

Two days later, Armstrong's squad relocated to another town called Le Moule and prepared to set up temporary fortifications while they waited for additional reinforcements. Berghof returns from his trip and ordered Armstrong to accompany him; they needed to find a suitable location to set up a camp.

They soon return to the others after Berghof spots a suitable location, but immediately head out again for a patrol, leaving Fowley behind to handle the camp's construction. While on patrol, Armstrong's squad comes into contact with more hostile troops and are forced to retaliate in kind. They were successful in annihilating the attackers, but Armstrong noted that they were getting more bold in their manoeuvres.

Later that evening, Armstrong's squad returns to Morton for some much needed rest. Meanwhile their commanding officer, Lieutenant Kaufman, returns to Le Moule to inspect their new camp. Not long after the Lieutenant leaves, he issues a distress call that he was under heavy attack and required immediate assistance.

Having no time to spare, Armstrong's squad quickly geared up and moved to the Lieutenant's position. They manage to reach his spot in time and drive off the attackers, but are too late to save Kaufman. Armstrong are then relocated back to Le Moule again to await further orders.

« What's really getting to me right now, is that I could be dead in few hours, but no-one back home has any idea what's going on here. As far as they know, we're still in the training camp. Still sitting around, still firing at wooden targets on the range.

Not facing Russian tanks.

Goddamnit.

Where's that truck?
Armstrong's mixed emotions begin to pile up
»

Two days later, the order finally came down to Armstrong's squad. They were to move out immediately and seize the city of Montignac which had been heavily fortified by the Russians. Moving out in the late afternoon, Alpha linked up with Bravo and Charlie squads and was supported by additional light armour. The operation to seize Montignac would be straightforward - or so NATO command had believed.

The attack goes as planned initially with the defenders being wiped out by the combined might Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. Before they can even make plans to set up their own fortifications around the town, the order for all NATO forces on Everon to evacuate is urgently issued by command. What the Montignac assault force had not realised however, was that a giant wave of enemy reinforcements would be arriving in a matter of seconds.

Overwhelmed by the superior numbers and firepower of the Russians, Armstrong's squad is completely overrun, with all of his fellow squad members and even SGT Berghof being cut down during the retreat. Left alone as the sole survivor, Armstrong could do little but make a run for the deep forests of Montignac, evade the hail of gunfire that followed.

Armstrong desperately tries to raise communications with NATO headquarters, but his radio fails to transmit properly. When darkness completely falls, Armstrong also becomes lost in the maze-like woodlands.

It's not long before he runs into a group of fighters however, who promptly order him to surrender. Armstrong complies, but realises that the fighters weren't Soviet soldiers. They escort him back to their camp where he's introduced to Commander Slava, one of the leaders of the "Everon Freedom Alliance" group (or rather, the so-called "FIA").

« Slava: Welcome, Corporal Armstrong. My apologies for the manner of your arrival.
Armstrong: Hey, don't worry about it. Now perhaps you crooks would like to take me back to wherever the hell you abducted me from, before a squadron of Blackhawk gunships comes looking for me.
Slava: As soon as you've heard what we have to say, you will be returned unharmed to your unit. The Everon Freedom Alliance has no quarrel with NATO.
Armstrong meets with Slava for the first time
»

Slava explains their situation and tries to convince Armstrong to rally NATO support for the people of Everon, who were being brutally oppressed by the Soviets. Armstrong is recalcitrant however, and remains adamant that it wasn't likely that they'd get support from NATO since no one knew of the guerilla organisation's existence.

Regardless of his hesitation, Slava decides to take him back to their main camp anyway to talk with the leader of the guerillas. But before doing so, "enlisted" Armstrong's help in liberating a nearby village that the Soviets were planning to massacre.

He was assigned as "member" of White Wolf, a team of guerillas that accompanied him in liberating the village. After an hour of intense fighting, they succeeded in stopping the massacre. Slava then took him back to the main rebel camp as the sun began to rise.

The path to the camp was deep in the heart of Soviet-controlled territory however, which meant that smuggling Armstrong was easier said than done. Passing through multiple checkpoints, they finally reach one manned by an officer, who immediately suspected that the disguised rebels were up to something. Forced to act, the rebels quickly take out the Soviets before fleeing into the woods, heading on foot in the direction of the camp at a castle ruin.

« FIA Commander: Wishes are no good to us, Corporal. Soon, they will find us. Then they will kill us. All we can do is slow them down.
Armstrong: I promise you, we will return - and we'll drive those damn Ruskies into the sea.
Armstrong vows to rally NATO's support for the guerillas
»

Thanks to his skill in saving the civilians at the village, Armstrong's presence was warmly received by the commander. That being said, he voiced his doubts about the American's willingness to gather aid for them but Armstrong, having understood their struggle first hand, remains firm and assures him that he'd convince NATO officials to support the guerillas once he returned.

Slava meanwhile, established contact with U.S. forces and the resistance had managed to scramble a boat for him to take back to Malden. Later that night, Armstrong boarded the boat, and promised the commander that he would definitely return with NATO aid.

« Armstrong's CO: Listen, Armstrong, I appreciate that things are bad on Everon - really, I do. But there's simply nothing we can do to assist at this time. We've got our own problems right here on Malden.
Armstrong: Sir, for all we know -
Armstrong's CO: For all we know, the Russians could be on their way right now. We've got to secure our position here before we can even think about pushing back to Everon. I'm sorry, but these resistance fighters will have to manage by themselves for a while longer.
Armstrong fails to convince his officers to assist the guerillas
»

But when he does get back to NATO lines, Armstrong vehemently tried (and failed) to convince his superiors to send aid to support the ailing guerillas but to no avail; his commanding officers told him that with the garrison's numbers thinned out and the Soviets possibly on the horizon, they had no way of sending help for the rebels. Having essentially broken his "promise" to the rebels, Armstrong could do little but return to duty.

A few days, Armstrong has been reassigned to guarding an installation at the southernmost tip of Malden. What seemed like another routine and actionless night would turn into a wild firefight when Soviet special forces attempt to infiltrate the installation and sabotage its anti-air defences. Armstrong's team fights off the infiltrators, but their attack was just the first of many.

« These Russians are unbelievable! I'm amazed they have the guts to attack Malden - it's NATO-controlled territory. Word is there's enemy troops all over the South of the island. Sounds like those Spetsnaz soldiers were some kind of advance unit, and the main offensive will begin today.

What the hell is going on here?
Armstrong
»

While on patrol near La Riviere the next morning, massive formations of Soviet troops are sighted and begin to lay siege to the entire southern half of the island. With every available man that could be spared mobilised into action, Armstrong was called up to assist in the defence of the main port.

The Soviets greatly outnumbered the paltry defence force however, and Armstrong's squad were forced to retreat to avoid further losses. What was left of Armstrong's squad fled north to La Pessagne and linked up with other forces. They now needed to hold the line against Soviet troops, who were relentlessly thundering north towards the town.

Armstrong helped to set up an anti-tank minefield and then dug in with the rest of the defenders, bracing for the expected Soviet assault. After a fierce battle resulting in heavy losses for both sides, the NATO defence line managed to hold out; at least for the time being until additional reinforcements could be scrambled.

Two days later, Armstrong is again reassigned to the town of Saint Marie. NATO forces were regrouping for a major assault against the town of Chapoi, which had been reinforced with hordes of tanks and AA batteries by the Soviets. So as long as the AA defences remained, NATO forces could not bring their air power into battle.

« The situation is quite tricky. We can't send in helicopters, as the Shilkas would blast them to pieces. And any tanks would be spotted a mile off, and met with armored resistance. However, a few squads of infantry should be able to reach the target unnoticed. We can destroy the Shilkas and leave the rest for the Cobras.

At least, that's the plan...
Armstrong
»

Assaulting the town on foot, Armstrong worked alongside other infantry squads to destroy the AA batteries. They barely scrape through and take heavy losses in the process, but manage to destroy all of the Soviet defences. NATO gunships soon fly in and mop up the rest of the Soviet armour before Armstrong's squads are wiped out.

In recognition of his valiant efforts at Chapoi, Armstrong is promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Two days later, he is ordered to meet with COL Blake back at the main headquarters for an important assignment, though Armstrong had no idea of what he was about to get into.

« Blake: I've been keeping an eye on you, Sergeant. And I've liked what I've seen.
Armstrong: Thank you, sir.
Blake: I'll be honest with you, Armstrong. We've lost a lot of good officers out there. Every man of ability is needed right now... So I want you to accept a field comission... Congratulations - you just made Lieutenant.
Blake promotes Armstrong to Lieutenant
»

When Blake finally arrives, he immediately promotes Armstrong to Lieutenant (to the latter's amazement). Blake had closely monitored Armstrong's actions and was impressed with the former Sergeant's skills. He introduces him to Major James Gastovski, a formerly retired and back-to-active-duty special forces operative that had been responsible for NATO's numerous breakthroughs in the past few days.

Armstrong was shown a televised message from the Soviet commander who was leading the invasion, a man that MAJ Gastovski reveals, was Aleksei Guba, a notorious Soviet General who had led the invasion of Nogova three years earlier. Unsure of why the Colonel was revealing all this information to him, Armstrong is suddenly told to return to Everon to escort Gastovski. Their mission was to enlist the aid of Everon's rebels; the very same guerillas whom he had reluctantly abandoned weeks earlier, so that NATO's invasion could proceed smoothly.

Returning to Everon by boat later that night, Armstrong and Gastovski make their way on foot to the guerilla camp. They find their contact deep in the forest, who recognises Armstrong and immediately brings the duo to meet the rebel commander.

« FIA Commander: Ah, Americans. We thought your species was extinct in these parts.
Armstrong: We came to ask for your help. We think we can help you too.
FIA Commander: Ah yes, like you helped us before. By fleeing this island the moment those Russian dogs removed their safety catches.
Armstrong's cold reception from the FIA
»

Unlike their prior encounter, the rebel commander is less than pleased to meet Armstrong again. Armstrong's so-called "promise" had resulted in many more deaths; including Slava, who had been killed days prior while everyone waited for news from Armstrong.

Armstrong and Gastovski state that things were different this time around, as NATO was ready to help in the liberation of Everon. The two begin to discuss how NATO forces were assembling to invade Everon but needed help from the resistance to further their chances of success. The commmander eventually agrees, and also hands over documents that Slava left behind specifically for Armstrong.

Just before they can continue the meeting, the castle falls under attack by enemy forces. As the rest of the guerillas arm themselves for combat, Gastovski stays behind to help them, ordering Armstrong to head back to Blake alone. He makes his getaway and returns to Malden via boat.

Returning to NATO headquarters a day later, Armstrong hands over the documents from Slava to Blake. He then assigns Armstrong the responsibility of gathering two infantry squads who had been separated at a crossroads near Arudy and were scattered somewhere in the north-east. Armstrong located all of the men, and then commanded them to the town of Goisse which was about to be attacked by Soviet forces.

« Come in, Papa Bear. This is Armstrong. Lieutenant Armstrong... Hey! That's got a nice ring to it.
Armstrong
»

Reporting to MAJ Johnson at the field hospital, Armstrong positioned his men around Goisse and braced for the attack. Despite the odds that were pitted against them, Armstrong's forces held firm, and the Soviet attack was decisively repelled.

He was then assigned with the task of scouting the base from which the Soviets had launched their attack from. With the help of a mechanised unit distracting the Soviets, Armstrong was able to stealthily move to a position overlooking the camp. He identifies the base and immediately reports back its coordinates to Blake.

Now that the camp had been located and NATO reinforcements had arrived, Armstrong's unit led the way and struck the camp, wiping out all of the Soviets with the help of other forces. Though stray Soviets were probably still on the island, the destruction of the camp signalled the end of their hold on Malden.

One final mission on Malden remained for Armstrong, however. While other NATO forces were assembling to strike Everon, Armstrong's unit now had to escort a valuable convoy carrying vital supplies to the airport north of the island. Linking up with the convoy at La Pessagne, Armstrong's forces painstakingly escorted the trucks to the airport, encountering heavier-than-expected resistance from Soviet forces who attempted to destroy the convoy. Armstrong's unit are successful however, and the entire convoy manages to reach the airport intact.

With the last of the Soviets on Malden finally eliminated, the liberation of Everon could now truly begin. Assaulting via the beaches north of the island, massed NATO reinforcements struck the Soviet-occupied airfield so that their heavy tanks could be brought in. Armstrong's unit targeted the AA batteries scattered around the airfield which allowed for friendly gunships to fly in to destroy the rest of the enemy armour. Armstrong's unit then held off a major counterattack by the Soviets and proceeded to mop up the remaining stragglers.

Within the span of three more days, the Soviets were decisively driven off Everon following the destruction of their main headquarters in Saint Pierre. All eyes now turned to Kolgujev, which was the island from which the Soviet invasion force had originated from. Attack jets had taken off from Malden and were already in the process of destroying Soviet tanks around the southern half of the island. However, one of the jets piloted by Captain Sam Nichols was shot down during the raids.

It now fell onto Armstrong's unit to pave the way forward by securing a beachhead on the ground for additional NATO forces to land. Leading the way once again, Armstrong's unit arrived on the southern shores and fought back a Soviet counterattack. They then proceeded to destroy another base before digging into their positions.

All the while, General Guba had sent yet another televised broadcast directly to Blake and was threatening to destroy them with a "secret weapon", which Blake and Gastovski instantly assumed to be nuclear. The pilot was also going to be executed as an example and would be the first of many more to follow if NATO forces did not leave immediately.

With the flashpoint now reaching a dangerous point of no return, it fell down to Gastovski and his team to handle the rest of the war while Armstrong could do little but hope that Guba's plan could be stopped by Gastovski in time.


Post-Cold War Crisis
To everyone's relief (except Guba's), Gastovski is able to find not just one but two of his SCUD missiles and destroys both of them before they could be launched. Guba's capture at his hands also signalled an end to the crisis in the Everon islands once and for all.

« Gastovski: David, Hi - follow me to the pub, and we'll get this party started.
Armstrong: Sure thing, James.
Armstrong meets Gastovski for the first time in six years
»

Six years later, Armstrong continues to serve in the U.S. Army and remains based on Everon. He agrees to meet with Gastovski (who has retired) and his other two friends for drinks at the pub on Everon.


Personality and Appearance

Armstrong is a Caucasian male with short black hair and a faintly trimmed neckbeard. His standard attire consisted of a Battle Dress Uniform (BDU), ALICE chest rig, and a PASGT combat helmet camouflaged in the ERDL woodland pattern.

A soft-spoken individual, Armstrong didn't particularly stand out compared to the confident Gastovski, the boisterous and eager Robert Hammer, or his two fellow squad members Fowley and Kozlowski. On the contrary, Armstrong had a glum-like personality and was quiet most of the time, speaking only when ordered to.

At the same time, he could remain calm even when he wasn't in the best of situations, though his diary entries reveal that he does genuinely fear combat, and wasn't too confident that he could take charge of a squad (a mindset that gradually changes with each successful mission).

David Armstrong was a minor character in ArmA: Armed Assault's Armed Assault campaign.


Background
Armstrong served as the commanding officer of the U.S. Army training garrison left on the island nation of the Kingdom of South Sahrani.

Following the withdrawal of most of the contingent's fighting force in the weeks prior to the drawdown, he remained as the sole commanding officer of the skeleton force that was left behind to continue supporting the Royal Army Corps of Sahrani.


Armed Assault (2009)
Not long after the bulk of the garrison departed from country, U.S. troops at the border come under heavy fire and are overrun by massive waves of SLA armour and infantry.

U.S. and RACS forces are driven back all the way from the border to the city of Dolores, where they planned to demolish the bridges leading into the city to delay the SLA's continued advances.

Armstrong was briefly interviewed by AAN journalist Marian Quandt over the status of the invasion. He clarified that despite the grimness of their current situation, allied forces were "holding" firm but denied that they required reinforcements.

« Quandt: Captain, can you tell us anything about the situation here?
Armstrong: The situation is quite complicated. For starters, we still have received no official word from the Democratic Republic of Sahrani as to the cause of this sudden act of agression. As you know, we were deployed to the island with a different mission than defending the country from an invasion.
AAN News journalist Marian Quandt interviewing CPT Armstrong
»

Forcefully concluding the interview, he urges Quandt to leave the area immediately as heavy fire is continually heard echoing in the distance.

It is unclear as to whether Armstrong survives through to the end of the war, as he is not seen again for the rest of the campaign.


Personality and Appearance

Armstrong was a white male[1] who donned the standard attire of U.S. Army officers. He wore the Army's regulatory Army Combat Uniform (ACU) camouflaged in UCP, an 8-Point Cap fitted with a headset, along with a U.S. Woodland-camouflaged Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) vest for personal protection.

David Armstrong is a minor character in ArmA 2's Operation Harvest Red campaign.


Background
The commander of the USMC's 27th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Armstrong handled all strategic operations in Chernarus when full-scale civil war breaks out between Chernarussian government forces and pro-Russian separatists.

For communications, he went by the radio callsign of Battlemage.


Operation Harvest Red (2009)
Anchored near the island of Utes just off the southern coast of the Chernarussian mainland, Armstrong rallied the entire crew aboard the MEU's lead ship and announced that Operation Harvest Red was to begin immediately.

« Gentlemen we are going to war! Politicians will call this a 'peacekeeping operation' but make no mistake we have a clear enemy.
General Armstrong addresses the entirety of the 27th on the importance of their mission
»

Briefing the gathered Marines on their task, he made it clear that their objective was to help the country get back on its feet, and warned that he would make an example of any Marine that tried to make a mess of "his" operation.

The next morning, Armstrong dispatched several Force Reconnaissance fireteams ahead of the scheduled invasion to destroy vital communication nodes being used by the ChDKZ insurgents.

One the teams, callsign Sabre Team, are compromised during the raids and required immediate assistance. Arsmtrong diverted another team, callsigned Razor Team, to assist and mark targets for precision artillery strikes, authorising the use of expensive but powerful Copperhead shells for the mission.

As dawn approached, the invasion would commence in full swing with the 27th striking at all of the major cities along the South Zagorian coastline. Within a matter of hours, the 27th overwhelm the outgunned insurgents and succeed in reclaiming almost every location for government forces to hold.

Having succeeded in the first phase of the operation, the 27th's focus shifted to counterinsurgency instead, and aimed northward to the ChDKZ-held areas of South Zagoria. Sporadic signs of insurgent activity were reported originating from this area, and the group's leader himself was also rumoured to have fled in this direction. Armstrong directed the establishment of a Forward Operation Base in the region to maintain control, and quickly dispatched additional Force Recon teams to hunt down the elusive leader.

Not long after their relocation however, news comes in of a terrorist attack striking the heart of the Russian Federation's capital. The Russian government lays responsibility for the attack solely on the Chernarussian National Party (NAPA), a group of anti-government and fervently anti-Russian guerillas. Additionally, the Americans are also blamed for destabilising the region, and their mandate to intervene in the country is quickly rescinded following a vote in the UN Security Council.

Left with no alternative, Armstrong is reluctantly forced to pull back the entirety of the 27th within 24 hours of the decision, leaving the Russian military to take over the peacekeeping operation.

Though no Americans were permitted to step foot on Chernarussian soil, one Force Recon fireteam; Razor Team specifically, was left behind during the hasty evacuation. Instead of pulling them out however, Armstrong authorised them to continue covertly supporting the Chernarussian government's attempts to subvert the Russians.

In the days that followed, Razor Team helped government forces slowly take back territory that they had lost when the Russians intervened. The evidence of ChDKZ war crimes that they gathered also helped to sway the votes in the UN Security Council and eventually, the 27th MEU are authorised to redeploy into Chernarus after much deliberation. The Russian military's mandate to intervene is also forced to expire; much to Armstrong's delight.

When the regional capital of Chernogorsk falls under government control, Armstrong immediately redploys the 27th onto the mainland. With the help of his Marines, allied forces are able to seize the entire region and finally raze the main insurgent base in Msta to the ground.


Post-Operation Harvest Red

« So my advice would be to enjoy this celebration Marines, revel in the glory of what you've achieved. You saved Chernarus, you defeated the Russians, you united a people. Now how about I open the brandy and you tell me your best war stories? 'Cos one things for sure: It's the last time you're ever gonna talk about it...
Armstrong personally congratulates the Marines of Razor Team
»

Completely victorious, Razor Team are immediately airlifted back to the USS Khe Sanh for debriefing.

However, Armstrong had actually prepared a welcoming party to celebrate the occasion, setting up an impromptu parade and Armstrong himself present alongside CDF commander General Begunov to commend Razor Team's efforts, offering them access to his private liquor stash and a chance to share their experiences.


Personality and Appearance

Armstrong is a Caucasian male with a short, black head of hair. He always wears an customised MCCUU camouflaged in the Corps' iconic woodland MARPAT pattern alongside an 8-Point Cap.

David Armstrong is a supporting character in ArmA 3's The East Wind campaign.


Background
Armstrong is the commander of the U.S. Army's 7th Mechanized Brigade Combat Team, 111th Infantry Division (7th MBCT, 111th ID) that was deployed to the Republic of Altis and Stratis in response to the AAF's attack against the peacekeepers of Task Force Aegis.

During the first phase of the invasion, he commanded all forces at the former joint-NATO/AAF airbase on Stratis before relocating to the Altis International Airport and finally, the fire support base at Paros.

For the entire deployment, he went by the radio callsign of Crossroads.


The East Wind (2035)
Following the successful capture of Malden by the 21st Brigade Combat Team (21st BCT), the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet was able sail through safely to Altis to commence the primary phase of the ground operation.

Under the cover of darkness, U.S. troops from the 111th ID, led by Colonel Armstrong, first struck the smaller island of Stratis. The outgunned and poorly organised AAF defenders were easily overwhelmed by the invasion force, and within a matter of hours captured the entire island.

With Stratis taken, Armstrong transitioned to the next phase of the operation. Landing on the western coast of Altis, the 111th smashed its way through AAF lines and secured the old capital of Kavala. The next target was the main airport, which Armstrong thought would only have light resistance and could be easily taken. Armstrong also cautioned all NATO forces to remain on the alert for possible attacks by guerilla forces.

Advancing in from the west, the 111th suddenly came under heavy fire from both the garrisoned AAF and CSAT forces, and were forced to retreat back to Neochori. At the time, Armstrong received an urgent transmission from the pilot of a downed gunship that had been sent to clear the AAC airfield; according to a survivor from TF Aegis called "Scott Miller", friendly guerilla forces were being mistakenly fired upon. The pilot hailed for Armstrong to call off the attack, and Armstrong ordered the remaining helicopters to fall back.

With morning approaching, Armstrong commandeers a transport and is personally flown to the mainland in order to meet with the supposed survivor. Saluted on arrival, the soldier identifies himself as Corporal Ben Kerry. Kerry asks Armstrong as to whether the actual Captain Scott Miller was able to come into contact with the invasion force, but Armstrong is completely unaware of the man's identity. With no time to spare, Armstrong orders Kerry to board his helicopter and they're immediately flown back to Stratis.

« Kerry: What about Captain Miller, sir? He was supposed to establish comms with your main force.
Armstrong: I'm sorry, who?
Kerry: Captain Scott Miller. UKSF? Kinda ... talks like he's got a stick up his ass all the time?
Armstrong: The British? The Brits are no longer operating in this area. To my knowledge, they've been out since May. And, regardless, we had no record of a Scott Miller.
Kerry: Wait, what?
Armstrong: Look, we're out of time. Come with us, Corporal. You need to be debriefed, and we need everyone we can get our hands on.
Armstrong reveals the lack of communications with a "Captain Scott Miller"
»

While being debriefed on the flight back, Kerry reveals information regarding the situation with the guerillas and also the identity of "Captain Miller". Armstrong remains unconvinced of his explanations, however, and confined Kerry to an isolated section of the airbase for twelve hours.

Assembling the squad leaders at the command centre, Kerry is also called up to attend the briefing. Armstrong begins to brief the gathered personnel on the status of their forces on the mainland; enemy forces at the airport were holding steady but the risk of a counterattack still remained high. They were to hold the entire front until heavy artillery could be shipped in to bombard the airport's defenders.

« Gentlemen, as you may have heard, our forces on Altis were unable to secure the airport. As it turns out, there wasn't a chance in hell that we were ready for what awaited us. CSAT got one over on us this time - and intel suggests they're ready to hit back at any moment.

Truth is, if we don't hold what we've taken over here, this whole operation is a wash. So - with Stratis under our control - we're going to head back and dig in.
Armstrong briefing the next day
»

With every man needed to support the next stage of the offensive, Armstrong assigns Kerry to active duty again. He continues to mistrust the Corporal and strongly dislikes the idea, but NATO MEDCOM authorises his deployment. Nonetheless, Armstrong sternly warns him against "trying" anything that could possibly endanger his men or the entire operation.

Later that night, Armstrong relocates to the AAC airfield on the mainland, with NATO forces continuing to hold the western front against possible enemy infiltration. When scouts report enemy troops being mobilised at the airport, Armstrong orders all NATO forces in the area to scramble for a possible attack.

« All units, status report! What the hell just happened? Somebody tell me what the fuck just blew up! Over!
Armstrong
»

Suddenly, loud explosions can be heard all around Neochori, with numerous sightings of enemy forces also being reported by U.S. troops all around the area. Armstrong demands a SITREP, but no one is able to confirm the situation until CPL Kerry, who was patrolling the town of Katalaki, radios in that his entire squad was KIA and that their anti-air defences at Points Kilo, Omicron, and Starfire, were all destroyed.

Armstrong's fears are confirmed when CSAT gunships fly past Neochori and even against the AAC airfield itself, opening fire on the disoriented defenders. With the Neochori defence force completely lost, Armstrong ordered all assets in the region to divert to plug the gap. Meanwhile, CPL Kerry was reassigned to link up with two other mechanised infantry units callsigned Delta 3-1 and Delta 3-2.

Armstrong suddenly receives a transmission from an unknown caller who demanded to speak only to CPL Kerry. Kerry receives the call and is informed that a squad of guerillas were helping to fend off the CSAT gunships with anti-air missiles. They were standing by and offered to assist NATO forces as needed.

« Kerry - I don't much like it - but I need you to step up! We've lost the east! If we don't take it back, they'll punch straight through our lines! Take the guerrillas and hit those defenses! Your new callsign is Nomad.
Armstrong
»

Having also overheard the conversation, Armstrong agrees with the guerilla's idea and authorises Kerry to link up with them (despite his misgivings about allowing Kerry to take command). Regrouped and ready to attack, the combined forces of Kerry's guerillas (assigned the callsign of Nomad by Armstrong) and Delta's IFVs desperately scramble to fight through the CSAT forces now pouring through Neochori. Armstrong also attempts to deploy helicopters to support the counterattack, but the gunships are unable to lift off in time.

« Nomad, priority message! Intel indicates enemy armor inbound from the airport! I need you to hold that position! We lose it, and we lose Neochori! How copy?
Armstrong
»

The ragtag force manages to fight through and retake the front line, but Armstrong receives worse news: heavy tanks were now racing towards Neochori to support the enemy attack. With no other assets available to reinforce them, Armstrong can do little but hope that Delta and Nomad are able to fend off the assault.

Against all odds, both units are able to destroy the CSAT tanks and manage to drive back them back completely. With the situation also stabilised at the AAC airfield, Armstrong orders all forces in the area to stay on alert for any more attacks. To Armstrong's relief, no further attempts by CSAT forces were encountered for the rest of the night.

As the dawn approached, the heavy artillery units had finally arrived at the front, and Armstrong quickly assembled them into position to hit the airport for the next stage of the operation.

Meanwhile, CPL Kerry (still in command of Nomad) was issued the task of leading his squad of guerillas to assault a factory complex near Lakka. Armstrong assigned a helicopter, callsign Golf-2-2, to ferry them to join up with the main ground force straight afterward, but they needed to clear the site first. He also lent another IFV (callsign Echo One) to assist them in the assault.

Shortly afterwards, Nomad seizes the site and reports in their success. The artillery on the other hand, had managed to destroy an AA battery at Point Texas, a CSAT outpost overlooking the factory, and had also neutralised most of the ground defences in the airport itself. Before Nomad could be picked up and the second stage of the assault could begin, Golf 2-2 comes under fire from Texas and is shot down.

« Goddammit, we hit that position hard! They must've just moved in. Nomad, we can't deploy air support with an active AA threat so close to the airbase. You need to secure that position. Good luck. Crossroads out.
Armstrong
»

With the artillery batteries still reloading from the first attack and unable to shell Texas, Armstrong is forced to delay the entire offensive, ordering Nomad to clear the outpost by hand instead. Fighting an uphill battle, they manage to destroy the AA battery that had moved in, allowing Armstrong to continue the offensive immediately.

At that same moment, a seismic tremor shakes the entire island. Concerned units report in to Armstrong to clarify whether it was caused by them, but Armstrong is unable to explain the sudden earthquake and advises them to continue the assault.

« Charlie 2-2 Commander: Crossroads, was that us? Over.
Armstrong: Uh, that's a negative, Charlie-2-2. No further information at this time. Continue the operation. Crossroads out.
Altis is rocked by seismic activity
»

Hours later, the airport finally falls under NATO control and Armstrong relocates his forward command post to the airport itself. The third stage of the operation could begin now, and thanks to the support provided by the 21st BCT earlier that morning, Armstrong is able to proceed with the assault on the capital city of Pyrgos.

Air support helped to neutralise threats ahead of the attack on the city, while U.S. tanks, freshly shipped in via the harbour at the airport, formed a solid wall of defences on the eastern front.

While the attack on Pyrgos begins, Armstrong authorises the artillery batteries, callsigned Foxtrot Three, to begin shelling the entire city to soften up its defences. Armstrong also radios in to inform CPL Kerry that the investigation over his possible involvement over the loss of TF Aegis was concluded, and that he had been cleared of any culpability in the incident.

« Armstrong: Crossroads to Nomad. Message. If you encounter Captain Miller or one of his teams, you are not authorized to provide assistance. How copy?
Kerry: Say again, sir?
Armstrong: You will stay the hell away from those Brits and their black ops bullshit, Corporal! Do you understand!?
Armstrong warns Kerry of getting involved with Miller's special forces unit
»

Armstrong still did not fully trust Kerry however, and continued to caution him against coming into assisting Miller or any of his subordinates should they try to contact him.

Not long after the bombardment commences however, Armstrong receives word from Bravo 2-3 that their artillery was hitting civilians still in the city. Armstrong is forced to order the Foxtrot-3's batteries to cease fire immediately. A distress call is also radioed in from one of the assaulting squads; they were pinned down after being ambushed by the AAF while approaching the city limits and required immediate assistance. Unable to provide air support or artillery, Bravo 2-3 is ordered to relieve them instead.

Reaching their location, Bravo 2-3's squad leader radios in their status; an immobilised AAF tank had entrenched itself inside the city to support the defenders, and needed to be destroyed. Armstrong authorises them to call in a fire mission directly onto the tank, but the troops opt to destroy it with satchels instead.

While they worked to destroy the tank, another seismic tremor shakes the island again. Armstrong is still unable to provide a plausible explanation for the cause, however, and urges all forces to continue the attack regardless. Soon after the tank's destruction, the attack force is able to break through the defensive lines surrounding Pyrgos, and the city itself falls under NATO control.

The next day, U.S.-led NATO forces regrouped around Pyrgos. With the AAF now on the run and their supply lines cut (not to mention CSAT forces attempting to avoid all contact with NATO troops), Armstrong's capture of Pyrgos had inflicted a decisive blow on the enemy.

Dividing up the 111th, mechanised infantry units supported by airpower advanced east towards the heavily fortified towns of Kalochori and Sofia. Tank reinforcements on the other hand, rolled towards Selakano instead to swarm the entrenched AAF defenders in the south of the peninsula.

Entrusting CPL Kerry with command over his own squad again, Nomad was to seize Kalochori with the support of other squads and hold it against any further counterattacks. They seized the solar farm west of Kalochori before advancing onto the town itself. Armstrong dispatched air support in the form of a gunship and UCAV to assist the advance, and also authorised artillery for the attack force. An hour later, the Kalochori attack force succeeds in seizing the town and for good measure, also drive off a desperate counterattack by the AAF.

With Kalochori, Sofia and even Paros falling soon after, the way to the last of the AAF's hold over the north-eastern end of the island was clear. Armstrong suited up and relocated his command post to the temporary fire support base north of Paros, ordering Kerry to personally meet with him at the FSB. At the same time, he authorised the tank units poised to strike south to advance as well.

« Armstrong: Can I trust you with this, soldier?
Kerry: Yes, sir. We'll get it done.
Armstrong: Copy that. Now, get moving.
Assured of Kerry's reliability at last, Armstrong assigns him an important mission
»

On arrival, he details Kerry with the important task of scouting the AAF's defenders on the outskirts of Ioannina. They had dug themselves in and needed to be softened up first before the final attack could proceed. Assigning several others to accompany him, the Corporal manages to reach a position overlooking Ioannina and calls in artillery and airstrikes on their positions, before finally giving Armstrong the signal to attack.

Meanwhile, the attack on the southern peninsula was going poorly, with the AAF having held out longer than Armstrong had expected. Nonetheless, shortly after the final attack against Ioannina commenced in full swing, the enemy commander, Colonel Georgious Akhanteros, issues a formal and unconditional surrender to Armstrong. The remnants of the AAF troopers on both fronts promptly lay down their arms and surrender to the invasion force.


Post-The East Wind
Following the halt in the fighting, Armstrong participated in the post-war peace talks between the new civilian government and Akhanteros; closely monitoring the peace process and the hardline AAF's ongoing demilitarisation efforts. The remnants of the AAF were also round up by Armstrong's forces and placed into temporary internment camps scattered throughout the island.

Sanctioned by NATO and with the help of the FIA guerillas, members of the AAF who were responsible for committing war crimes were singled out and trialled by military court. Those who had committed particularly heinous offences were judged and eventually executed by firing squad. The remainder, however, were released a month and a half later and were allowed to return to their homes.

Six weeks later, Armstrong was now responsible for the drawdown of the NATO presence on Altis. He assigned the task of escorting an AAN World News reporter named Mark Cole to (now Sergeant) Kerry for an interview with the new president-elect of the country, Nikos Panagopoulos.

« Sergeant Kerry, we've got a situation here, return to the base immediately.
Armstrong recalls Kerry for unknown reasons
»

Shortly after Kerry dropped off the reporter however, Armstrong informs the Sergeant of an "incident" and orders him to return to the airport immediately.


Personality and Appearance

Armstrong is a white male with short, dark brown hair. His standard attire consists of MTP-camouflaged combat fatigues and when not in the field, a coyote brown bandolier as well. Whenever he commanded on the front lines however, Armstrong opted to wear a ranger green plate carrier rig, tactical glasses and an Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) for safety.

Easily irritable and not easily impressed, Armstrong was a fairly curt person that did not accept any kind of insubordination from his men, strictly maintaining protocol at all times. For this reason, he didn't trust Kerry initially and even considered him to be a possible traitor.

But with the constantly desperate situations that they faced and Kerry's ability to pull through every time, he slowly began to show some confidence in the Corporal, even entrusting him with much responsibility during the final attack.

Trivia[]

  • Though they share the same name, the David Armstrong beginning with Cold War Assault and each subsequent title are not related to each other.
    • Likewise, this applies to all showcases and campaign missions throughout the series with minor characters or squad members also named as "Armstrong".
  • Cold War Assault's Armstrong fills the INFANTRY role that subsequent campaigns with multiple playable characters would have; a trend that would be continued with Howard Drake in the Operation Arrowhead campaign.
    • Ben Kerry was also intended to fulfil this role in the original iterations of the storyline for ArmA 3, though the setting was eventually changed so that Kerry would become the sole protagonist in the main campaign.
  • In Armed Assault, Armstrong can only be seen during intermission cutscenes and never actually appears in regular gameplay.
    • Alternately, he can be killed (though off-screen) at the hands of the SLA during the attack on Dolores if all of the supporting rifle squads are destroyed.
  • ArmA 2's Gen. Armstrong barely makes a physical appearance in the entire Operation Harvest Red campaign despite being an important figurehead. His sole appearances for example, are only in the first and final missions, with all other occasions having voiced dialogue only.
  • ArmA 3's counterpart of Armstrong is erroneously shown as being ranked as a General during the events of the Remnants of War campaign added in the Laws of War DLC. The 111th ID's ORBAT in The East Wind also inconsistently ranks him as a General. However, this is contradicted by the first mission of the campaign's third episode where he is explicitly referred to as a Colonel by the base's loudspeaker.
  • Of the three playable characters in Cold War Assault, his arc spans the longest period of time - from the very beginning of the war to a week before its end.

Gallery[]

Notes[]

  1. Due to the random nature of the cutscene, Armed Assault's CPT Armstrong can inconsistently appear as an African-American male as opposed to his default white face.

See also[]

Characters of ArmA: Cold War Assault
United States Berghof† • Bormioli† • Caper BlakeDavid ArmstrongFowley† • James GastovskiKozlowski† • Robert HammerSam NicholsSutherland
Soviet Union Aleksei Guba* • Angelina Malevich
Resistance Nogovan Partisans Anton† • Gabriel† • GeronimoStoyan Jakotych† • Victor Troska
Everon Freedom Alliance Ian StoyanSlava† • Tomas
Civilians Nogovan Liz† • PeterTom
Unknown Tasmanian Devil
indicates deceased characters | * indicates character status is unknown
Characters of ArmA: Armed Assault
U.S. Army David Armstrong* • William Porter
USMC DavisLeon Ortega
SLA RamirezTorrez*
RACS Andrea RiboliChancellor
Black Element Denys de Jong* • Dewan Robinson* • Jamil Stehlik-Fawaz* • John Wicks† • Kurt Lambowski* • Tom Larson*
Civilians Isabella XiménezJoseph III† • Marian Quandt† • Orlando† • Raoul Gonzales*
indicates deceased characters | * indicates character status is unknown
DLCs that the character was first introduced in:
Queen's Gambit
Characters of ArmA 2
USMC 27th MEU Carl DresslerDavid ArmstrongEd Winter* • John MaddoxShaftoe
Force Recon Brian O'HaraChad Rodriguez† • Ian Simmons† • Matthew CooperMartin Zelmanski† • Patrick Miles† • Peter Adamson† • Randolph SykesRobert Johnson† • Sanjeev Raj† • Steve Kaminski
U.S. Army Task Force Knight Ben HerreraC.F. KaneGarry PierceHoward Drake
Delta Force Terry Graves
ACR Bohuslav KoubaJan KristekTomáš VybíralZabu
CDF BegunovR.A. StavovichTomas Marny
ChDKZ Gregori Lopotev* • Kostey† • Mikola Bardak* • Nikola Nikitin
Russian Armed Forces Karelin† • Lev Zotkin* • Mikhail Istcov* • Shagarov
NAPA Prizrak† • Little JohnYidashYuri Olegich
British Army Jack GallagherJames IrvinePhilip Stephenson
Bystrican Militia Andrej KasunBorz KazbekovDragan KasunRadan Miyović
Smugglers Aslan Radayev
ION Brian FrostFrank "Tanny" Radcliffe† • Henry AsanoJames Eckersley† • Mark ReynoldsPatrick Dixon† • Roland Saunderson
Takistani Army Muhammad R. Aziz

Civilians

Anita BakerAntonia LagushinaIvan Ruce† • Joe Harris† • Josef Sova† • Rita EnslerValentina Galkina† • Vojtech Hladik
indicates deceased characters | * indicates character status is unknown
DLCs that the character was first introduced in:
Operation Arrowhead | British Armed Forces | Private Military Company | Army of the Czech Republic
Characters of ArmA 3
NATO TF Aegis Andrew MacKinnon† • Ben KerryConway† • Lacey† • Martinez† • Mitchell† • Thomas Adams
7th MBCT, 111th ID David Armstrong
21st BCT, 111th ID Adam GrantCarl OwenJared SpenderJeremy CollinsJohn SturrockLouis BarklemStephen KulanskyTerry Simpson
Pacific Vince Broadale
CTRG A.J. DuttonDonald SnoweGrimmHardy† • JamesMcKayNorthgateO'ConnorRadcliffe† • RikerRoberts† • Robinson† • SalvoScott Miller* • Smith† • Truck
Exercise Electron Aiden RudwellDon Homewood† • Jack StypeJed DillonJohn KingslyKurt Spender† • Max BakerRichard LaneRichter
CSAT Abdul-Wahhab FahimVahid NamdarXu Haifeng
Russian Spetsnaz Boris KrupinIvan Severov
Loyalists Hektor Anastas* • Kael Mavros* • Loukas Thanos* • Rouvin Carras*
FIA Alexis Kouris† • Kostas Stavrou† • Nikos PanagopoulosOrestes
AAF Georgious AkhanterosKostas DimitriouKyros Kalogeros* • Thanos Gavras
LDF Aleksy NowakZbigniew Stolarski
Syndikat Solomon Maru
L'Ensemble Oringo MadakiSamjo

IDAP

Andy PatersonNathan MacDade

Civilians

Arthur* • Benjamin HopeDrábek* • Howard* • Ian KessonJohn* • Katherine BishopLucas* • Mark ColeMarkos Kouris† • Renly* • "Santiago"Šimon Čapek
indicates deceased characters | * indicates character status is unknown
DLCs that the character was first introduced in:
Marksmen DLC | Apex DLC | Laws of War DLC | Tac-Ops DLC | Tanks DLC | Contact DLC
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