View source for Kurt Spender

{{Spinoff}}
{{Infobox/Character
|title1 = Kurt Spender
|image1 = [[File:Arma3-character-portrait-kurtspender.png]]
|born = ''Unknown''
|place_of_birth = [[United States of America (country)|U.S.]]
|died = July 3, 2039
|cause_of_death = Caught in the blast of a gravity tool matter shot
|status = Deceased
|faction = {{Blufor}} [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
|nationality = {{Nationality-US}} American
|gender = Male
|rank = Captain
|languages = English
|appearances = [[First Contact]]
|games = {{DLC-A3-Contact}}
}}
'''Kurt Spender''' was a minor character in [[ArmA 3|ArmA 3's]] official, non-canon ''[[First Contact]]'' campaign.

== Background ==
Spender was a [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] infantryman. He was the senior officer in charge of the [[NATO]] contact team at Point Hopi.<ref name="FCCloseEncountersShineLightsToAE1">[[ArmA 3|ARMA 3:]] [[Contact DLC|Contact]] 2019 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., ''[[First Contact]]'', ''Close Encounters'', "''SPENDER: Alchemist, this is Captain Spender. Advise, what's the play here? Over. [[Don Homewood|HOMEWOOD:]] BIOSEC. You [[CBRN Suit|suited n' booted]]? Over. SPENDER: More or less - everyone's got [[APR (facewear)|masks]] on, at least. Best we could do, given the current circumstances, over. HOMEWOOD: Then no one get too close. There's a Dr. Kesson here. He's going to help coordinate this. [[Ian Kesson|KESSON:]] Hello, Point Hopi. Can you tell me what you see there? SPENDER: Not a lot - a bluish, pulsing glow. The Alpha Echo, or, er, [[Extraterrestrials|alien entity]], it's on the other side of a glade. And our team have no line of sight. Over. KESSON: Do you lads have any working lights handy? SPENDER: Affirmative, we've turned them off. KESSON: Turn them back on, please. Everything you've got. Let's see if he responds. SPENDER: Alright, lights! The ranger's [[Offroad#ArmA 3|offroad]] too! Switch the headlights on! Switch the headlights on! Doctor, we're lit - nothing from it yet, over.''"</ref>

Prior to humanity's first encounter with "[[Extraterrestrials|The Visitors]]", he was involved in the joint military exercises taking place in [[Livonia|Nadbór]], [[Livonia (country)|Livonia]].<ref name="OfficialWebsiteDLCDescription1">Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2019, ''Contact'', Arma 3, viewed 26 August 2024, <https://arma3.com/contact>.</ref><ref name="Timeline1">Mořický, K et al. 2011, ''Armaverse Timeline'', Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 26 August 2024, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Armaverse_Timeline>.</ref>

=== First Contact (2039) ===
On July 3rd, 2039, a massive alien-like ship suddenly appeared over the skies of Livonia and hovered over the abandoned [[SIŁA Factory]]. A smaller alien entity was detected being launched from the ship some time later, and came to rest in a wooded area south of Point Hopi. As a biosafety precaution, Point Hopi was ordered to suit up to MOPP Level 4 by [[Don Homewood|Major Don Homewood]].<ref name="FCCloseEncountersAEFliesOverPointHopi1">[[ArmA 3|ARMA 3:]] [[Contact DLC|Contact]] 2019 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., ''[[First Contact]]'', ''Close Encounters'', "''[[Don Homewood|HOMEWOOD:]] Point Hopi. An [[Extraterrestrials|alien entity's]] heading your way! ROE. Do not engage! I say again, do not engage! Verify, over. SPENDER: I verify, alien entity, inbound, we are weapons tight! [[Livonian Defense Force|Bluebells]] look like they're following suit. That Alpha Echo? It just came down behind a small copse of trees. Real hard to see what it's up to... though, er, doesn't seem interested in us. Over. HOMEWOOD: Break out any [[CBRN Suit|CBRN]] [[APR (facewear)|gear]] you've got. Get it on, now. 3 mikes, MOPP level 4, more to follow. Out.''"</ref>

[[Aiden Rudwell|Specialist Aiden Rudwell]], who had already been on the way to Point Hopi from [[Camp Kresnik]] to retrieve a drone terminal, was ordered to assist Point Hopi in communicating with the alien entity.<ref name="FCCloseEncountersHomewoodRedirectsRudwellToHopi1">[[ArmA 3|ARMA 3:]] [[Contact DLC|Contact]] 2019 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., ''[[First Contact]]'', ''Close Encounters'', "''[[Don Homewood|HOMEWOOD:]] Specialist Rudwell. Major Homewood. POSREP. Over. [[Aiden Rudwell|RUDWELL:]] Er, somewhere between [[Camp Kresnik|you]] and Point Hopi, sir! Over. HOMEWOOD: You were a translator when you enlisted? RUDWELL: Affirmative, but, with all due respect, sir, if you're thinking of having me speak with [[Extraterrestrials|them]]. I'm not qualified. Over. HOMEWOOD: Factual facts: you're a linguist, a communicator. Get over there and assist, we wanna introduce ourselves. Out.''"</ref> Spender had Rudwell equip a [[APR (facewear)|resp]][[Combination Unit Respirator|irator]]<ref name="FCCloseEncountersSpenderTellsRudwellToSuitUp1">[[ArmA 3|ARMA 3:]] [[Contact DLC|Contact]] 2019 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., ''[[First Contact]]'', ''Close Encounters'', "''SPENDER: Hey - you from [[Camp Kresnik|Kresnik]]? The Don know we only got [[CBRN Suit|oversuits]]? [[Aiden Rudwell|RUDWELL:]] Really? I ain't gonna be patient zero, pal. SPENDER: There's [[APR (facewear)|respirators]] too, on the [[HEMTT]] racks. Better than nothing...''"</ref> and followed [[Astra]] scientist [[Ian Kesson|Ian Kesson's]] instructions to attempt communication visually via lights.<ref name="FCCloseEncountersShineLightsToAE1"/> Spender also suggested playing music to attempt auditory communication.<ref name="FCCloseEncountersPlayMusicToAE1">[[ArmA 3|ARMA 3:]] [[Contact DLC|Contact]] 2019 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., ''[[First Contact]]'', ''Close Encounters'', "''SPENDER: Dr. Kesson, we have a functional PA system, how about music? There's classics for the AFR. Armed Forces Radio - we could relay them pretty easy, over. [[Ian Kesson|KESSON:]] Aye, give it a go, but I don't expect he'll make much sense of it.''"</ref>

SPC Rudwell had successfully managed to communicate with or otherwise trigger new behaviour from the alien entity using a [[Spectrum device|tool]] equipped with an experimental antenna that was kept in one of Point Hopi's Faraday cages.<ref name="FCCloseEncountersRudwellGetsSDFromCage1">[[ArmA 3|ARMA 3:]] [[Contact DLC|Contact]] 2019 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., ''[[First Contact]]'', ''Close Encounters'', "''There should be a [[Spectrum device|gadget]] for analyzing EM activity inside. Can [[Aiden Rudwell|you]] take a wee look for [[Ian Kesson|me]]? See if it's working?''"</ref><ref name="FCCloseEncountersRudwellUsesSDToCommunicateToAE1">[[ArmA 3|ARMA 3:]] [[Contact DLC|Contact]] 2019 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., ''[[First Contact]]'', ''Close Encounters'', "''[[Aiden Rudwell|RUDWELL:]] Huh... [[Don Homewood|HOMEWOOD:]] Report. Is [[Extraterrestrials|it]] attempting a reply? RUDWELL: No evidence of that. It's shifting frequencies. HOMEWOOD: [[Spectrum device|Go again]]. There could be a pattern.''"</ref> Upon approaching the alien entity, SPC Rudwell was suddenly knocked unconscious. Assuming that the entity was hostile, Spender's men and [[Livonian Defense Force|Livonian]] soldiers panickedly returned fire in retaliation.<ref name="FCCloseEncountersAEProjectsImagesIntoRudwellsMind1">[[ArmA 3|ARMA 3:]] [[Contact DLC|Contact]] 2019 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., ''[[First Contact]]'', ''Close Encounters'', ''\a3\missions_f_contact\data\img\visions\vision1_3.jpg'', "''[[Aiden Rudwell|RUDWELL:]] Argh! Ergh... Ergh, no... no... SPENDER: The Specialist is down! No! Cease fire! Cease fucking fire!''"</ref>

=== Death ===
Spender managed to order his subordinates to stand down, but the Livonians continued to attack the alien despite his pleas to them over the radio.<ref name="FCCloseEncountersAEProjectsImagesIntoRudwellsMind1"/>
{{Quote|The Specialist is down! No! Cease fire! CEASE FUCKING FIRE! Alchemist, one of our guys engaged! Relay to all Livonian Defense Force callsigns, cease fire! Oh, no... No! Major! The Alpha Echo's firing back, it's -|Author = Moments before being killed, Spender desperately tries to get the Livonians to stand down}}
In response, the alien launched several gravity matter balls at both the Livonians and Spender's men. He was subsequently killed in the ensuing blast alongside his entire team.<ref name="FCCloseEncountersHopiDestroyedSpenderKIA1">[[ArmA 3|ARMA 3:]] [[Contact DLC|Contact]] 2019 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., ''[[First Contact]]'', ''Close Encounters'', "''[[Aiden Rudwell|RUDWELL:]] Alchemist. Multiple casualties... The [[Extraterrestrials|alien]]? It's gone, need immediate assistance - do you copy? Nothing heard... does anybody copy? [[Jed Dillon|DILLON:]] Rudwell, it's Dillon. You gotta get back to [[Camp Kresnik|Kresnik]]! Shit's kicking off here, man! RUDWELL: Yeah? It just kicked off here, too! Get the [[Don Homewood|Major]]! DILLON: Trust me on this one. RT fucking B!''"</ref>

== Personality and Appearance ==
{{StubSection}}
Spender was a Caucasian male with short, reddish-brown coloured hair. He wore a woodland-camouflaged [[CBRN Suit|NBC oversuit]] with the accompanying [[Combination Unit Respirator|CUR system]] and [[APR (facewear)|APR mask]], along with a [[Combat Helmet (NATO)|combat helmet]] and [[Carrier Lite (NATO)|plate carrier vest]].

== Trivia ==
* Spender's first name is only revealed in the credits of ''First Contact''.
* Kurt shares the same surname as [[Jared Spender|Sergeant Jared Spender]] from ''[[Stepping Stone]]'', though it's not known if they actually are related to one another.

== References ==
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== See Also ==
{{Characters (ArmA 3)}}
[[Category:Dead Characters]]
[[Category:Characters (ArmA 3)]]
[[Category:BLUFOR]]
[[Category:Contact DLC]]
[[Category:NATO]]
[[Category:NATO Characters]]