Jim Lashley grew up on a small farm in rural West Texas. Following a couple of failed attempts in college because of misbehavior, he elected to enlist in the marines instead of being drafted into the army during the Vietnam War. Throughout his first two tours as a recon marine, Jim learned firsthand how cheap human life was. Following the almost-complete annihilation of his team on a small insignificant hill, Jim was noticed by a very senior officer who decided that he was worthy of special attention. After completing a program to become a marine pilot, Jim returned to Vietnam one final time. Returning home and nearing the end of the war, Jim was recruited to join a very special group that worked covertly to assist a high-profile security firm known as Black Water. That group, Dark Water, performed numerous clandestine activities that the parent company couldn't afford to be associated with. For the remainder of his time as a marine pilot, Jim traveled around the globe, following the directives of this secretive group known only to a very select few. When his time with the marines came to an end, he was again advised by the same senior officer who had made possible his becoming a marine pilot and admission into the Dark Water group to apply to the airlines as a pilot. After being hired by American Airlines, he was given the opportunity to continue to assist Black Water with another covert group that functioned only in the continental United States. That group was simply known as Muddy Water.