In 1989 Alex Coburn is being reviewed by a ranking officer regarding his application for special forces training while in Honduras. He application is not accepted, but he is then approached by Keller who asks him if he wants to join his NSA black ops team of the most elite soldiers and snipers, which Coburn accepts. Keller allows Coburn to make a final phone call to his Kathleen McHugh fiancée and then Alex Coburn is officially "killed" in action in Honduras and becomes John Casey.