Dezhi Cao

Dezhi Cao is the regimental commander (Shang Hsiao) of the Pemba Training Group at Chake Bay on the Ethiopian island of Pemba. His mission, since the Ethiopians and Chinese agreed to launch a joint military endeavor on the island was to oversee and administrate training of Ethiopian soldiers in conjunction with his own regiment. As a whole, his administrative duties have largely consisted of organizing regular exercises between the Ethiopian army and the Chinese detachment present.

Very rarely has he been asked to perform duties otherwise. One such exception to his regular schedule being re-stationed to Ethiopian Hedjaz by request of Ras Hassan in an effort to affirm Ethiopian presence. During which time the Ottomans made an attempt at invading Ethiopia.

Background
Cao was born in central Shanxi in 1942. He and his family relocated westward into Communist China in 1950, shortly thereafter his father joined the volunteer corps leaving Cao to be raised by his mother and aunt alongside his three sisters and four brothers.

By the time he turned 18 the war in the east was dying down. Although on pressure from his then-veteran father and his brothers he was forced to approach the volunteer corps as a recruit. He was turned down by the recruiter, citing an over abundance in fighting men.

He tried again at the age of 20. In this instance getting as far as the exams. Scoring generally high marks he was interred in the newly restored National Officer's Academy at Nanjing, graduating with top marks in 1965. He was attached to the Shanxi People's Defense Army as a Second Lieutenant.

Career
Dezhi Cao has remained in the military, advancing through the ranks of nominations from his superiors for "excellent aptitude". However he had little to no actual combat experience. When the Chake operations opened up he was nominated as the operations commander and was redeployed to Africa soon after.

Cao is capable of showing amiable confidence at his general duties and performs them with the typical attention expected of him by his peers. However in cases such as the Ottoman invasion into Ethiopia the commander has easily flaked under the budding pressure of real combat. It's a flaw he kept hidden from his men. Though is well known to his battle-commissioned lieutenant-captain Sen Zhou.

Introduction