Get to Know Your MI501st :: September, 2010

Chris Brown
Legion ID: 3829
Joined November, 2003

Chris Brown's earliest Star Wars memories consist of a few things. He remembers seeing the re-release of Star Wars at a Drive In theater in 1979 when he was almost 4. He also remembers chewing the heads off of his brother's action figures when I was younger. To this day, Chris's brother still threatens to bite off the heads of some of his rarer figures. When he was 5, his mom listed in his baby book that his favorite book was Star Wars and he had a Star Wars cake. It's pretty safe to say that he was a fan at a young age.

Being a member of the 501st and Rebel Legions has given Chris the chance to make friends, some who are more like his family at this point. It's also given him an outlet for his constant need to tinker and make things. Being an active member in 2 Legions has also given him the chance to help out other members and potential recruits as the Republic Commando Advisor on CT.net. He sometimes gets some oddball questions here and there, but, "it's really cool to have a hand in shaping the direction that the RC's will go within the 501st".

Back in 2002, "Jaster" went to a costume party in a $60 Jango costume from Rubies, complete with homemade cardboard jetpack and modified Rubies deluxe helmet. He knew that there had to be something better out there for the next year and found The Dented Helmet. He started working on an accurate Jango right after Halloween that year and later on, in the Fall of 2003, met Jay Shimko at Gibraltar Trade Center during a toy show and he gave Chris a Midwest Garrison business card. From there, he completed his costume, was approved and became BH3829.

When Chris first needed any sort of screen name, he would usually use Jaster Mereel. When he first starting using it on Prodigy, the name was actually supposed to be Boba Fett's true identity. Later on, he used it for my name on the Midwest Garrison's boards and eventually it was shortened to Jaster.

"I think it was Shimko who started calling me Jaster in person. We were at an armor party or some sort of outing and there were too many Chris's at the party. He yelled over, "Hey Jaster" and the board name became the nickname."

Jaster's favorite events so far have been the Port Huron Icehawks events. In his own words...

(I liked the events) "not really so much for the game, but for the charity we were supporting during those events. My father was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in 2000 and is currently receiving help from Council on Aging's Washington Life Center. Being able to help them out by participating in a 501st event was the easiest way I knew to return the favor".

Outside the 501st, Chris is an electrician working for a small company for the last 13 years in Shelby Township. His main specialty is troubleshooting and service work. He enjoys being around people and most of all fixing their electrical problems. Some of his other passions are cooking, playing the bass guitar, reading, karaoke and watching movies. Chris have been married to his wife Carolyn (SL 6156) for 15 years as of this October. He was a member of Mensa from 1991-1993, but let his membership go because "it was boring" and it looked good on college applications. On the Rebel Legion side of things, Jaster is also the GLG Liaison for the Great Lakes Base.

View Chris's profile...