Ethan Hunt is from a family with a strong military tradition; his ancestors served in such units as General Patton's Third Army during the liberation of Europe, The Air Cavalry of Vietnam, Marines in Desert Storm. Ethan decided to follow in his family's footsteps and applied to the USAS Military Academy at West Point, New York where he graduated with honors. Ethan rose to the rank of Captain in the Infantry and then volunteered for Airborne Ranger training.
On the heels of his early success, Ethan was assigned to a mission in NAN territory when his platoon came across a secret installation. They discovered that it was actually a CIA base in which they where testing mind control technology on different CIA and Military personnel. Little did he know that a security cam got him and 3 of his men on tape. Upon their return and within a week the 2 other men on the tape where dead. They mystery continued when he found that his credit cards didn't work. So Ethan investigated and discovered that he had been proclaimed KIA (killed in action) by the government. His Army career was finished and he knew that the CIA would be coming for him sooner or later. It turned out to be sooner, he managed to get away with an AK-98 and an MMG in the process of escaping. He ended up killing 12 CIA agents.
So Ethan turned to running, the only profession where he could use his skills to full effect.
