Making my first character for my first night at the opera. I'd appreciate some advice from veterans.

The Handler is being coy about what the mission will be, but I know that my guy is the only actual agent at first, and I'll be wrangling and then recruiting two friendlies (the other PCs). Story takes place around 2000. My concept is a young soldier whose team ran into weird shit, he was the lone survivor, got pulled into DG because of it.

1. Any suggestions for where this grunt saw action in the late nineties? I was thinking maybe he got borrowed by CIA or DEA for narco shit down south.
2. Any stats or skills you think a newbie like me would over/underestimate? I've played WoD, so I made sure to add Search, Dodge, and Stealth to the basic Soldier profession. Someone else will have to cover HUMINT.
3. I haven't read through the tradecraft part of the book yet, but what's a good cover to tell friendlies? Just claim I'm with some three-letter, no time to explain, now help me burn down this warehouse for America?