Salim van Meer joined the Company after the contract on Caph in 3058. He was recruited directly on Outreach and originally hails from Dyev in the Draconis Combine. The tattoos on his neck suggest some yakuza involvement, but he has not been forthcoming about the details.

Van Meer was originally signed on as part of an effort to form a reserve of young mechwarriors who could be trained up and replace losses or retirements later on. He finally got his first taste of combat at the end of the Acamar contraxct in 3062 when he participated in the combat drop on the Kalskag Colisuem. His Awesome survived but was shot to hell in the action. After the battle, he was re-assigned to a lighter Phoenix Hawk which seems to fit him better.