Optimus Prime (born 1971) is a U.S. Army Ohio National Guard firefighter who had his name legally changed to Optimus Prime in May of 2001, on his 30th birthday. He claims to have done this because the fictional character of the same name from the Transformers was like a father figure when he was growing up. The name appears on his driver’s license, military ID, and uniform. Prime’s military unit, the 5694th Tactical Crash Rescue Unit, is currently deployed on Operation Enduring Freedom. Prime was recalled from Baghdad in Iraq in June 2003 following a pair of family emergencies. His former name has not been publicly disclosed.
Mr Prime has a wife, Vanessa, and four children: Nick, Jessie, Mike, and Shyann.