. ▁He ▁is ▁character ized ▁for ▁his ▁ability ▁to ▁assemble , ▁dis ass emble , ▁and ▁re ass emble ▁a ▁weapon ▁in ▁less ▁than ▁ 6 0 ▁seconds ▁in ▁the ▁dark . ▁ ▁Dow nt own ▁Dow nt own ▁is ▁the ▁G . I . ▁Joe ▁Team ' s ▁mort ar ▁man , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁first ▁released ▁as ▁an ▁action ▁figure ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁His ▁real ▁name ▁is ▁Thomas ▁P . ▁R iley , ▁and ▁his ▁rank ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁corpor al ▁E - 4 . ▁Dow nt own ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Cleveland , ▁Ohio . ▁ ▁Dow nt own ' s ▁primary ▁military ▁special ty ▁is ▁inf antry , ▁and ▁his ▁secondary ▁military ▁special ty ▁is ▁special ▁operations . ▁Dow nt own ▁can ▁keep ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁highly ▁mobile , ▁rapid ▁strike ▁force ▁like ▁G . I . ▁Joe ▁with ▁his ▁high - power ed ▁mort ar , ▁whereas ▁slow , ▁p onder ous ▁art illery ▁cannot . ▁He ▁can ▁judge ▁range ▁and ▁traject ory ▁just ▁by ▁eyes ight . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁America ' s ▁El ite ▁G . I . ▁Joe ▁series ▁from ▁Dev il ' s ▁Due , ▁Dow nt own ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁Jo es ▁to ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁Cob ra ▁civil ▁war , ▁which ▁again ▁takes ▁place ▁on ▁Cob ra ▁Island . ▁ ▁Dr . ▁Link ▁Tal bot ▁Dr . ▁Link ▁Tal bot ▁is ▁the ▁G . I . ▁Joe ▁Team ' s ▁combat ▁veter in arian ,