Rebel Squadrons

R2F CO Situation

By FA Rahj Tharen
Unit: Retribution Fleet
Basic Announcement, Mar 20, 2003
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Pilots of the Retribution Fleet,

       Last night, I made a very difficult decision that will critically impact the Retribution Fleet. As you may know, during the past couple of weeks the Redemption Fleet Command Staff, Retribution Fleet Command Staff, and myself have been discussing the future of the Retribution Fleet. Such discussions are obviously due to the R2F's present lack of membership to qualify for Fleet status and to discover whether or not the R2F's current severe drought of inactivity is simply due to poor leadership or other uncontrollable circumstances. Over the course of this discussion, a general consensus was reached between these parties to want to consolidate the R2F into a Wing and to transfer the R2F to the tutelage of the Redemption Fleet. Many of you voiced similar sentiments, including the R2F Executive Officer, Colonel Nichos Katran. However, Lieutenant General Corran Horn, Jr., was against such a course of action. As a result of the severity of the R2F's problems, I have alsocome to the conclusion that part of the Retribution Fleet's state of decay is due, in fact, to ineffective leadership.

       Therefore, I have recently removed LGN Horn from his command of the R2F and will be seeking new leadership that will be able to have the energy, time, and ideas to pull the R2F out of its current slump. I feel that to do so is in the best interests of the Retribution Fleet and the Rebel Squadrons. Doing so will also give the R2F, and its new leader, a chance to rebuild and work towards preventing their Fleet status from being removed.

       I provided LGN Horn a much more detailed explanation of this decision, and it is posted below.

       Obviously, this leaves the position of Retribution Fleet Commanding Officer vacant. Until a permanent replacement has been appointed, COL Katran will be temporarily serving as Acting Retribution Fleet Commanding Officer. As a result, please do your best to work towards resuming normal operations within the Fleet.

       However, I will also be accepting applications for the position of R2F CO at this time. If you are interested in applying for the position, then please send me (fc@rebelsquadrons.org) a formal application entitled “R2F CO Application.” Please make your formal application as creative and impressive as possible. Please show as much initiative as you can while demonstrating how you meet the requirements of experience, dedication, innovation, and time commitment that are needed to succeed at the position of Fleet Commanding Officer. Also please demonstrate what you can bring to the position, why you are the best choice over all others, and any future projects you can present to benefit the R2F. Indicating plans of how to revive the R2F are also paramount. The primary task of any new R2F CO will be the revival of this Fleet from the ground up. Any questions about the position may be directed to me as well.

Respectfully submitted,

Admiral Rahj Tharen,
Rebel Squadrons Fleet Commander
fc@rebelsquadrons.org

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Lieutenant General Corran Horn, Jr. -

       It is with great regret that I must inform you of some recent conclusions I have made about your ability to continue to lead the Retribution Fleet due to the R2F's current decay and the recent circumstances surrounding this issue.

       There is no dispute of the fact that the Retribution Fleet is in more danger today than any other Fleet in the Rebel Squadrons. Participation and interest is at an all time low, with 5 of 37 members reporting before February's R2F ITOD Mission deadline. Membership is at an all time low at currently 33 members. There have been repeated failures of missed release dates for missions, bugged missions, a general lack of excitement in the storyline, complaints of the missions being too hard, and complaints of the missions themselves being the same protect and kill mission types over and over again that I have received from both individual pilots and R2F command staff members. High Command and I strongly believe that the Fleet Commanding Officer of any Fleet bears full responsibility for the well being of his or her Fleet. This is written explicitly in 3.4 Fleet Command of the Rebel Squadrons Bylaws. It can be said, therefore, that the current status of a Fleet is a direct reflection upon its leadership. As a result, the R2F's current meager status poorly reflects upon your ability and commitment as a leader and you should be held fully accountable for that very meager status. Instead, I feel that you offer nothing but excuses.

       Since January of this year, you have obviously been aware of the Retribution Fleet's decaying membership numbers and the fact that the R2F's activity was slowly in decline. These issues were brought to your attention through my own informal prodding in Fleet Checkup responses and should have been absolutely self evident to anyone in your position. I should not have to be the one to point out the aforementioned facts and that the R2F is at a low point because if I do, obviously something is already very wrong and not working.

       In response to this recognition, you reported about wanting to enact a Free Mission system on February 4th as the main measure you were going to create to combat the R2F's crumbling membership, activity, and general interest in a Fleet Checkup report. Now, on March 19th, exactly seven weeks later, the R2F has yet to yield any kind of significant result in regards to this project. It is a fact that even after a seven week window of time, the R2F has not even completed it, let alone gone beyond preparations to start it.

       Today, you now claim that further expansion of the R2F is the answer to help solving the R2F's severe growth and interest problems. You have suggested that R2F Squadrons that use the platforms of XvT and XWA will help the R2F achieve new levels of growth and according to your own statements have apparently had this idea for quite some time now. Gavin Kravis, RgF CO, remembers you asking him about such a thing about a month ago. Yet still, I see little in the way of actually turning this idea into a reality, even now when this situation has come to the attention of the Redemption Fleet CO, the Fleet Commander, and a number of concerned R2F pilots and veterans. I fear that like the Free Mission system project, this idea will also be more or less forgotten about or remain uncompleted.

       On top of that, I feel this idea is not going to fix the R2F's current problems. An influx of membership is not going to occur simply because you incorporate XvT or XWA into the R2F. Members that want to fly such platforms will simply remain in the Renegade Fleet and the Intrepid Battle Group, where such platforms are always the primary focus. Furthermore, the Renegade Fleet already has a unit called Phantom Squadron that is intended to primarily fly Imperial craft. The only people you are going to fill these R2F Squadrons with, therefore, are pilots that are already in other Squadrons in the R2F. That is not a unique membership increase. Consequently, the RgF has already taken the potential RS members that want to fly XvT and use Imperial craft. Also, since it was Vender that started Phantom Squadron in the RgF, it is safe to assume that as the current Intrepid Battle Group CO and a former R2F CO, Vender will want to do something similar in the IBG. If that happens, there goes your potential membership for XWA pilots as well. Therefore, if this is the best idea you would like to be allowed to play out until May, then you simply are not doing enough to save this Fleet. This idea will not help much, if anything at all. I would be concentrating on getting the R2F back to the basics first and ensure those things are in working order before abstractly attacking the problem.

       In my opinion, you should be working vigorously to reform the R2F's mission creation and reporting system, stressing Squadron unity at every turn, and finding new avenues to involve the interest and activity of your pilots. With each of these responsibilities, I feel you have done little to remedy the lack of innovation that comes from your leadership and command staff even though I have raised those concerns in the past. When Vender was in command of the R2F, this was an issue never under question. Furthermore, your counterparts at the Patriot Battle Fleet seem to manage with an incredible amount of activity and with an even older game.

       Going along with what I perceive as a lack of concern for the severity of this situation, it also took you a full six to seven days even to respond to my recommendation of consolidating the R2F into a Wing and placement in the Redemption Fleet (which was supported by the majority of your command staff, including the R2F XO). Ignoring the problem and just hoping for the best is not the mark of a leader that will be capable of reenergizing the R2F so much that a steady growth starts to continue, and you keep all of your pilots interested and having fun. Such things will pull the R2F out of the cellar it finds itself in now. Furthermore, against the advice of the Fleet Commander and the majority of your command staff, including the R2F XO, I feel that you are unwilling to do what is best for the R2F and agree with the majority consensus that it would be best for the R2F to be consolidated to a Wing and transferred to the Redemption Fleet to grow and repair. By being unwilling to make such a hard decision, even though there is considerable support for such an outcome, is once again not the mark of a leader that is willing to do what is best for his or her Fleet. It also forces me to question your willingness to do what is best. I hope that the fact that you will lose your voting rights and placement on High Command is never a concern. Commanders in the past, such as Bluejay Farscape, have been able to do what's best for their unit (in this example, the STC), and transfer to the RF when they were faced with the overwhelming reality of not being able to maintain Fleet status.

       As a result of the promises you have been unable to deliver upon, the lack of concern for your Fleet's present status, and putting your own self interest before the well being of the Fleet you command, I see you not only unfit to continue leadership, but also unfit to be the person that will be able to raise the R2F out of its present state of decay. As such, I am effectively removing you from command of the Retribution Fleet for repeated failure to carry out the responsibilities of your position and the fact that without some sort of change, your continued stay as R2F CO would be detrimental to the continued existence of the Fleet. I would like to do everything possible to see the R2F get back on track and avoid losing its hard earned Fleet status.

       I am sorry that the situation had to escalate to this point. This is the worst part of my job as Fleet Commander, but I would be neglecting all of my responsibilities if I decided to look the other way and not do what I strongly feel is in the best interests of the Retribution Fleet and the Rebel Squadrons. I am doing this in order to help the R2F remain a Fleet, which status it is dangerously close to losing, as well as to help the R2F get back on track and succeed the way we know it can.

Regretfully submitted,

Admiral Rahj Tharen,
Rebel Squadrons Fleet Commander
fc@rebelsquadrons.org

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Subj: Re: The R2F's Future
Date: 3/12/2003 8:59:00 PM US Eastern Standard Time

"<< Corran: Rahj, Innovations? First thing you have to know is that Tie Fighter is a Single Player game so it's opinions for innovation are greatly limited compared to those fleets who use multiplayer platforms. W can't have Zodiacs of Domination Leagues or participate in WoWs or ORWs. But there are ways for innovations to take place. >>

       This is from Corran's R2F Fleet Checkup report on February 4th, 2003:

"3) What specific events and activities is your Fleet currently engaged in? What means of participation are available to your membership?

Currently we have our ITOD and Run-On. Those in Intel are working on setting up our Free Mission System which I hope will soon be ready for unveiling.""

       That was five weeks ago. I can't help but feel that not only more should be happening, but that you need to actually…do it. Especially five weeks later. Even the PBF was able to write about what they were doing in more than two sentences."

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Subj: Re: The R2F's Future
Date: 3/13/2003 1:50:32 PM US Eastern Standard Time


"Corran and Nichos -

       I have already recommended to the Retribution Fleet Command Staff that the R2F be reduced to a Wing and transferred to the Redemption Fleet. Reigning opinion seems to agree with such a course of action. As a result, I really think that we need to face the facts and make this decision together. Please let me know if you are on board or not."

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The Rebel Squadrons: Bylaws
Section 5: Judiciary Procedures

5.3 Violations

Dereliction of Duty: The Rebel Squadrons does not tolerate neglect, or gross and/or repeated failure to carry out the responsibilities of a command position.

Abuse of Authority: The Rebel Squadrons does not tolerate the use of an officer's position and rights in any way that is selfish, detrimental to other members or units, or self serving.

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