State of the Rebel Squadrons
Friday, August 31, 2007

I. State of the RS
II. Vanguard
III. High Command News
IV. RS Merit System
V. RS IRC Bot
VI. Minister of External Affairs Position Opening
VII. Fleet/Division News Shorts
VIII. Executive Projects
IX. Recognitions/Awards
X. Miscellaneous Notes
XI. The First Month


Greetings, members of the Rebel Squadrons!

I. State of the RS

Well, it’s that time of month, the time of month where you sit through this enormous E-mail detailing everything that’s going on with the club; and I have to warn you now: This one is quite long! I’ll spare you all the ‘this is my first NL as Fleet Commander’ garb, and jump right into it. August saw some tremendous changes to the club as a whole, the implementation of new systems, and a complete re-imaging of the site brought about by our very skilled IO team. From the reintegration of Vanguard as a fleet to the introduction of MrBot; we have seen some really awesome things happen to better the club as a whole and make our experience here grow. Things continue to run smoothly with your assorted commanders working diligently to keep your RS experience hassle-free and fun

II. Vanguard

As some of you know (and those of you that do not will by the end of this sentence) Vanguard was reinstated as a fleet by high command! First of all, welcome back to our friends in Star Wars: Galaxies; I personally appreciate the enormous surge of positive feedback and assistance in making this possible. The Vanguard Commanding Officer, Colonel Graxul StarWeaver, has been instated to High Command as per the elevation of his unit back to fleet status; with General Richard Gross alongside him. The reintegration of Vanguard brings back a unit of the Rebel Squadrons that has, in the past, been unfortunately neglected, discriminated (for lack of a better word) against, and generally disliked. I am proud to say that any animosity once held against Vanguard (including personal animosity that I was able to work past due to the assistance of a few very helpful hands) has virtually disappeared, and I look forward to what these guys can do to bring their very unique spin on the universe to the RS. You can see Vanguard News Shorts on the front page, with the first article available here.

III. High Command News

Contrary to the past few NLs, High Command has been actively debating two major issues that have come up during August. First, of course, was the reintegration of Vanguard as a fleet which went by seamlessly with positive contributions being made. Ideas to make the integration run more smoothly and actually make the two organizations one were fired back and forth over the weeks before the vote was called; the results of which can be seen on the main page (under the news shorts) and in the other topic of HC debate: The RS Merit System. I will explain this a bit more in the next section, but as the topic at hand on HC the debate has been firing back and forth with great input by both detractors and supporters of the issue; allowing it to be refined and more properly balanced.

Along with these issues, as stated earlier; three additional Aldermen have been added to the RSHC to give a solid nine votes and additional voices on everything brought to the table. All of the men and women on HC have been working very hard to keep your RS experience a very entertaining and worthwhile experience.

IV. RS Merit System

I’m very excited to be able to reveal to the general membership the current proposal for the new RS-wide Merit System. This system will be linked to RS promotions, awards, and perks for members both young and old, and involves all facets of the RS from simming to piloting, fiction writing, wiki editing, anything that you can think of. The system has been designed in order to promote activity across all areas of the RS and to allow people to set attainable goals; with an outline of what needs to be done to get there. You can read all about the system here.

The write-up at the link above is much more detailed then anything I could put into this without making it even larger than it is already; so please feel free to check it out. HC is currently debating the merits of the proposal, and your individual fleet commanders will have more information for you in the coming days including individualized merit award levels and a more complete description of what they intend to do with the project as a whole.

V. RS IRC Bot

I'm pleased to announce the creation of MrBot, an IRC bot that is now present in all of the RS's IRC channels. He's been "alive" for about four weeks, and is fully operational. He runs on the RS server, and is thus able to be online 24/7. He maintains channels (preserving ops lists, topics, settings, etc.), can determine when a person was last seen on IRC, and can search RS profiles. If you log in to MrBot using your RS PIN and password, you can be displayed as "online" on the RS main page and be granted access to various channels.

MrBot can also roll dice (lots of them! he's quite a powerful bot), host the ICTE (the weekly multiplayer gaming event), and talk—those with channel access can make him act or speak. Soon, he will be able to host "trivia" and "scrambler" events where members compete to give the fastest correct answer. As well, MrBot automatically reports the latest news articles and ITOD reports to the appropriate unit channels, keeping everyone updated. For archival purposes, MrBot logs most channels unless the owner specifies not to.

I've put dozens of hours into the creation and maintenance of MrBot, so I hope you all enjoy using him. He's now a part of Beginner's Path, so most new members will meet him early in their RS career. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please let me know!
Thanks,

":)
RA Licah Fox

I’d like to personally take this opportunity to thank Licah for his work in creating MrBot; it certainly has been a great tool up to this point and I hope everyone starts to use his functionality to further better their RS experience.

VI. Minister of External Affairs Position Opening

There is currently an opening in the RS Executive offices for the position of Minister of External Affairs. The MoEA is responsible for interactions between the RS and other clubs; with duties inclusive of (but not limited to):

-Assisting in arranging cross-club competitions.
-‘Reaching out’ to other clubs for relations and contact.
-Assisting the Recruitment Office by giving them outlets to spread the name of the RS.

If you are interested in the position, you can apply via the RS site by visiting this link. Please include additional information in ‘any other information’ about any other clubs you have been a part of, or any contacts in other clubs that you might already have. I intend to fill this position by September 7th; so get your applications in this week!

VII. Fleet/Division News Shorts

Patriot Battle Fleet – The PBF have just finished their mission this past Sunday and are now doing repairs to all damaged vessels. Having just finished a major skirmish in the Minos Cluster, once they are repaired they will finish up some minor cleanup and return home. Fireclaw has risen from the ashes to take Top Squadron honors this mission, thanks to the return of many members.

Redemption Fleet – Redemption continues to truck along under the solid leadership of Commodore Harley Quinn. The Commodore continues his search for a Jedi Division commanding officer, and has been diligently pursuing the matter. All in all, the RF is doing what the RF does best, moving along and offering a solid background for the various smaller units of the RS.

Vigilance Starfighter Group – Currently, the VSG is busy with VSG 106, the BoP and XWA missions are due tonight with any narratives being due Sept. 1st. Also, the Command Staff is undergoing some changes as MGN Phil Darkfire stepped down as Rza CO and was replaced, upon his recommendation, by MAJ Hyde. Applications are also being accepted for the CO positions for both Dragon and Phalcun Squadrons. It is hoped that the CS will stabilize within the next couple of weeks so that they can deliberate on some topics that have been brought to the CO by various sources. Promotion-wise, David “Heavy” Pasiechnyk was promoted to full General, and Michael Duran was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Congrats to both!

All in all, even with participation down (believed to be caused by the traditional “Summer Slump”), the future of the VSG is looking up as Tour 1 continues. It is the hope of all that things will pick up now that school has started again for most people.

Vanguard – Vanguard was incredibly busy this month. Joshua Arands, the CO of Resurrection Squadron, lead his pilots in a resounding defeat of the Imperials as they met them head on in space. Accompanying them was Ryian Corian and his amazing crew, Daryus Zal’yn, Dale Luren, and Chie’f in his YT-1300.

The Vanguard fleet has experienced an influx of new pilots lately. The recruits are busy training, getting both their technical knowledge and piloting skills up to snuff, as all desire to be part of the renowned (:P) Resurrection and Sabre squadrons.

Vanguard ground forces lead by Colonel Grax have been busy as well, continuing to annihilate Imperial holdings in Galaxies PvP. Both Vanguard PvE (For SWG leveling purposes) and RP are flourishing with old and new members joining their ranks.

It pleases me to include this as the first Vanguard news short, and while most of this information is in game, Vanguard Command is currently discussing the RS wide merit system along with updating their RS roster. We look forward to further great things from this fleet!

Allegiance Battle Group – The ABG has been continuing to enjoy extremely high levels of activity and participation. Recently a complete armor design/construction system was implemented, along with general rule tweaks and the newest Jedi update by Lieutenant General Cyrel Vandroth. Some new faces have been showing up to run sims and have shown a firm grasp of role-playing elements and fairness.

VIII. Executive Projects

In fiction writing news, Dave has graciously offered to continued to write the FC narratives to supplement the RS-wide narratives written by yours truly. The 107 missions along with the appropriate narrative are currently scheduled for release approximately one week after the end of the current mission. This deadline is being strictly enforced, so definitely expect a mission by September 8th.

Academy Commanding Officer Luren “DaLe” Ketan has been making great strides in organizing and running the RS academy. Fictionally based on Tarsonis, the academy handles all new recruits before deployment to the assorted units within the RS. Non-fictionally, the academy has been instrumental in helping new members get associated with the RS as a whole; and has become an invaluable asset to us.

The Logistics Office has continued to do its amazing work in processing RS fiction. Recently, the Logistics Office has process over three hundred and fifty potential planetary and location names that RS members have graciously provided. Vaughan (you knew his name was coming up eventually :P) has been diligently working in blasting out outlines for continued missions in the RS-wide tour of duty, along with organizing and processing the events before they occur. He has been active in helping to guide Zealot through their operations, and has been an instrumental part in its continued success.

A current massive project being undertaken is a complete write-up of Tarsonis. Totaling over two hundred pages in length so far, the document will eventually be posted for public viewing on the RS wiki. Currently, the RS Academy is being fictionally written out, along with the primary RS complex stationed around it.

I’d like to personally thank the Logistics office, in particular Gavin, Ace, David, and Adam; with special recognition going to Colonel Mathow Bizegar. Colonel Bizegar has, over the past month, researched *ALL* historical R2F missions to assist Vaughan in double-checking his previous logistics work. Thank you, each one of you, for your continued support of the RS and your amazing work! Keep it up!

The Medals Office has been continuing to work on assorted projects, with a few more major ones rearing their heads. A TacOps medal set is currently being proposed to the Medals Office, along with a few additional awards to be added to the current set.

The Recuitment Office has been revamped this month as well, expanding their office with additional new faces to work to bring even more people into the RS fold. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do in the near future! Keep up the great work!

In Aurora Force news, the group has come to me recently seeking to have a sort of shake-up in the way the organization is run. This will occur in the next few days and I will have a full blurb about it for you to read once it occurs. Be assured that Josh and I are working diligently on this matter to come up with the best solution possible for everyone.

IX. Recognitions/Awards

I have quite a few mentions to make here, so let’s get rolling. Starting with some long-overdue recognitions, I’d like to begin with a list of Vanguard members that their CS has pointed out as going above and beyond in Galaxies.

General Richard Gross, step forward. For your tremendous assistance in offering advice during the transition of Vanguard back to a fleet, and for the laundry list of things you do in Star Wars Galaxies to make Vanguard the unit it is; I am proud to promote you to the rank of Commodore. Congratulations.

Lt. Colonel Joshua Arands, your laundry list of recognitions in Vanguard far exceeds that which I can put into this SotRS without dragging it forever. Needless to say, on the recommendation of multiple members of Vanguard as well as of my own command staff I am elevating you to full Colonel. Thank you for your service.

Captain Leaph Chausew, step forward. Your activity in Zealot has been extremely impressive up to this point; not to mention the metric load of work you do for Vanguard. For this, I am elevating you to the rank of Major, congratulations.

1st Lieutenant Li Coden, for your continued activity in Vanguard; I hereby elevate you to the rank of Captain.

2nd Lieutenant Anishor, step forward. For your activity in both Vanguard and Zealot, I am proud to elevate you to the rank of 1st Lieutenant.

For their service to the RSPA and continued activity in Vanguard; I am hereby promoting the following people to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant:

Michael Paladin
UglyIthorian
Shikari
Lespin

Congratulations to the three of you, and thank you for your continued activity.

Commander Abi Ocopaqui; for your tremendous service to the RSPA in ground based operations, crafting, and moral support for the many facets of SWG ground combat, I am proud to award you with the Dagger of Courage, congratulations.

Major General Phil Darkfire, Major General Xtremegene, Colonel Luren Ketan, and 1st Lieutenant Adhemar Voltin, step forward. For your continued support of the RSPA, activity in SWG, and numerous individual accomplishments spanning the fictional and non-fictional aspects of the organization I am pleased to award each of you an Alvace Star.

Brigadier General Daryus Zalyn`Cya, step forward. While close to the end of the list of recognitions, yours is certainly not insignificant in any way. For your continued loyalty to Vanguard operations, and in recognition of your return to the unit as a contributing and motivated member, I am proud to award you the Kessel Cup. Congratulations.

The final person I would like to recognize from Vanguard is a person who has many faces in the RS. Some of you know her as a hot Twi’lek female in galaxies. (Mainly because all Twi’leks in SWG are hot, assuming they are female :P) Those of us in the ABG know her as a chocolate-loving smuggler with a knack for crying. Still others know her as the motherly figure they can run to for advice when they’re feeling down. This person has been instrumental in the transition that Vanguard has taken back into the RS. She has been with it from the beginning, working right alongside the ‘mainstream’ RS in order to bring a unique opinion, beliefs, ideas, and knowledge to the table. I can not say enough good things about her; so without further delay…

1st Lieutenant Sarriah, I hereby promote you to the rank of Captain with all of the privileges therein. In addition to this, I am hereby awarding you the Iridium Spire, making you the lowest ranking RS officer to ever earn this high award. You are indeed a role model for all of us, and I thank you for being a part of our organization.

Colonel Mathow Bizegar step forward. For your work with the logistics office; and a personal note from the PBF CO (included below)…

For all your help in making and testing TIE missions, you have helped keep the the flame of TIE fighter alive. Without the help of Muzor and Yourself, the RS might not be supporting TIE Fighter right about now. You've helped out in teaching me how to make better missions as well. For all your hard work, both here and the Logistics Office, I thank you!

I hereby promote you to the rank of Brigadier General, congratulations.

Lieutenant General Cyrel Vandroth, step forward. I don’t need to list your accomplishments here; your work in the ABG is simply legendary. Thank you for, well, being you; and in busting your ass to bring us the best work that you can possible churn out. For this, I hereby promote you to the rank of full General. Congratulations.

I apologize for those that I have unknowingly glanced over, I will be sure to take care of you in the coming days. I know a few COs have reserved the right to promote a few people for their monthly NLs; so hold tight!

X. Miscellaneous Notes

I’d like to thank everyone again for their tremendous help with everything. The small awards I handed out above are the least that I can do to express how much I appreciate what everyone has done for the RS as a whole.

As always, the RS Wiki needs YOU to help continuously update pages! Write up something with your character, your ship, and the planet you’re from! We’re always looking for new and innovative fictional and non-fictional articles to keep our wiki growing… so get writing! Soon you’ll be able to claim these wiki creations for RS merit credit; so get started now!

XI. The First Month

Well a month has come and gone with me sitting in the big chair, and I figured I would take a few short moments to sit back and sift through the stuff that’s happened. August has been a tremendously busy month, aside from the transitional stuff and the things that normally need to be done in any given month a cornucopia of things have been going on. I find myself spending more and more time in front of a text file working on different facets of RS fiction and non-fiction; and while fun, it is very draining. Though these things can be draining, I do find myself enjoying my time here in the Big Chair, and would like to give a sort of reflection to the rest of you to close this SotRS.

I have a passion for the RS, for the universe as a whole; and even while the things we do can be difficult, tedious, and draining, we still do them because we enjoy them. On a personal side people were concerned about me ‘burning out’, but I honestly don’t see this happening because of this passion. When you truly enjoy something, when you have that burning passion, you can put your mind to anything and make it work and this is true for both the RS and life in general. Find your passions and pursue them, you just might be surprised with what you can accomplish.