Rebel Squadrons

June 2014 State of the Rebel Squadrons

By RA Lamin Zykara
Unit: The Rebel Squadrons
SotRS, Jun 02, 2014
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June 2, 2014
State of the Rebel Squadrons

I. Foreword
II. Project Updates
III. Activities and Events
IV. Promotions and Awards
V. Conclusion

I. Foreword

May was a busy month for the Rebel Squadrons, and I'm pleased to say that I'll be recognizing several members with promotions and awards. I'm looking forward to seeing another active month for our members in June, even as we continue working to streamline our setup and make things work "behind the scenes".

II. Project Updates

Task Force System - As we have repeatedly shared, we'll be moving to a system where any activity with enough interest will become a Task Force, with a dedicated leader who coordinates events for that activity. I'm sure you all saw my email to the club on the petition form, which is now live and is being reviewed regularly. Please know that you can fill out the form multiple times as your interests change and evolve!

Academy Revamp - Among the forty other tabs open in my browser is a draft of the guiding document for our training and academy system. While I am finalizing and preparing the document for publication, the broad strokes of the plan are these:

  • Basic training will consist of general knowledge items that serve the entire RS, and will be designed to orient a new member to the community without making the process lengthy or complex.

  • Supplemental training will exist as an optional aspect of some Task Forces. Each Task Force Leader will have the option of creating a "Training Course" that members can complete to learn more about that Task Force's activity, and completion of this Training Course will earn you a specific award from that Task Force.

    This will be analogous to the old old Academy, where XvT and XWA had different requirements, and completing them would get you a ribbon (Master Cadet with Honors, etc) and entry to the fleet that "owned" that game. However, the modern Training Courses will be:

    a) entirely optional
    b) not broken into three levels, but just one, and
    c) up to the discretion of the Task Force Leaders.
More on this is forthcoming, so stay posted.

Merit and Qualification System - I'm currently discussing implementing a merit or qualification system with High Command and the Executive Staff. This isn't ready yet for the club as a whole to see, but I hope to have drafts available for everyone by the end of June!

III. Activities and Events

Operation: Fast Forward ended on May 31, 2014, with a good showing from all RS units. We've tried some new things during this session, including X-Wing Miniatures, Warframe, and Star Conflict. I'll be handing out medals and awards from this session momentarily.

Operation: Fabulous Lommax is now in effect! I will post another news post shortly covering these activities and our events for June, along with a narrative and some other background information.

Moving forward, Admiral Sconn (before departing on his Leave of Absence) asked me to put the call out for all those members interested in doing fiction writing, either as part of the staff or as an activity unto itself. If you're interested in fiction writing at all, please let Sconn know at adm.sconn@gmail.com.

IV. Promotions and Awards

First up, the session awards! To start, I need Admiral Licah Fox, front and center! Ladies and gentlemen, our one and only Admiral Fox swept the killboards during Operation: Fast Forward, successfully posting the highest score for X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, and X-Wing: Alliance. It is therefore my great pleasure to recognize Licah with four (yes, FOUR) Citations of Victory, in recognition of his outstanding performance. Licah, this is getting embarrassing; next session, I'm thinking about handicapping you to fly with only one hand, or something like that. Congratulations, old friend!

Commander Rahm Nyko, First Lieutenant Jaran “Gunsmoke" Farlance, and General Daryus Zalyn`Cya, front and center! These three officers have tied for first place in our internal RS Trivia Competition during this session. It's my pleasure to present each of you with the Citation of Victory! Well done, and congratulations!

Colonel Ta`Re Djo, front and center! In recognition of your hard work in developing and running the RS Trivia Competition, I am pleased to present you the Merit Commendation. Thanks for pushing a new activity for our members. Congratulations!

Commodore Kirghy Lommax, front and center! Commodore Lommax, it is my great pleasure to present you with the Vigilance Flying Cross in recognition of your top performance in Star Conflict during the past session. Congratulations, Kirghy!

Admiral Tyrell “Spokes" Borran, front and center! Ladies and gentlemen, this last session saw some extraordinary performances by a lot of members, but one stands out in particular. While in combat in his Warframe, Admiral Borran found himself separated from all allies (due to a “Host Migration" malfunction in the system firmware, apparently). Undaunted, he fought on and killed over 160 enemies in five waves before finally being disabled and taken out of the fight. Admiral Borran, in recognition of this outstanding performance, it is my pleasure to present you the Vigilance Flying Cross. Congratulations, Spokes!

Now, onto our Top Guns. For the Singleplayer Top Gun, you'd be forgiven for assuming that Admiral Fox had this one locked up, thanks to his shutout of the legacy platforms, but in fact we see an upset this session. First Lieutenant Jaran “Gunsmoke" Farlance, front and center! Thanks to strong performance in the RS Trivia Competition, you've edged out the infamous Licah Fox to earn Operation: Fast Forward's Singleplayer Top Gun Award. Congratulations!

Hang around for a second, Jaran, because I have another announcement for you. In light of your activity over the past six weeks, your enthusiasm for the Rebel Squadrons, and your intense activity levels, I've decided to exercise a bit of my Fleet Commander's prerogative. It is my great pleasure to promote you to the rank of Captain! Congratulations, Captain Farlance!

Next: Colonel Nicolai Ginofev, front and center! Nico, you've edged out Licah's 50 hours on the RS Minecraft Server by just a tiny bit, making you this month's Multiplayer Top Gun with 30.3 points! Well done, Nico!

Finally, I'd like the membership of Red Squadron to please stand. This past session saw a lot of intense competition, but at the end of the day, Red Squadron is our Top Squadron for both scoring and participation! Well done, Red Squadron! But watch out - FireClaw was close behind you, and as the personal squadron of the Fleet Commander, I can guarantee you'll be seeing some competition soon! Well done, Red Squadron!

Now, onto a few other promotions and awards that are not based on this session. First, I'd like to have Second Lieutenant ChristoUS82, front and center! Chris, it's been fun playing X-Wing Minis with you from time to time, and you've shown yourself to be a dedicated and active member. On the recommendation of the Operations Officer, it is my pleasure to promote you to the rank of First Lieutenant! Congratulations!

Next, Admiral Castor Efrata-Landis, front and center! Castor, as one of the longest-serving members of the Rebel Squadrons, it can be hard to find an award that you haven't earned at some point in your lengthy career. With that said, your Squadron Commander recently nominated you for an award, stating: "ADM Castor Efrata-Landis has participated monthly in X-wing and TIE Fighter for well longer than I have been CO or even XO of Red. To top it off, he regularly participates in our Star Wars Trivia and plays Pazaak, as well." In recognition of your exemplary activity and dedication to X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and Red Squadron, it is my pleasure to present you with the Alvace Star. Congratulations, Castor!

First Lieutenant Galen McGrath, front and center! Your Squadron Commander put you in for a medal based on your dedicated activity levels as you dealt with some challenging life issues. After considering her nomination and your service record, the Operations Officer recommended to me an alternative course of action, which I believe is the best way to recognize your hard work. Under my authority as the Rebel Squadrons Fleet Commander, I immediately advance you to the rank of Major, in recognition your promotion to Captain should have occurred much sooner than now in light of your dedicated service during Operation Recon and Operation Deadly Trap. Congratulations, Major McGrath!

V. Conclusion

May was a great month for us - let's make June even better! There's a ton of cool stuff to do and more adventures on the horizon. So, let me close by offering my big congratulations to all of the award recipients and encouraging everyone to go out, have some fun, and enjoy the next session. May the Force be with you all!

All the best,


Commodore Lamin Zykara
Rebel Squadrons Fleet Commander
fc@rebelsquadrons.org

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