Battlegroups Report 4

Greetings and welcome to a new edition of the Battlegroups report!

As you all know by now, the ECR is over. First off, I’d like to thank the crew of the Immortal for giving me such a good home during my first months as BGCOM. Any commander would be proud to have a flagship with your professionalism and bearing.

But now I guess you could say my ‘career’ has gone full circle. My first TC assignment was to Thunder Squadron of Wing X (commanded at the time by Indaro Gallia), and now I find myself back on board the ISD Challenge. I’ve settled into the Flag suite now (although my brewing equipment still needs to be set up, and there’s a mess in the corner that looks like it might have been left by one of my BGCOM predecessors who’s now a Squadron Commander in Wing X), and it’s time to get back to work.

STANDING ORDERS AND PROCEDURES

If you’ve been reading the FO reports lately, you’ll know that there seems to be some confusion regarding transfers and promotion requirements. I’m going to run through these quickly, but let it be known that I expect *all* commanders in the BGs (from the most veteran COM down to the newest CMDR) to be familiar with these procedures and comply with them as they are laid out both in the Training Manual and the FO’s homepage.

First off, transfers. If you’re wanting to transfer, I expect you to cc all the necessary officers (your CMDR, WC, COM, me, and the FO, as well as the chain of command of the unit you’re transferring to) with your e-mail. None of us like to find out about transfers after the fact, because we weren’t included in the e-mail. I’d also suggest that you view a transfer as a last resort. If you’re not happy in your Squadron, talk to your CMDR about it, or your WC if the problem is with your CMDR. You can also talk to me directly if you don’t feel comfortable with your chain of command. Personally, I’d like to know why a pilot wants to leave the BGs, so I can take any corrective steps needed to keep my people happy and having fun.

CMDRs at all levels also have a responsibility to know why their people want to leave. There will always be those who feel that “the grass is greener” in another unit, but if one of your steady, dependable people suddenly wants out, you might have a problem. I expect to see communication here, and a genuine effort to improve conditions so that people want to stay, and want to transfer into your unit!

A quick word about elite squadrons: if you’re invited to join one, it’s just good manners to let your current commanders know about the invitation before you accept! Even though it’s by invitation only, it’s still a transfer and the usual procedures need to be followed.

Promotions need to be gone over again as well, it seems. Take a look at the ‘time in grade’ requirements as laid out in the Training Manual. While some may not agree with them, they are the rules we have to live and work with when it comes to promotions. They’re there for a good reason (to prevent rank inflation and to check the ability and dedication of those up for promotion), and I expect that they will be followed. But by the same token, I don’t really want to see people promoted based only on ‘time in grade.’ As a CMDR, WC, and COM, I followed the rule of promotion based on ability and initiative. Such a system allows the cream to rise, if you will. Just because someone has been a commander for five months, say, doesn’t mean he’s earned a promotion. If all he does is fly once a month and nothing else, don’t promote! It’s common sense, but we all need to hear it on occasion.

Keep in mind that as CMDRs (and those who want to be commanders should read this as well) you’re responsible for following these procedures and making sure your people know how to follow them as well. If you have any questions, ask your direct superior. I’m also available to clear up any trouble spots you may have. Next report I’ll take on the subject of medals.

UPCOMING COMPETITIONS

With the end of the ECR, I don’t plan on having any BG-wide competitions until February. That gives you all time to have some fun and schedule smaller competitions. Some of the BG ships have squadron leagues going, while others are working on FCHG races or competitions with other Wings. I’d encourage all of you to stay active in some way. Activity is a habit, just like inactivity.

The Immortal is in the process of setting up a ‘virtual exchange program’ with a ship outside the BGs. I did this while I was COM of the Relentless with Wing IV, and found it to be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. If any of you have questions about this, please contact RogueWing or myself and we’ll be happy to help. Personally, I’d like to see more BG ships doing this kind of thing. It helps us learn how other TC elements work, and lets them see how things work in the BGs.

One final note: as you all may have noticed, we are the TIE Corps Battlegroups. That implies that there are TWO battlegroups within the BGs’ structure. For our upcoming competition, I am tactically reorganizing the BGs.

Battlegroup I will be composed of the ISD Colossus and ISD Challenge (BGs Flag), along with their support and escort ships. In the aftermath of the ECR BG I will be withdrawn to the Aurora Sector for a scheduled refit and then assume sector patrol duties.

Battlegroup II will be composed of the ISD Relentless (BG Flag) and ISD Immortal, along with their support and escort ships. BG II will assume border patrol duties along their assigned sectors.

This provisional organization does not officially replace the BGs order of battle as listed in the Fleet Manual, but it will used for this new competition. You’ll be hearing much more about this soon, so be ready.

COMMAND OPENING

You may have noticed that Theo stepped down as the RelCOM. He left some big shoes to fill, and I’m going to start accepting applications for the Commodore position of the Relentless very soon (as soon as it’s posted on the TC News page, in fact). Just so you know, the minimum requirements will include:

A commitment to the position for no less than four months. If you don’t think you can make that kind of time commitment, don’t even bother to apply.

No HCI convictions, UNLESS the applicant can demonstrate that he/she has learned from his/her mistakes and will not repeat the conduct that led to an HCI conviction. The seriousness of the HCI conviction will also be taken into account here. I allow second chances, as many of you know, but you need to show me that you’ve earned that chance. Past success doesn’t count here.

A successful tour as either a COM or WC.

All applications must be sent to myself and the FO. Don’t send anything until you see the announcement on the TC News page. I want to fill this position fast, so be ready.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I know the first few weeks of the New Year will be slow, as people are all settling into school, jobs, or just recovering from that New Year’s party, but this gives us a chance to reflect and plan. In the past the goal of the BGs has been to have 200 members, and I’d like to start this push again. We can all do something to recruit, even if it’s not for our own ship. Rogue Wing, the ImmCOM, has been doing some recruiting outside the EH, using his custom missions as a springboard. I’d like to publicly commend him for this, and encourage those of you who are good at creating missions (the Wing IX WC springs to mind…;-)) to do the same. Our custom missions are one of our greatest assets, since they allow us to reach out to those people out there who still love to fly TIE and XWA. We might even want to consider creating special missions for just such recruiting efforts (might be an idea for a good comp…).

Speaking of mission creation, one thing I’m seriously considering is a comp to design ship-specific training missions. This would be something that each COM/WC could give a newly arrived pilot that would both teach them something about their new ship and allow CMDRs to get a feel for a newcomer’s flying skill right off the bat. It would be an easy promotion for a new SL, and would give returning veterans something to do. If there’s enough interest in this, we can work out the details and I’ll set it up as a BGs-wide competition.

Finally, starting next month (January’s MSEs) I’ll be selecting a Pilot, Squadron, CMDR, and Wing of the Month. I have some specific requirements in mind, and there will be more on these in the next Battlegroups Report.

Keep up the good work!

BGCOM/VA Krax Tarnisar/TIE Corps Battlegroups