Battlegroups Report 16

[taps the com button] Testing…testing…is this thing on? Greetings! Welcome to yet another edition of the Battlegroups Report! Lots going on this week, so let’s get right to it.

NEWS FROM THE BGS

The DB issue has been cussed and discussed in so many forums (too many, perhaps) that I see little need to mention it here. It has cost us some pilots, although fewer than many feared. RA Charles Spencer has also been called back to the ATF to help rebuilding efforts there, so I have promoted Sephiroth to Rear Admiral and ChalCOM! Congratulations!

We have also appointed a new Wing X WC. Congratulations to Major Frey!

Competitions continue on all fronts, and the much-awaited BG comp is getting close to starting! Stay tuned for more details soon.

One last word on the DB thing: the Fleet Commander has issued a list of seven persons who are to be banned without exception in all official EH IRC channels. The seven follow below, along with a list of IRC info for them.
Firefox
Khyron
Jac Cotelin
Chi-Long
Corran Force
Pyralis / Darth Vader
Trevaru Caerick
Remember – this list is a direct order by the FC himself. You can agree or disagree privately with it, but you’re duty-bound to follow this order.

STANDING ORDERS AND PROCEDURES

Nothing to add here this week. I am planning on bringing the Tactics section back to this report in light of increasing pirate activity along the borders. For a refresher of past subjects covered, refer to the report archive on the TC database.

There may, however, be a BG SOP developed in the near future. If this does occur, Commodores will be included in the process, and input from other ranks will be solicited as needed. Watch this space for more information.

RANT FROM THE RANKS

We have a rant this week. It comes to us from a commander in one of the Wings in the Battlegroups, and concerns Flight Leaders. As always, the rant comes first, followed by my thoughts and comments.

Is it just me, or are there too many open Flight Leader positions? Why don't ppl take them? And what's a Flight leader? Some see it simply as a way to go beyond LCM. Others put FLs making paperwork (flight reports). I say that a FL should simply be an example for his FMs. The only thing that should be required from a FL is participation in all flying comps and a constant activity, like 1 battle a week, or 1 mission if he's too busy. I say this because it's the CMDR's job to do the paperwork, and remain in contact with his subordinates, which I think is somewhere stated in the SM/3 course. Also, paperwork scares the "I'm just here to fly" kind of pilot, who really prefers to remain away from any command position. You should take the available flight leader positions, because you can reach the rank of Captain there (that rank has a certain style to it), and there's really no pain to it. The higher the ranks in a roster are, the better a roster looks.

BGCOM REPLY: I agree with part of this, but also think that a kind of ‘dual track’ FL can be created. You can have one who is the great example to the guys; a fine pilot who doesn’t do much paperwork and leads by example. But you can also have a FL who acts as an XO or takes on other duties assigned by his CMDR (recruiting, competition development, training, and so on). One reason people might turn down the FL position is that they see it as useless. If you want to more than a pilot, why take a position that isn’t much more? And if you want to fly, why take a position that requires paperwork? It’s up to each CMDR to look at his FLs, decide which kind he has, and then use them to their fullest potential. The flying FL is one of the best bedrocks a squadron can have, and the kind that wants more responsibility is a future CMDR. Develop them both!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Nothing to add this time around.

That’s all for now. Keep flying and having fun!

BGCOM/AD Krax Tarnisar/TIE Corps Battlegroups