BATTLEGROUP III REPORT #5

June 1, 2024
VA Locke Setzer

Introduction

Greetings, pilots of Battlegroup III! We have a lot to go over this month - we have command openings, a new competition to kick off, accolades for ReMob, and the introduction of new monthly awards. This is definitely one report you don't want to miss, so let's strap in and get to it!

Battlegroup News and Competitions

Competition Announcement - Battlegroup III Summer Games

To carry us over the summer between fleet-wide events, I'll be running a Battlegroup-wide competition that might honestly be better thought of as a series of small competitions.

I am proud to present... the 2024 Battlegroup III Summer Games!

(Any likeness or similarity to the 2024 Summer Olympics is purely coincidental...)

Over the summer, I'll be launching a particular challenge (or event) that will run for two weeks and be open to the whole of the Battlegroup. Events won't be announced until they start, so there is an element of surprise here. It could be a high score for a single player mission... or the most kills in a EABF2 PvE match... highest score in a Squadrons match-made PvP match... or something else entirely.

All events will be skilled based, not activity/spam based. The goal with this competition is to have something light over the summer that doesn't require a large time commitment to participate in and enjoy.

We'll likely run 4-5 different events over the summer. Awards will be handed out for each event individually, although I may informally list a total of medals won by squadrons for fun.

(Any similarity to the Summer Olympics Medal Count by country is also purely coincidental... totally...)

Check out the competition listing for additional details and hints on some of the events that might occur. The competition begins this upcoming Friday, on June 7th! Keep your eyes open for more details!

Firebird Squadron Commander position open for Applications

Our Firebird Squadron Commander, SirCaleb, has asked to step down due to time commitment issues. I'm grateful for his service in the role, and I look forward to continuing to have him as a member of this battlegroup!

The position of Firebird Squadron Commander is now open for applications. Applicants are required to have completed the Squadron Management 6 (or any of its predecessors) Imperial University course and should review the informal Guidance and Expectations list for squadron commanders in Battlegroup III before applying. Additionally, popular platforms for Firebird have historically been Star Wars Squadrons and EA: Battlefront II, so knowledge and experience with those platforms will be expected.

Interested applicants should reach out to myself, either via Discord or email at locke.f.setzer@gmail.com. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions as well, either about the position itself or this change. Thank you!

Expansion Squadron Announcement

In an effort to be forthright, I would also like to announce that we are actively looking to open an expansion squadron this summer. The reason for this is straightforward enough: we currently do not have any open roster spots for new pilots! As such, our next logical move is to proceed with opening a new squadron.

At present, we are planning to reopen Tornado Squadron, a squadron with a rich history that hasn't had a recent revival. I am asking that anyone with interest in being involved in this new squadron, either in a command role (CMDR, XO, FL) or simply to be involved with something new, to reach out to me via Discord or email at locke.f.setzer@gmail.com.

I realize this is a delicate request, and no one wants to step on any toes. However, at present, there's simply no room to bring in other pilots, which prevents new pilots from being assigned alongside their recruiter, and in many cases, their friend(s). That isn't what anyone wants. As such, I will be coordinating this change with each of the squadron commanders in this Battlegroup, and will strive to ensure that any action taken is done in a way that is fair and best accommodates everyone's interests.

For what it's worth, I'm also always open to any proposal someone might have for a new squadron as well. Typhoon Squadron came out of such a proposal, and I think that's worked out rather well. So please consider that a standing offer as well - one that will remain open even after the likely reopening of Tornado Squadron.

Please reach out to me directly if you have interest in being involved in this new squadron, or even if you just have questions about this process. Appreciate everyone's support and understanding as we work towards a bright future for this Battlegroup!

Announcement - New Monthly Awards for Best in Battlegroup III

I've decided to revive an old tradition of handing out monthly awards for high performance in the battlegroup - specifically, the following titles:

• Battlegroup III Squadron of the Month
• Battlegroup III Pilot of the Month
• Battlegroup III Leader of the Month

While these awards don't come with a medal on their own, it does give me an opportunity to acknowledge and recognize some of the excellent work being done throughout this Battlegroup, highlighting one squadron, one pilot, and one leader (typically a CMDR, XO, or FL) each month.

You can find this month's awards below, in the section on Battlegroup III Awards and Stats for the month of May 2024! Please reach out if you have any questions!

Competition Reminder - Trivia for the Challenged

Friendly reminder that Trivia for the Challenged is on-going, with this season in full swing! Every week, our own COL Miles Prower issues a new set of trivia questions, with topics ranging from anything from Star Wars proper to people and places in the Emperor's Hammer! Current season runs through October 31st, 2024, with monthly awards being given, as well as an IS-GR up for grabs for the season winner. It's never too late to jump in, so feel free to take a look at this week's questions if you haven't already!

Keep an eye on #bg3-competitions-announcements on the Discord server to see where to find the latest trivia questions and to see the current standings! Otherwise, for more information about this competition, please view the competition listing.

TIE Corps News and Competitions

Squadron (Re)Mobilization 6 Results

ReMob 6 has concluded! Thanks to all who participated in this competition! While the results are not official-offical quite yet, there's enough known that I want to go ahead and give a special shout-out to Tempest Squadron, who managed to complete the most tiers in BG3, as well as third overall for tiers completed in the TIE Corps!

Additional shout-out to Typhoon Squadron, who was not far behind them, had 100% participation, and finished with enough tiers to likely place fourth overall in the TIE Corps! Well done!

Thanks again to everyone who played a part in this competition! While I don't know if we'll be doing a survey for this one, I highly recommend making use of the #suggestion-box channel on the Discord if you have any thoughts and feedback you'd like to share about this competition (or anything else going on in the TIE Corps). Don't be shy - your feedback can make a world of difference!

The next fleet-wide competition will be Raise the Flag, arriving this September...

New Combat Event - Destiny 2

The COO office has announced a new combat event for Destiny 2, running from June 1st through July 7th!

This combat event encourages players to play Destiny 2 PvP and PvE modes with at least one other member of the EH during the weekend (Saturdays from 12pm UTC until Sundays 7am UTC). For every ten games played, one ORA will be awarded (with a max 1 per week).

To learn more, check out the competition details for this event!

Battlegroup III Awards and Stats for May 2024

Battlegroup III Monthly Awards for May 2024

For the inaugural version of the Battlegroup III monthly awards, congrats to the following:

• For Battlegroup III Squadron of the Month for May 2024, congrats to Tempest Squadron! Tempest's ReMob performance made this first award an easy one to decide!
• For Battlegroup III Pilot of the Month for May 2024, congrats to CM Jagged Fell III! Your SP, MP, IU, Wiki, fiction and mission design contributions this month were a big part of Typhoon's ReMob success!
• For Battlegroup III Leader of the Month for May 2024, congrats to Tempest Squadron Flight Leader COL Mordred! Your encouragement for ReMob, assistance to your fellow squadron members, and citation competition have been a key part of Tempest's success this month!

Battlegroup III Monthly Stats for May 2024

Stats of the Month:

• Over twenty different BG3 pilots took an IU course!
• Most Popular Platform (both by total activity AND by unique pilots): Star Wars Squadrons (followed by X-Wing Alliance)
• Platforms used this month (from most unique pilots to least) included Star Wars Squadrons, X-Wing Alliance, EA Battlefront II, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, TIE Fighter Total Conversion, TIE Fighter, Balance of Power, classic Battlefront 2, X-Wing, Star Conflict, and Star Wars: The Old Republic

Conclusion

That's all for this month! I know this was a lot, so as always, I highly encourage you to feel free to reach out if you have any questions about things going on in Battlegroup III, the TIE Corps, or anything else. My email is locke.f.setzer@gmail.com and my Discord name is LockeSetzer. Please use whichever is most convenient for you. My door is always open!

In Service,

BGCOM-CAPT-TOA/VA Locke Setzer/Battlegroup III
GS/SSx7/BSx10/PCx7/ISMx6/IAR/MoT-8rh-12gh-16bh/MoI/MoS/MoC-poc-goc-soc-8boc/MUA/IS-GW-15SW-19BW-25CW-2PR-5GR-9SR-11BR-CR/ORA-2C/LoC-TS/LoS-RS/DFC/CoS/CoLx2/CoB/LoAx5/OV-23E