issue #187 april-june 2016

ISSUE #187
APRIL-JUNE 2016
STARFLEET MARINE CORPS
LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD LIFEFORMS!
WWW.SFI-SFMC.ORG
Issue 187
APRIL - JUNE 2016
FEATURES & ARTICLES
Starfleet scholarship fund
03
The cq is looking for you!
04
Promotions
05
Cover Design: Matthew Miller
Orders of merit
06
Copy Editor: Cynthia Duran
Publisher: Robert Westfall
Editor-in-Chief: Matthew Miller
Layout Editors: Kevin Plummerr and Matthew Miller
Production Manager: Bran Stimpson
Mysticon Science Fiction Convention
7
50th Anniversary Committee Statement
8
Local Recruiting and Retention
9-13
USS Heimdal Celebrates 32nd Anniversary
Remembering Wayne Killough, jr.
14
15-21
Information Security
22
Operations Report
23
Communications Report
24
Acting Vice Commander Report
25
Academy Report
26
Computer Operations Report
27
Financial Office Report
28
Published by: STARFLEET,
The International Star Trek Fan
Association, Inc.
PO Box 2706
Denver, CO 80201
Submissions may be sent via e-mail to: cq@sfi.org
Postmaster, please send address corrections to: STARFLEET Member Services
PO Box 2706
Attention on Deck!
29-32
Starfleet Staff Directory
33-34
Denver, CO 80201
Star Trek and All Related Marks and Logos are Trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All rights reserved.
The STARFLEET Communiqué is a publication of the
Communications Department of STARFLEET, The International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc. It is intended for
the private use of our members. STARFLEET holds no
claims to any trademarks, copyrights, or properties held
by CBS Studios nor Paramount Pictures. All content from
Star Trek including still images and character names is the
property of Paramount Pictures Corporation and CBS
Studios, Inc. and no infringement is intended. STARFLEET,
The International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc. operates
as a non-profit fan club and is committed to promoting
Star Trek.
The contents of this publication are Copyright © 2016
STARFLEET, The International Star Trek Fan Association,
Inc. and/or the original authors. All rights reserved. No
portion of this document may be copied or republished
in any way or form without the written consent of the
Office of the Chief of Communications, STARFLEET.
(USPS 017-671) Entered as periodical matter at the Post
Office of Denver, Colorado, under the act of March 8,
1879. The Communiqué is published quarterly by
STARFLEET, The International Star Trek Fan Association,
Inc., P.O. Box 2706, Denver, CO 80201.
2
STARFLEET SCHOLARSHIP FUND
WWW.SFI.ORG/SCHOLARSHIPS
Ever since 1990, our organization has
presented monetary scholarships to
special active STARFLEET members who
are attending community colleges, four
-year colleges, most technical schools,
junior colleges and universities or graduate school, or any other accredited
institution/organization that offers a
certificate/certified program. If unsure,
just ask the Director.
Scholarships are awarded in amounts
of up to $1,000 based on number of
applicants and availability of funds.
APPLICANTS MUST BE A STARFLEET
MEMBER AND MUST HAVE BEEN A
STARFLEET MEMBER FOR AT LEAST
ONE YEAR BEFORE THE APPLICATION
DEADLINE. The application period runs
from January 1 through June 15 of each
year. June 15 is the Application Deadline. At our annual International Conference each summer, the scholarship
winners are announced for the next
academic year beginning in the fall semester.
Over the years, the number and variety
of our Scholarships have changed. The
following is a list of the current Scholarships that STARFLEET offers:
ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY – James
Doohan/Montgomery Scott Engineering & Technology Scholarship
This very popular Scholarship covers
any field related to engineering and
other fields of study involving technology, computer science, etc.
MEDICINE & VETERINARIAN – DeForest
Kelley/Dr. Leonard McCoy Memorial
Medical & Veterinarian Scholarship
This is for medical studies of both humans and animals and is awarded for
programs in medical school, nursing
school, physical therapy, pre-med,
EMT-Paramedic, surgical technician,
biomedical technician, and the study
veterinary medicine.
ARTISTIC – Gene Roddenberry Memorial/Sir Patrick Stewart Scholarship for
Aspiring Writers & Artists
This is for all those studying acting,
dance, music, writing, literature, or for
skills and training relating to the media, graphic artists, film making, etc.
BUSINESS/MANAGEMENT/
EDUCATION – Armin Shimerman/
George Takei/LeVar Burton Scholarship for Business, Language Studies &
Education
This Scholarship is for business and
management studies, the study of
foreign languages or studies abroad,
and for teaching.
MISCELLANEOUS – Space Explorers’
Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship honors the Apollo,
Shuttle Challenger, and Shuttle Columbia astronauts and Russian cosmonauts that have died to further our
efforts in space exploration. It is a
“general duty” scholarship and applies
to all courses of study not mentioned
in the other 4 Scholarships. If scholarship applicant’s field of study does not
quite match up with one of the other
scholarship types, they may be awarded this one.
3
Think about it,
if every
member made
a $1 donation
to the
scholarship
fund each
year, we could
fully fund the
program.
When you renew, look for this box.
The CQ is looking for you!
Do you have what it takes to join the STARFLEET News Service?
If you are interested in any of these things, we need you!



Editing.
Layout Design.
Reporting and Investigation.

Administration
Does this describe your skillset?

I can work on a team of professionals or on my own.

I consider myself unbiased and fair.


I can get things done
Excellent time management
JOIN THE STARFLEET NEWS SERVICE TODAY! CONTACT CQ@SFI.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION.
4
STARFLEET Q2 2016 Promotions & Awards
ADM Linda Kloempken, Member Recognition Administrator, USS Czar’ak, Region 6
F
rom the period of January to March 2016, the following officers were promoted on the order of the Regional Coordinator or the Executive Committee, submitted for consideration by their peers using the online form at http://
www.sfi.org/promotions/. If you know of a crewmember who is eligible and deserving of a promotion, use that
form. Promotion criteria are located at http://www.sfi.org/docs/flag-promotion-criteria.pdf.
In STARFLEET, promotions up through the rank of Commander or Lt. Colonel, SFMC, are typically granted by the chapter Commanding Officer. Promotions to Captain or Colonel, SFMC are typically the responsibility of the Regional Coordinator.
Those promotions are usually announced at the chapter and regional level. Flag Officer ranks are those of Fleet Captain
(Brigadier) and above, and those promotions are voted on by the seven-member Executive Committee after reviewing nominations submitted by members. If you have any questions or concerns, you may reach me at promotions@sfi.org.
To the rank of FLEET CAPTAIN:
To the rank of COMMODORE:
Denise James, USS Ronald E McNair, Region 1
DJ Powers, USS Ronald E McNair, Region 1
James Ortega, USS Potomac, Region 1
Ken Purdie, USS Nelson, Region 15
Randolph Allen, USS New Orleans, Region 3
Shanon Lindbloom Sr, USS Oklahoma, Region 12
Chris Szverra, USS Richthofen, Region 7
Donna DiMatteo, USS Moebius, Region 7
Edward McQueen, USS Valiant, Region 12
Erinn Boyd, USS Virginia, Region 1
Julie Taucher, USS Columbia, Region 1
Lee Warren, USS Richthofen, Region 7
Lowell Whitaker, USS Columbia, Region 1
MarkAdam Miller, USS Hephaestus, Region 2
Paul Herring, USS Phoenix, Region 12
Tim Heilers, USS Drakonia, Region 1
Tom Gorman, USS Invincible, Region 7
To the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL:
Christopher Bayonet, USS Gallifrey, Region 1
Derek Sauls, USS Indiana, Region 1
Justin Donovan, USS Destiny, Region 12
Marc Easterly, USS Hecate, Region 7
To the rank of REAR ADMIRAL:
To the rank of VICE ADMIRAL:
Connie Williams, USS Horizon, Region 12
Scott Gibson, USS Charon, Region 1
Jerry Conner, USS Yeager, Region 1
To the rank of MAJOR GENERAL:
To the rank of ADMIRAL:
Danny Potts, USS Hephaestus, Region 2
Jason Schreck, USS Columbia, Region 1
Jeff Victor, USS Challenger, Region 7
Ruth Lane, USS Liberator, Region 1
Warren Price, USS Providence, Region 1
Rey Cordero, USS Liberator, Region 1
5
Orders of Merit (April to June 2016)
Order of Babel
Grankite Order of Tactics
Laura Sardeson, USS Battle Born, R3
Second Class
Second Class
Michelle Westfall, ISS Katana, R12
Eric Willette, USS Ares, R15
Andrew Peterson, USS Battle Born, R3
Sarit Carsten, USS Battle Born, R3
Michelle Randall, USS Ares, R15
Glenda Stephenson, USS Diamondback, R3
Steven Sardeson, USS Battle Born, R3
Paul Fest, USS Ares, R15
Jeff Webb, USS Texas, R3
USS Valiant, R12
Tom Guertin, USS Ares, R15
Jen Peterson, USS Battle Born, R3
Third Class
USS Dark Phoenix, R12
Jeremy Carstens, USS Battle Born, R3
Jill Tipton, USS Jurassic, R1
Third Class
Kathy Hench, Ark Angel Station, R3
Peggy Eubanks, USS Star League, R1
Shawn Drovesky, USS Orion, R12
Laura Sardeson, USS Battle Born, R3
Stephanie Mayes, USS Artemis, R3
Lloyd Bates, Ark Angel Station, R3
Tamara Smith, USS Star League, R1
Mike Brown, Ark Angel Station, R3
Wendy Weston, USS Zavala, R3
Order of Cochrane
Third Class
Matthew Miller, USS Alaric, R1
Peggy Eubanks, USS Star League, R1
Tyler Morgan, USS Artemis, R3
Mike Calhoun, USS Valiant, R12
Mike Trujillo, USS Tarvos, R3
Order of Tarbolde of Canopius
Reba Scott, USS Battle Born, R3
Second Class
Reed Bates, Ark Angel Station, R3
Sarah Hays, 340th MEU, R3
Sarit Carsten, USS Battle Born, R3
Order of Darmok & Jalad
Second Class
Steven Sardeson, USS Battle Born, R3
Teach Minchew, USS Battle Born, R3
Paul Lennox, USS Brian Boru, R20
Ed Tunis IV, USS Corsair, R3
Glenda Stephenson, USS Diamondback, R3
Jeremy Mayes, USS Artemis, R3
Lucy Ferron Franck, USS Zavala, R3
Mike Brown, Ark Angel Station, R3
Randolph Allen, USS New Orleans, R3
Order of S’harien
Robert Zane, USS Apollo, R3
Order of Dionysus
Second Class
Sarah Hays, R3
Third Class
Robert Hall, USS Zavala, R3
Steven Sardeson, USS Battle Born, R3
Reed Bates, Ark Angel Station, R3
Third Class
Third Class
Sam Sprading, Ark Angel Station, R3
Ken Cunning, USS Tycho, R1
Tim Heilers, USS Drakonia, R1
Matt Napierala, USS Tycho, R1
Order of Prentares
Third Class
Sherriea Williams, R1
Robert Hunnicutt, USS Zavala, R3
Order of Samaritan
Second Class
Order of Roddenberry
Brian Haynes, ISS Katana, R12
Third Class
Chris Trujillo, USS Tarvos, R3
Stephen Halkovic, USS Valkyrie, R4
Denine Sanders, Retribution Station, R3
Jeremy Carstens, USS Battle Born, R3
John Hetzel, USS Crockett, R3
Justin Donovan, USS Discovery, R12
Kelly Dehenny, ISS Katana, R12
6
Stephen Bynum, USS Robins, R1
Mysticon Science Fiction Convention
by ADM Linda Smith, USS Heimdal, Region 1
The Mysticon 2016 Science Fiction
Convention was held February 26 –
28 at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood in
Roanoke, VA. Because of the popularity of the Convention Guest of
Honor, Game of Thrones author,
George R.R. Martin, the convention
was completely SOLD OUT by September 2015. The con is usually sold
out but not nearly as early.
12 Heimdal members attended;
either for the entire weekend or just
for a day or two but everyone who
went had a fantastic time.
I had the unbelievable honor of
being the convention’s Fan Guest of
Honor, which was a once in a lifetime
experience. I had to be present for
Opening & Closing Ceremonies, I
gave an hour presentation on Saturday called, Admiral on the Bridge, &
Jerry Conner & I hosted a panel, Remembering Leonard Nimoy on Sunday. Jerry & I were 2 members of the
5-member panel but were the only 2
panel members to show up. We car-
ried on & people said we did a great
job; Jerry hitting the technical points
of interest & me carrying the human
interest part of the discussion.
At Opening & Closing Ceremonies I
was seated next to George R.R. Martin & had a chance to have a conversation with him. He is a delightful
man & it was a joy to meet & speak
with him. At Opening Ceremonies he
told the packed room that he was
having autograph sessions throughout the weekend & asked that people not stop him in the halls, at meals
& especially in the bathroom for autographs. Of the bathroom he added,
“…especially if you don’t have a
BOOK for me to sign.” He had a great
sense of humor.
Willy & I ran into Heimdal friends
on Friday night & we all went to the
“interactive” Rocky Horror Picture
Show. It was the first time for some
of us, although all of us had seen the
movie many times. The “interactive”
show was VERY different & uninhibited. If you’ve been, then you can imagine the impression it left on those
of us who were “first timers.” We
had fun.
The Dealer’s Room at Mysticon is
always PRIMO with some of just
about everything for sale. 2 Heimdal
members got matching Science Department glittery tattoos & Willy got
a Vulcan ear job.
7
Every year we have our pictures
taken by a photographer who is a
Mysticon regular & does some
pretty amazing “green screen” work.
This year 5 of us had our pictures
taken in the Transporter Room together in the process of either
beaming in … or out. I never was
sure which, but the picture was
cool.
We ran into old friends & shared a
couple of meals with them, which
was also cool.
The Costume Contest wasn’t as big
as it usually is but there were some
really good costumes.
There were non-stop activities &
panels all weekend long & the art
show was good, as always. I continue to be fascinated by the art show
entrant who displays her terrific talent in beautiful art pieces made entirely of dryer lint.
Mysticon has something for everyone & it was especially exciting for
me this year as Fan Guest of Honor.
50th Anniversary Committee Statement
by LT Robert Byng, USS Alba, Region 20
A lot can happen in 50 years; the
passing of time is both a thing to
rejoice, and to fear - it's something that binds us all, regardless
of position or status. Time brings
forward new discovery and wonders, it does not rush us nor does
it slow us down; it merely coexists
with us as a reminder to cherish
what little of it we have and it
gives us a helping hand in remembering to be kind to one another
as our coexistence with time is
limited.
across the planet who put aside their
differences and petty squabbles to
realize that dream - Starfleet International. 50 years approach on the horizon, and through the binding of time
we pay tribute to Gene Roddenberry
and his vision, a vision that we see
becoming more reality by each passing turn of the calendar.
While the fleet has seen the birth
and death of members, Star Trek has
- regardless of a few bumps along the
way - survived the rest of time; this is
our moment to celebrate the diversiAs Gene Roddenberry unfortuty and uniqueness of our fleet and
nately passed before his time, he the franchise that we cherish. On the
left a legacy upon us. Prior to man distance Star Trek may have been
stepping foot on the moon, the
seen as a lost cause by executives,
Enterprise travelled the stars;
however it was fans that had kept
during an era of social and racial
this utopian dream alive then, as we
turbulence, the Enterprise had a
do now. This is a new golden age for
diverse and charismatic group of both the fleet and Star Trek - soon
individuals who paid no attention we will have a new movie, a new telto such pettiness; when the world evision series, and the potential for a
held its breath far too often on
new line of virtual reality video
the verge of mutually assured
games and through this we once
nuclear destruction, the Enteragain have the opportunity to reigprise had shown a world of mutu- nite the warp drive both for ourally assured cooperation and an
selves and the millions who will be
end to the worries that man kind experiencing their first Federation
faced then, and still faces today.
Captain in the coming few years.
All of us reading this have a common hope and desire for that
When the committee was trying to
world created by Gene Roddencome up with ideas on how to lead
berry, and for as long as there has the fleet forward in these celebrabeen Star Trek there has always
tions it was always of primary imbeen a group of individuals from
portance that it be equally a celebra-
8
tion of our members and their dedication both to the fleet and to the
franchise over these many years.
Birthdays have always been a cause
for families to come together and
place differences aside, and I can
think of no more humble or warm a
family than this fleet to share this
most momentous 50th birthday
with. This has been a collective, international effort of passion and
love, of which we hope that our
members which be ample to share
with us. Across regions and chapters local members organize their
own celebrations as a family joined
by thousands more from STARFLEET
of which all come together with the
same joyous tones. In my own
Chapter - the USS Alba - in Scotland,
our ranks have been abuzz with
fresh faces and activity as we sit on
the edge of our seats in anticipation
of what the next 50 years will hold
for Star Trek; our numbers rising is
more than just new membership,
it's the extension of our growing
international family and more people joining in the vision that has
lasted five decades and will last five
decades more.
To those who join me in this celebration, know that it is much a celebration of your own spirit as it is of
the spirit of Star Trek, and a thing
truly remarkable to take pride in.
Local Recruiting and Retention
by LCDR John Bevan, USS Dark Phoenix, Region 12
Recently, I spoke with Linda Olson after she remarked in the
weekly Fleet Strength Report that
R12 had been growing by leaps
and bounds lately, especially with
my ship gaining fourteen members in the past month, making
us now the largest ship in Region
12 at 58 souls in our crew. So,
Linda suggested that I write this
article to discuss our growth.
First, I would like to discuss retention. I know that in most discussions recruiting is the first
subject but my view is that if we
cannot retain our crew, there is
little purpose to recruit. After all,
we are trying to grow rather than
replace bodies that drift out the
airlock after only a year or two of
membership.
had therefore learned the inner
workings of SFI and chapter organization. I began speaking with our
CO and XO (Ralph and Sunnie Planthold, respectively) and tried to
come up with ways to keep our
members. I also started putting
my proverbial ear to the ground
and listened to what others were
saying.
The largest complaint was that the
ship "never did anything" other
than the monthly dinner meetings.
Further, only one topic was discussed each meeting which, while
it sounded like a fun community
service project, was not of interest
to the crew. (In fact, as it turned
out, our crew took an anonymous
survey a month or two later and
they stated that they had little interest in being a "community service" ship.) So, through discussions with the CO and XO, I became the Morale Officer and
"Cruise Director." As is well
known, the squeaky wheel gets
the duty assignment, so I got to be
the one to start planning our activities.
When I joined SFI in January
2015, my ship was nearly down
to the bare minimum of ten souls
needed to stay afloat as a commissioned ship. In fact, just after
I joined, we lost a couple due to
divorce and that actually did
drive us down to ten. This concerned me since I had just completed both OTS and OCC and
Our first event was just over a year
9
ago now, in April 2015. I hosted
what I called the P4 Event in my
home. P4 stood for Pizza, Pop,
Phlicks, and People. The event
started at 3pm on a Saturday
afternoon but people were invited to come and leave as fit their
schedules. I set no end time because I wanted to allow everyone
as much time to hang out and
relax as they desired. We had
several who showed up between
3 and 3:30 but others came later.
The last person to leave the
event was actually one of those
who came at the start and he
ended up launching his personal
shuttle toward his home coordinates at 5am. All in all, we had
the majority of the crew (both
SFI and non-SFI members) attend
at some point during the event.
In fact, this event and the promise of others made some of our
non-SFI crewmembers renew
their memberships and come
back into the official fold.
Our next event was scheduled
for June and it drew even more
of a crowd. At the Region 12
Summit in April, we met a gentleman who had worked at Star
Trek: Borg Invasion at the Las Ve-
gas Hilton and he agreed to do a
slide presentation showing the
attraction both as guests saw it
and as it looked "behind the
scenes." This event was Standing
Room Only in my home. The
attendance included not only our
crew of SFI and non-SFI types but
also some prospective members
and friends or family of the
attendees. Our turnout was
about 20 including a journalist in
the group taking pictures and
writing a paper for publication in
a local news magazine.
Our next significant event was
organizing an Away Mission to
the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson,
Kansas. We set this up to be
open to all of Region 12 rather
than being a chapter event only.
This allowed us to play with people from other ships around the
Region, most notably the USS
Jeannette Maddox based just a
few minutes away from there.
While the Away Mission was
some slight distance away from
our home port (about 0.001 light
seconds, aka 184 miles) and not
many of our crew could make it,
we still had about a dozen people
from all the ships combined, so it
was still a fun event and it also
allowed some of us (such as me)
to meet people who were only
names on a computer screen up
to that time. (It also turned out
that, according to Christine Leddon, CO of the Jeannette Maddox,
that she had become quite familiar with my name through various
reports that she had seen. I wasn’t sure how to take that at the
time! J)
As a result, the Academy Night
saw many people complete OTS
and at least start--and, in many
cases, complete--OCC. Upon successfully passing said test, they
earned their promotions to LieuBefore the end of my first year of tenant (Junior Grade). It also saw
terrorizing the CO and XO with my many starting their paths toward
Bridge Officer Certifications, purmembership, we had two more
events at my home that had never suing personal interests, and
more. We made a request that
previously been done with our
each member who wished to
crew: an Academy Night and a
attend our inaugural Academy
ship meeting that was also a Halloween costume and potluck par- Night submit a list of several
courses to me so that I could rety. Our ship offers, as do many
others, promotion to Ensign upon quest the courses on their behalves and have the appropriate
completion of OTS. In order to
study guides printed and availaencourage attendance at Acadeble for them when they decided
my Night and the taking of more
Academy courses, our ship decid- to come.
ed to offer an additional onegrade promotion upon compleThere were four computer station of OCC when started during
tions set up with MS Word,
Academy Night and completed
Google Chrome, and other rewithin the normal 10-week winsources so that they could more
dow.
conveniently and comfortably
10
Local Recruiting and Retention
take the tests. Any who were
taking the same test were
placed in separate rooms to disallow the possibility of cheating
(something that our Academy
hierarchy wished to insure, of
course). The attendance at this
Academy Night was about a
dozen, which by this point in the
growth of our ship, was about
two-thirds of our crew, and
most took two or even three
tests. Also, because of this
event, we had more junior officers serving aboard her than had
previously served on her crew in
her 13-year history combined!
For October, our regularlyscheduled ship meeting was to
occur just one week before Halloween, so I suggested that we
delay the meeting a week and
have it be not only a business
meeting but also a fun event.
So, we promoted it as a potluck
and costume party. Attendance
was overwhelming! In fact, I
had to call upon some friends
and family to get enough tables
and chairs to accommodate eve-
ryone in my small house! What
was originally going to be about
12 grew to just shy of 20 and, as
we intended this to be a sit-down
meal, that meant that I had to
make room for everyone to have
a place to sit. We made it work,
though. We had not only our
crew but also some unassigned
SFI members, unaffiliated guests,
and family members of our crew
come along. We even had three
Cadets show up, the first time we
have had Cadets in our midst, so
that was a welcome development!
at the Away Mission taken into
consideration when promotions
were being weighed (since, per
our Crew Handbook, it was a
Region event rather than just a
chapter event). The more
events that people attend, the
more points we give them toward earning their next promotions. All this effort has helped
us regain the expired members
that were among our non-SFI
crew and retain those who have
joined during the changes in our
activities. At this time, we have
no non-SFI members among our
crew: all our ship's complement
is composed of SFI members!
So, we are now retaining well
but what about how we recruit?
Well, we are doing more there
too. Previously Sunnie and
Ralph would invite people they
met by chance at restaurants,
movie theaters, business networking meetings (they are enAll in all, we have tried to
trepreneurs during their reguentice our members to stay active
larly-scheduled lives, as am I),
in SFI by giving them reasons to
and through other random endo so. For example, one cannot
counters to attend our meetings
attend Academy Night and take
if they seemed to express an
Academy courses without being
interest in Star Trek or in scian active member. While one
ence fiction in general. Predictcould attend the Away Mission
ably, these efforts netted few
without being a member, only SFI
new members over time and
members could have attendance
those who did come joined for a
11
year, maybe attended a few
meetings during that year, and
then faded away.
cover. For example, when the
Star Trek 50th Anniversary Concert came through Topeka a few
weeks ago, we had a large number of folks from four of the local
ships (USS Dark Phoenix, USS
Missouri, USS Valiant, and USS
Oklahoma) who were meeting
and greeting folks and handing
out promotional flyers and other
materials from the recruiting table we had in the lobby.
So, one thing that we always do
when we are in the public eye for
any event--picnic, ship meeting,
attending a movie as a group, etc.
--is wear our ship uniforms. We
have polo shirts that come in each
of the division colors as well as
white (for the active duty Starfleet
Marines to wear). This way, we
show unity and get people to
come up and ask questions, even
more so when they see our rank
pips and comm badges. Most of
our crew and the crews of other
Region 12 ships have purchased
these uniforms since they are inexpensive (about $25 apiece) and
look quite sharp!
Another thing is that we participate in any activities that we dis-
12
served the roles of Security for
many of the panels, the museum, and the dealer rooms. This
year, we are doing that and
more by expanding our services
as well as ideally getting more
people to volunteer. After all,
last year, we had six of our
folks working at TopCon but
now we have four times as
many members, so I am certain
that we can have more bodies
to add to the workforce. When
we are not on duty for the convention, we head down to the
dealer room in which we have
a recruiting table set up. It was
from here that we obtained no
fewer than seven new members last year.
However, physical presence is
not the only way that we reWe also had a couple of people cruit. We also are now setting
dress up in full Klingon regalia.
up a website to let people
Unfortunately, due to certain
know who we are, what we do,
limitations, neither could bring
and how we play together. Adalong their bat’leths (even the
ditionally, though it is not yet
ones made out of cardboard) but implemented, we are going to
oh well!
have a discussion board on the
website as well as a calendar
on which to post our events so
Further, we volunteer at local
that it can keep not only our
conventions in whatever capaci- crew but anyone in the general
ty that they require. Last year,
public informed as to what we
for instance, we volunteered at have going on. This is also goTopCon 2015 in Topeka (KS) and ing to be our primary Internet
presence as we are pulling
Local Recruiting and Retention
away from Facebook due to
certain limitations and restrictions that they have in
place, not to mention the fact
that some of our members decline to have Facebook accounts for various reasons.
Additionally, we have a monthly newsletter that goes out on
the 15th of each month to a
distribution list of over 120
folks in addition to our crew.
There are many who are
friends from other ships within
SFI but there are also some
who are members of independent ships and many who have
expressed interest in joining
but have not yet taken the
plunge. We have developed
our newsletter from a dressedup version of the ship’s Monthly Status Report and the Second Officer’s report that detailed the events that occurred
during the past month and
what was to come in the next
three months to something
much more professional. We
now produce a PDF that averages about 25 letter-size pages
each month (our largest has
been 50 pages) that has a multitude of articles in the areas of
Engineering, Security, Medical,
Veterinary, and Astronomy as
well as reports from the Marine
Strike Group and the Command
Staff. Further, we have a page of
puzzles at the end of each issue.
Our newsletter helps to attract
new folks because from the accompanying pictures they see the
variety of activities we enjoy and
the fun that we have.
In all that we do, whether in person or online, we convey our
closeness, camaraderie, joviality,
and sense of fun and humor. We
let others know that we are here
to enjoy ourselves and make sure
that others have the same fun
that we do. As long as others see
that we are approachable and
inviting, we will keep on gaining
new members.
There is not one approach or set
of approaches that will work for
each ship or each area of the
country (or world) but these are
what we found work for us. Try
various things and see what
works for your ships. When you
find something productive, keep
going with it. Dig into it like a
rich vein of gold ore. If it dries up
in time, pursue something else.
No matter what you do, though,
remember to have fun!
13
USS Heimdal Celebrates 32nd Anniversary
by ADM Linda Smith, USS Heimdal, Region 1
The USS Heimdal didn’t have a regular meeting in April but instead
celebrated her 32nd. Anniversary as
a Starfleet chapter with a HUGE
party. 55 people attended the
event that was held in the ballroom at the Holiday Inn Downtown Lynchburg. Members, former
members & Heimdal friends came
to share the moment & Starfleet
members, John & Mary Kane came
from NC to be there.
The party theme was “Back in
Time with Elvis” & was supposed
to be a new Heimdal Holodeck
program.
People were greeted at the Welcome Table by Bonnie Davis,
signed in & received a gift bag.
Then they moved on to a second
table watched over by a life-size
stand-up of Captain Picard where
an artist painted Star Trek logo &
insignia glitter tattoos on hands,
arms, faces & chests. It was such a
trap, bag of “Don’t Eat the Yellow
Snow” & “Unicorn Poop” jelly
beans, an animal nose, Ninja Turtle mask, goofy teeth, candy &
too many funny items to remember. The gift bags are always so
much fun.
You passed a life-size stand-up of
a talking Elvis when you entered
the ballroom. Motion activated,
the Elvis stand-up said, “Hi, I’m
Elvis Presley,” “Thank you for
letting me talk to you,” & “Thank
you very much.”
The evening began with a Meet
& Greet followed by the
“Welcome” by Linda Smith, the
Heimdal’s CO. The blessing was
offered by Heimdal’s Chief Chaplain, Tim Hazlett. Tim & his wife
had come from Chesapeake, VA
for the event. The blessing was
followed by a delicious Southern
Buffet dinner. The buffet table
was flanked at either end by lifesized stand-ups of Archer & Riker.
Following dinner everyone was
treated to Heimdal videos, which
were funny & also a 2015 chapter
retrospective. The videos were
presented by the video team, Karen Delano & Willy Smith. Linda
gave out trophies to Karen & Willy & to the Heimdal members
who compromised their dignity to
“star” in the videos.
fun addition right at the beginning
of the party.
Everyone enjoyed their gift bags.
Each gift bag contained a finger
Following the videos, everyone
was treated to a 90 minute performance by Elvis Tribute Artist,
Taylor Rodriguez. He is 18 years
old, very respectful of Elvis as an
artist & phenomenally talented.
He sang many songs, joked &
14
walked into the audience giving
special women an “Elvis scarf” &
kissing them on the cheek. EVERYONE had a wonderful time & enjoyed Taylor’s performance. Taylor
had a tip jar & all donations made
to the jar went to Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital. He donates most of
what he makes to charity. He did a
most superb job of taking us “Back
in Time with Elvis.” What a Holodeck Program!
Following the entertainment, Taylor
helped draw tickets for 5 door prizes & the evening ended with the
message that “Our Adventure Continues ….”
Remembering FADM Wayne Killough, Jr.
After so many years of not seeing
him, I finally met him in Memphis, at
the IC and it was good to meet him
and talk with him. He was the vicecommandant of the Academy at the
time. I see him as a person, and
more importantly, a friend and a
mentor. STARFLEET Academy will
never be the same without him.
-VADM Jamie Delantonas, USS
Constitution
15
Wayne and I at the Region 2 Summit in Navarre,
FL, Feb 27, 2016. Wayne was a really special guy
and I'm going to miss him.
-FCAPT Ryan Case, USS Haise
16
Wayne Lee Killough, Jr.
We lost Fleet Admiral Wayne Lee Killough, Jr. late Saturday night, April 16, 2015, in
hospital, due to complications from recent surgery.
The news of his passing rocked STARFLEET, his coworkers at Capgemini, and his fellow
stage performers in the Gay community.
Wayne was a multi-faceted and multi-talented person, giving his best to the
organizations he was passionate about. He was kind, attentive, and had a ready smile
for his many friends, even though he suffered from health problems, from the loss of
dear friends and family, and suffered abuse from strangers who objected to his lifestyle.
The last few months were emotionally and physically hard on him, but he received joy
by giving of himself to STARFLEET and to the Miss Gay Missouri pageants held in
Springfield, Missouri. As a female impersonator, he often danced and lip-synched on
stage. He won the title of Miss Missouri Continental Plus in 2011 under the persona of
Robyn Hunter, which was also the persona he performed with.
He was a skilled IT troubleshooter, and worked with Capgemini, as well as lending his
skills to the Academy Website team.
Wayne served STARFLEET with honor and dedication in every position he held, including
its highest offices. When it came to STARFLEET he always did what he thought was in
the best interests of the Fleet, and his passing is a great loss to every member of this
organization.
Wayne served STARFLEET at the chapter and Regional level, having started two
chapters, the Witchfire in the early 2000’s and later, Retribution Station, both of which
he served as Commanding Officer.
Wayne joined Academy in 1997, assuming the Directorship of STARFLEET Academy
College of Medicine (SACOM). Over the 19 years he served in Academy, he helped
develop a number of Colleges and programs, and held positions at every level, including
that of Academy Commandant. He still administered SACOM and the Academy Degree
Program until his death. he was expecting to return full-time to Academy after his term
as Commander, STARFLEET. Since he was shy 10 credits to obtain his 4000 the Boothby,
17
and would have reached that goal in the near future, Academy has renamed the
4000th Boothby to the Wayne Lee Killough, Jr. Memorial Boothby.
The following obituary appeared in the local newspaper and online:
Wayne Lee Killough, Jr., age 39, of Palestine passed away April 17, 2016 in Austin.
He was born October 18, 1976 in Pasadena to parents, Wayne Lee Killough, Sr. and
Cheryl Marie Dauzat Killough. Wayne was employed as a computer analyst for
Capgemini. He graduated in 1996 as valedictorian of Dubach High School and then
continued his education at Stephen F. Austin State University earning a Bachelor of
Business Degree in 2015.
Wayne is survived by his father, Wayne Lee Killough, Sr. of Latexo; sister, Sherry
Coleman and husband, William of Little Rock, Arkansas; nieces and nephews, Cody
Colvin and wife, Christy of West Monroe, La, Lisa and Aaron Ockerman of
Summerfield, La.; great-nieces and nephews, Meredith, Fisher, Ryland and soon to
arrive Farrah Okerman; aunts and uncles, Linda Poston of Anacoca, La., Terri
Santiago and husband, Albert of San Diego, CA, Dale Eaton and husband, David of
LaPorte, and Dallas Dauzat and wife, Darlene of Anacoca, La.; and numerous other
relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by mother, Cheryl Killough and grandparents, Jeff Lee
and Faye Killough and Dallas and Enola Dauzat.
Funeral Services for Wayne Lee Killough, Jr. were held Thursday, April 21, 2016 at
10 a.m. in the Callaway-Allee Memorial Chapel with Father Peter McGrath
officiating. Interment to follow in the Evergreen Memorial Park. The family will
receive friends for visitation Wednesday from 5-7 p.m.
There are no adequate word that can fully describe who Wayne was, or what he
meant to us that knew him. He will be forever missed and mourned.
..."Unto God's gracious mercy and protection we commit our departed
friend. Bless Wayne and keep him. The Lord make his face to shine upon
Wayne, and be gracious unto him. The Lord lift up His countenance upon
Wayne and give him peace, both now and evermore. Amen"
-ADM Carol Thompson, USS Atlantis
18
The Best Friend A Girl Ever Had
I have STARFLEET to thank for many of the people in my
life, but with the exception of my fiancé, the greatest gift
STARFLEET gave me was Wayne Killough. If we are lucky,
we meet a few people in our lives that we just immediately
click with. That was Wayne and I.
We met in 1995, via a resume that he sent me in the mail.
At the time I was the editor of the Region 12 newsletter, UFP
Today, and needed a sector correspondent for the state of
Missouri. Thus began our friendship via emails and letters.
In April of 1996 we finally met face to face. He was 19. To
those of you who never had the privilege, one of the first
things you noticed about Wayne were his stunning blue
eyes; but after even a short conversation what you would
remember most was his intelligence and his wit.
His family will remember him as their rock. He was the one
they all came to no matter what they needed. He was so
proud of his nephew Cody Wayne and his niece Lisa Marie.
When they married and had children of their own he was
the doting great-uncle who spoiled them. His greatest joys
were those children. It is an indescribable loss that they will
grow up without him. He won’t get to teach them how to
build a house; how to change the oil in the car; how to
19
apply makeup for both on stage and off. And most
important how to be who you are when everyone is telling
you not to be.
What I will forever remember is his love and his kindness
and his understanding. In the 20 years we were friends we
went through marriages, divorces, new boyfriends, break
ups, births, deaths – life. No matter what crazy thing I did
he never judged me. He might occasionally smack me
upside the head and ask me “what the heck are you
thinking?” But he never judged. I could call him at 2:00 in
the morning and he’d answer. And even if I just called
because I couldn’t sleep, he’d talk as long as I wanted.
Wayne’s political activities extended far beyond STARFLEET.
He was the rare gay Republican and he would work on
campaigns, mostly local ones. He was very active with Gay
Pride as well as the National Rifle Association. He had
actually planned; after retiring as Commander, STARFLEET,
in taking an extremely active role in his local NRA. His goal
was to work at the state, and then the national level. He
wanted to be the next Charlton Heston. I know he would
have done it.
-RADM Denine Sanders, Retribution Station
20
21
Information Security
by CDRE James Ortega USS Potomac, Region 1
Has anyone seen the 60 Minutes special
"Putting SS7 into Perspective"? If not,
here is a run of some of the information
that they presented.
phone data private? There are a few
manufactures that make cell phones that
have been hardened to limit eavesdropping. These devices have all kinds of
encryption by default. Like I mentioned
Signal system #7, it's a global network of above doesn't matter. If a denial of serover 820 telcos operators. The SS7 sysvice attack is going on, your traffic will be
tem is an old system that was invented in dismissed. Here are a few steps you can
1975. The network is used to carry data take. Use an encrypted dialer app. Both
and billing information. The telcos use
parties must be using similar software in
this network to share data. If you have
order for the voice calls to be encrypted.
access into this network you can interDon't use SMS for and use an encrypted
cept phone calls and SMS messages.
messenger app. The purpose here is to
Cell phone location data can be harvest- try to stay off of the voice network as
ed. Our phones use this network every
much as possible. It's ideal to have your
single second of everyday.
traffic data only. By using encrypted
data only protocols this protects your
Stingrays or IMSI catchers, they are used information.
to eavesdrop on cell phone traffic. Law
enforcement uses these Stingrays in
Two factor authentication, second passcombination with small airplanes to con- word used to log into sites and services.
duct surveillance. The catcher works by
Many companies send this 4 digit passemitting a stronger signal than the near- word via SMS. Again as I stated above
by cell towers. Our phones are designed SMS can be captured. If someone is on
to connect to the strongest signal possithe SS7 network and see your SMS come
ble. To the phone and it's operating sys- across they can log into your bank. This is
tem, it doesn't know any better.
the real danger here. Use an authenticator app, (e.g. Authy).
Not only law enforcement using these
network and equipment, so are hackers
All anyone needs is your phone number
and criminals. Companies that have acto intercept all cell phone traffic. Maybe
cess to SS7 provide 3rd party access into it's best to have a throw away number
the system. If not, hackers will find a
and a secret phone number that very
way in. If that doesn't work, they'll
few have. The secret number can never
launch a denial of service attack on the
be posted to the internet or any digital
network. Once the attack is executed all system other than the telco.
traffic is dropped or is sporadic at best.
This also includes encrypted traffic as
well.
How can I defend against all of this
eavesdropping? How can I keep my cell
22
More detailed information about SS7
below.
Signalling System No.7
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Signalling_System_No._7
AP: FBI using low-flying spy planes
over U.S.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/apfbi-using-low-flying-spy-planes-overus/
Two-Factor Authentication • Authy
https://www.authy.com/
60 Minutes "Putting SS7 into Perspective"
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60minutes-hacking-your-phone/
Fun techy stuff
RSA conference 2016 - Ghosts in the
Network: SS7 and RF Vulnerabilties
in Celluar Networks
https://www.dropbox.com/s/
jxjrzettm5t3r2y/ESD-America--RSA2016.pdf?dl=0
STARFLEET Operations
ADM Robert Westfall, Chief of STARFLEET Operations, ISS Katana, Region 6
REGION
MEMBERS
(CHANGE)
CHAPTERS
(CHANGE)
01
950 (+6)
52 (-2)
02
507 (+4)
26 (0)
03
554 (+11)
27 (0)
04
435 (-8)
19 (0)
05
164 (+4)
10 (0)
It has been a great quarter for OPS, and I have to thank my hard-working staff
for that as they have been helping me keep things running during this stressful
period.
06
93 (-7)
8 (-1)
07
600 (+5)
26 (0)
Once of the best bits of news I have is that we have opened up a brand new
region. Thanks to the hard work and efforts of COL Jason Garrett (Intl. Recruiting & Retention Officer), along with ADM Jonathan Simmons (Vice-Chief of
OPS) and COMM Dan Adams (R20 RC), we have launched the USS Omni out of
Brazil. This not only gives us a new chapter, but opens up Region 18 as well…
for the first time ever!!
08
10 (+1)
1 (0)
09
57 (+1)
4 (0)
10
79 (+8)
2 (0)
11
86 (-15)
5 (0)
12
458 (+28)
23 (-1)
13
115 (+1)
5 (0)
14
2 (-1)
0 (0)
15
148 (0)
8 (-1)
16
3 (+3)
0 (0)
17
109 (-3)
7 (0)
18
19 (0)
0 (0)
19
0 (0)
0(0)
20
217 (+2)
8 (0)
00 & 99
10 (-13)
0 (0)
TOTAL
4,608 (-12)
240 (+1)
Greetings from Operations!
I also want to give a shout-out of thanks to all the chapters that have been submitted their MSRs; June showed our highest reporting rate in quite a while:
93.07%! Thank you, and let’s keep up the great work!!
CHAPTERS LAUNCHED:
CHAPTERS COMMISSIONED:
USS Apollo (R03) – 03 April 2016
USS John Paul Jones (R01) – 14
May 2016
USS Bozeman (R05) – 03 April
2016
USS White Eagle (R01) – 03 April
2016
USS Narrgansett (R15) – 21 June
2016
USS Merlin (R20) – 28 April 2016
USS Christine Hoagland (R01) – 13
June 2016
USS Omni (R18) – 27 June 2016
USS Belknap (R01) – 14 May 2016
USS Gorkon (R01) – 25 May 2016
23
STARFLEET Communications
CDRE Matthew Miller, Chief of STARFLEET Communications, USS Alaric, Region 1
Hours working on the CQ for the
month of March 2016:
June 1-7th
8 Hours
June 8-14th
August 1st: Campaign literature must
have been submitted to the Election
Coordinator for inclusion in the official
Election Publication.
September 1st: All ballots and Election
Publications must be in the mail by this
date.
7 Hours
November 15th: The professional hired
to conduct the election must receive all
ballots by this date.
June 15-21st
8 Hours
June 22-30th
Chief of Communications:
The CQ is still running smoothly and on
time. Don’t forget it’s election season.
Chapter CO’s and Regional Coordinators can submit nominations for the
next Commander, STARFLEET. You have
until July 15th to get your nominations
in to me. (nominations@sfi.org)
List Moderators:
No issues to report.
Facebook Admins:
Keeping up with regular posts on the
STARFLEET Facebook page.
Director of Public Relations:
8 Hours
Total Hours: 31
Election Timetable:
June 1st to July 15th: Nominations for
the position of Commander, STARFLEET are accepted.
June 1st: Campaigning may commence
for the purpose of soliciting nominations.
July 15th: The Election Coordinator
must receive all nominations by this
date. Any nomination received after
this date will not count towards the
official tally.
Nothing to report.
Special thanks to Jon Lane for creating
this wonderful new 2016 CQ design.
July 16th: Qualified candidates are
announced via the most expedient
means possible. Qualified candidates
must accept the nomination and announce their VCS candidate within 10
days or be disqualified.
24
November 20th: The winning candidate
is notified and incumbent Commander,
STARFLEET begins a transition period,
as defined below, if necessary.
December/January: Results are announced in the Communiqué.
January 1st: The newly elected officials
take office.
Acting Vice Commander, STARFLEET
CDRE Robin Woodell-Vitasek, USS Aurora Vulcanus, Region 4
First off, I would like to extend a warm greeting to
everyone who is reading
this. I was thrilled when
FADM Wayne Killough submitted my name for confirmation as Vice Commander,
STARFLEET. Unfortunately,
my chance to work closely
with Wayne in that capacity
was cut short. He will be
sorely missed. The voting
by the Admiralty Board, to
confirm my position as VCS,
closed after Wayne’s demise. I would like to thank
the Admiralty Board for
their votes of confidence in
me, but I may never fully
understand why they failed
to announce this to the general membership.
I am not totally new to the
VCS Office. Since 2014, I
have been serving as the
Chief of Staff to RADM Hayden Segel. Since assuming
the office, I have been very
busy. First off, I appointed
COL David W. Anderson, Jr.
as my Chief of Staff. He has
really helped me with
meeting people and getting
dialogues started.
The tough work has been
getting Membership Pro-
cessing back on track. We
have a great team in Kansas, which has hit the deck
running. All they ever
wanted was to be a secondary team but, when the
chips were down, they
jumped in and got things
caught up, after ADM Bran
Stimpson stepped down. I
would like to thank Bran for
his service to STAFLEET. As
I write this, I am in the process of appointing a Primary Team and a Membership
Processing Administrator in
Sacramento, California.
During this time, all the
equipment was returned by
RADM Matt Ingles and,
after contacting
stamps.com,
I was able to get the account, used by Matt, closed
and a refund of money that
was waiting to be used for
25
postage. This ended the
monthly account fee and
put funds back into SFI’s account.
Orientation has been another area of great change. We
have redesigned the letters
and added some options as
to how people want to receive their membership materials. I wish to thank anyone who has received these
letters and responded. It
proves that these new
letters are successful. Unfortunately, VADM
Peter Lutz stepped down as
the Orientation Officer. For
the past month I have been
doing this job to better get a
handle on what needed
streamlining. COL Craig Kamikawa is now serving as
Orientation Officer.
At this time PETFLEET is
growing. We have an active
Facebook group and with
Spring a lot of new pets are
being registered. Time in
Service Awards are being
awarded to the pet members for each year they are
with PETFLEET.
IC2016 is coming and I look
forward to meeting everyone in Kentucky.
STARFLEET Academy Report
ADM Peg Pellerin, Commandant of Starfleet Academy USS Constitution, Region 15
OMG, will the Academy please make up its
mind! I’m sure that is what is on many a
members’ mind. SFA has a course request
program, then it doesn’t, then it does and
now, again, it doesn’t. Well, folks, we plan
to not have one and the reason being is our
Academy has grown to have so many colleges that the program can’t keep up and
forms glitches with not sending the requests
to the intended directors on a regular basis,
which is why some of you feel you were
ignored when you didn’t get a reply to your
requests.
will be covered, as well as miscellaneous
sports (horse racing, soccer, track, etc.)
Most of the movies will be based on actual
events.
COLLEGE OF SPORTS TRIVIA
Glen Diebold, Director
Ussniagara@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION
From now on, members who wish to take
STARFLEET Academy course(s) should follow
these directions:
This college covers the National Football
League from its inception to the present in
chronological order.
1) Enter into your browser http://
acad.sfi.org/courses/index.php. This brings
you to our college catalogue.
COLLEGE OF DISABLED SPORTS and ATHLETICS
2) Click onto the course you wish to take
and it will bring you to a page that describes
the course and at the very top of this page,
the name and email of the director. Email
this director to personally request what you
wish to take. You may request up to five
courses at one time. Please give the director a full 7 days to reply to your request. If
you don’t receive anything after that time,
send another request, but this time copy
the Dean of said Institute.
3) Good luck and most importantly, HAVE
FUN!
James Delantonas, Director
FEATURED INSTITUTE:
Institute of SPORTS AND ATHLETICS
VADM Jamie Delantonas, DEAN
radmjamie@gmail.com
COLLEGE OF SPORTS HISTORY: NATIONAL
FOOTBALL LEAGUE
INTRODUCTION
This College introduces the student to the
world of competitive sports and athletics
for the disabled athlete.
INTRODUCTION
It is a journey whose path
depends, on another's vision
of where it ends.
ANSWER: Book
COLLEGE OF SPORTS HISTORY: MAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALL
NEW Riddle:
Andrea Debrestian, Director
It goes past gates,
but asks no one's leave.
It runs clear around castles,
without taking a step.
INTRODUCTION
Answer in next issue.
This College or Sports History covers Major
League Baseball from its inception to the
present in chronological order.
COLLEGE OF SPORTS MOVIES
Franklin Newman III, Director
Franklinnewman3@gmail.com
Andrea Debrestian, Director
Andreadee2016@gmail.com
Riddle me this
Jamie1701@outlook.com
Andreadee2016@gmail.com
Good luck with your SFA college courses and
more importantly, HAVE FUN!
Sports has been a favorite past time for
many since the dawn of time. From football
to soccer to even the Olympics, sports
attract several fans every year. This college
provides students with a fun, yet informative look at the Wide World of Sports..
ACADEMY INFORMATION
Further information about the Academy, its
staff and faculty, courses offered, and scholarships will be found at the following website: http://acad.sfi.org/
ACADEMY NEWS
INTRODUCTION
This college consists of movies that are
sports-themed. The four major sports
(baseball, basketball, football, and hockey)
26
For a listing of graduates and other news
not included in this article, please check out
the following website:
http://acad.sfi.org/news/news.php
STARFLEET Computer Operations
ADM Laura Victor, Chief of STARFLEET Computer Operations, USS Challenger, Region 7
First off, I’d like to put out a call
for applicants for the SFI
Helpdesk. Our current HD staff,
lead by James Ortega, is doing
a great job keeping up with
tickets. But right now James
has only 1 staff member, and it
would be a great help to get 12 additional members. Since
both James and Rey live in the
US, it would be great to get a
non-US based HD staffer, to
process tickets that come in
overnight. We’re looking for
volunteers to perform the following:

Review incoming tickets, determine possible solutions for
member issues.

Perform basic DB membership
tasks (reset passwords, review
membership/renewal status,
change user info).

When tickets cannot be resolved by HD staff (ex. Issue
with a member’s record) reassign tickets to appropriate EC
members/department staff as
needed.

Escalate Database issues to
CompOps DB team when a
technical issue or bug reported by support tickets is
affecting usability.

Recognize recurring issues
that have a standard solution,
and add to our Frequently
Asked Questions documentation for future reference.
In addition to expanding our
staff, the Helpdesk has been
researching a new solution for
our Helpdesk software. We’ve
been using Hesk software for
several years, and now we’re
ready to move to a more robust
solution, and decided upon osTicket. James is currently setting
up and testing the new system,
and we will be transitioning
over to using the new system in
the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
On a final note, I wanted to take
this change to speak about
Fleet Admiral Wayne Killough.
Like many members of STARFLEET, I was stunned to hear
about his passing this spring.
Wayne had been very ill, on and
off, for the past few years, and
had still been pitching in to assist his fellow EC members
when a department needed
help: answering helpdesk tickets, working on the Communique.
27
That’s one of my last memories
of Wayne, and a powerful one.
And it’s a rare quality to see a
Fleet member pitching in when
the work is outside their job title.
Whenever there’s a problem in
SFI, something not getting done,
there’s always a few people saying “someone oughta do something about X” and not volunteering to be that someone.
Wayne didn’t say “I’m CS, I’m
above answering helpdesk tickets.” He rolled up his sleeves.
It’s an example I think we all can
learn from.
STARFLEET Financial Report
GEN Linda Olson, Chief Financial Officer
April
May
STARFLEET Main Checking Account
Opening
Credits
Debits
Closing
$36,687.50
$2,612.26
$6,066.27
$33,233.49
$33,233.49
$5,042.31
$1,345.12
$36,930.68
IC Even Account
Opening
Credits
Debits
Closing
$3,604.14
$28.79
$0.00
$3,632.93
$3,632.92
$1,000.00
$0.00
$4,632.93
$8,135.69
$169.15
$53.44
$8,251.40
$8,251.40
$134.44
$292.45
$8,093.39
STARFLEET Scholarships Savings Account
Opening
$6,118.27
Credits/Interest
$53.43
Debits
$0.00
Closing
$6,171.85
$6,171.85
$737.17
$0.00
$6,908.85
SFMC Scholarship Savings Account
Opening
$2,729.90
Credits/Interest
$0.04
Debits
$0.00
Closing
$2,730.03
$2,730.03
$0.05
$0.00
$2,730.08
IC Odd Account (Not reported)
Opening
Credits
Debits
Closing
SFMC Checking Account
Opening
Credits
Debits
Closing
STARFLEET Scholarship CD
Current Balance
Rate
Matures On
28
$14,044.20
0.01%
2016-03-30
$14,044.32
0.01%
2016-03-30
ATTENTION ON DECK!
APRIL– JUNE 2016
State of the STARFLEET Marine Corps
GENERAL Michael J McGowan, Commandant SFMC
As I sit here in my hotel room
after the conclusion of R3
Summit 2016, I can relay a
couple of announcements
made during this event.
The SFMC has long named
most of our award ribbons in
honor of distinguished marines, past and present. The
General Staff has decided to
add names to two of our previously unnamed ribbons.
This first naming was made on
a suggestion that came in from
a marine of the 1st Brigade
and gained the (almost) unanimous support of the General
Staff. I say almost because it
was done quietly without the
knowledge of one member of
the GS.
Jerome Stoddard has served as
Sergeant Major of the SFMC
for some eight years now, and
has done so under three different Commandants. He has
done so with honor and integrity and set the bar quite high
fore has STARFLEET lost a
sitting Commander. Wayne Killough Jr. was a long time marine who dedicated himself to
the benefit of the organization.
His hard work and relentless
dedication will remembered by
the SFMC by the following:
for those who might follow
him.
Every year he selects and issues the Star of Honor to the
Corps' NCO of the Year, yet has
never been able to wear it
himself.
With this in mind, at the order
of the SFMC General Staff, and
with the absolute consent of
the Commandant, the ribbon
authorized as a token of the
SFMC Star of Honor Award, for
all recipients past and future,
will be known as the Stoddard
Ribbon.
The second naming was by
unanimous consent of the
SFMC General Staff. Never be-
29
At the order of the General
Staff, and with the absolute
consent of the Commandant,
the ribbon authorized as token
of the Distinguished Service
Cross, our highest non-Nebula
award, for all recipients past
and future, will be known as
the Killough Ribbon.
I have had a great time here
with the marines of the 3rd Brigade and hope to be back here
again.
Until next time, that is all.
State of FORCECOM
BGN Jari James, COFORCECOM, 503rd MSG, 5th Brigade
Hope everyone here in the States
enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend. On to this report's information.
Where was it?
Why did you do it?
How was it accomplished?”
Reading Challenge:
Unit OICs and Reporting Officers.
This reporting period is the last for
this cycles Reading Challenge. Make
sure you get your members reading
lists to my DCO soonest. Contact
Brigadier Liam Smith <
E-Mail: dcoforcecom@sfi-sfmc.org >
with any questions and concerns
you have. The results of this Chalsonal guidelines has always been
lenge will be announced at the Ma- 'Trust, but Verify'. I want to touch
rine Muster in August.
on a few things to make sure we're
all on the same page.
Personal Records:
As I've said many, many times before: if it's not in writing, it didn't
happen. Individual Marines, make
sure your Unit OIC, your ship's CO
or, if your an MEU, your BDE OIC
knows what you've been doing. Unit
OICs, stand up for your Marines and
take care of them. BDE OICs, it's
your responsibility to make sure
people are recognized. There are
many different ways to do that
within our awards system. Please
Read The Manual and see what applies.
With the Marine Muster coming in
August I'm sure everyone out there
wants to look their best, with their
uniforms in tip top condition and all
ribbons, badges and such in their
proper places. But it's amazing how
fast the time will fly by. It's never a
good thing to wait until the last moment to review your database records to make sure everything is
there that should be on there.
There are policies in place to enter
awards that you have been issued
but, for some reason, were not entered at that time. But it needs to be
made clear that the responsibility of
proof rests on the individual themselves. If you request an award to
be entered, you will need to produce a copy of the award certificate,
an email statement from the original issuing individual, a notation
pointing to where it was announced
in a newsletter, something that
shows it was issued.
I am always willing to discuss things
and will do everything I can to assist
the individual, but one of my per-
Awards, Nomination and Such:
Now on to those who write and
ask me why they didn't receive
recognition for something they did
or were a part of. Here I'm going to
thank the 12 BDE OIC MGN Julie
McGowan for allowing me to
'borrow' a part of one of her posts
to her Brigade Unit OICs on this
very subject.
“Remember if you don't report it,
it did not happen. Your Marines
depend on you to get the information out. They are a special
breed of person and deserve to
recognized for the good that they
do. Do not depend on them to just
come out and tell you what they
do. You need to ask them.
When you write your report, think
like a reporter. WE need the who,
what, when, where, why , and
how.
Who was involved and who did it
help?
What did the MSG do?
When did this happen?
30
And know that there is a six month
window from the time of the event
or action to get the nomination in. If
you did something cool on Jan 31
you have until July 31 to submit the
nomination or it's too late. This is to
help keep things fresh and current.
No one likes to think they've been
forgotten.
And a reminder that affects all of us,
both Corps and Fleet. Tomorrow [1
June 2016] begins the nomination
process for the next Commander
Starfleet. This is your chance to
comment, chose and make a difference in this fandom we all enjoy.
Just like the mundane world around
us, if you don't vote, you have no
right to complain.
'Nuff said.
Keep it safe out there and be nice to
each other.
State of INFOCOM
BGEN Mark Anderson, COINFOCOM, SFMC
Greetings Marines,
I hope everyone enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend. I hope you
took a few minutes to reflect on
those who get their last full measure for our nation.
This is usually the part where I’m
talk about the Memorial Day
sales, I think is the last couple of
years I have gotten my opinion
out so I’m not going to rehash it
again
this year.
As a reminded Region Summits
and IC are coming up in August of
2016 and that means awards season. I was contacted and issued a
few Communications Service
Awards this year
so far. So if you have or know of a
Marine that you think is deserving of this award please submit
them for this award. I will review
their work and issue the award if
they have meet the criteria. Here
are the requirements for the
award. Just a remember, you
can’t win if you don’t enter.
Communications Service Award
Issuing Authority: COINFOCOM
Frequency: As Needed
SFMC Ribbon Name: Dyar Ribbon
This award is given at the discretion of the COINFOCOM to those
Marines who have demonstrated
their communications skills in service to the Corps in general, or INFOCOM in particular. Such skills
may be demonstrated through
contributing to SFMC, BDE, or unit
publications; creation of superior
quality SFMC-oriented websites; or
other similar activities.
Here’s the Pingdom stats for April.
Uptime: 99.93%
Outages: 1
Downtime: 30 Minutes
Response time: 395 ms
State of FINCOM
MGEN Barry Jackson, COFINCOM, SFMC
I missed the report for April. I have
enclosed the April and May report
The numbers for the month of
April are as follows:
The checking account opened the
month of April with a balance of
$6301.12
Credit -$203.02 PayPal transfer
Credit - $69.50 R2 quartermaster
sales
Debits total - $293.87
USPS - 28.36 QM postage
Wal-Mart - 6.89 envelopes for qm
Vanguard - 258.62 (ribbon order)
Closing balance for the account
was 6279.77
The numbers for the month of
May are as follows:
The checking account opened the
month of May with a balance of
31
$6279.77
Credit -257.81 PayPal transfer
Credit - 123.00 R15 quartermaster
sales
Debits total - $946.26
USPS - 29.94 QM postage
Wal-Mart - 5.32 envelopes for GM
Pin pros Inc. - 472.00 Collar brass
Signature Coins - 439.00 Challenge
Coins
Closing balance for the account was
5714.32
The new collar brass is in. Cost is $5
for 1 or $10 for 2. You may order at
will.
Challenge coin are on the way. Do
not know the cost yet.
State of the NCO Corps
MGSGT Jerome A. Stoddard, SGTMAJSFMC, 503rd MSG, 5th Brigade
NO REPORT FILED
32
STARFLEET Staff Directory
Director, STARFLEET
Special Operations
Fleet Captain TJ Allen
sfso@sfi.org
Orientation Officer
Vice Admiral Peter Lutz
orientation@sfi.org
ACTING
ACTING
COMMANDER, STARFLEET
VICE COMMANDER,
STARFLEET
Commodore Robin Woodell-Vitasek
1-888-SFI-TREK (734-8735) x702
vcs@sfi.org
Admiral Robert Westfall
1-888-SFI-TREK (734-8735) x701
cs@sfi.org
International Conference
Liaison
Admiral Jerry Tien
ic@sfi.org
Inspector General of STARFLEET
Vice Admiral Jeffrey Victor
ig@sfi.org
Judge Advocate General
of STARFLEET
brigadier Mitch Dunn, SFMC
jag@sfi.org
Member Recognition Director
Admiral Linda Kloempken
recognition@sfi.org
Chief of Staff to the
Vice Commander, Starfleet
Vacant
vcs-cos@sfi.org
Membership Processing
Vacant
1-888-SFI-TREK (734-8735) x2
membership@sfi.org
Commandant of the STARFLEET
Marine Corps
General Mike McGowan, SFMC
dant@sf-sfmc.org
STARFLEET Chaplain
Vice Admiral Russell Ruhland
chaplainservices@sfi.org
ACTING
CHIEF OF
STARFLEET OPERATIONS
Admiral Johnathan Simmons
1-888-SFI-TREK (734-8735) x703
ops@sfi.org
Vice-Chief of
STARFLEET Operations
ops-vice@sfi.org
Chief of Shakedown Operations
PRESS SECRETARY TO THE CS
Colonel David Anderson, Jr.
PETFLEET Coordinator
Commodore Lee Vitasek
petfleet@sfi.org
ps@sfi.org
Surgeon General of STARFLEET
Colonel Gregory Fant, SFMC
medical@sfi.org
33
Rear Admiral Beau Thacker
shoc@sfi.org
Correspondence
Chapters Operations
Rear Admiral Beau Thacker
ops-correy@sfi.org
Monthly Status Report Officer
Captain Ronald Coleman
msr-submit@sfi.org
STARFLEET Public
Relations Director
Admiral Brandt Heatherington
pr@sfi.org
Operations Statistician
Captain Eugene Anderson
ops-stats@sfi.org
Recruiting & Retention Officers
North America:
Vacant
recruiting@sfi.org
International:
Colonel Jason Garrett, SFMC
CHIEF OF STARFLEET
COMPUTER OPERATIONS
Admiral Laura Victor
recruiting-intl@sfi.org
1-888-SFI-TREK (734-8735) x706
compops@sfi.org
COMMANDANT OF
STARFLEET ACADEMY
Admiral Peg Pellerin
1-888-SFI-TREK (734-8735) x705
Vice-Chief of Database Services
Captain William “Tony” Knopes
compops-vice@sfi.org
academy@sfi.org
Vice-Chief of Web Services (sfi.org)
CHIEF OF STARFLEET
COMMUNICATIONS
Commodore Matthew Miller
1-888-SFI-TREK (734-8735) x704
comms@sfi.org
Vice-Chief of
STARFLEET Communications
Vacant
comms-vice@sfi.org
Communiqué Staff
Copy Editor:
Lieutenant Cynthia Duran
cq@sfi.org
Vice-Commandant of
STARFLEET Academy
Admiral Glendon Diebold
Commodore Greg Mortensen
webmaster@sfi.org
academy-vice@sfi.org
Vice-Chief of Helpdesk Administration
Commodore James Ortega
Coordinator,
Academic Services
helpdesk@sfi.org
Admiral Carol Thompson
academics@acad.sfi.org
Coordinator, Support Services
Admiral Glen Diebold
support@acad.sfi.org
Chief of Electronic Services / Webmaster
Captain Kevin Plummer
webmaster@acad.sfi.org
Chief of Recognition Services
Commodore franklin newman III
franklinnewman3@gmail.com
Layout Editor:
Captain Kevin Plummer
cq@sfi.org
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND
QUARTERMASTER
General Linda Olson, SFMC
1-888-SFI-TREK (734-8735) x708
34
WWW.IC2016.COM
August 12th-14th 2016