A Manticore`s Tale - the Royal Manticoran Navy!

The Royal Manticoran Navy Newsletter
Third Quarter • 2015
A Manticore’s Tale
Hippies at the Stargate
Festival Fantazie celebrates its 20th anniversary with BatCruRon 39
F
or the past twenty years, Festival Fantazie has been the
premier convention for pop culture in the Czech Republic—so naturally, BatCruRon 39 has made sure to be active at
every step of the massive event. Starting on July 1st and running through the 12th, FF is an enormous event covering sci-fi,
horror, video games, and everything in between.
The event was so large, in fact, it took over the entire school
complex at Základní škola Smetanova in Chotěboř, Czech Republic. Four school buildings were used for the activities, another for crafts (listed on the map as craFFtcon), leaving the
other three for accommodating all the visitors who wanted to
stay there for the whole event. Chotěboř is a perfect location,
since the town sits halfway between Prague and Brno, the
two of the major cities in the country. With HMS Phantom
and HMS Royalist in both locations, it was the perfect place
to converge for a great time.
With Sylvester McCoy (the 7th Doctor Who), Paul McGillion, and David Nykl (both from Stargate Atlantis) as the
guests of honor, that left a great draw for all the panels, activities, and gaming to keep the rabid fans there. The Manticoran
squadron (a non-TRMN unit) made sure to put on no less than
five panels at the con, talking about realistic marines in a sci-
fi universe, progress with the Honor Harrington movie,
what was learned at MantiCon, and of course, another
chance to sell the Squadron Babes calendar.
“It was great. Probably the best Festival Fantazie in the
years.” Vice Admiral Jan Kotouč, commanding BatCruRon39, announced. With two weeks of programming to
fill, there was no limit to what they were doing. Of course,
they had set up the Artemis spaceship simulator, but they
had soccer matches in the green spaces. Once they finished that, they moved on to fencing lessons (and who
needs masks or protective equipment?). At night, there
were parties, including Party Like It’s 1969… which had
everyone dressed up as hippies, with the party strangely
held in front of a replica Stargate. They also had a showing of Terminator: Genisys, although how well that film
was received is still up for debate. Thankfully, if you
needed to get away, there was a nice bar nearby to have a
touchstone of normalcy.
With two weekends of fun, and everything in between,
all the spacers who attended were tired… but satisfied.
Fandom is alive and well in the Czech Republic.
Message from the Chief
Words and Wisdom from the Senior Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
The Chief by Terri Pray
W
e use this word a lot in The Royal Manticoran
Navy, but I want to talk a little bit about Honor.
Not just the character but the word. And I am going to
focus a bit on the Verb version of the word:
Honor - verb
1. regard with great respect.
“Joyce has now learned to honor her father’s memory”
synonyms: esteem, respect, admire, defer to, look up to;
2. fulfill (an obligation) or keep (an agreement).
“make sure the franchisees honor terms of the contract”
synonyms: fulfill, observe, keep, obey, heed, follow,
carry out, discharge, implement, execute, effect;
In The Royal Manticoran Navy we use this word alot.
One of our catchphrases is “Do it with Honor” Kind of a
double meaning not jsut do it with the Character of honor,
but also do it with HONOR in your CHARACTER.
Honor Harrington is a strong character in several ways.
First, she is clearly not perfect. She has doubts, she has
failings, a temper, etc. But this makes her JUST LIKE US.
This shows that even though we are NOT perfect people
2
A Manticore’s Tale
we can hold ourselves to high standards. We can learn
from our mistakes, and we can DO OUR BEST! One of the
great things that makes Honor distinct is that she strives to
better herself each day, with each encounter. She strives to
serve the Queen with all her might. But more importantly
she strives to serve the people who serve under her with
JUST as much passion and effort.
Each of us here has chosen to be a part of this fan
orginization because of our love for Honor and for the
books Mr. Weber has written. I like to think its partially
because we can respect this strong woman character and
can identify to some degree with her.
Part of the reason I serve is that I think this Club is in
the highest traditions of Mr. Weber’s vision. We care about
the right things. We choose to DO the right things. We care
about each other and want the others in this org to have
as much fun as we are having. We recognize we are not
perfect but we strive to become better every day.
SOME of us have tempers. We know who they are.
THEY know who they are. Some of us lose that temper
Just. Like. Honor. But also They strive to become better, to
remember that we are all here for the very same reasons.
To network with people who love David’s work, to make
friends, and to escape our lives if only for a little.
The other part of the word Honor. To have honor in our
CHARACTER. This is an interesting thing. We all have
different interpretations of what this means I am sure. My
interpretation is to always be forthright and upfront with
my fellow members, and others that I encounter. To respect
their beliefs and opinions even when I personally disagree.
To strive to put TRMN in the best possible light when I
am wearing my uniform by staying polite, professional and
engaged. Honor allows us to interact with other fandoms
in such a manner that they are pleased to have us there.
happy to talk, game or just plain DREAM with us.
But another thing I think is important about having honor
is to maintain my composure when I perceive someone has
wronged me. I can’t help how THEY act. But I can choose
to act with honor.
The last version of the word Honor I want to mention is
to give respect to. And I have the highest respect for all of
you. For your efforts to serve each other. Your efforts to
serve ME, the joy you bring to each other and me. I honor
you for the great choices you have made and WILL make
while at conventions.
You guys truly DO, do it with honor.
All the best, and for the honor of the Queen,
SMCPON Tom Coonradt NS, ME
Third Quarter
A Day in the K.u.K Luftfahrtruppen
by Chief Boatswain’s Mate Emilio Desalvo, GNS Glory
June 26th, 1917 2015: Somewhere in Italy, Southern Front
T
oday I had the pleasure to meet, at the Laboratorio
gameshop on the old Via Cassia in Roma, Andrea
Angiolino, author of the games Wings of Glory and Sails
of Glory, as he was doing an introductory masterclass of
Wings of Glory WWI. He arrived at the shop, and started
unloading from his car loads and loads of planes and accessories for the game. In the games room in the back, he
started setting up the game, soon discovering that boxes
with a different color erroneously contained the same
game mat. Once that problem was resolved, he kept setting up, explaining at the same time the game mechanics
to those present that where not familiar with the game,
like yours faithful, on my first game.
After explaining the rules, he started distributing the
planes for the first match of the evening. At the same
time, he was recounting tales about the original owner of
the aircraft, like the “dastardly” Canadian pilot William
Barker, who on Christmas Day 1917 on the Italian Front,
during an undeclared truce, strafed a German airfield
with a companion, damaging four airplanes and setting
a hanger on fire.
Chief Desalvo with Andrea Angiolino, the creator of Wings of Glory.
of the sky. By the second turn, the Caproni kept its course
flying off the mat, and therefore removing itself from the
game. A general dogfight then ensued, until only Andrea Angiolino’s Italian plane and the two Austrian aircraft of the
Von Desalvo brothers remained. The guns of Mr. Angiolino
jammed so during the last exchange of fire my brother started by hitting him a first time, and I finished him with a short
range double tap, sending him to the ground, while the sky
was dominated by the Von Desalvo brothers.
And so this is how, on my first Wings of Glory game, I shot
down the author of the game.
During the short pause between the first and second game,
I explained to Mr. Angiolino how The Royal Manticoran
Navy uses his games as a teaching tool for the Marksmanship Pistol Awards, and I gave him a TRMN patch. The pleasant evening continued with a simple dogfight, and it was my
time to reach the ground in an uncontrolled manner, then
we adjourned, and everything returned to his barracks.
Bird’s Eye view of the aerial battlefield.
Then the game began. An experienced player on the
Italian side took a Caproni bomber, while the others
were given escorts. On the side of the Central Powers, I
was handed an Aviatik, and I teamed up with my brother, who was well versed on WoG (and a feared player of
Blue Max on Youplay), and two other players.
During the first turn the Caproni started to maneuver
to line-up the target, but in the ensuing furball, a lucky
hit disabled its rudder, while planes started falling out
2015
A Manticore’s Tale
Published Quarterly by BuComm - Landing, Manticore
Production Team:
CPT (JG) Marcus Johnston, OC, CGM - Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Board:
ADM Lord Robert Bulkeley, Jr., SC, CGM, DSO - 4th Space Lord
RADM Eric Schulman, SC, OG, EM - Commander, 1st Fleet
CPT (SG) Zach White, OG, ME - Chief of Staff, BuComm
COL Dave Cleric - Director of Publications, BuComm
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
3
The Unexpected Journey of the Admiral’s Cup
by Chief Petty Officer Wendy Cheairs, HMS Anasazi
I
n 8th Fleet there is a now annual competition for
the Admiral’s Cup. Last year, we of the HMS Anasazi won the Cup. With the honor and respect due to
the Cup, we now take it on “Adventures.” One of the
unwritten rules of the “Adventures” is to take photos to
post on the Facebook feed for the Cup.
One of the recent “Adventures” took the Cup from its
life in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona
for the annual Phoenix Comicon. Two of the HMS Anasazi members, Chief Petty Officer Wendy Cheairs and
Spacer 3/C Dee Spirock, took the Cup to introduce it
in and around the con itself. This gave them the chance
to meet, greet, and introduce many, many people to the
organization since the cup itself is quite a conversation
starter. During the time of the con, the 8th Fleet followed the Cup’s Adventures via Facebook.
During the long weekend, the Cup was passed between comic book artists and writers to pose with and
learn about the fan organization. Since the Cup is not
the smallest object, it always makes a quick conversation starter, allowing the two from the HMS Anasazi
to introduce themselves, the organization of the TRMN
along with the charity work and other works done in
the challenges offered in the 2014 Admiral’s Cup to win.
The Cup passed through different fan groups, showing
that the RMN could mingle with a variety of people from
different groups. They were able to meet and greet with
the Arizona chapters of the Dune Sea Garrison 501st Legion, the Dark Empire, and R2-D2 Builder’s Club for the
Star Wars groups to name a few.
Other fan groups such as the Arizona branch of the
Umbrella Corporation and Department of Zombie Defense set up a Zombie Walk in which the Cup did en-
Some unusual Star Wars Fandom, Hot Pink Wookie, HMS
Anasazi’s Chief Petty Officer Wendy Cheairs, The Cup, Freddie
Mercury inspired Han Solo, and a Hot Pink Jedi
4
A Manticore’s Tale
Spacer 3/C Dee Spirock, The Cup, and Chief Petty Officer Wendy
Cheairs visiting a Galaxy far, far away…
joy but it had much more fun meeting some of the local
Zombies locked in an elevator later in the evening. It also
enjoyed learning how to shoot some aggressive Zombies.
They were lucky that each of the different groups welcomed them from the Albuquerque branch of the RMN
with open arms along with our mischievous cup. Even the
local pair of SCA groups, from the Kingdom of Umbria
and the Kingdom of Atenveldt greeted them warmly.
Some of the princesses were from the Princess Project
or the Moon Mermaid. Both groups of course were very
pleasant and cheerful, even if getting the Cup returned
from the mermaids was a bit of a challenge. They do like
their shiny objects.
Throughout the weekend, the Cup brought the RMN
into a new spotlight of interest, allowing the HMS Anasazi pair to discuss the fandom to people at the Comicon
that normally might not have asked or known anything
about the RMN group. Neither member were in any cosplay but, they were able to inform and garner interest
within the David Weber world, all from a simple conversation starter of a Cup. The Cup, even through meals outside of the con area, brought up the fandom and was able
to travel through a bar at the local Hard Rock Café.
After the long weekend the pair meet people from all
walks of life, the Cup was passed along to basically anyone and everyone that wanted to see it, and the RMN was
talked about to anyone who asked about it. It was a fun
weekend for the two from the HMS Anasazi and the Cup,
which if the Cup had its way it would have continued its
“Adventures” into Vegas but was outvoted. There were
some parts of the trip that were deemed to be left out due
to the volatile nature of the Cup since some things that
happen at Comicons stay at Comicons.
Third Quarter
Challenge Coins
by Lieutenant (SG) Stephen Firestine, HMS Saladin
O
ver the last 30 years or so Challenge Coins have
become a fixture in the military, government and
many civilian organizations. They have often been used
to recognize special achievements, unusual or dangerous
duty stations or as a commemorative coin for those that
were a part of a special activity or operation. The coins
have also become popular with fan organizations for
many of the same reasons. Many of the fan origanizations
have used the coins as an award, a way to commemorate
a milestone or as a way to raise money. The Royal
Manticoran Navy is no exception.
Here are a few questions to ponder. How many
challenge coins does the TRMN have floating out there
and which two were the first coins? Is TRMN and the
challenge coin a new phenomenon?
The challenge coin has been with the Royal Manticoran
Navy since the early years of the organization. The Royal
Manticoran Navy Coin is one of the earliest coins issued
and is one of the most common coins in the organization.
The RMN Coin can be purchased through the tRMN
store and can be used as a commemorative coin by
the purchaser or can be passed on to another as a true
challenge coin award.
One of the rarest coins is the Order of Queen Elizabeth
(EIIIR) coin. The EIIIR coin is awarded alongside certain
high level awards like the Parliamentary Medal of Valor
or the Manticore Cross along with other designated
awards. For a while this coin, along with the RMN Coin,
were the only two available to the organization.
In mid-2013, Marshal of the Corps, Lord Sir Niemeyer,
threw down the gauntlet and decided to commission
his own challenge coin. He designed his own special
Marshal Coin be handed out as a special award at his
own discretion. This became the first coin created for
and issued by a member of the Board. Currently at least
25 of these rare coins have been issued by the Marshal.
Since the Marshal of the Corps threw down the
gauntlet other members of the tRMN board have created
their own coins. The Marshal of the Army and the First
2015
Space Lord have recently had their own challenge coins
created. Currently four of the five board members have
challenge coins. How many coins have been spotted out
and about?
Challenge coins are not just limited to those issued
by the board members. They have become a common
award or incentive for those that want to help make
HonorCon and MantiCon possible though the purchasing
of certain higher level convention packages. These coins
are a nice thank you for those that have paid a bit extra
to help everyone have a better Con experience. For
some attending a convention isn’t possible but they still
want to help facilitate TRMN convention experience for
others. Thus the Grayson Membership Coin was created
to reward those willing to support a convention that they
themselves wouldn’t be able to attend.
A unique challenge coin currently in TRMN was a fleet
coin issued by 3rd Fleet. The 3rd Fleet Midshipman Cruise
Coin was the first coin created by one of the Fleets. The
coins were offered to help raise funds for the 3rd Fleet
Midshipman Cruise. This coin was numbered and had
a limited run of 100 and all available coins were quickly
snatched up by members throughout TRMN and not just
those within the 3rd Fleet.
It is not just TRMN that has gotten into the challenge
coin phenomenon. Weber Universal Outfitters, the official
store for David Weber, has started selling a challenge
coin commemorating Honor Harrington’s command of
HMS Fearless (CL-56). This is the first coin in the Honor
Harrington Command Series. They are also looking at
possibly doing a Battle Coin Series and possibly more.
Challenge Coins are a popular way of providing an
award or raising funds for a worthy cause. And a question
remains, what will the next challenge coins be? Will be it
a coin for the Grayson High Admiral? Will another Fleet
create a coin for a fundraiser? Or will it be an Academy
Coin from SIA or the new IMNA? It’s an exciting time for
the tRMN, the Honorverse and challenge coins.
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
5
View from the Recruiting Table
Third Fleet and Dragon*Con
D
ragon*Con is big. Really big. You have no idea
how huge Dragon*Con is. You may think it’s a
long way to the pharmacy, but that’s peanuts compared
to Dragon*Con… wait, let me start again.
If there’s a larger con in the South than Dragon*Con,
it has yet to be found. For the ships of Third Fleet that
patrol the Atlanta Metro Area, it would be a shame not
to show the flag, and hope to recruit more folks into the
wide and wonderful world of TRMN. Thankfully, the
Achilles, Ancile, and Excalibur came in on station to
impress the waiting crowds.
Of course, they came with the latest technology from
BuWeaps, the travelling banner. “Boy, that banner
looks good,” Captain (JG) Dave Weiner, commanding
A xenomorph stops by the Colonial Marine table.
“I see we got the same location,” said Captain (SG)
Zach White, Chief of Staff BuComm, as he regretfully
observed the proceedings on Facebook, “next to the
Colonial Marines in the Hilton. That was a good spot
last year!” Imagine the surprise the marines felt when
a xenomorph suddenly strolled right up to their table.
Thankfully, neither side decided to eviscerate each other,
Posing in front of the banner at Dragon*Con.
HMS Achilles, smiled at seeing it. Of course, since he
had designed and made it, that comment didn’t come as
much of a surprise. Even elements of First Fleet came
to the event. Captain (JG) Christa Brolley, commanding
HMS Hector, was proud to say, “More and more people
recognize us. Today I had about 6 people want a picture
who recognized the uniform and a number of others that
recognized and said something. Of course I passed out
a lot of business cards. And it was great working with
everyone, as always.”
Even getting the table set up was a miracle, since the
table coordinator got sick and couldn’t come from DC. So
Commander Erik Plossl, commanding HMS Ancile, really
stepped up and coordinated the table… despite already
being the Assistant Director of the Dragon*Con’s space
track. He stepped up to the challenge, met his test, and
kept everything organized and going.
6
A Manticore’s Tale
The xenomorph takes off her head to pose with the Manties.
Third Quarter
to all of my friends.” It was understandable that the
next day that Chief O’Dell admitted that his “Knees,
unfortunately, were very angry with me today.”
Our spacers at the Browncoats dinner at the Hard Rock.
and settled down for some pictures. The queen even took
off her head (to everyone’s disappointment, it was just a
costume) and posed with our spacers!
One of the con’s regulars, Command Senior Master
Chief Ken O’Dell, was all over the con with his lovely wife
Surgeon Lieutenant (SG) Niki Rece. Although he enjoyed
most of the con, standing in an autograph line next to
an obnoxious person was not among those experiences.
“Still waiting in line. Autograph session was scheduled
for 10:30 AM. It’s now after 1:00 PM. And the person
hasn’t even shown up yet. Poor planning on somebody’s
part. Spent a good bit of yesterday waiting in line to get
into the line to buy tickets so we could then wait in a 3rd
line to get the autograph.”
This led Civilian Carl Boothe to answers that there’s
“Three things I do NOT miss about Dragon Con: 1)
Obnoxiously loud tools, 2) Stinking, unwashed, basement
dwellers, [and] 3) The Con ending and saying goodbye
The lonely watch of the recruiting table.
2015
Chief Boatswain’s Mate Scott Atkins, HMS Beowulf,
met up with most of the spacers at the Browncoats dinner
at the Hard Rock Café Sunday night. “Since most of us
are also members of the Grand Alliance these days, the
event is now open to all members of the RMN and Allied
Forces.” Rear Admiral of the Green Daniel Walker, Third
Fleet Commander, told Chief O’Dell, “Look good, Ken,
try to send me some good shots of things... I’d like to see
our folks doing it right.” The chief nodded and answered,
“Alcohol MAY be involved, Admiral. I shall endeavor to
post good pics.” Lieutenant Rece exclaimed, “You are all
missed! There were toasts to fallen comrades and absent
friends.”
With seven recruits coming in from the con, Captain
(SG) Peter Howdeshell II, commanding HMS Excalibur
and BatCruDiv 314, grinned with pride. “You guys did a
kick ass job, and I’m sorry I couldn’t help out more with
it.”
The Chief standing watch outside the con.
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
7
My Commissioning at Shore Leave
by Ensign Jesse Krug, HMS Heracles
A
h, the First Fleet Meeting at Shore Leave. It was
one I am certain to not forget. Let me explain why.
For me, this was the first official non-Chapter/Ship meeting I was able to attend. After a bit of a technical issue involving power and a video setting, the First Fleet Meeting
got underway. The First Fleet staff introduced themselves,
and explained how the fleet structure was set up.
Next up came announcements, including the reading of
HMS Hector’s commissioning orders and its winning the
First Fleet Reading Challenge. I must note HMS Hector‘s
reading totals carried over from the two previous ships it
upgraded from, HMS Yamamoto Date and HMS Artegal.
First, the Navy Commendation Decoration was awarded
to Private First Class John Pieper for contributing the most
pages towards the Reading Challenge (he read 151,801
pages, 12 percent of the 1,236,387 total First Fleet pages His fellow officers make sure his new shoulder boards are on tight.
read), followed by award of the Navy/Marine Achievement Medal to the crew of HMS Hector that participated thing and wound up getting initiated as an Ensign by a tap
and were present, including Captain Christa Brolley, the from Captain Kratzer on my shoulder and a much harder
tap on the other shoulder from the First Fleet Staff IntelCO of the Hector.
ligence Officer. Why this happened, I am not completely
sure, but by the time it was done, my treecat Bastet looked
like she wanted to buzzsaw said Intel officer. (I did explain
things to her later about what happened. Needless to say, it
involved a lot of celery.)
After that was taken care of, I received a copy of my
commissioning orders, shook hands with both the Rear
Admiral and my captain, and resumed taking photos of
the rest of the conference.
The rest of the Meeting went relatively quickly after
that, with the mention that Commodore Paquette was
The First Fleet staff holds court at Shore Leave.
awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal for exceptional
If memory serves me, this was at roughly the point service as the Commanding Officer of Battlecruiser Diviwhere the floor was open to any other announcements or sion 111 and as Deputy Commander of First Fleet for the
other items of importance from other ships, starting with last year. I was now an Ensign. Bastet and I helped out at
HMS Heracles and heading north to HMSS Greenwich.
the TRMN fan table later in the day.
At roughly this point in time, I was going for my uniform
tunic just as Captain Jim Kratzer announced he was doing
an officer commissioning, and the person he named that
was getting that rather unique honor... me. I then thought,
“Uh-oh, better step on it!” So I had my treecat Bastet sitting on top of one of my bags in my chair after grabbing
my uniform tunic, handed my camera over to one of my
fellow crewmates so she could take the pictures of the moment, and proceeded to the front of the room.
I then came to attention as best I could while holding
my uniform tunic while Rear Admiral Schulman read the
commissioning order. After the order was finished being read, I put on the tunic (after a bit of difficulty with
the buttons/zipper) and proceeded to salute, both to my
captain and the Rear Admiral. Apparently I missed someThe newly minted ensign with his treecat, Bastet.
8
A Manticore’s Tale
Third Quarter
Wearing Polyester in the Valley of the Sun
by Captain (JG) Marcus Johnston, HMS Claymore
T
Marcus Johnston poses with new recruit, Alisa Frisch
here’s something about the Arizona heat that convinces people that it’s a good time to hold a convention. HMS Claymore docked at LepreCon from June 26-28,
2015, located at the Embassy Suites Phoenix North. This
was our ship’s second visit to the convention, we were
hopeful to repeat the success that we achieved last year.
Our first obstacle was setting up our fan table, which as has
become our unfortunate tradition, no one knew where we
were supposed to set up. After asking two or three people,
a table was located, which happened to be perfectly located
on the main thoroughfare to the dealer and gaming rooms.
The Claymore was pleased to host Admiral Roberts as
part of his inspection tour of 8th Fleet. In his crammed pinnace, he brought his whole recruitment kit: banners, flags,
tablecloths, buttons, signs, and flyers. As a result, our table
stood out as a professional organization, and I’m convinced
it led many more people to come to the table. Admiral Roberts and myself held the first watch on Friday afternoon for
six hours, finally breaking for the evening to return home.
Saturday was the big day, and I am proud to say, the crew
represented themselves well. The XO (Darren Lee) and
S2/c Alex Brender were escorted to the ship in my cutter,
along with my children Elizabeth and Senior Cadet Ranger
Asher Johnston, my parents in-law, Mary and Christopher
Stasheff, and the XO’s fiancée, Clara. LCPL Manuel Fierro
joined us a little later, but between us, we kept a spacer at
the table, wrangled two squirmy kids and two grandparents, while recruiting many new souls to the Claymore. I
was grateful to get an hour to go swimming with my kids.
2015
After manning our station from 10 am to 6 pm, we
moved to the party room, where my crew prepared to receive boarders, while I went home to drop off my family.
Considering this was our first party ever, not only did we
have our current and new crew show up, but also many
of the con staff joined us for a relaxed conversation fueled by the occasional alcoholic beverage. [What I didn’t
expect was they mostly wanted water… and I ran out of
that.] The admiral brought the makings of missile pods
and snacks to the party, introducing two of our new recruits to the honored tradition of the RMN. By keeping
sober, the XO performed superbly in keeping our guests
supplied with beverages, helping out one of our crew
who imbibed too much, and cleaned at the end of the
night. He was awarded the Navy/Marine Achievement
Medal for his diligent efforts. Around 20 people joined
our party, which exceeded our expectations.
Sunday was a much shorter affair, due to the lesser
turnout, and the need of the admiral to return to his flagship. We manned our station for only two hours, but this
time, with the additional assistance of the MarDet: Major George Farmer and Gunny Courtney Farmer. Both of
them had travelled far and at great personal expense to
be there, and their desire to help and man the station,
allowed me to take care of my daughter and parents
throughout the final day. Finally we struck the station,
packed everything up, and returned to base. S3/c James
Brines traveled with me, and even though he had only
been with us for a month, was a vital resource in helping me unloading our materials from my cutter. He was
Mentioned in Dispatches for his good work.
We managed to recruit nine people at this event,
which was a new record for our chapter, but I found a
gem among the new recruits. Chris Paige came up to me
at the table and said, “I want your hat.” That started a
conversation that ended with her volunteering to start a
new chapter down in Tucson; now Pinnance ClaymoreOne is operational, and with all our members we have
in that part of the state, it’s only a matter of time before
they become a full ship in their own right.
I had been looking forward to this con for months, and
to my surprise, I have never had a better time at a con. It
was a lot of work, and I certainly didn’t see any panels at
the con, but to have a growing chapter with excited new
members was worth it. I owe a great debt of gratitude
to Admiral John Roberts—without his help and amazing donations, we wouldn’t have been half as successful.
With his help, and a helpful crew, LepreCon was a victory for TRMN.
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
9
Quarterly Award Announcements
The following awards were issued during the third quarter of 2015.
Mentioned in Dispatches
James Brines
Bobby Dean
Dennis Sustare
James Cook
Scott McKinlay
Jill McTavish
Chris Thompson
Leah Bloodgood
Steven Poeschl
Edward Nowak Jamison Silinsky
Heather Selbe
Laura Lochen
Heidi Nelson
Linda Petersen
Jack Warren
Jill McTavish
Brian Horton
Jacia Bruns
Mike Cucciarella
Elisa Randall
Ann Totusek Christopher Baye
Don Reisdorph
Zach Fraser
Zach Perkins
Martin Lessem
Jeffrey Webb
Edward Covarrubias
Cameron Houser
Robert Houser
Brian Horton
Don Hackett
Jeremiah Patrick
Jess Dunow
J. Benjamin Suarez
John Birdwell
Tamar Pool
John Neitz
Bill Lochen
Bob Bulkeley
Anton Petersen
Cheryl Krause
Don Hackett
Wayne Bruns
Diane Bulkeley
Greg Marchand
Julie Chase
David Potter
Jeremiah Patrick
Eric Nelson:
Zach McCauley
Zach White
Wade Stolle
Conspicuous Service Medal
Michael Paquette
Meritorious Service Medal
Benjamin Smith Michael Cucciarella
Lea Hodge
Jennifer Cleric
Kathy Rau
Navy/Marine Achievement Medal
Thomas Karpf Andrew Martin Darren Lee
Brian Horton
Cris Littlewolf
Drew Drentlaw
Cheryl Krause
Robert Gartner
Christopher Baye
Sonja Wolf
Garret Bitker
Don Hackett
Christy Bennett
Dan Stiglich
Steven Poeschl
Scarlet Travarra
Christa Brolley
Patrick Bunch
Wes Rist
Greg Ellis
Evan Brooks
Andrew Ervin
Lori Janeski Angus Smith
Caroline Cox
Will Aygarn
Tamar Pool
Jennifer Bergk
Scott Grandt
Doug Henry
Craig Meyer
Chris Olsen
Jody Wurl
Grace Luberda
Patrick Bunch
Jacklyn Sullivan
Peter Gold
Jessie Karpf
Zachary McCauley
Justin Grays
Lindsay Roloff
Kristin Bartholomaus
William Lochen
Emily Herron
Heidi Nelson
Liz Prather
Leah Bloodgood
Jill McTavish
Chris Thompson
Arthur Henecke
Laura Cabral
Shane Coble
John Mathes
Hal Vaughan
Eric Schulman
Ariam Ferro
Leigh Smith
Greg Donath
Karyn Hill
John Pieper
Matthew Bowman
Jamison Silinsky
Edward Novak
Christy Bennett
Jess Dunow
Harvey Guillet
R.J. Lundgren
Kevin Muramatsu
Ann Randolph
Terry Gliden
Niely Morgan
David Reustle
Jack Selle
Karolyn Byers
Royal Meritorious Unit Citation
Task Group 91.1
Navy Commendation Decoration
Justin Grays
Cris Littlewolf
Katie Tremaine
Elizabeth Luna
Jesse Oquendo
Liz Meinert
Mark Graff
Matt McMillian
Dan Stiglich
10
Lindsay Roloff
Matthew Lindquist
Lucas Matthys
Brett Price
John Pieper
Bob Gartner
DonnaLynne Helton
David Potter
A Manticore’s Tale
Prisoner of War Medal
James Collis
Ed Wandall Eric Schulman
Christa Brolley
Silesian Anti-Piracy Campaign
Candice Casas
Liz Prather
Jonathan Casas
Sean O’Leary
Don Eggert
Scott Akers
Timothy Bailey Bob Bulkeley
Diane Bulkeley Pamela Cole
Sherman Day
Ursula Day
Bill Edwards
Eric Flint
Zacchariah FraserMartyn Griffiths
Robert Jackson Cindy Jeffers
Kevin Jeffers
Gordon Klein-Lebbink
Megan Krick
Z Krick
Martin Lessem R.J. Lundgren
Zach McCauley Matthew Parker
Zach Perkins
Jeremy Port
Andy Presby
Joelle Presby
Heather Selbe
Sharon Rice-Weber
Jackie Snedden Tammy Schoonover
Steven Thum
Jack Warren
David Weber
Toni Weisskopf
Zach White
Christopher Weuve
Marcus Wilmes Timothy Zahn
Philip Dillard
Lea Hodge
Masadan Occupation Medal
Don Eggert
Melyssa Smith
Jesse Oquendo
Ashley Nichols
Lauren Niemeyer
Sean Niemeyer
Heather Selbe
Barb Dalrymple
Jesse Krug
John Pieper
Kristin Bartholomaus
Brett Price
Jonathan Coble
Steven Rosenthal
Jon Stout
Ed Wandall
Chris Wallis
Alice Fawcett
Suzie Buck
Havenite War Campaign Medal
Scott Akers
Karl Anderson
Kyle Anderson Nicholas Anderson
Timothy Bailey Christopher Baye
Christy Bennett Jennifer Bergk
Garret Bitker Grace Luberda
Leah Bloodgood Timothy Zahn
Jacia Bruns
Wayne Bruns
Bob Bulkeley
Diane Bulkeley
Laura Cabral
Michael Carus
Julie Chase
Mark Cockerham
Pamela Cole
Mike Cucciarella
Kayla Curtiss
Kathy Davis
Sherman Day
Ursula Day
John Debnam
Tony DelVecchio
Dominick Doody Jess Dunow
Drew Drentlaw Jane Dusek
Sally Duval
Bill Edwards
Sean Flaherty
Eric Flint
Zacchariah FraserBob Gartner
Mark Graff
Kimberly Grandprey
Third Quarter
Kristen Grandt Scott Grandt
Justin Grays
Jennifer Green
Martyn Griffiths Harvey Guillet
Don Hackett
DonnaLynne Helton
William Helton Arthur Henecke
Doug Henry
Emily Herron
Joe Hinson
Kevin Horner
Brian Horton
Robert Jackson
Kelly James
Cindy Jeffers
Kevin Jeffers
Barbara Jungbauer
Paulette Kilgore Jeremy Kittleson
Brianna Kline
Gordon Klein-Lebbink
Cheryl Krause
Megan Krick
Z Krick
Eric Larsen
Martin Lessem Josiah Lilligren
Cris Littlewolf
Matthew Lindquist
Bill Lochen
Laura Lochen
Kat Lochen
R.J. Lundgren
Greg Marchand Zach McCauley
Peter McDonald Matt McMillian
Jill McTavish
Kay Mead
Craig Meyer
Kevin Muramatsu
Christina Neitz John Neitz
Lizzie Neitz
Eric Nelson
Heidi Nelson
Eric Neve
Jeff Nylander
Chris Olsen
Brady Onkka
Ben Overmyer
Matthew Parker Jeremiah Patrick
Zach Perkins
Anton Petersen
Linda Petersen Steven Poeschl
Jeremy Port
David Potter
Liz Prather
Andy Presby
Joelle Presby
Rakhi Rajpal
Ann Randolph Don Reisdorph
Lindsay Roloff Sharon Rice-Weber
Heather Selbe
Tammy Schoonover
Megan Schroeder Madeline Senger
Ana Shirley
Jackie Snedden
Alisha Srock
Dan Stiglich
Lily Thompson Christopher Thompson
Steven Thum
J. Benjamin Suarez
Hersh Torry
Ann Totusek
Jack Warren
David Weber
Andrew Wells
Christopher Weuve
Zach White
Marcus Wilmes
Sonja Wolf
Jody Wurl
Samara Bilyeu-Anderson
Havenite Operational
Service Medal
Marcus Johnston Darren Lee
Alex Brender
Manuel Fierro
George Farmer Courtney Farmer
Asher Johnston Corey Gehman
James Brines
Rosa Glover
Hal Astell
Candice Casas
Jonathan Casas Wayne Bruns
Zach McCauley Lindsay Roloff
Triston CallantineJeff Hargarten
Karl Callantine Kristin Bartholomaus
Laura Lochen
Elisa Randall
Linda Petersen Kathy Davis
Liz Prather
Dave Potter
Doug Henry
Christopher Huntley
2015
Sophia Bull
Sean O’Leary
Grace Bitker
Craig Meyer
Ethan Anderson
Scott Grandt
Lily Thompson
Brady Onkka
Jesse Oquendo
Jonathan Coble
Jaqueline Kerr
Maria Torres
James Collis
Sean Niemeyer
Heather Selbe
Barb Dalrymple,
Jesse Krug
John Pieper
Nicholas Hurst
Larry Cameron
Denzel Gill
Dennis Cleric
Xiane Young
Alexis Blacknell
Dan Brandow
Jacob Sandoval
Amrit Khalsa
Michael Romero
Wendy Cheairs
Philip Dillard
Kathryn Cucchiarella
Don Eggert
Michael Chase
Kristin Grandt
J. Benjamin Suarez
Karen Berger
Jess Dunow
Kayla Curtiss
Crystal Coble
James Kerr
Lyndsey Ray
Karl Gallagher
John Mathes
Ed Wandall
Chris Wallis
Alice Fawcett
Suzie Buck
Dave Cleric
Brittany Seamon
Ken Oyer
Lea Hodge
Jennifer Cleric
Zack Blackwell
Evette Cameron
Bill Knight
Kat Brandow
Rob Clevenger
Jason Gurule
David Reustle
John Roberts
Recruit Training Ribbon
Niki Rece Christa Brolley
Samantha Martin
Pistol Sharpshooter
Steve Poeschl
Houston McPherson
Scott Grandt
Jeremy Henry
Steven Firestine Jacob Holowach
Scott Aikers
Pistol Expert
Daniel Brandow Daniel Wood
Pistol High Expert
Chris Thompson Christopher Wallis
John Roberts
Ed Cook
Rifle Marksmanship Certificate
Steve Poeschl
Erik Plossl
Pierre LeBlond
Rifle Sharpshooter
Scott Grandt
Kristin Grandt
William J. Knight Jeremy Henry
Rifle Expert
Daniel Brandow Houston McPherson
Space Warfare Pin
Rifle High Expert
Daniel Connelly Christopher Wallis
Officers
Edward Nowak
Hal Vaughn
Neil Simpson
William Knight
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Wallis
Enlisted
Ursula Day Don Eggert
Erik Roberts
Jana Worrall Tom Coonradt
Don Reisendorph
Jeff Nylander
Stephen Nemer
William Underhill
Brian P Moore
Russell Selkirk
Pistol Marksmanship Certificate
Lily Thompson Triston Callantine
Katie Lawrence Lyndsey Ashman
Christopher Bowden
Observer Basic Wings
James Sena
Patrick McKinnion
Ed Cook
Stephen Nemer
Steven Rosenthal Matthew Parker
Jill McTavish
John Neitz
Martin Lessem Steven Firestine
Chris Thompson James Jones
Don Reisdorph Justin Grays
Jeremiah Patrick Katherine Tremaine
Michael Paquette Daniel Walker
Lily Thompson Jill McTavish
Zach White
Ashley Nichols
Navigator / Aerospace Senior Wings
Ed Wandall
Kevin Johnson
Aerospace Master Wings
Kacey Ezell
Ed Wandall
Chris Thompson
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
11
Graysons Who Meet?
The Contradiction that is the GNS Reuben
W
ith all the new ships that have been added to the
fleet, it was easy to miss one of the strangest additions to the Grand Alliance. On April 14th, the GNS
Reuben (DD-10), representing the Houston area spacers,
was formally commissioned and joined the 6th Fleet. This
plucky little ship became the first Grayson vessel, who
unlike most of that ally’s forces, actually planned to meet
on a regular basis. Part of this contradiction is due to her
captain, Commander Nicholas Hurst, who after years of
service to the Sword, could not give up his loyalty to simply
serve with those who lived geographically closer to him.
Thankfully, BuShips agreed, and had no difficulties commissioning our first Grayson meeting chapter.
Hurst is no stranger to controversy. After serving as the
Grayson Space Navy’s second High Admiral, he stepped
down to take a higher calling, and went to serve the Tester as the Baseball Commissioner. Even after two successful seasons, however, the great void kept gnawing at him
and he was itching to return to space. Willingly demoted
to Commander, he was accepted back… but the High Command wasn’t quite trusting of someone who would give
up baseball, so they stuck him on the smallest ship they
could… a Jacob-class Destroyer.
Since then, the Reuben has passed its shakedown cruise
with flying colors, despite showing up in the wrong fleet
(Grayson ships are usually in 4th Fleet), and the scuttlebutt
is that that he and his crew will be elevated up to a Light
Cruiser. The captain is trying to get his old flagship, the
GNS Hermes, taken out of mothballs and given to him to
command. Since then they have proudly shown the flag at
Space City Comic Con, held from 24th through the 26th of
July, with the help of other ships from 6th Fleet, making it
Commander Nicholas Hurst (circled) at a con recruiting table.
12
A Manticore’s Tale
The crew of the GNS Reuben trapped in the Fun Zone.
one of the first joint fleet events ever held. This was thanks
to the approval of both Rear Admiral Beau Thacker and
the Grayson High Admiral Tom Saidak. In later operations, they also devastated the staff of several Denny’s (or
was that Dempsey’s?), which might be inevitable and gotten together for SITS gaming.
Even Commander Hurst has to admit the confusion in
his command. “I am become the blur,” he explained after
their last meeting, “Next time won’t be as awkward.” Lieutenant (SG) Ken Oyer tries to keep his captain in line, with
more or less success, but he doesn’t have to worry much
about the crew. For example, the ship’s bosun, Chief Petty
Officer John Husisian, was even Mentioned in Dispatches
through his distinguished effort through his charitable
works. Spacer 3rd Class Lea Hodge earned a Meritorious
Service Medal for her work at the Comic Con, as well as
the Silesian Anti-Piracy Campaign Medal, since she flew
in all the way from NYC.
Despite the confusion, the crew of the Reuben knew
what they were signing up for. “Well, we were under a
Fun Zone warning…” Spacer Brian Jordan-Dean explained
after he met his shipmates. Some were a little more enthusiastic, such as Spacer Hodge, “I’m gonna bake you my
super special exploding strawberry welcoming cupcakes!
Minus the explosions. And they probably won’t be strawberry. Or cupcakes. You like chocolate cake?”
Perhaps the Graysons are far too silly to be trusted in actually meeting each other, but the High Command is content to let the experiment go forward. Of course, these are
the same people who had to install a 72-hour ban on quoting swallows and coconuts when welcoming new crew, so
one may wish to make your own opinion when you meet
them at the next con.
Third Quarter