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The Gryphon's Beak

February, 2021

RADM Flag

Flag Sends

HMSS North Star is officially live!

Which may not mean a lot to the Fleet membership as a whole, I freely admit. I am excited because this means that we can finally be in direct contact with the least active members of the organization. By having a more local contact person, the odds that the denizens of the North Star will find their place in a chapter increases…well… infinitely. Something about moving up from a zero chance to a positive number.

Anyway, maths aside, this new element comes with some new responsibilities. The command responsibilities for North Star will be added to the Fleet Deputy CO, Fleet Personnel Officer, and Fleet Bosun. Not as additional ‘hats’, merely additional aspects to those existing roles.

As we are without a DFCO, that places me as CO, CAPTSG Jamey Salsburg as XO, and FSMCPO Kevin Walsh as Bosun.

As we introduce the incoming members of the station to the Fleet, I will be bringing in the local ship COs as well, to make introductions, and begin the process of transferring off the station and into a local chapter. Keep an eye on your emails for more.

The Tradition Lives!

Comings & Goings

BuShips Directive 2101-01

Appointment of Deputy Third Space Lord

Ladies and Gentleman of the Grand Alliance,

It is my pleasure and privilege to announce the appointment of Deputy Third Space Lord, effective as of 0001 Hours on Friday, January 1st.

Rear Admiral of the Red Sir Zachary White, you are hereby ordered to report to the Office of the Third Space Lord, whereupon you shall assume the duties of Deputy Third Space Lord, Bureau of Ships, relieving Commodore Lori Bonilla.

••••

BuComm Directive 2101-02

Appointment of Marketing Assistant Director, Bureau of Communications

Commodore Dame Misty White:

You are hereby directed and required to report to the Office of the Fourth Space Lord, where you shall assume the duties of the Marketing Assistant Director, with all the rights and responsibilities associate with that role. Fail not in this duty at your peril.

••••

BuShips Directive 2101-06

Appointment of Command Staff, HMS Vixen (DD-174)

Petty Officer First Class David:

You are hereby directed and required to proceed aboard HMS Vixen (DD-174), there to take upon yourself the duties and responsibilities of Executive Officer, relieving Lieutenant Senior Grade Kerry Kuhn, RMN, in service to the Crown. Fail not in this charge at your peril.

Based upon the requirements of the service for your new billet, you are hereby brevetted to the rank of LIEUTENANT SENIOR GRADE, RMN.

••••

BuShips Directive 2101-07

Appointment of Command Staff, HMS Hexapuma (CA-412)

Lieutenant Senior Grade Kuhn:

You are hereby directed and required to proceed aboard HMS Hexapuma (CA-412), there to take upon yourself the duties and responsibilities of Commanding Officer, relieving Captain Senior Grade Jimmy Nelson, RMN, in service to the Crown. Fail not in this charge at your peril.

Based upon the requirements of the service for your new billet, you are hereby brevetted to the rank of CAPTAIN JUNIOR GRADE, RMN.

February Reports

This is a reminder that your Chapter and MarDet reports are due between February 1st and 10th. One thing I found amazingly helpful when filling them out was to use an online document (Google Docs, Word Online) to keep things organized as they happened. Then, when the reporting month hit, I could just copy and paste them into the reports form, and be done. No trying to remember what happened two months ago at the last minute!

And a reminder that Marksmanship submissions are due the 20th of the month, so we have time to correlate and get things set for the award issuance.

Marines – you now have a new online form to fill out for Bi-Monthly reports. The link is below. It will send the reports to your command triad, your Ship’s CO and to ComForceCom. Please use this form to send in your report that is due on the 5th.

There is only one stipulation with the form at this time. Please do not use autofill. Autofill does not work properly and that information is deleted in the report. You can copy and paste information into the report but forgo the autofill function.

https://buships.trmnbureaus.info/rmmc/

UK Shipping Changes

Due to recent changes in the value added tax (VAT) rules enforced by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in the UK, we will no longer be able to allow members to make low value orders through the BuSup store. If you try to place an order through the store under a value of $200 you will receive a pop-up message informing you that your order cannot be completed.

The BuSup UK Operations combined order is unaffected by this change and we will be working to increase the frequency of these to ensure a steady supply of stock to the UK.

BuSup will continue to monitor the evolving situation in the UK and should the position of the UK Government change, we will reexamine our position.

If you have any questions about this change please reach out to us via email to 7SL@trmn.org.

Upcoming Events

As COVID-19 continues to flare in many states, large gatherings are being canceled across the board. Until it is safe to do so, Fleet advises considering all conventions ‘probably canceled’ for the foreseeable future.

We will return to our regular list of events once the situation allows.

ChiCon8 Take To The Stars
TRMN Social Hour

Join us for TRMN Social Hour every Saturday evening at 7PM Central.

There is a wide range of guests, from our own Space Lords to members of BuNine, authors like Chuck Gannon, Eric Flint, Marko Kloos, and some guy named David Weber. Following the recorded AMA-format with our guests, the floor is open to free-form discussion & hanging out. Links for each Social Hour are posted in the Forums, and on the main Facebook page.

Hope to see you there!

Blood Drive Flyers!

BuComm-Approved blood drive flyers are available!

Each poster is available in 11 x 17 as a form-fillable PDF. Just enter your specific details, and your customized Blood Drive flyer is ready to go!

I want to thank SMAJ Brad Handley, MARDET Ajax, for spearheading the project, coming up with the idea and providing excellent suggestions on changes to the design. There is a ready-to-use version linked below:

Blank TRMN Blood Drive poster
Sample filled TRMN Blood Drive poster
Crossed pulsars

Marksmanship Update

By order of CO 2nd Fleet, the following marksmanship awards are issued effective 1 February, 2021:

PISTOL MARKSMANSHIP CERTIFICATE:

  • PO2 Charles HERO, HMS Musashi
  • CAPTJG Gordon KLEIN-LEBBINK, HMS Ajax
  • CDR Jim MCCOY, HMS Ajax
  • SSGT Scott WALKOTTEN, HMS Helen

RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP CERTIFICATE:

  • CAPT Larry FRENCH, HMS Demon
  • CAPTJG Thomas C. HATHAWAY,HMS Ajax
  • CDR Jim MCCOY, HMS Ajax

PISTOL SHARPSHOOTER AWARD:

  • CAPTJG Thomas C. HATHAWAY,HMS Ajax
  • LTSG Kerry KUHN, HMS Vixen

PISTOL EXPERT AWARD:

  • PO2 Danielle OSTACH, HMS Demon
  • LCDR Lisa Wiedemann, HMS Vixen

PISTOL HIGH EXPERT AWARD:

  • PO1 Kyle ANDERSON, HMS Valkyrie
  • CAPTJG Kevin JOHNSON, HMS Sabrepike
  • S1C Lisa JOHNSON, HMS Sabrepike
  • C3 Daniel JOHNSON, HMS Sabrepike
  • C2 Rebecca JOHNSON, HMS Sabrepike

The Tradition Lives!

For CO 2nd Fleet:

Issued by:

KEVIN WALSH, NS
Senior Chief Petty Officer, RMN
2nd Fleet Range Officer

Gryphon’s Wings Fleet Relief Project

On May 23rd we launched the Gryphon’s Wings Fleet Relief Project. The response has been overwhelming, and I am humbled by the generosity of our members.

We are currently in the midst of a Global pandemic. However, while we are all in the same storm, we are navigating the waters on different ships. Sometimes these waters will be more than we can handle on our own, and we need an extra hand on deck. We want you to know that the 2nd fleet is here for you. 

To that end, we are asking for donations to create an emergency relief fund to be used for TRMN 2nd Fleet members. This fund’s target is to provide immediate short term relief of an urgent crisis. For example: Sending someone grocery money for a weeks worth of groceries (as a lot of food banks are running out of food, short on volunteers, and closing), providing gas money for a week so someone can still travel back and forth providing care-giving to a family member, covering the co-pay cost of a doctors visit, and other small emergency expenses. Anything helps. I am asking for a $5 monthly commitment – the cost of a Starbucks coffee – to assist. Please join me, and those who have already donated, in making TRMN more than just a fan group. Click here, or the banner below, to donate. Meet the Test.

At the same time, we know some are being affected by the effort to combat the virus,including job loss, other reduction of income, medical difficulties, etc. This can result in a tough choice between shelter, transportation, food, or medical care. That is an impossible choice no one should be required to face, and we want to help how we can.

To apply for a Visa Gift Card for you or another member, please click here.

Only the 2nd Fleet CO will see who the requester and/or the potential recipient is.  This will never be held against you in any way. We don’t ask for or expect repayment. This is not charity, we are simply keeping the RMN tradition of seeing that a Queen’s Navy is well rested, well fed, and healthy before going into battle. And this is a battle where victory will be measured in not just survivors but in the quality of that survival.

Gryphon's Wings

To request assistance, please click here.

A Matter Of Honor RMN LARP

A Matter of Honor is a multi-day, live-action role playing event set in David Weber’s expansive literary Honorverse. Held in November 2021, the event will offer players three days of exciting adventures and full immersion within Weber’s colorful science-fiction world. Within the interior of the decommissioned USS Edson in Bay City, Michigan, nearly 200 players will serve as the crew of the HMS Ballista, a heavy cruiser of the Royal Manticoran Navy with a mission of unparalleled importance. Each player will receive a uniquely-written character whose backstory and abilities will shape the actions and relationships of the player moving through the weekend event. Participants will need to work carefully with each other – and sometimes against each other – to fulfill duties and objectives unique to their character and the mission at large.

A Matter of Honor will be held from November 12 to 14th, 2021 and will run non-stop until the conclusion of the event. Unlike other QAG events, A Matter of Honor does not have specific “lights out” times and will run continuously from start to finish. Player sleep times will still mean activity for others, and each character will be assigned a specific schedule of on-duty, off-duty, and rest periods to simulate the rigors of space-bound life in the Manticoran Navy.

A Matter of Honor is an official Honorverse event and – while produced by Quest Adventure Gaming – is being carried out in cooperation with David Weber, the BuNine Team, and The Royal Manticoran Navy. The event will closely follow the canonical universe of the books, with frequent and obvious references to source materials. While participants are not required to be familiar with the Honorverse, a familiarity with the books is strongly recommended and will certainly assist players in their understanding of their characters and the in-game setting.

Most of the Matter of Honor event will be hosted aboard the USS Edson, a decommissioned Forrest Sherman-class destroyer from the Cold War era. Now a national historic landmark at the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum in Bay City, MI, the vessel’s interior will serve as the HMS Ballista (CA-586). Players will have access to the vast majority of the ship’s sizable inner-workings, with various locales serving as key game locations and player accommodations. Many of the Edson’s actual controls will be temporarily fitted with a networked system of touch-screen panels and computer interfaces, allowing players to collectively navigate the Ascendant through a virtual simulation of deep space.

In addition, specific encounters and plot points will take place at additional sites in the Bay City/Saginaw area to serve as other vessels and planets within the Honorverse. At various points, players may have the opportunity to explore these additional locations, adding a sense of depth and scale to the overall player experience.

For more information or to register, visit https://matterofhonorlarp.com/.

A Matter of Honor Logo

January Honors – Awards

Member, Order of Queen Elizabeth

CAPTSG Elisa L. RANDALL, RMN HMS Invincible

Knight Commander, Order of King Roger

RADM Zachary WHITE, RMN

Knight Commander, Order of Queen Elizabeth

CDR Richard James SAMS, RMN HMS Merlin

Knight Companion, Order of Queen Elizabeth

CDRE Misty Rose WHITE, GSN HMS Galahad

Osterman Cross

PO2 Morgan K DAVID, RMN HMS Vixen

Knight, Order of Queen Elizabeth

SMCPO Bill LOCHEN, RMN HMS Invincible

Companion, Order of Queen Elizabeth

LTCDR Patrick Ardan GIESE, RMN HMS Invincible

Saganami Cross

CAPTJG Samuel DIETZMANN, RMN HMS Demon
LTCDR Lisa Ann WIEDEMANN, RMN HMS Vixen
CDRE Justin F. DUPRAS, RMN HMS Demon

Officer, Order of King Roger

LTCDR Julie CHASE, RMN HMS Lodestone

Member, Order of Queen Elizabeth

CAPTSG Timothy BAILEY, RMN HMS Musashi
COL Bryar NELSON, RMMC MARDET Invincible

Member, Order of Queen Elizabeth

CAPTJG Patrick HAGEMEIER, RMN HMS Merlin
CAPTJG Gordon KLEIN-LEBBINK, RMN HMS Ajax
VADM John NEITZ, RMN HMS Invincible

Conspicuous Gallantry Medal

RADM Wayne BRUNS, RMN HMS Invincible

Mentioned in Dispatches

LTSG Z KRICK, RMN HMS Musashi

Medal, Order of King Roger

CAPTSG Paladin MEYER, RMN HMS Merlin
CDR Ziggi THOMPSON, RMN HMS Javelin

Conspicuous Service Medal

KdS Charles L. SHANANAQUET II, IAN HMS Beowulf

Meritorious Service Medal

CAPTJG Samuel DIETZMANN, RMN HMS Demon
ENS Amy Louise THEISEN, RMN HMS Musashi
LTCDR Lisa Ann WIEDEMANN, RMN HMS Vixen
MCPO Rick WATERSON, RMN HMS Demon
PO2 Danielle E OSTACH, RMN HMS Demon
RADM Wayne BRUNS, RMN HMS Invincible
CAPTSG Rick MATHENY, RMN HMS Invincible

Navy Commendation Decoration

CAPT Larry Dale FRENCH Sr, RMMC MARDET Demon
FM Robert Jackson, RMA HMS Duke of Cromarty

Good Conduct Medal

PO1 Kyle ANDERSON, RMN HMS Valkyrie
PO2 Robert Allen HOUSEMAN, RMN HMS Ajax
S1C Janet Louise CUMMINS, RMN HMS Invincible
S1C Jeffrey CLUFF, RMN HMLAC Scythe
S1C Jerome Giovanni UDONGO, RMN HMS Samurai
PO1 Joe N GREENE, RMN HMS Gryphon
PO2 Charles J HERO, RMN HMS Musashi
SSGT Shelley WOLF, RMMC MARDET Invincible
LCPL Laura NELSON, RMMC MARDET Valkyrie

Recruit Training Ribbon

PO2 Morgan K DAVID, RMN HMS Vixen

Ranks on awards are listed at the time of award, and may have changed by publication.

December Honors – Promotions

Congratulations are extended to the following members on the occasion of their promotions as noted.

Board Promotions
Timothy Bailey, RMN, HMS Musashi, to Captain, Senior Grade
Richard Davenport, GSN, HMS Death Claw, to Captain
Sherman Day, RMN, HMS Demon, to Rear Admiral of the Red
Rick Matheny, RMN, HMS Invincible, to Captain, Senior Grade

HMS Demon

  • Ursula Day to Master Chief Warrant Officer, effective 16 January, 2021

HMS Musashi

  • Marcia Hero to Spacer 1st Class, effective 23 January, 2021
HMS Vixen

HMS Vixen

  • Morgan David to DC Mate 1st Class, effective 14 January, 2021

Fleet Command & Staff Information

CO, Gryphon Fleet

CO, Gryphon Fleet

co@gryphonfleet.org

Rear Admiral of the Red
Geoffrey Strayer
KDE, KR, SC, CGM, GS

XO, Gryphon Fleet

XO, Gryphon Fleet

Vacant
Bosun, Gryphon Fleet

Bosun, Gryphon Fleet

bosun@2ndfleet.trmn.org

Senior Master Chief Intelligence Mate
Kevin Walsh, NS, QBM

Chief of Staff

cos@gryphonfleet.org

Captain, Senior Grade Zach McCauley

Flag Captain

co@hmsgryphon.trmn.org

Captain, Junior Grade Christina Swanson

Flag Lieutenant

flaglt@gryphonfleet.org

Lieutenant Senior Grade Kerry Kuhn

Fleet Medical NCOIC

medical@gryphonfleet.org

PO2 Steven Bobula

Intelligence Specialist

intel@2ndfleet.trmn.org

Lieutenant Commander David Oliver Kling

JAG Ombudsman

ombudsman@2ndfleet.trmn.org

Captain Larry Dale French Sr
GCE, RMMC

Legalman

legalman@2ndfleet.trmn.org

CPO Christina R Doane

Operations Officer

operations@gryphonfleet.org

Lieutenant Commander Patrick Giese

Personnel Officer

Captain (SG)
Jamey Salsberg
KDE, MC, OC

Range Officer

marksmanship@2ndfleet.trmn.org

Senior Master Chief Intelligence Mate
Kevin Walsh, NS, QBM

RMACS Liaison

ascl@gryphonfleet.org

Captain, Junior Grade Christina Swanson

Training Officer

bosun@hmsgryphon.trmn.org

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Derek Firehawk Sauls

Gryphon Fleet Order of Battle

Task Force 21

Covering Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Task Group 21.1 shoulder patch

Task Group 21.1

LAC Wing 30

HMLAC Gungnir, Willmar, MN
HMLAC Superior, Duluth, MN
SMLAC Arminius, Minneapolis, MN

Destroyer Squadron 265

HMS Javelin (DD-264), Big Lake, MN
HMS Lodestone (DD-64), Elk River, MN
HMS Merlin (CA-270), St. Cloud, MN

Independent Commands

HMS Hellhound (DD-446), St. Paul, MN
HMS Invincible (SD-455), Plymouth, MN
HMS Juno (BC-726), Willmar, MN

HMS Leonidas (BC-584), Grand Forks, ND
HMS Valkyrie (SD-355), Minneapolis, MN

Task Group 21.2 shoulder patch

Task Group 21.2

Independent Commands

HMS Borzoi (DD-438), River Falls, WI
HMS Gawain (DD-481), Madison, WI
HMS Musashi (BC-775), Milwaukee, WI

Task Force 22

Covering Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and the Lower Peninsula of Michigan

Task Group 22.1 shoulder patch

Task Group 22.1

LAC Wing 62

GSNLAC Lilla Björn, Marquette, MI
HMLAC Scythe, Portage, Indiana

Independent Commands

HMS Apollo (CL-80), Lafayette, IN
HMS Demon (CLAC-62), Chicago, IL
HMS Gryphon (SD-153), Indianapolis, IN
HMS Hexapuma (CA-412), Rockford, IL
HMS Hotspur (DD-02), Rantoul, IL
HMS Samurai (CL-356), Goshen, IN
HMS Vixen (DD-174), Chicago, IL
HMS Wolfhound (DD-437), Mt. Prospect, IL
Task Group 22.2 shoulder patch

Task Group 22.3

Cruiser Division 711

HMS Death Claw (CA-437), Cincinnati, OH
HMS Sabrepike (CA-417), Franklin, OH

Independent Commands

HMS Ajax (BC-545), Windsor, Ontario
HMS Beowulf (BC-739), Lansing, MI
HMS Enterprise (BC-480), Rochester Hills, MI
HMS Galahad (DD-478), Columbus, OH
HMS Helen (BC-570), Fruitport, MI

Echelon Commanders

Task Force 21

Task Force 21

RADM Wayne Bruns

Task Group 21.1

Task Group 21.1

CAPTSG Jill McTavish

Destroyer Squadron 265

Destroyer Squadron 265

CAPTSG Paladin Meyer

Task Group 21.2

Task Group 21.2

CAPTJG Timothy Bailey

Task Force 22

Task Force 22

CDRE Justin Dupras

Task Group 22.1

Task Group 22.1

CAPTSG Michael Flanagan

Task Group 22.3

Task Group 22.3

CAPTSG Jackie Snedden

Cruiser Division 711

Cruiser Division 711

CAPTJG Kevin Johnson