The Gryphon's Beak
August, 2021Printable PDF
Flag Sends
First, thank you to those who donated to the Lauri Deatherage memorial fundraiser. The donation is being send over this week.
Second, for everyone in the Fleet dealing with the smoke and particulate fallout from various wildfires – please keep safe, and let your shipmates and leadership know if you need assistance.
We are headed into the mid-game of Worldcon preparations. I hope to have hotel links soon, and more info on what we have locked in for events and convention updates. Starting next month, there will be a lot of focus on Worldcon and a push to get as many commitments to attend as possible. We will also be getting in touch with everyone who completed the interest survey, and start filling out the roster.
One of the things we are also working on, and will be updating, is a roommate finder. With the cost of the hotel being fairly high, splitting the costs between members is the best way to go. More on this as it develops.
Until then, thank you again to those who have supported Fleet fundraisers, and more info soon!
THE TRADITION LIVES!
OAK FOREST
Comings & Goings
Naval Directive 21JU-02
Activation of Task Group 22.4
Sir Samuel:
Directive 21JU-02.01: Task Group 22.4 is henceforth activated as an echelon subordinate to Task Force 22, presently under the command of CDRE Sir Justin Dupras, RMN.
Directive 21JU-02.02: You are directed and required to assume command of Task Group 22.4. Fail not in this duty at your peril.
Directive 21JU-02.03: CLAC-62 (HMS Demon) is ordered attached to Task Group 22.4 as your flagship. All previous orders pertaining to Demon’s mission, assignment, or attachment are rescinded or overridden, as required.
Directive 21JU-02.04: In your new capacity, you are directed to inform the Commanding Officers of CA-412 (HMS Hexapuma), DD-174 (HMS Vixen), and DD-01 (HMS Havoc) to report for duty with Task Group 22.4 as permanently attached units. All previous orders pertaining to mission, assignment, or attachment for the above-named units are hereby rescinded or overridden, as required.
The above directives are issued with an effective date of 30 June 2021.
• • • •
BuShips Directive 2107-03
Effective as of 0001 Hours on 04 July 2021, it is my pleasure and privilege to announce the re-commissioning of HMS Intrepid (SD-463). This is an Invictus Class Superdreadnought and is assigned to the Second Fleet AOR (Willmar, MN).
The following personnel are hereby transferred and permanently assigned to HMS Intrepid (SD-463):
- CAPT Matthew Lindquist, GSN (Assigned as CO)
- CDR Lucas Matthys (Assigned as XO)
- SCPO Edwin Coulter (Assigned as Bosun)
- CDRE Christopher Roche
- LT(JG) Cris Littlewolf
- LT(JG) Brent Peterson
- ENS Michael Crow
- CPO Hailey Hamilton
- PO1 Matthew Leifson Jr.
- PO1 Jason Sperka II
- PO1 Isaac Lindquist
- PO1 Dustin Ennen
- PO1 Shelbie Taloowa
- PO1 Matthew Roden
- PO2 Peder Erickson
- PO2 Kat Castro
- S1C Heather Savoy
- S1C Jonathan Entinger
- S1C Summer Merigold
- S1C Karl Callantine
- S1C Matthew Onnen
- S1C Joel Jader
- S1C Timothy Grundseth
- S1C Adam Dyson
- S1C Hannah Moller
- S1C Aaron Moller
- S1C Kristopher Bruns
- S1C Trista Thofson
- S1C Paige Rumney
- S1C Mathias Kappes
- S1C Dale Weilage
- S1C Jaeden Woltjer
- S1C Siu Chung Yuen
- S2C Cooper Ochsendorf
The following Royal Manticoran Marine Corps personnel are hereby transferred and permanently assigned to HMS Intrepid (SD-463):
- SSGT David Isaak
- LCPL Duston Beck
- LCPL Justin Tolzmann
- LCPL Joshua Jimenez
- LCPL Justin Jimenez
- LCPL Cherish Reinhart
- LCPL Brandon Salinas
The following Royal Manticoran Army personnel are hereby transferred and permanently assigned to HMS Intrepid (SD-463):
- LCPL Phillip Reigstad
The following civilian personnel are hereby transferred and permanently assigned to HMS Intrepid (SD-463):
- C1 John Secrest
- C3 William Lindquist
Subsequent to the re-commissioning, HMS Juno (BC-726), and LAC-029 (HMLAC Gungnir) shall be transferred to the Active Fleet reserves, following an inspection and any repairs deemed necessary.
August Reports
This is a reminder that your Chapter and MarDet reports are due between the 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/
Upcoming Events
The Bureau of Planning is excited to announce the launch of ConStack. This cooperative project between BuPlan and BuComm is now a fabulous new tool that puts information about over 2,000 conventions at your fingertips. All members of TRMN and the public can view ConStack at:
https://constack.trmnbureaus.info/
If you see that an event is missing or has incorrect information, contact your Fleet’s BuPlan Intel Agent or Branch Liaison and they will get it updated.
Marksmanship Update
By order of CO 2nd Fleet, the following marksmanship awards are issued effective 1 August, 2021:
PISTOL MARKSMANSHIP CERTIFICATE:
- PO2 James Matthew FORGIE, HMS Havoc
- PO3 Steve GALPIN, HMS Havoc
- S2C William Edward Nelson, HMS Havoc
RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP CERTIFICATE:
- SSGT Jayme MOORE, HMS Vixen
- PO3 Steve GALPIN, HMS Havoc
RIFLE EXPERT AWARD:
- LCDR Lisa WIEDEMANN, HMS Vixen
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.
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/.
June Honors – Awards
Queen's Cross For Bravery
CAPTSG Samuel DIETZMANN, RMN HMS Demon
LCDR Lisa Ann WIEDEMANN, RMN HMS Vixen
CPO James DOBBS, RHN HMS Wolfhound
PO1 Morgan K DAVID, RMN HMS Hexapuma
Knight Grand Cross, Order of Queen Elizabeth
CAPTSG Samuel DIETZMANN, RMN HMS Demon
Knight Commander, Order of Queen Elizabeth
CAPTSG Zachary MCCAULEY, RMN HMS Valkyrie
LCDR Lisa Ann WIEDEMANN, RMN HMS Vixen
Knight Companion, Order of King Roger
RADM Eddy ROBERTS, RMN HMS Hotspur
CAPTSG Elisa L. RANDALL, RMN HMS Invincible
Prime Minister’s Distinguished Service Award
RADM Wayne BRUNS, RMN HMS Invincible
Companion, Order of King Roger
LCDR John Ryan CHAMBERS, RMN HMS Havoc
Saganami Cross
LCDR John Ryan CHAMBERS, RMN HMS Havoc
Officer, Order of Queen Elizabeth
CPO Elizabeth ERICKSON, RMN HMS Invincible
Member, Order of Queen Elizabeth
RADM Eddy ROBERTS, RMN HMS Hotspur
1LT Martin Richard TIZURA, RMMC MARDET Vixen
Monarch's Thanks
MCPO David W POTTER, RMN HMS Invincible
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
CAPTJG Bruce CREWS, RMN HMS Enterprise
PO1 Morgan K DAVID, RMN HMS Hexapuma
CAPTSG Zachary MCCAULEY, RMN HMS Valkyrie
CDR Anne Lucy TEXTOR, RMN HMS Sabrepike
Queen's Bravery Medal
LCDR Betty J OSTHOFF, RMN HMS Galahad
Medal, Order of the Golden Lion
Mr. Don REISDORPH, CIVIL HMS Valkyrie
Medal, Order of Queen Elizabeth
CIVILIAN Jacob BRUNS, SFC HMS Invincible
CIVILIAN Benjamin BRUNS, SFC HMS Invincible
Superior Service Medal
Ms. Karen BERGER, CIVIL HMS Valkyrie
Royal Unit Citation for Gallantry
HMS Invincible
HMS Vixen
Manticoran Combat Action Medal
14th Award
KdS David J WESTOVER, IAN HMS Beowulf
Manticoran Service Medal
VADM John NEITZ, RMN HMS Invincible
CAPTJG Joseph KAPLAN, RMN HMSS North Star
Manticoran Reserve Service Medal
LTSG Paul SPARKS, RMN HMS Enterprise
WO2 Christina R DOANE, RMN HMS Beowulf
CAPTJG James Mike MOYER, RMN HMS Death Claw
IAN
OdS Nathan L MARZOLF, IAN HMS Beowulf
Good Conduct Medal
S1C Michael BOREN, RMN HMS Demon
S1C Terrance James HOGUE, RMN HMS Ajax
PO1 Danielle E OSTACH, RMN HMS Demon
S1C Gordon DUNDAS, RMN HMSS North Star
S1C Josh John JACOT, RMN HMSS North Star
PO1 Billy M MUELLER, RMN HMS Invincible
PO1 Simon L GIBSON, RMN HMS Valkyrie
PO1 Ron Allen LOGE, RMN HMS Borzoi
S1C Karol Kurtz KURTZ, RMN HMS Valkyrie
S1C Scott A GILBERT, RMN HMS Sabrepike
PO1 Hope CHRISTIANSEN, RMN HMS Valkyrie
RMMC
PSGT Matthew SHULTZ, RMMC MARDET Demon
LCPL Ryan STREETER, RMMC MARDET Valkyrie
LCPL Melanie GALLOWAY, RMMC MARDET Valkyrie
GSN
CPO Stephanie Kay BERLIEN, GSN HMS Valkyrie
SFC
CIVILIAN Eric James BOGERT, SFC HMS Leonidas
Civilian
CIVILIAN William LINDQUIST, CIVIL HMS Juno
Aerospace Basic Observer Wings, Enlisted
S2C Aaron Michael Schafer , RMN HMS Havoc
Ranks on awards are listed at the time of award, and may have changed by publication.
June Honors – Promotions
Congratulations are extended to the following members on the occasion of their promotions as noted.
Board Promotions
John Fairbairn, HMS Javelin, to Lieutenant Commander
HMS Havoc
- Thomas B. Hall to Spacer 2nd Class, effective 29 June, 2021
- Steve Galpin to Petty Officer 3rd Class, effective 4 July, 2021
- James M. Forgie to Petty Officer 2nd Class, effective 8 July, 2021
- Jeremy C. Green to Petty Officer 3rd Class, effective 11 July, 2021
- Pat Hayes to Petty Officer 3rd Class, effective 15 July, 2021
- Tara Suiter to Corporal, effective 19 July, 2021
- Zachary W. Sandau to Corporal, effective 24 July, 2021
- Daniel N. Spears to Petty Officer 2nd Class, effective 28 July, 2021
- Jesse R. Linn to Petty Officer 2nd Class, effective 28 July, 2021
HMS Intrepid
- Dustin Ennen to Ensign, effective 16 July, 2021
- Hailey Adaire Hamilton to Ensign, effective 16 July, 2021
- Cooper Ronald Ochsendorf to Spacer 1st Class, effective 26 July, 2021
- John Paul Secrest to Analyst, effective 26 July, 2021
HMS Musashi
- Charles Hero to Gunner’s Mate 1st Class, effective 4 July, 2021
Fleet Command & Staff Information
CO, Gryphon Fleet
co@gryphonfleet.org
Rear Admiral of the Green Geoffrey Strayer, GCE, KR, SC, OG, CGM, GS
Baron Oak Forest
XO, Gryphon Fleet
Rear Admiral of the Green Wayne Bruns, GCE, OM, KCGL, MC, OC, CR, SC, OG, CGM, GS, QBM, CBM, PC
Baron Grosvenor
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
Captain Junior Grade Kerry Kuhn
Fleet Medical NCOIC
medical@gryphonfleet.org
PO2 Steven Bobula
Intelligence Specialist
intel@2ndfleet.trmn.org
JAG Ombudsman
Vacant
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
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 Intrepid (SD-463), Willmar, MN
HMS Leonidas (BC-584), Grand Forks, ND
HMS Valkyrie (SD-355), Minneapolis, MN
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
LAC Wing 62
GSNLAC Lilla Björn, Marquette, MI
HMLAC Scythe, Portage, Indiana
Independent Commands
HMS Apollo (CL-80), Lafayette, IN
HMS Gryphon (SD-153), Indianapolis, IN
HMS Hotspur (DD-02), Rantoul, IL
HMS Samurai (CL-356), Goshen, IN
HMS Wolfhound (DD-437), Mt. Prospect, IL
Task Group 22.3
Cruiser Division 711
Independent Commands
Task Group 22.4
Independent Commands
Echelon Commanders
Task Force 21
RADM Wayne Bruns
Task Group 21.1
CAPTSG Jill McTavish
Destroyer Squadron 265
CAPTSG Paladin Meyer
Task Group 21.2
CAPTJG Timothy Bailey
Task Force 22
CDRE Justin Dupras
Task Group 22.1
CAPTSG Michael Flanagan
Task Group 22.3
CAPTSG Jackie Snedden
Cruiser Division 711
CAPTJG Kevin Johnson
Task Group 22.4
CAPTSG Samuel Dietzmann