The Gryphon's Beak

December, 2020

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With the end of 2020, what comes next?

Honestly, more of the same, I fear. Signs are that the cancellation of events will continue for at least six months into 2021. I am basing that on vaccine distribution projections and Broadway being closed that long. Maybe a bit longer.

My hope is that we see signs of a return to normalcy in personal lives by the second quarter of the year, around April or May at the latest. Hope.

As hard as this has been on everyone, at varying levels, there is something amazing to take from it. In less than a year, we went from first encounter with SARS-CoV-2 to three different vaccines. Less than a year. That is an unbelievable achievement, and one we should celebrate. Humanity has the ability to do amazing things when pushed to (or when there is a need), and that has been on display all of 2020.

We also saw two launches of the Crew Dragon capsule. Looking at the differences in how that launch system operates compared to previous NASA systems shows that we can also reinvent working systems to make them safer and better.

And not least of these, many of us in Second Fleet participated in the Folding At Home project, creating the world’s largest distributed computing project, eventually topping 1 exaFLOP. By way of comparison, in order to match what a one exaFLOP computer system can do in just one second, you’d have to perform one calculation every second for 31,688,765,000 years. That is about 6.7 times longer than there has been an Earth. Or the sun.

We have done a lot this year, and there are many reasons to be proud of that. As we head towards 2021, I know we will do great things, and continue being Second to None!

Comings & Goings

BuShips Directive 2011-01
Appointment of Command Staff, HMS Havoc (DD-01)

Lieutenant Commander Chambers:

The following personnel have been assigned to your command, are hereby directed and required to proceed aboard HMS Havoc (DD-01), there to take upon themselves the duties and responsibilities below:

CPO James Morphew, RMN (RMN-5744), is assigned as Executive Officer
PO3 Jonathan Atkins, RMN (RMN-6099-19), is assigned as Bosun, relieving CPO James Morphew, RMN, in service to the Crown

Based upon the requirements of the service the following brevets are approved:

James Morphew to Lieutenant Senior Grade, RMN
Jonathan Atkins to Chief Petty Officer, RMN

The above directive is effective on this date, 04 November 2020.

December Reports

This is a reminder that your Chapter and MarDet reports are due between December 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!

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 June 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

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.

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:

December Blood Drive Challenge

From: CO, HMS Vixen
RE: Showing Those Marines Their Place

Crew,

It has come to my attention that 2LT Tizura, RMMC, has been narfing about the ship claiming that the ‘button pushers’ – that would be our noble RMN crew – are too afraid of getting our uniforms dirty to do the ‘real work’ of the RMMC. He claims that the Navy trembles at the sight of blood, and that we haven’t the courage to shed our precious bodily fluid for the glory of Her Majesty.

This affront must not stand! I call on all loyal subjects of Her Majesty’s Navy to join me in donating blood to support our local hospitals in need during this pandemic! Show these crayon-eaters that we can and will shed blood for a worthy cause (and not just for the 64 pack with sharpener)!

LCDR Lisa Ann Wiedemann, DGC, CBM
CO, HMS Vixen

From: 2LT ‘Russian’ Tizura
RE: Time To Show The Navy What For!

Marines,

The vacuum-suckers think they have the courage to stand with us on the field of honor! They claim to not fear the sight of blood, and that they will easily donate more than our Marines.

Not likely! Marines lead the way, and we will in this as well. As you know, there has been a shortage of blood this year due to the ongoing pandemic. We all need to do our part! So I am calling on all of us to part with a spot of the kroovy and help our fellow citizens!

Now get out there, and prove yourselves! We are MARINES, and used to having holes poked in us!

Possimus Perficio!
2LT Martin Richard Tizura, NS
HMS Vixen

From: CO, Second Fleet
RE: December 2020 Blood Drive Challenge

Gryphons,

As the pandemic as been ongoing, blood donations have dropped. Sadly, the demand for blood products has not. In order to assist the hospitals in our operational area, I am pleased to see this friendly (it is friendly, right…) competition between branches.

Between December 1 and December 31, donate blood and post a photo of you doing so to the HMS Vixen Discord (https://discord.gg/QynkCaUQ6P in the #blood-wars channel). Preferably in uniform of some kind. If you are not RMN or RMMM, pick a team to add your donation to. There will be an award for all who donate, and a higher award for the team who donated the most.

If you can donate COVID plasma, and do, please say so. I will track that separately.

If you cannot donate blood, and can support the mission of your local blood bank in another way, post that too. Thank you, and let’s be about it!

RADM Geoffrey Strayer, KDE, KR, SC, OG, CGM, GS
CO, Second (Gryphon) Fleet

Marksmanship Update

By order of CO 2nd Fleet, the following marksmanship awards are issued effective 1 December, 2020:

PISTOL MARKSMANSHIP CERTIFICATE:

PO1 Ben OVERMYER, HMS Valkyrie

CPO David POTTER,HMS Invincible

C2 Aria RANDALL, HMS Invincible

CAPTSG Elisa RANDALL, HMS Invincible

RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP CERTIFICATE:

ENS Amy THEISEN, HMS Musashi

RIFLE SHARPSHOOTER AWARD

LCDR Lisa WIEDEMANN, HMS Vixen

PISTOL EXPERT AWARD:

LCPL Melanie GALLOWAY, MARDET Valkyrie

MCPO Rick WATERSON, HMS Demon

RIFLE HIGH EXPERT AWARD:

PO1 Kyle ANDERSON, HMS Valkyrie

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.

Sanctioned RMN LARP

To: All Officers, Enlisted, and Civilians in the Grand Alliance

From: Martin A. Lessem, KSK, GCR, GCE, SC, DSO, CGM, Admiral of the Fleet, First Lord of the Admiralty, Duke, New Scania

Re: LARP and RMN

This is to announce the following:

TRMN has been approved to run, with the help of Quest Adventure Gaming, a single run RMN LARP (Live Action Role Play)

This LARP will follow the HMS Ballista, CA-586, a Saganami-C class Heavy Cruiser from Manticore, as she conveys military observers from the Grand Alliance, to the Solarian System and meets up with the Grand Fleet, to put a rubber stamp on Admiral Alexander-Harrington’s terms of surrender.

The LARP will run in November of 2021 onboard the USS Edson, DD-946, a decommissioned Forrest Sherman class Destroyer in Saginaw Bay, Michigan.

It will be open to TRMN players and non-TRMN players, and a price, which will be all inclusive to cover participation, food, lodging, and uniforms will shortly be set once we know the maximum number of players possible. For those TRMN members who are able to use their own uniforms, based on the Characters you sign up for, this will be permitted. The Characters will be pre-written, so you will not be playing your TRMN personas, but some of them may be mentioned in the overall story.

As this has been approved by David Weber, the story itself will be canonical, even if the outcome may divert due to players being players.

Further information on this will follow as we begin putting things in place together with Quest Adventure Gaming.

IMPORTANT NOTE – This is not to be construed as blanket permission for TRMN LARPS. This event is a one-off, and approved by David, and supported by BuNine to ensure as much adherence to canon as possible.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and they will be answered as soon as possible.

November 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

Danielle E Ostach to Electronic Warfare Mate 2/c, effective 27 November, 2020
Perry W. Dyer to Civilian Two, effective 27 November, 2020

HMS Enterprise

Robin Brail to Spacer 1st Class, effective 7 November, 2020
Kenneth McNealy Jr to Spacer 2nd Class, effective 7 November, 2020

HMS Galahad

Rey Cordero to Staff Sergeant, effective 7 November, 2020

HMS Merlin

Hutton W Tomporowski to Spacer 1st Class, effective 8 November, 2020

HMS Vixen

Sam Phillips to Private First Class, effective 10 November, 2020
Platoon Sergeant (E-5) Martin Richard Tizura to 2nd Lieutenant, effective 10 November, 2020
Rhyan R Jenkins to Private First Class, effective 28 November, 2020

Fleet Command & Staff Information

CO, Gryphon Fleet

co@gryphonfleet.org

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

XO, Gryphon Fleet

Vacant

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

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

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 Demon (CLAC-62), Chicago, IL
HMS Gryphon (SD-153), Indianapolis, IN
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

Cruiser Division 711

HMS Death Claw (CA-437), Cincinnati, OH HMS Hexapuma (CA-412), Mount Vernon, IN HMS Sabrepike (CA-417), Franklin, OH

Independent Commands

HMS Galahad (DD-478), Columbus, OH

Task Group 22.3

Independent Commands

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