The Gryphon's Beak
January, 2021Printable PDF
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The end of 2020 brings us to a point of reflection.
It’s been a really rough year for most everyone I know. I have been fortunate that those I know who contracted COVID recovered – in some cases without any lasting impact. I also know that not everyone has been so fortunate. And to you, I offer my deepest sympathies. As we move forward with the reality of living with this virus, I hope that we can remember to be kind – not everyone recovers fully, and not everyone has been spared a loss.
For those untouched by people in their circles having COVID, we also lost in-person activities this year. That was hard on many of us as well. I especially feel for the members and chapters where the focus has always been on in-person events. That loss had to hurt, and keeping engaged when your preferred way to engage is gone is hard. We should be able to return to in-person events this year, even if we don’t know exactly when.
2021 has had more expectations piled on it than would be considered fair in another time. I really want to encourage everyone to look at what’s coming with hopeful optimism, but tempered in reality. Vaccines, two different ones, are being made available, this is good, and if you are able to safely, I would encourage you to give getting one some real thought. I also understand that some reading this are reluctant. As always, you need to do what is right for you and your health and safety. If you have questions or concerns, please ask your doctor or other medical professionals. Or someone who had the shot.
As we move into 2021, I hope we see conventions returning, and I look forward to seeing what form those take. I have been hoping to see conventions returning as soon as July. we will, of course, keep you posted as that develops.
Finally, it is easy to fall into a dark place in any winter, for many reasons. Please feel free to reach out to someone if you do. It is important to not feel alone when in a dark place, and I, or anyone in Fleet leadership, will be willing to listen if you need an ear. We may not be able to remove the darkness, but we can shine a light, and let you know you are not alone.
2021 is upon us, and may it be better than 2020 in all regards. I hope to see you online, and maybe even in person as we return to the conventions we have been missing all year.
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.
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!
Fleet Focus, 2021
As we enter 2021, I want to take a moment to lay out my priorities for the Fleet as a whole this year.
Since it is very likely that most of 2022 will be spend in Worldcon mode – with most if not all of my personal focus on making that event so amazing, you’ll don sackcloth and ashes if you miss it – I want to spend 2021 getting everything in order Fleet-wise. This will allow the Fleet to have the focus needed for Worldcon, while not missing anything internally that may crop up. And that leads into the first focus, staffing.
By the end of 2021, my goal is to have all the empty staffing slots filled out, and with people who are active and engaged in leadership roles. This is absolutely not a critique of anyone in existing roles – this is a challenge to move to the next level. To this end, I will be looking for and reaching out to, people individually, to check on their availability, and find a replacement if needed.
Once I start this process, I will also be implementing the monthly Leadership meetings that have been being skipped. This is something I have not pushed before, and feel is needed going forward. As the organization changes, all of us are being asked to do a little more. Making sure that leadership is in touch with those they lead is going to be part of that.
I will also be asking that members in leadership – from chapters up to myself – take a look at themselves, and be sure that they are still invested in those roles. As much as I would hate to lose chapters, I would hate so much more to have people grow to dread or hate their roles.
Beyond that, I still want to grow the Fleet, and make up the ground we lost over the past few years. To accomplish that despite the lack of conventions is hard. We tend to use those as our prime recruiting grounds. Branching out to other communities is, then, needed. You know your chapters, and what kind of people you attract – let that be your guide as much as possible.
Lastly, I want to focus on leadership as a fleet. That is, making sure that where TRMN is, we are too. We use that tagline ‘second to none’ all over the place. I want us to live that. I want Second Fleet to be who people think of when they think of the Royal Manticoran Navy (and in a good way, of course). We have the people, the skills, and the ability to do it, so let’s make it happen!
I am confident we can achieve all the goals I set here. And that each and every one of you can also achieve the goals you set for yourselves. Over the coming month or so, I will be in touch with echelon leaders, and with others, to set us up for successful operations in the future. Thank you all, and let’s be about it!
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, Second Fleet
RE: December 2020 Blood Drive Challenge
Gryphons,
Thank you to all who donated or contributed! Awards will be announced in the next newsletter.
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 January, 2021:
PISTOL MARKSMANSHIP CERTIFICATE:
- S1C Christopher CARTER, HMS Havoc
RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP CERTIFICATE:
- S1C Jesse LINN, HMS Havoc
- S1C Daniel SPEARS, HMS Havoc
RIFLE SHARPSHOOTER AWARD
- LCDR John CHAMBERS, HMS Havoc
- CAPTJG Sam DIETZMAN, HMS Demon
- MCPO Rick WATERSON, HMS Demon
PISTOL EXPERT AWARD:
- CAPTJG Sam DIETZMAN, HMS Demon
PISTOL HIGH EXPERT AWARD:
- FSMCPO Kevin WALSH, HMS Hotspur
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/.
December Honors – Awards
Companion, Order of King Roger
CAPTSG Jackie SNEDDEN, RMN HMS Enterprise
Navy Star
DCM2 Morgan K DAVID, RMN HMS Vixen
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
ENS Amy Louise THEISEN, RMN HMS Musashi
SMCPO Megan KRICK, RMN HMS Musashi
CDR Drew A. DRENTLAW, RMN HMS Invincible
Navy Achievement Medal
LTSG James MORPHEW, RMN HMS Havoc
CPO Jonathan Wayne ATKINS, RMN HMS Havoc
Recruit Training Ribbon
PO1 David J LEVI, GSN HMS Enterprise
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 Borzoi
- Chris LaPine to Spacer 1st Class, effective 1 December, 2020
HMS Havoc
- Jesse Linn to Spacer 1st Class, effective 4 December, 2020
- Daniel Spears to Spacer 1st Class, effective 4 December, 2020
- Christopher Carter to Spacer 1st Class, effective 19 December, 2020
HMS Musashi
- Ryan Pavao to Spacer 2nd Class, effective3 December, 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
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
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 Hexapuma (CA-412), Mount Vernon, IN
HMS Sabrepike (CA-417), Franklin, OH
Independent Commands
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
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 22.2
CAPTSG Jimmy Nelson
Cruiser Division 711
CAPTJG Kevin Johnson
Task Group 22.3
CAPTSG Jackie Snedden