Message posted on Stardate 98101.4 at 0144 hours
Posted by Mike Bourdaa (STF President). It is with mixed feelings that I report the results of my discussions and examinations of the ships in fleets three through six.. It is never a GOOD when three friends are asked to leave their positions.. and it is what makes this job so difficult.
On the other hand, several others now will have the opportunity to prove themselves in whole new ways, which is, for me, a source for excitement.
Since it is good news, and bad news, then, I will start with the Bad News.
Ahem: The Ironically Numbered Edict 13.
* USS Dresden: Fleet Captain Franco Torres is well over one month AWOL, after having taken a brief LOA to move back to Stanford, which was scheduled to end on Sept 3. He did arrive back in Stanford, and posted for a few days.. and then, vanished. I sincerely hope that nothing bad has happened to him, and I do look forward that, if those hopes are realized, that we can find a new position for a valuable member of the Third Fleet’s Team.
Unfortunately, I must at this time, dismiss Franco Torres from his post as Captain of the USS Dresden, and his position as Fleet Commander for STF3.
- USS Athena: Fleet Captain (notice a trend?) B.J. Phillips was one of the original WeBBsters.. for thirteen months, he was a fixture, as Sec-1, then COS, then XO, and until now, CO, of the USS Athena, the First Ship of the WeBB. He was the third Captain, following myself and Colin Wyers in that post. BJ is currently on an extended LOA, so he too might well return to a position in the future.
Unfortunately, at this time, I am dismissing him from the post of Captain of the USS Athena.
- USS Montgomery: Captain Andrew Zbikowski is, and continues to be, a long term member of STF. My dismissal of him is noticably different from the above two, however, and I want to take an opportunity to explain why this move is being made. I expect some of you will disagree, perhaps even hate me for it, but here goes.
Zibby has consistantly been active on other ships, especially the USS Ares, where his great role playing skills, and responsibility, earned him the Montgomery CO spot in the first place. However, his activity on, and committment to the Monty, has been intermittant.
While intermittant is good enough sometimes, it is not sufficient for a Captain. The crew of a ship looks up to the Captain. The Captain needs to set the environment and the pace. More than anyone else, the ship rises and falls with the Captain.
Zibby is a great person, and an excellent RPGer. However, his performance on the Montgomery has lacked the committment that I feel is necessary to maintain a ship smoothly. For many people, this is a matter more for gaining experience.. several people have, in the past, been dismissed from a CO position, and returned to one at a later time. Often, a change of scenery.. a break.. can be vital. It is very possible that, when we are ready to commission new ships, Andrew will be given an opportunity to reprove himself in this field, should he desire a second chance.
For these reasons, I am dismissing Andrew Zbikowski from his position as Captain of the Montgomery.
Now that the difficult part is over, I can get into the part more of you are probably interested in - the replacements. All of these assignments are effective immediately.
Firstly, I would like to announce the transfer of Captain James Speck, from the USS Olympic, to take command of the USS Athena. Because he has been acting as CO for over a month now, it will be a smooth transition.
James will also take over as the new Fleet Commander for STF3.
To replace James on the USS Olympic, I have selected Commander Jim Armstrong to take the helm as the new Captain of that ship. Because is is currently the XO there, he should have minimal difficulty in ensuring a smooth transition. This assignment also includes a promotion in rank to Captain.
To replace Franco Torres on the USS Dresden, I have selected Fleet Captain Greg Hertszch. Somehow, I don’t think he’ll have any problems handling the Big Boat.. or maybe he will? ;-)
Lastly, to replace Andrew Zbikowski, I have selected Commander Nikolle Burchett to become the new Captain of the USS Montgomery. From her wealth of experience in the fourth fleet, I feel that this is an excellent match. This assignment also includes a promotion in rank to Captain.
Ok.. everyone else, you can take a deep breath now. These changes should have an excellent effect on the affected ships.