- the Royal Manticoran Navy!

The Royal Manticoran Navy Newsletter
First Quarter • 2015
A Manticore’s Tale
David is from Mars, Sharon is from Venus
The Rise of MarsCon 2015
W
hen the Prime Minister makes an appearance in Virginia, Third Fleet shows up. On January 16-18, 2015,
MarsCon took place at the Fort Magruder Hotel and Conference Center in Williamsburg, VA. Being the twenty-fifth anniversary of the event, the convention organizers were more
than thrilled to host David and Sharon Weber as their guests
of honor, and the many Manticoran ships in that region immediately converged to celebrate.
On Thursday before the event, while Commander Misty Edwards, HMS Beowulf, was at Norfolk International Airport
to welcome Their Graces and transport them to the event,
Commander Joel Lyons, HMS Helen Zilwicki, transported
the bulk of Third Fleet Virginia’s convention display components to the hotel. As they have built their display up over the
years, it has expanded from a simple table display to include
a bar table, several side tables, tall chairs, and table dressings
that ended up dominating the lobby. It was a labor of love
(and a not insignificant amount of cash) for Joel and Captain
Zachary White, HMS Beowulf, making sure to buy a new display banner, table dressings, flyers and other assorted print
recruiting material for all the folks who would be coming by.
Not to be limited to just this, Commander Lyons floated the
production of several poster sized images of our local ships, as
rendered by BuNine’s resident artist, out of his own pocket.
Those posters graced the walls of the convention Con Suite
and the main TRMN display.
Third Fleet and David Weber showing off their ships.
Not content with simply helping with the display prep,
Commander Lyons also coordinated the decoration of the
convention’s Con Suite with Captain White, and Fleet Senior Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Romero, HMS
Agamemnon. Not only did they hang the posters, but
added ship crests to the walls, and a trio of flags provided
by Captain White. However, Zachary was kept hopping
as well. As the senior captain present, he took charge of
assembling and managing a team of six volunteers to act
as wranglers at the convention, seeing to the care and
comfort of six Guests of Honor. The head of Guest Relations was pleased with how Third Fleet performed, saying it was one of the smoothest and well managed guest
experiences in recent history. She would be thrilled to
have TRMN personnel come back and do it again.
There were even more surprises in store for MarsCon.
Commander Jon Stout, HMS Rigel, presented his popular SITS 101, 201, and 301 sessions, allowing TRMN members and other convention goers to become more familiar
with the Saganami Island Tactical Simulator. The local
spacers participated in all three sessions to… varying degrees of success. Commander Stout noted that our personnel had an “affinity for scoring hits directly to hull and
structural integrity,” with explosive results to the enemy.
Jon’s table drew in a lot of interest for the game and the
Honorverse.
The TRMN display was operational and actively seeking
recruits throughout the weekend. With all the extra layouts
they provided, the uniform displays, videos, and even a laptop allowing recruits to enlist on the spot, HMS Agamemnon, HMS Beowulf, and HMS Helen Zilwicki all had more
than one individual interested in joining their chapters, with
multiple people choosing to join up on the spot. Members
from throughout Third Fleet ensured that the display was
manned constantly, and since it was in a prime location in
the hotel lobby, it gave it a large amount of interested traffic throughout the weekend. One of the new recruits, Pvt.
Jamison Silinsky said, “I’m absolutely stoked… Seeing how
welcoming tRMN was without even talking to any of them
was awesome in and of itself, plus it’s the Honorverse fan association, I don’t think it gets better than that…I can see this
being something that stays with me for a long, long time.”
They set a collection jar on the TRMN display table, and
managed to gather $13.93 in proceeds towards the Midshipman Cruise Program, however their charitable activity didn’t
stop there. Lyons, White, and Romero collaborated together to have 8x10 foam core prints of various ship crests autographed by His Grace, David Weber, then “selling” them
back to the ships who had requested them. They hope to raise
an additional $150 for the Midshipman Cruise Program.
David is captured by the Klingons and is “tortured“ behind bars.
However, they had competition; a local Klingon group had
set up a Jail and Bail to support the Fisher House, a charity
providing free lodging to veterans and their families while
they’re receiving medical care. Duke Leutzen Vale graciously
allowed himself to be taken into custody and tortured with a
rendition of Barney’s “I Love You, You Love Me” song. His
Grace’s arrest, bail, and the series of retaliations that followed (at one point, six TRMN officers were arrested for allowing David Weber’s arrest to take place on their watch),
approximately $100.00 towards this worthy cause was raised
by TRMN members over the course of a single hour. Chief
Romero, who has served as in the Klingon Fleet, noted that
“the Jail usually raises approximately $250.00 over the course
of the weekend,” so their spacers contribution was more than
significant. Colonel Krupp, leader of the Klingons in attendance, was so impressed that he announced that their entire
Fisher House donation would be made in the name of both
the Kor Expeditionary Squadron and TRMN.
On Saturday night, they held the Third Fleet Mixer at Chief
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A Manticore’s Tale
Hanging out with the pooch during a break at MarsCon.
Romero’s home adjacent to the convention hotel. All
members of TRMN and their friends were invited,
and nearly every ship in attendance and BuNine were
well represented. Snacks and refreshments were provided by the Romeros, including a number of Missile
Pods, where the first salvo was dedicated to the memory of Captain Mark West, GSN. After those were
dispatched by the new members, Chief Romero broke
out his personal stash of Klingon Bloodwine. Ensign
David Hurley, HMS Beowulf, also had his classical education expanded, by showing him the John Belushi/
Dan Aykroyd war movie “1941.”
When the convention finished, Captain White and
Commander Edwards had the pleasure of dining with
the Guests of Honor. They had nothing but praise for
all involved, citing the spacers’ attentiveness to their
needs, and our professional “military bearing.” Of
course, David Weber was thanked for his attendance
personally with a gift of one of the core foam ship
crests, which he was honored to receive.
All in all, it was a very successful event, and gave
Third Fleet a chance to shine to the rest of fandom.
Misty Edwards stands proudly in front of the TRMN booth.
First Quarter
Message from the Chief
Words and Wisdom from the Senior Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
our fleets is sending one of the Midshipmen to Space Camp!!
We do for each other when necessary. Others are judging
us by these very actions. When we go to a convention and
we volunteer, when we are cheerful. When we are clearly
friendly with not only each other but con goers. We make
a statement.
Because of how we show our colors, and how positive we
are, I believe David Weber is proud of us and what we do.
When I was at Vcon, one of the guests of honor stated “He
even has his own military escort!”
We are lucky to be the type of fan orginization that has
the author himself interact with us. And his wonderful
wife (I hope you all noticed) personally welcomes each
new member on the page.
My point is that we not only represent ourselves, our
ships, and tRMN, but we essentially represent David and
Sharon themselves. This is an honor and a privledge.
And remember in all things our unofficial motto. Do it
with Honor.
I
plan on trying to do these more often in my role of
keeping up the morale and spirits. This month I want
to talk about how we represent the tRMN.
We are in a pretty unique situation where we are a
relatively new and exciting addition to fandom. We are
starting to make our presence known at cons and around
fandom. As such we are building a reputation of who
and what we as a GROUP are and represent. Now lately
there has been a lot of talk about OTHER orginizations
and how they feel. That they don’t want to recognize
duel memberships with us for whatever reason. or that
other groups are full of drama, and not as cool as us or
whatever.
What I suggest is that we transcend all that talk. No
matter our opinions of other groups and how we feel they
are led, we need to treat those groups and their members
how WE would like to be treated. That old Golden Rule
rears its head again. We don’t need to get involved in any
drama, instead smile and show how great we are by our
actions, acceptance of everyone and most importantly
how WE are a FAMILY. We have a diplomatic corps
whose job it is to keep good relations between our club
and others out there. Let’s support them by making their
jobs easier.
I was recently at a convention where I overheard
how those tRMN guys were great people, and that they
needed to be invited back NEXT year. THAT is what we
are about.
Look at our actions. We raise money for charity. One of
2015
SMCPON Tom Coonradt NS, ME
Chief of the Navy
The Chief with Her Grace, Duchess Leutzen Vale, at VCon 2014.
A Manticore’s Tale
Published Quarterly by BuComm - Landing, Manticore
Production Team:
CPT (JG) Marcus Johnston, OC - Director of Publications
Editorial Board:
ADM Lord Robert Bulkeley, Jr., SC - 4th Space Lord
RADM Eric Schulmann, SC, OG - Commander, 1st Fleet
CDRE Lady Diane Bulkeley - Deputy Commander, 8th Fleet
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
3
Nothing But The Flag
Shedding their Clothes for the Honor of the Queen
looked and so I decided that is a thing to try with our new
flag.” She thought about doing it on her own, but then
she thought, “it might be more fun to rope some more
girls into it.”
So that’s exactly what she did. From all reports, the ladies
did not take much convincing. When Blanca approached
her executive officer, Commander Květa “Torli” Tonová,
she thought, “Why not? It is an interesting offer, so
let’s try to do it.” Surgeon Lieutenant Kyra Skress, GNS
Equinox, agreed. “I have never done something crazy
like this before, so I answered: “Yeah, why not?” And I
really enjoyed it. Í d like to do it again.” Blanca explained
that “individually, it would have been quite difficult to
convince some of them, but since it was a group effort,
it wasn’t as hard. None of us is perfect, none of us is a
model with any kind of experience or ambition in that
field... we are just ordinary women who feel comfortable
enough in their own skin to show off.”
Captain Lenka “Blanca” Lukac, Baroness Moonford, in a less...
formal setting.
I
f there is one word that describes spacers across the
fleet, it is “generous.” We are more than generous
with our time and our money, contributing to events and
charities of many different stripes. However, the women
of BatCruRon 39 decided to go one step beyond, and shed
their clothes.
Our allies in the Czech Republic have published a
calendar, showing the beautiful women of Bohemia
Station, wearing nothing but a flag. This fundraiser
was the brainchild of Captain Lenka “Blanca” Lukac,
Baroness Moonford, who commands HMS Phantom,
the squadron’s flagship. It all started when she first
held the Manticoran flag in her hands, and someone
asked Blanca, “What are we going to do with it?” Her
Excellency explained that “since my brain works a bit
funny sometimes, I remembered a photo I saw several
years back of Amanda Tapping wrapped up in nothing
but an American flag. I loved the way those photos
4
A Manticore’s Tale
I’m not sure that the Graysons would approve, but we’re
certainly not telling them.
First Quarter
With everyone on board for the project, they did two
photo shoots, since three of the models couldn’t make it
and were photographed separately. In the first shoot, the
photographer and ten women were shut up together in
a small enclosed space for several hours. “There was no
“preparation” space,” Blanca explained, “we had to do
our make-up and everything else (including the actual
shooting) in one room over a garage. And it was pitch
dark in there during the shoot, except for the flashing of
the photo lights. So it was a lot of fun to try and do each
other’s make-up in near-total darkness.”
In that environment it was often difficult to get into
position. Kyra remembered that “When I was sitting on
the seat and photographer said: ‘Do something.’ So I fell
down from the seat.” The flags turned out to be difficult
to handle as well. The GSN and RMN flags were thick
and unbending, however, the RMMC flag was the easiest
to work with, since it was lighter—but smaller, so they
had to be careful with placing it. However, that wasn’t
the only props for the photo shoot. “I am simply not able
to smile when there is a knife in my hand,” said Staff
Sergeant Kane, HMS Royalist’s MARDET leader. “When
we tried to shoot the cover photo,” Blanca explained, “we
had problems getting everyone in the picture, because
the space was so cramped.”
The calendar proved how beautiful a woman can
look when you stick her in front of a camera. The most
common quote overheard was “It’s not fair, look at how
darn sexy [she] is, I’m going home,” which was repeated
every time a new girl started shooting, from different
women. “The most memorable thing for me,” Torli said,
When you need dream fodder...
2015
What the flags look like when they’re not draped around women.
“was the moment when we were all more or less naked in
the studio, waiting our turn in front of the camera. The
fact that so many of my friends were comfortable enough
around each other to show themselves in such a way...it is
an experience I will probably never forget.”
After the shoot, the graphics side of the calendar was
put together by Kendra, R&R Facility manager for HMS
Phantom, and Captain Michal “Dragon Lord” Lukáč,
commanding GNS Equinox. There were several difficulties,
since the photos were differing widely in sizes (standing,
sitting and lying), and some of the models needed to have
their eyes opened on the cover photo.
As they finished up the project, they realized they had
forgotten an important detail: which charity to support!
Thankfully, it was Torli who came up with the suggestion.
REGI Base, an organization that takes care of veterans
of the Czech armed forces & state EMTs, seemed perfect
for the Royal Manticoran Navy to support. Foundation
REGI Base I helps soldiers reintegrate into the civilian
community with assistance in rehabilitation, retraining,
job placement, and provision of material for those who
return from serving in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
The price for the calendar is $25 US, including taxes and
shipping, although they wouldn’t mind if you contributed
more to help out REGI Base. Having raised about $400 so
far, there are still plenty of calendars available if others
would like to purchase them. The models were the first to
buy the calendars, some bought as many as 4 or 6 of them.
When they saw the final product, Kyra said “I think it is
great. All of us look very beautiful.” Blanca replied, “Of
course, most of us think, that all the other “months” look
so much better than our own. But I haven’t heard anyone
who wouldn’t be absolutely pleased by the result.” Torli
answered, “The final product is very satisfactory and in
my opinion, quite well done. We are, after all, wonderful
and lovely ladies, quite confident and comfortable in our
bodies, so how could it end in any other way?”
If you want to purchase a calendar for yourself, go to
www.hmsphantom.cz/?lang=en for the details.
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
5
Meeting Your Extended Family
by Captain (JG) Marcus Johnston, OC, RMN
A
gns Honor’s new comics
s Chief Coonradt is fond of saying, “We’re more
than a fan club, we’re family.” So when I discovered
that due to scheduling snafu that I was stuck in Charlotte,
North Carolina over the New Year holiday—the other
side of the continent from my home—I decided to see
if Third Fleet was having a party. Sure enough, HMS
Kraken, based out of Winston-Salem, NC, was holding
a Change of Command ceremony for their incoming
executive officer… and it was less than a two hour drive
away. Shooting off a quick message to their captain, I was
welcomed, and given the address for the shindig.
Now I’ll admit I was a little nervous—unlike the other
ships in 3rd Fleet, I hadn’t met any of these spacers, not
even online—so I was coming to a party full of strangers
with nothing more than my reputation and my old HMS
Condor hat. So I decided to remedy that and arrive with
a bottle of black rum, a case of Coca-Cola, and two tubes
of Pringles. As I discovered, I shouldn’t have worried.
After asking permission to board, Captain (SG) Mark
Polanis welcomed me with open arms, and gave me an
honorary promotion to commodore (because you can’t
have more than one captain on a ship). The stewards put
out an amazing spread of homemade bread, cheeses, and Chris Carter (left) is fooled into taking the XO job by Joshua Bailey
desserts of all shapes and sizes. The lady of the house,
Ensign Tamara Massey, was very gracious and more than joined the crew. Private Craig Finley was the first Marine
on their ship and Captain Polanis was thrilled to have him,
helpful in introducing me to the rest of the crew.
The party officially started with the Change of hoping to add a MarDet to his ship’s compliment. Craig
was a career sergeant in the US Army, now retired and
going back to school, with tons of fun stories… that I can’t
repeat here.
I had an especially long conversation with their chief
engineer, Lieutenant Commander Darryl Hobbs, who
currently serves in the North Carolina National Guard,
who was very excited to see me. We discussed many ideas
that he came up with that might help the association as
a whole. I also got to meet his lovely wife, Steward 1/c
Cynthia Hobbs, and we traded many fun stories about life,
Army, and living in North Carolina. The cold weather had
Samantha Martin, Mark Polanis, and Tamara Massey.
Command ceremony, although I was already on my third
Roman Coke by that point, elevating Chris Carter to
the rank of Commander as Executive Officer on board
the super dreadnaught. Carter shook hands with the
outgoing XO, Commander Joshua Bailey, who kept going
out the door once the ceremony was over. Then the
drinking and conversations began in earnest. The Kraken
was full of interesting people, including one who had just
6
A Manticore’s Tale
On the couch with Les Rickard, Joshua Bailey, and Chris Carter.
First Quarter
knocked out their car engine, so they were stuck for the
night, whether they wanted to stay or not.
It wasn’t the only casualty of the night—the swarm of
crew members had caused a breach in the toilet, leading
it to overflow. The engineers rushed quickly to fix the
problem, with damage control cleaning up the mess.
Amazingly, the rope chairs brought in for the event
managed to take weight far beyond their structural
guidelines. The new executive officer seized the most
comfortable seat and held it for the remainder of the
party; Captain Polanis was too preoccupied with the
beautiful women of the party to challenge his authority.
We watched the ball drop in New York City on the
television and all cheered for the New Year. However,
the party didn’t stop at the Polanis household for another
Tim Grondahl, Adam
Zach
Frazer, and Jessie Karpf.
gnsStrickland,
Honor’s new
comics
Pouncing on Pajamas
HMS Snow Leopard Leaps to Help the Pajama Program
T
When you hover near the drinks...
two hours. Again, the captain was generous enough to let
all those not sober enough to drive to spend the night. I
camped out on his couch and woke up before the rest of
the crew. I made sure to stay long enough to convey my
thanks before making the long trip back to Charlotte.
I wasn’t sure what I would find at the beginning of that
trip, but what I found was that Chief Coonradt was right.
Wherever there are spacers, there is community. Not
only did I have a great time with the crew of the Kraken,
but I found friends where I never expected them. I think
their “insanity” matched mine. It makes me grateful to be
part of the Fleet!
Marcus Johnston, Darryl Hobbs, Cynthia Hobbs, and their tongues.
2015
he generosity of spacers knows no limits—from
the First Lord of the Admiralty’s Big Cat Rescue to
2nd Fleet Marines Toys for Tots, Manticorans are in the
lead in helping those in need. Now HMS Snow Leopard
in Connecticut has brought honor to their ship and 1st
Fleet by holding a drive for… pajamas?
Senior Chief Petty Officer Jessie Karpf took the lead
in getting the crew mobilized for this particular project.
She discovered the Pajama Program, which provides
new books and new pajamas to children in need, many
who waiting and hoping to be adopted. They chose these
two items, because many of the children the program
serves live in shelters and group homes, shuffling from
one temporary home to another, often leaving many of
their original clothes behind. Books are also important
to serving this community, since many of the kids have
been removed from school for long periods of time, and
therefore do not have access to books to continue their
reading practice. This means their reading skills are far
lower than their peers.
With the help of Trinity Episcopal Church, HMS Snow
Leopard was able to collect 39 pair of pajamas and 61
books! Even the treecats couldn’t help put get involved,
reveling in the happy children who would benefit... of
course, it’s entirely possible they just wanted to be in
the picture. Once it was all gathered up, Chief Karpf
transported to the loot to the program coordinators at
the Connecticut chapter Janet Estevez-Filardi and Gerry
Woods, who were thrilled in being able to distribute
them. With warm pajamas and volunteers willing to read
their new books to the kids, the mission was successful.
It’s easy to forget that little things can make a huge
difference in someone’s life. Something like pajamas,
that many people take for granted, can be a blessing for
those who lost everything. It’s wonderful that Captain
(JG) Zachariah Frazier and his crew were able to find a
need and fill it.
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
7
He Passed His Test
Celebrating the Life of Captain Mark West, GSN
A
stunning announcement hit the family of spacers
on Christmas morning. Mark West—a cornerstone
of both the Grayson Space Navy and the Bureau of Training—was found dead in his home on the 24th by his brother, probably due to complications from his recent surgery.
Being one of the “old guard” of tRMN, the news of his
passing echoed through the Facebook boards, and affected
everyone who knew him deeply. Most of us had never met
Mark in person, and yet his dedication and humor infected
everyone he came in contact with.
Mark played a pivotal role in building BuTrain, as one
of the first faculty, eventually becoming Chief of Staff, and
shaped the Technical Specialties College. “I thought he had
been around forever,” Rear Admiral Eric Schulman said.
“He sent me my first Saganami Island exam. When he sent
my graded exam back, he closed with ‘Good Luck, God’s
Speed, and remember to honor the Queen in all that you
do.’ MCWO West made grading and sending out exams a
priority.” As the first enlisted instructor, and eventually
the NCO and Warrant Academy instructor, he touched a
lot of spacers’ lives. Chief Helmsman Thomas McDonald
noted, “Mark graded a number of my early exams, and always had a thoughtful comment to add in feedback. His
comments sparked a number of discussions in which we
shared our common interests in military history and other
subjects. His enthusiasm was infectious. It was great to
join tRMN and feel valued and appreciated as a member,
Captain Mark West (standing) as he surveys the battlefield.
8
A Manticore’s Tale
Mark West (1969-2014)
right away.” Commander Steve Randolph agreed, “He was
an enthusiastic instructor who was quick with a reply to
my numerous questions as I attempted to relate my active
duty experiences into a fan run organization. He was the
first one on one interaction with anyone from tRMN and
he set the bar. I knew from his example that tRMN was a
professional and fun loving group.”
Admiral Lord Sir James Friedline, 6th Space Lord, noted
that “He not only became my sounding board for ideas and
organizing exams, but my friend. He and I had a running
argument about his rank. Mark insisted on wanted to stay
an enlisted member.... but, I insisted on his becoming an officer, so I could move him into the Chief of Staff position.
I ended up brevetting him to Captain, we would joke his
real rank was Captain Petty Officer, taking a theme from
the old MASH TV show.” The rank joke carried on during the faculty meetings. “Mark was the first person to take
me under his wing when I volunteered at the academy,”
SMCPON Tom Coonradt remembered. “He called me his
Minion. I learned that he took great joy at tweaking people a little. He insisted on calling Admiral Lochen “Your
Grace” as well as having a joke at just about any moment. I
grew to love my interactions with him. He insisted that no
matter what rank he was he would always be a Chief Warrant Officer at heart. I called him Commodore, he called
Me captain.”
Commander Joe Grieco explained that “I thought I was
going to be the new Electronics Technician Instructor for
First Quarter
Mark West, before he became the legend.
SIA.... Then this Grayson Captain looked at my test scores
and read the letters I actually send in with each exam and
said ‘Hey, how would you like to be my Personnelman
Instructor? You really KNOW the job! Also, we’re gonna
launch the Navy Counselor Course real soon, too, and you
can teach that as well!’” Just as he was eager to lasso people
into his projects, he was just as willing to do the work himself. “Whatever I needed done Mark was the first to take
on the task often without being asked,” Admiral Friedline
explained. “If he felt a policy or order I wanted to issue
wasn’t proper or up to the standards we established he
would let me know in direct terms. Just as any good Chief
of Staff worth his salt should. Mark was my right hand.”
Although he was most known for his BuTrain work,
he also was dedicated to the Grayson Space Navy. “Mark
led things as the previous CO and XO of the GNS Barbara
Bancroft decided their time in the sun was over,” Captain
(SG) Jeremy Carsten, commanding GNS Barbara Bancroft, reminisced, “and Mark put out the call to the rest
of the crew who wanted to lead this rag tag bunch of awesome. He got crickets in response. So he put out the call
again – because he’d never let this chapter fade into the
night. That’s when I had the bright idea of just asking him
who had the academy tests done already to be CO and XO.
Just pick from that list, easy as can be right? Yeah. Mark
then informed me I was the only one with the tests done
to be CO, and he was the only other one with them done
to be XO. It kind of narrowed it down.”
Grieco realized, “I knew something was going on when
I got back from Honorcon this year and noted some folks
were having problems with the Admin group. I reached
out and found out that Mark wasn’t doing well, so I asked
him what I could do for him. Once again, he asked me to
cover his Admin functions while he got better.” Friedline
had greater insight on the captain’s situation. “He kept me
2015
up to date on what was happening in his life… When Mark
started to have serious health issues, Mark called me. We
talked about those issues and what the doctors had told
him and his plans for addressing them. When they became
severe, he called me and requested a leave of absence because he was worried he would not be able to handle his
duties.”
His death is a loss to the Fleet as a whole, and the work
that he did will be appreciated by those spacers who remember him. “Neither sought our respective new roles,
but both of us took pride in them,” Jeremy Carsten answered, “He held my hand through those early days/
months. Those chaotic, ironic, and amused attitude times
are what I shall recall most fondly.” Eric Schulman replied,
“I am sorry for all the tRMN members of the future who
won’t get the chance to know him. But they will know
about him,” because the Enlisted School building has been
named West Hall in his honor. James Friedline added,
“BuTrain and the RMN has lost a good and faithful member, and I have lost a good friend. May he find the rest and
peace he has earned in life. I thank God that he permitted me to know Mark.” Chief Coonradt added. “Mark
was always willing to assist anyone with any question or
concern. I strive to this day to emulate that. He was the
epitome of what we each should strive towards in service
of our fellow fans.”
Through his example, many of us who work in the Fleet
strive to meet the example of his dedication and humor.
Out of all the kind words that have been said of him, the
best ending is Commander Grieco’s story. “When… I offered my services to the Officer Academy, Mark’s reply
was ‘You’re nuts, you know? Have fun.’”’
The uniform remains without the man. (Suit by Misty Edwards)
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
9
That Which We Call A Rose
The Many Faces of Fort Shorncliffe
T
he Royal Manticoran Army has been growing by
leaps and bounds over the past year, proving itself a
worthy addition of the Association as a whole. One of the
great success stories of the RMA has been Shorncliffe,
the largest unit in the Army, and the only one that has
been designated as a “barracks” and a “fort.” Major
Jeffrey Webb has been commended for gathering the
geeks together in the Austin, Texas area under the colors
of the Crown. However, the success of Shorncliffe is only
one side of the story. They have combined their local fan
groups together; different names, but the same members.
What we call Fort Shorncliffe today was originally
known as the Caladan Highland Dragoons, founded
around 1995-6 as a Battletech club, and has evolved into
the multifaceted organization it is today. This military
science fiction gaming organization soon realized that
many of their faithful members were also members of
StarFleet International. Instead of having competing
meetings, in August of 2013 they decided to combine
their efforts and commission their group under the name
of USS Texas (NCC-35). However, in deference to the
fact that they’re all ground-pounders, they also fly the
banner of the United Earth Army—since their ship in
the same time period as Captain Archer’s Enterprise,
to be canonically accurate, they’re UEA; SFMC was not
The soldiers of USS Texas (left-to-right): Trenton Baum,
Jeffrey Webb, Justin Earl, Bobby Dean, and Raul Trevino.
10
A Manticore’s Tale
The 342nd Armored Infantry Regiment on board USS Kidd.
founded until 2161. However, SFI simply places their
members in the StarFleet Marine Corps 3rd Brigade,
“The Royal Dragoon Guards,” otherwise known as the
342nd Marine Strike Group.
However, it was in late 2014 that Major Webb, SFMC
was introduced to tRMN and fell in love. Joining the
RMA, it didn’t take much to convince 80% of his multifaceted unit to come with him. They named their unit
Shorncliffe as homage to the British Light Infantry; more
specifically, the 95th Rifles from the Sharpe series by
Bernard Cornwall. To keep everything consistent, their
fort is the home of the 342nd Armored Infantry Regiment,
appropriately known as “The Dragoon Guards.” Because
they grew so fast—skipping the “outpost” designation
altogether—Fort Shorncliffe is the only unit to have
commissioned officers in the RMA who did not first hold
a general staff appointment. Their pride is not just limited
to officers—1st Sergeant Eric Stolle was Mentioned
in Dispatches for being the first member of tRMN to
complete the entire Enlisted program at KR1MA with a
perfect score.
They usually conduct their meetings on the 1st and 3rd
Saturdays of each month, actually starting and ending
most meetings with an actual formation, with Captain
Dean (executive officer) and Sergeant Stolle teaching
drill and ceremony to the members to use at formal
events. Afterwards, they intersperse classroom sessions
throughout the day, where they discuss fandom, history,
gaming, tactics and other topics, break for lunch, and then
dive into five to six hours of gaming… or until they drop
from exhaustion, whichever happens first. They don’t
First Quarter
exclusively play Battletech and role-playing games, but
according to Major Webb, “We got Dust, we got Imperial
Assault, we got Axis & Allies, we got sonic electronic
ball breakers! We got knives, sharp sticks...” The major
was shouted down before he could ramble on further. In
addition, they have gone as a group to attend Sherwood
Forest (a renaissance fair), the Dr. Pepper Museum, the
StarFleet Regional Summit, Blue Bonnet Air Show, play
mini-golf, and attend a wild variety of conventions.
So whether you call them Royal Army or Earth Army
or StarFleet Marines, the men and women of Shorncliffe
continue to revel in their wildness, and do honor to the
Army and the Crown.
No, it’s not Isaiah Mackenzie, but it’s a really good substituion!
So... are we gonna shoot something or what?
Who is Isaiah
Mackenzie?
BuTrain’s Expansion into New Territory
A
s tRMN continues to offer more options, so does
BuTrain, expanding to meet the academic needs of
our members. Being tasked with new assignments, such
as covering the educational requirements for the growing
sub-groups, they’ve need to add more interesting topics
to the already long list of exams. So to meet this need,
two new academies have been built: Isaiah Mackenzie
Naval Academy for the Graysons and KaiserlichAndermanische Prinz Adalbert Marineakademie for the
Andermanis.
Why were these new academies started? “The concept
for the organization called for the creation of a number
of different membership ‘navies’… and the various
Academies are a logical extension of that concept,”
explained Admiral Lord Sir James Friedline, 6th Space
Lord. There is already a Civilian Group which resulted in
Landing University and the Sphinx Forestry Commission
Program, “for those who did not want to be ‘military,’”
Friedline smiled. “Add to that the sub-Academies, of
2015
Army and Marines and the future Royal Merchant Marine
and Astro-Control Schools, you begin to see the scope of
our organization.”
With the large number of our members who have
identified themselves as part of the Grayson Space Navy
as well as two ships of the Andermani Space Navy, the
various Academies are a logical extension of that concept.
“We see more members signing up as members of the
Grayson Navy as well as a number of transfers,” Friedline
answered. “As the overall organization grows we expect
to see more diversity in what navies members want to join
or have an interest in… It is part of the ever expanding
Honorverse which we all love.”
How will the new academies be different? The Space
Lord explained that the IMNA’s “course load will have
some similarities, as with all navies, however it will
be heavy on Grayson History, Ship nomenclature and
Technology, the Specialty Area exams will be for the
most part the same as for the RMN with some Grayson
specific additions to the list.” Colonel Chris Fells, already
commandant of the King Roger I Military Academy, has
been tapped to be the new commandant of Mackenzie,
while Kapitan der Sterne Laura Lüschen, commanding
SMS Buddenbrock, has agreed to take on the head role at
Prinz Adalbert.
Meanwhile, BuTrain continues to develop several
new tracks for members to pursue. For instance, the
Merchant Marine Track will fall under the Saganami
Island Academy. Meanwhile discussions continue on
Astro Control Track, the section that operates the space
stations and wormhole junctions, as well as a track that
covers the repair yards and the duties of the “Yard Dogs.”
By the way, who was Isaiah Mackenzie? He was the first
recipient of the Crossed Swords to the Star of Grayson
and captain-general of Benjamin the Great’s army during
the Civil War. House of Steel names the Grayson’s naval
school, and said it opened in 1920 PD.
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
11
Broadening Your Horizons
by Captain (JG) Marcus Johnston, OC, RMN
officer called it “our Dempsey’s.” The food was amazing—
they specialized in breakfast and they did it well. Half of
our party was in full uniform, with the rest wearing some
sort of RMN gear. While we tucked into the delicious
meal, our conversations ranged widely from Fleet gossip,
to our life stories, how to bless food in Hebrew, as well as
the proper way to smoke bacon. There was even real-life
job networking as we discovered the hidden credentials
in our resume. As we were leaving, I was surprised to
Marcus is staring at the camera, feeling incredibly underdressed
compared to the crew of the Helen Zilwicki.
T
he greatest learning experience for a captain is to see
how other ships are run. While touring Third Fleet,
I had the chance to experience this when I was welcomed
on board HMS Helen Zilwicki. Her new captain, Captain
(JG) Joel Lyons, was more than happy for me to join his
crew for brunch and gunnery practice. After meeting
Joel’s wife and his tactical officer at the ship, we all
piled into the cutter and went down to The Egg Bistro in
Chesapeake. Despite the 45-minute wait, the crew used
this to good effect, allowing three more spacers to arrive,
including Spacer 3/c Caroline Mabry, Commander Misty
Edwards (XO of the Beowulf), and to my great surprise,
my yeoman, Chief Helmsman Tom McDonald. He had
taken a pinnace from the Agamemnon to see me, a two
hour flight in normal space from Richmond.
After jabbering away for almost an hour, we were
finally accepted in, and I finally understood why one
With Tom McDonald in command, Horizon approaches Mars.
While the captain is at the helm, the bosun (Will Aygarn, right)
looks on with approval on the exercise.
Caroline Mabry tries to place a food order when a camera clicks.
12
A Manticore’s Tale
discover the waitress had given us a military discount
without even asking—I guess the Zilwicki’s uniforms
were that good!
From the Egg Bistro, we returned to the ship, and
activated the simulator. This introduced me to the Starship
Horizons Spaceship Simulator, a program currently
under development by Mythric Studios, which has a
TRMN connection thanks to PO3 Bryan Haven, HMSS
First Quarter
Greenwich, who also serves as a member of BuNine.
Similar to the Artemis program, it’s not as polished, and
it’s certainly less Star Trek-based. A member of the crew
who is a programmer himself declared that “this isn’t
the beta version, this is the alpha version,” so glitches
abounded. However, it did have one major advantage
over Artemis—it only required one computer to run the
program. All the other bridge stations used computers to
link into the program via a web browser, so you could use
any type of computer, even a tablet, although as Captain
Lyons was clear to point out, “a phone browser doesn’t
work very well on the controls.”
After getting an honorary promotion to Commodore,
I was given the honor of captaining the ship on its first
mission, which considering I had never played this
simulator, I was a little nervous. As we rotated through
Hanging outside the Egg Bistro.
captain there wagging his finger saying, “I sent you to Mesa
for one job… one job!”
After several hours together, it was hard to leave after
having such a great time. However, the demands of real
life were calling, as well as a five-hour pinnace ride back
to work the next day. So I gave my goodbyes and thanked
the captain for his hospitality. As often as my BuComm
duties take me away from my own ship, I’m grateful for
the chance to see what others are doing in their ships. I can
only aspire to perform as well as Captain Lyons and the
crew of HMS Helen Zilwicki.
Marcus investigates the mysteries of the science station.
the stations, we had a great deal of fun destroying fighters,
engaging the Borg, and even fighting alongside HMS
Fearless to defeat an opposing fleet. Of course, the Fearless
was traveling backwards during the battle, but despite
that glitch, ASC Horizons took down such ships as the
Interpriz, Entripid, and Khan. I don’t think that was a
glitch, but it did cause me to shout out “Khaaaaaaaaaaan!”
when I spotted it on sensors.
We weren’t playing the whole time—our conversations
continued, including learning about Lyons’ Army career
as a food service specialist. It doesn’t sound like the most
glamourous MOS, until you hear about jumping out of a
plane with the kitchen trailer. Lyons’ crew also praised his
command of the ship, not just as an excellent steward (his
“puppy chow” was excellent—Chex rolled in chocolate),
but his willingness to lend a hand whenever there was a
need. For instance, after hearing that a crew member spent
a day in jail, he drove down to Norfolk. At midnight, in a
The Helen Zilwicki has its own wardroom. Begin your envy now.
sketchy part of town and no way to get home, they saw the
2015
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
13
Quarterly Award Announcements
The following awards were issued during the first quarter of 2015.
Order of Gallantry
14FEB15
Eric Schulman
Navy Commendation Decoration
31DEC14
Kat Brandow
10FEB15
David Beasley
David Hurley
Navy Star
06JAN15
Will Aygarn
Misty Edwards
14FEB15
Rachel Nevins
28FEB15
Joseph Morgan
Gryphon Star
Joseph Lyons
01MAR15
Thomas McDonald
14FEB15
Christa Brolley
Navy/Marine Achievement Medal
Conspicuous Service Medal
14FEB15
14FEB15
Hal Vaughan
17FEB15
Leigh Smith
Zachariah Fraser James Kratzer
Steve Randolph
Meritorious Service Medal
01MAR15
24MAR15
Caroline Cox
Dan Brandow
William Helton
Thomas Lee
Jacob Engstrom
Steven Firestine
Mark Polanis
Gerry Martin
Sarah Mills
10FEB15
TJ Allen
Jason Cordova
Joseph Lyons
Michael Romero
List of Honor
HMS Anasazi
31DEC14
Royal Meritorious Unit Citation
Queen’s Bravery Medal
01MAR15
Thomas Black
Rebekah Black
Hope Guthrie
Christopher Cross
Caroline Mabry
23MAR15
30JAN15
Patrick McKinnion
Silesian Anti-Piracy Campaign
Medal
HMS Saladin
HMS Werewolf
HMS Drake
HMS Wolverine
03JAN15
10FEB15
Kevin Horner
Heather Selbe
John Stump
Neil Swadling
Prisoner of War Medal
05JAN15
01MAR15
A Manticore’s Tale
05JAN15
13JAN15
15JAN15
Michael Cucchiarella
Craig Meyer
Cheryl Krause
James Sena
14
07FEB15
10FEB15
James Conason
HMS Anasazi
David Hurley
06FEB15
Amy Beasley
Anya Walker
Cindy Jenkins
Thomas McDonald
Brandi Hinson
Stephanie Taylor
Candice Casas
Jonathan Casas
Tamara Massey
Sherman Day
21FEB15
Chris Fells
Randolph Allen
12JAN15
25JAN15
William Knight
Jacob Engstrom
James Sena
Mentioned in Dispatches
Army Regimental Excellence Award
05FEB15
Fort Shorncliffe
Bivouac Muir Point
27JAN15
02FEB15
10FEB15
Michaela Austin
Amy Beasley
Dave Beasley
Karolyn Byers
Phillip Clayton
Angela Clayton
Steven Firestine
Heather Holowach
First Quarter
Jacob Holowach
Amber Howdeshell
Peter Howdeshell
David Hurley
Alan Isom
Thomas McDonald
Joseph Morgan
Linda Needham
Douglas Needham
Ken O’Dell
Paul Rankin
Alex Rath
Jennifer Rath
Niki Rece
Michael Romero
Arasin Staubly
Randy Todd
Chris Upton
Cindy Ward
Tim Ward
David Weber
David Weiner
Joel Lyons
Megan Rice-Weber
Michael Rice-Weber
Morgan Rice-Weber
Sharon Rice-Weber
Rayanne McClellan-Staubly
01MAR15
David Weber
Sharon Rice-Weber
Karolyn Byers
Katheryne Johnson
John Stout
Jack Warren
Gerry Martin
Masadan Occupation Medal
16FEB15
James Friedline
Eric Schulman
Michael Paquette
James Kratzer
Christa Brolley
Robyn Becker
William Becker
Sandy Kratzer
John Erb
Jon Robison
Michael Heuss
William Masters, Jr.
Havenite War Campaign Medal
David Beasley
Brad Lee
Neil Swadling
Amy Beasley
Dave Beasley
2015
13JAN15
Peter Gordon
John Stump
10FEB15
TJ Allen
Karolyn Byers
Scott Bitner
Carl Christianson
Candace Casas Jonathan Casas
Phillip Clayton Angela Clayton
Jason Cordova
Misty Edwards
Steven Firestine Heather Holowach
Jacob Holowach Allison Gahrmann
John Gahrmann Anne Hackley
Brandi Hinson Amber Howdeshell
Peter HowdeshellDavid Hurley
Alan Isom
Thomas McDonald
Gerry Martin
Tamara Massey
Sarah Mills
Mark Morgan
Joseph Morgan Linda Needham
Douglas NeedhamKen O’Dell
Mark Polanis
Paul Rankin
Paul Rankin
Alex Rath
Jennifer Rath
Niki Rece
Michael Romero Arasin Staubly
Stephanie Taylor Daniel Walker
Randy Todd
Chris Upton
Cindy Ward
Tim Ward
JackWarren
Zach White
David Weber
David Weiner
Joel Lyons
Johnathan Pittman
John Kane
Megan Rice-Weber
Michael Rice-Weber
Morgan Rice-Weber
Sharon Rice-Weber
Rayanne McClellan-Staubly
Havenite Operational
Service Medal
05JAN15
Renee Haggerty
Ashley Nichols
Steven Rosenthal
Jon Glenn
James Conason Liz Meinert
Ed Cook
Doug Whittenberg
Randolph Allen
Michael Scott
Chris Zeeck
02FEB15
James Jones
Scott Akers
James Sena
Timothy Monk
Ian Graham
Dale Imbleau
Katilyn Kemker
Patrick McKinnon
Jordan Bouray
Thomas Coonradt
Garr Littrell
Thomas Lee II
Timothy Zahn
Mir Plemmon
Camin Keplinger Bradbury
Mhari McKinnon Bradbury
James Friedline
16FEB15
Eric Schulman
Michael Paquette James Kratzer
Christa Brolley Robyn Becker
William Becker Sandy Kratzer
John Erb
Jon Robison
Michael Heuss William Masters, Jr.
01MAR15
David Weber
Sharon Rice-Weber
Mike Romero
Rebekah Black
Thomas Black
Thomas McDonald
Ashley Romero Hope Guthrie
Kaylee Romero Zoey Romero
Zachary White Misty Edwards
David Hurley
Michael Hunnicutt
Joseph Morgan Joseph Lyons
Christopher CrossLeonard Price
Will Aygarn
Caroline Mabry
Karolyn Byers
Katheryne Johnson
John Stout
Jack Warren
Gerry Martin
Dexter Guptill
Amy Beasley
David Beasley
Recruit Training Ribbon
Garrett Bitker
David Weiner
Roon Marchant
04FEB14
Eric Nelson
23MAR14
Steven Firestine
Non-Commisioned Officers
Senior Course Ribbon
06JAN15
Thomas Coonradt
Ken O’Dell
Mike Romero
Don Eggert
Andrew Martin
Sandy Kratzer
John Wagner
Jacia Bruns
Garry Lodmill
Keith Larson
Nicholas Sterling
Craig Meyer
Tammy Walker
Gerry Martin
Emilio DeSalvo
Jonathan Glenn
Stanislav Cech
Bill Warren Jr
Chester Beedle
Robyn Winans
Cheryl Krause
John Kane
Bill Lochen
Crew of HMS Valhalla
11FEB15
Mark West, Commanding Officer
Randall Hollingsworth, Bosun
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
15
Wrong Turn at Albuquerque
Eighth Fleet Converges on ComicCon
F
or the past five years, Albuquerque, New Mexico,
has held their version of Comic-Con. As this event
has grown, so have the number of New Mexican spacers.
Thanks to their recruiting efforts, Eighth Fleet finally expanded outside the big city to add a new ship in the capital
of Santa Fe. So Admiral of the Green John Roberts was determined to hold a fleet exercise at Comic-Con and called
in his flagship, HMS Anasazi, and the new light cruiser,
HMS Avalon.
When you’re the head of BuShips, you’re able to bring
in more armament, so their presentation backdrop is more
impressive than the average fleet. Taking the original model panels as their inspiration, they made cloth prints and
stretched them onto a portable stand. Throw in some stickers, posters, books, and some enthusiastic recruiting chiefs
Jason Gurule waits behind the table while John Roberts prepares
his next tactical masterplan.
convention minimum dress (or Class D uniform)… a rather
amazing accomplishment! For Commander Brandow’s efforts, he was Mentioned in Dispatches, and was given the
immense satisfaction of his new command’s first mission
being a success.
Although Eighth Fleet’s ships are widely spread out
across the North American West, they continue to patrol
the Basilisk System. Getting fans together with their local
chapters seems daunting when there are so many hours of
driving to get to a convention... or even a meeting. Slowly,
but surely, Admiral Roberts is determined to expand the
Manticoran Empire in the west.
Dan Brandow maintains his vigil at the recruitment table.
and you had a winning combination. Even the poor 501st
Legion chapter next to them seemed weak by comparison.
However, the logistics of the operation were more difficult than usual. The two ships were separated by an hour
driving on the most twisty, turny roads ever devised by
a state department of transportation. Commander Dan
Brandow drove this road all three days of the convention, both ways. They had some free passes, but they were
quickly gone, and making sure those crew members who
could only come in one day could get in the door. However, they managed to coordinate their ships’ efforts, and
covered the table, representing the Fleet in the finest tradition of the Royal Manticoran Navy.
Their efforts paid off—one person signed up on the spot,
thirteen wanted further contact, and at least twenty people
took information to perhaps join later. Not only did they
achieve success, but they also managed to get everyone in
16
A Manticore’s Tale
Mexican wrestling... stormtroopers?
First Quarter