Ethan Schuman

To the soldiers under my command on the date of 08AUG12, Those of you who have known me for some time know that from me, a commendation of any sort is a rare thing, with a written one even moreso. Today, I find myself in the unusual circumstance of having a few minutes of personal time, so I have chosen to forego entertainment or rest in order to write a letter to you all. Yesterday, we faced a few challenges, each of them difficult in their own degree individually. Together, the proved to be quite a stretch of adversity. As is customary after any operation, I will review the things I saw, and the things that I did not. I do this in written format as opposed to verbal to ensure that each of you receive this. The challenges we faced yesterday came in three waves. First, we had to muster to defense quickly to prepare for an imminent 2142 raid which, despite never coming, was nevertheless enough of a threat to force us to put our current plans on hold and get an effective defense in place in a very short period of time. Second, we went to face Tyr, a notably difficult target with a sim that favors the defenders, and has repelled Ordo incursions before. Finally, a surprise Merczateer attack with us not in proper posture to bring our full force to the line immediately created an intense battle between us and them. I now wish to conduct my review of what I saw and what I did not see. I will start with what was not present. During all three of the challenges, I did not see complaint. I did not see anger or rage or panic. I did not see incompetence. I did not see insubordination. I did not see cowardice. What I did see was bravery. What I did see was valor. What I did see was teamwork, professional combat, and the natural execution of tactics that we have trained repeatedly and constantly for situations just such as this. I saw a clear adherence to our rules of engagement, clear and concise communications, and adaptation to new tactical commands as each of the challenges progressed. One not present yesterday may be able to write off the muster for the suspected incoming 2142 raid as simply doing what we're supposed to. This may be true, but I still feel that the speed and precision to which we assembled was notable, and worth an honorable mention. The raid on Tyr is an entirely different story. After our arrival and being forced to wait in the spawn until they had fortified their defensive positions, we attacked. Our opponents were entrenched in a sim design that heavily favors them, with numbers now near equal to our own. Yet, despite this adversity, we pushed forward, broke and routed their line, and were on their final objective within 20 minutes. That in and of itself is outstanding, and I consider it a victory on its own. But the true challenge had been lying in wait, and chose this time to reveal itself. Tyr summoned additional reinforcements, bringing the simulator up to capacity and thus disabling teleports. Our raid force was wiped out save Mikeo, who was administratively teleported back to spawn as the defenders recaptured all points. Stuck back at the beginning of the sim without medics in a sim that many consider to be critical to victory, with a Sturm Korps member now shooting at us as we left the sim, we nevertheless attacked again. Without medics, we were forced to push forward on foot. Having to run from the southeast part of the sim to the objective in the northeast took a significant amount of time, and was only further exacerbated by the presence of the Tyr defense line now in the defensive positions they were in on our first push. Despite the distance we had to cover to get to the point compared to the defenders that simply had to jump over a wall, we finally broke through and took the point. But we weren't done yet. Xoza and myself put down medic pads to mitigate some of the travel time, and this allowed us to keep our attack force fresh to a degree, but not near the amount that our two dedicated medics (Salem and Nuzzy) were. After a rally and a strong push, we captured the second objective and began the fight for the third. The battle here became extremely difficult, but we eventually reached their third and final objective before being told that our time was up and asked to leave. That, to me, is a perfect example of just how strong a determined Ordo combat force can be, and the ferocity we fight with. Other groups would have likely just given up at the loss of teleports, if they had even made it that far. But we did not. We chose to fight, and against odds stacked against us to a degree that many would consider to be impossible to overcome, we nevertheless prevailed. I have been a member of this community for over six years now, and that raid reminded me of just how good a battle can be. I am glad I took the time to take that raid, and honored that you all chose to fight that hard and win under my command. Our day still had one obstacle remaining, and our realization of it came fast and hard as the Merczateers appeared in sim and were inside the center building only seconds after the alarms began blaring. Our forces were scattered across the simulator, but instead of succumbing to panic, or complaints about how the Merczateers were supposedly our allies and shouldn't attack, all forces reported into Teamspeak within seconds, and after a quick appraisal of the situation, I directed you all to positions to repel the invasion force. Because of your discipline, precision, and willingness to execute commands to the absolute best of your ability, we were able to funnel the Merczateer forces into a single building and confine them deep inside. The single Astra pilot we had in the sky was both fighting multiple enemy aircraft to minimize the impact of their bombs, and hitting ground forces who tried to break away to attack other forces with AGMs before they got near. Once we had them confined, we began to root them out, and despite their heavily fortified positions and extremely aggressive medic tactics, we began to remove them from their positions. After an hour and a half, they pulled out, and our control of the simulator had never once been even remotely threatened. We faced a lot together yesterday. We faced more than I thought we would, and I'll confess that we did far better than I thought we would. You all, the soldiers of this group, never cease to amaze me with just how much fire you have inside you, and the amount of adversity you are capable of overcoming. Difficulty presents itself to us regularly, but be it tremendous or trivial, we always triumph in the end. Days like yesterday remind me of why I joined this group, why I accepted a command position, and why I stay. Take pride in the banner under which you fight, and the friends who fight alongside you, because you will never find anything quite like what we have here anywhere else. This group is unique and special, so be as glad as I am that you are a part of it. I am proud of each and every one of you. -Praefectus Ethan Schuman

At times during the life of this organization, I have felt the need to sit down and pen a writing such as this. Perhaps my hope that it will one day make the difference between a positive fate and one less kind for someone is foolish, but the effort that I place into it is small compared to the benefit it may possibly hold for that individual. So for that reason, I shall indulge myself, and attempt to share with you one small piece of wisdom that I have learned during my time in this life. Many of you who know me see me as a relaxed spirit with an easy going attitude, and that the times I sit down invariably consist of poor jokes and stories of old. To those who see me as such, I humbly request that you continue reading, as that is not the side of me at the keyboard right now. The one and only thing about this reality that does not change is the fact that everything changes, and in the world we all know, most change comes as a result of choice. Every detail of your life, from minor to major in magnitude, is the result of someone, somewhere along the line, making a choice. It is impossible for us to truly understand and know the full ramifications of a choice when we make it, so we must rely on our intuition, our wisdom, and our morality to guide us, and hope that the needle of the compass of destiny takes us in a direction we wish to go. Sometimes our choices are wise, and are accompanied by happiness. Other times, the path we choose brings destruction and sorrow. The choices we today see as significant may turn out to be anything but that years from now, and what may seem completely trivial could go on to affect the lives of millions of human beings for centuries to come. One choice can change the world. One choice can change everything. Six years ago, I made a choice. At the time, it was hardly important to me, and it was one that was made entirely out of my heart held belief that treason should never be tolerated, integrity should always come first, and that a cause is better dead than corrupted by traitors. This is a belief I still hold today, and as a result of that choice, is a belief held by others. Some silly little military group on a video game barely three dozen strong without any unifying symbol other than a name, a flag, and a leader, that I had joined not a month into my Second Life to have a place to build and friends, was in the grasp of a struggle for power. The leader of that group had given his unconditional love and support to someone he cared about, treating them dearly, had repaid his kindness with lies, deceit, treachery, and insurrection. Not satisfied to shatter his heart, that individual then attempted to usurp control of the cause that leader treasured in a coup. That in and of itself was wrong on the most fundamental of levels to me, and my friendship with that leader made it personal. I was in a position to act, and so I did. As I previously stated, a cause is better off dead than seized through treason, so through clever manipulation, I circumvented the traitor and the officers they had gathered behind them, putting forward a fresh-faced lieutenant with bright eyes and a light heart. Though he had no experience and was completely untested, to me, he was the best shot we had. Today, as a result of that choice, and many, many others by many, many people, we find ourselves here. The once mighty superpower that we fractured off of is a mere shadow of itself, barely able to muster a tenth of our numerical might. In terms of technology, we lead not only our community, but are a strong force in the civilian weapons market as well. Our accomplishments in Second Life are impressive, even more so when measured against our humble begins, but that is not what's truly important (at least to me), and is not why I write this. This group, and the results of its actions, have brought together untold amounts of friends, crossing the paths of souls and soul mates who would have never otherwise met. That choice has made me a happy man in that aspect. There is not a single one of you reading this I would not support, that I would not stand beside. Many of you feel the same way I do about the friends you have found here. What we have is not a mere "military," and it is not a mere "group." Some would use the term family to describe what we have, but I myself feel even that term is not significant enough. This group is something special, something you will find nowhere else that you look. Sadly, this is something that many have taken for granted when making choices of their own, only to realize it later after causing irreparable damage to themselves and others. When you read this message, be you E-1, I-1, or anyone in between, I ask you to stop and fully consider your life, and the role the people who make up the Ordo have in it. Don't just brush it aside. Stop and think for a few minutes. Consider the memories you have made here, the bonds you have formed, and the experiences you will never forget. Think about the last time a group of random lone wolves attacked and our group rushed to the line, dividing up into teams to guard the objectives like we've done in training multiple times. Think about how much fun it is to sit and banter in Teamspeak, talking about other games, TV shows, and what's happening in everyone's life. Think about that ONE battle (every single one of us has one) that was just so incredible, that despite how bad the lag and spam and everything else was, it only added to the charm of the fight. Maybe it was against AN. Maybe it was against Chaos. Maybe it was against 2142. For me, it could be Crucify This, Operation Aegis, Operation Fluffy Kittens, any of the recent AN battles... Second Life combat is unlike anything else in any other game. Furries, fleet ships, ion cannons, Brazilians, and anything and everything else you can think off, can all be found here, and only here. And no matter how much you may try to deny it, it doesn't get any better anywhere else than the Ordo, no matter how many ranks or titles or shiny toys you may be offered elsewhere. Never forget this. Never forget any of it. Remember it the next time someone says something you don't like, or does something that irritates you, or dangles promises of power and prestige in front of you. The road to get into Ordo is much easier to walk if you only have to walk it once. Friendships are easier to make if they haven't been broken before, and that's a piece of advice you should carry with you even when you unplug the computer and go out into the real world. We never know the full implications of a choice when we make it. We can't. The only thing we can do is make that choice based on objective thought, logic, reason, experience, and the simple sense of what's right and wrong. If you make your decisions with wisdom, patience, and insight, more often than not, you'll come out on top. I know I have. This has been a rather lengthy discourse on a thought of mine, so I shall bring it to a close. I thank you for taking the time to view it, and hope that to at least someone who reads this, it will make a positive difference to their life. I have asked you to read and remember much, and I fully recognize that this can be difficult, if not impossible, in a time of great stress. So if that is too much to keep in mind from now on, and if you take absolutely nothing else from away from what I have said, I implore you to take this: One choice can change the world. One choice can change everything.

(I spent, like, 40 minutes looking in the General forum trying to find this.) This has been a quiet week for Astra. With summer here, busy season for me has kicked off and my obnoxious sleep schedule has had me offline for quite a bit. With our Reapers CO also busy with work (and the XO slot still vacant, so make sure you make good impressions over the next couple of days!), our Palaestra CO coming out of finals, and others occupied, we haven't been as active as usual. I do want to thank Heavy666 Bolden for his efforts, and even with low turnout, he has still helped us quite a bit. In a bit of promising news, Liana Pera inquired about the speed of our Malice, as they're working on new rules for gunships. We may see increased deployment in New Jessie as a result, so keep your fingers crossed. Because of this news, I do want to encourage all Astra pilots that do NOT have the Malice unlocked and certification for it to remedy that as soon as possible. Icarus pilots, I have news for you all as well. We'll be finalizing the unit structure and positions on Tuesday, and you all will have at least one formal event this week (probably Thursday). All necessary invites will also go out soon, so clear out a group if you need to.

Only in the form of OIC authed (and if Astra are present, Astra auth as well) AGMs. We need more fighter pilots to help keep the skies clear. With only so many pilots available at any given time, it's hard for us to maintain air dominance AND give necessary ground support. AAC is intended to allow people interested in air combat to participate in it actively without leaving their home unit, while freeing up Astra pilots to bring out the big guns.

During the Praefectus meeting today, I had an idea for a way for us to lessen the impact of not having enough Astra pilots available for a raid to fully dedicate the amount of resources needed to air superiority, and after discussing it with Aryte and Hollow, and my staff, I've decided to make this post to gather interest. The primary purpose of the AAC (which will have a formal name designated later) is to increase the amount of fighter pilots available for Ordo operations. The premise is simple: Any member of Ordo who is interested in flying a fighter may be certified to do so provided they complete basic Palaestra fighter qualification and advanced training programs to compensate for the lack of active duty experience that Astra pilots get. AAC pilots would have access to Astra's current air superiority fighter ONLY. That means NO Malice, Enforcer, Thanatos, etc. You will remain as members of your respective main division, but will also have membership in the Astra AAC group, where you will have a designated flight leader. Combat deployment would also be third-tier priority, which means you ONLY go up if there are too few Astra and Praetorians available to handle the necessary air support to ensure success of the mission. For purposes of training exercises, AAC pilots will be treated the same as Astra pilots, and will be held to the same standard of excellence. There will be three levels of AAC certification. 1) Basic - The pilot is allowed to participate in any non-combat Ordo exclusive activity. 2) Standard - The pilot is allowed to participate in foreign affairs training exercises with other militaries, and in homeland defense of Titan. 3) Advanced - The pilot is qualified to deploy in any Ordo combat operation, under tertiary tier priority. Again, I must emphasize that AAC pilots will only have access to Astra's standard air superiority fighter. You will NOT be able to fly the Malice or any other Astra aircraft. However, the increased number of events you can take part in due to your ability to participate with Astra will grant you more opportunities for distinction, which leads to awards. AAC pilots WILL be able to qualify for the Ace Pilot merit. However, another significant factor to consider here is that the AAC program will allow you to get your feet wet and give flying fighters a try without taking the plunge and joining Astra. This is not intended to uproot veteran members of Terra, but rather to provide new recruits with an option to experience flight so they can better decide what they'd rather do. Right now, I'm gathering a list of people who are interested in such a program so I can better decide how to proceed with it. Please post in response to this thread if you feel this is something you'd like to participate in.

Seems like it was just yesterday that I was telling Shadow Keegan to say "Ffff you." to everyone involved in the mutiny and choose a smiling, bright-eyed, easy-going (before he ate babies and hated everyone) wolf that everybody liked to take his place.

From Astra: First off, after Fox's departure from the Ordo, we had to shuffle around a bit to fill the gaps. However, we've managed to turn the situation into a positive change. Reapers now has new leadership, and both of our flights are in very good hands. Activity is on the rise, even with some of our people having limited access. A few of our regular flight members have taken it upon themselves to organize some activities, which is awesome, and I encourage you all to do more (there may be QP involved for those who show initiative. ;D). As I mentioned last week (at least, I think I did), all leadership teams in Astra will be responsible for holding at least one event a week for those under their level of command. 24 hours advance notification will be given, and all events will have contingency plans in case something goes wrong, so you can be assured that unless something major happens, there will be activity at that specified time. In addition to this, we're going to start hosting Grand Melees again, but it will take us some time to establish a set schedule. For now, they'll be run when we have the opportunity, though we'll give 24 hours notice. Finally, apparently AN now lets their air force lone wolf raid us. From previous experience, the only fighter characteristic about their "fighters" is their speed. AN pilots tend to ignore other fighters and concentrate solely on dropping ridiculous amounts of bombs on infantry. Their pilots rely almost exclusively on missiles to bring down other planes, and since those missiles aren't allowed here, you shouldn't have too much to worry about. Line up your shots and take 'em out.

I'll let the Vikings know to expect your call.

Coming from someone who has commanded two divisions in Ordo, I will tell you this: Being an officer/commander is not all it's cracked up to be. Being an officer means work and responsibility. You might think to yourself, "Oh, it can't be THAT bad. Being an officer would be really awesome and make me look good," but you would be wrong. You would be VERY wrong. I could go on to write a massive essay about the importance of priorities for a leader, but I'll save that for a formal training course, where people will actually read it. =p Brief summary: We (leaders, not just officers) do a lot of work, and we rarely, if ever, get thanked for it. Sure, fancy titles and chest bling may look prestigious and make you want them to look better, but when it comes down to it, the reason people want those things is for respect. If you want to be a leader so that people will respect you, then you need to stop right now, because that's not how it's going to go down. A common piece of advice to enlisted is to "respect the rank." That may be enough to get someone to follow orders, but you can't force someone to like you. Everyone is part of a team, and every leader is responsible for making sure they are accomplishing their part of the grand scheme, while also making sure their subordinates are taken care of. That is your job. That is your duty. To be a leader, you must accept this as your primary and only concern, at the possible expense of anything of your benefit. Subordinates always do better work when they respect their leader, and are happy. This is especially so in a volunteer environment like Ordo, where people are under no obligation to work at all. It is for this reason that an already committed E-6/7 or even O-1 who has shown demonstrated devotion, time dedication, willingness to sacrifice, and ability, as well as the respect of those underneath him/her, may be chosen over another candidate of equal or greater rank. Although Ordo is a volunteer organization, our size and mass dictate a need to select the best possible candidate for a position given ALL factors, as even a slight hiccup can affect an entire division.

I miss Geodan. =(

Another minion for my legions! My power grows daily... soon the lands of Gor and Final Fantasy VII roleplay will cower in terror as the shadows of flying death speed across their homes... MWAHAHAHA! Glad to hear you chose Astra. You're gonna like it.

With some practice and posture (seriously, stand while you sing and breathe deep into your lungs) and you could sing well. You had a good sound for a few seconds here and there. Keep at it. Also, I'm going to enter this competition too, I think, once I decide on a good song.

In Soviet Russia, Mercury does you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSiTS_wUtSw