By MCPO Steve Sardeson
R3 Chief Admin Officer
Chief of the Boat, USS Battle Born

Greetings Shipmates,
First, as folks are gearing up for the International Conference, and since the Region 3 Awardees have been announced, I think it is prudent to discuss a few observations that can improve some things in how this process works. This year’s cycle showed a lower amount of participation in getting nominations out, and I’m not sure why.

I’ve had some CO’s communicate that they didn’t have anyone that was eligible, and I am wondering if this is seeming like a daunting task.  I can assure you that it isn’t difficult to do effective nominations. It can be difficult to look back and recall what was done for the past year, but it is easier when all that info is put on paper. When doing MSR’s for the month, put in some more details of what was done, who was there, what roles they played in the event and the overall result of that event.  I guarantee that award nominations will come much easier with that information available.
When reviewing nominations, the impact statement is often missing from a nomination.  It leaves the members of the committee guessing when someone says that the nominee was invaluable during the event, but it leaves no doubt when the nominee sorted food between good and bad for a food bank that resulted in over 5,000 meals being provided for hungry people in 16 counties.

Of course, I will likely be rounding up the members of the awards committee earlier rather than later for the next evolution, and establishing a solid date for meeting ahead of time.  I wasn’t very effective in that, and we had to reschedule a few times and get substitutions as a result.

Also, the 3rd Brigade has scheduled an overnight onboard USS Texas (BB-35) 29-30 Sep.  Overnight tickets are $35, and tour-only tickets are $18.  Highlights of this event start with the tour, but don’t end there: we’ll have special guests including the SFMC Commandant MGN Jari “Gato” James and, potentially, members of the Klingon Assault Group Cold Revenge, as well as the Royal Manticoran Army.  The tour portion is really going to be a great opportunity: tours of parts of the ship that are normally not open to the public are a key part of the trip. Those staying overnight will also be able to view a movie featuring historical events in which this great warship played an integral part. I believe a certain amount of tabletop gaming went down during the previous field exercise; that’s planned for again.  There will also be fire and security watches posted for safety and to provide a bit of realism to the time onboard.  Finally, breakfast will be provided with a choice of options available during the registration.  This really is a great opportunity to experience a piece of history and to support the efforts to preserve and restore this historic vessel for future generations.  All proceeds from this field exercise go to the Battleship Texas Foundation for upkeep, maintenance, and restoration of the ship.

A link for registration is here: RSVP for Battleship Texas Overnight Aboard.

Finally, November 3 is the dedicated Extra-Life Game Day.  Extra-Life is an effort that supports Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the focused charity for Region 3.  We would be remiss if we did not support this with our efforts.  Besides, how often do we get to play our favorite games with people we share science-fiction fandoms, while supporting a charity?