The Operations Division (Ops) is a haven
for Avenger members fascinated by aviation and space travel, both in real
life and in the Trek universe. On the USS Avenger, the Operations Division
encompasses the helm control, navigation, logistics, and tactical aspects
of the ship.
In
Fiction:The Avenger's Ops Division (as in Star
Fleet) is perhaps one of the largest, yet most diffuse. It includes a
wide array of functions, all of which are crucial to the ship's ability
to fulfill its mission objectives. The division is comprised of five departments,
covering a considerable range of responsibilities: Helm, Navigation, Flight/Small
Craft, Tactical, and Mission Support. The Operations Division ensures
that the ship operates to its full capacity, making sure that the equipment
and staff are in the right place at the right time. The Chief Operations
Officer is responsible for coordinating all the flight and tactical activities
of the Avenger.
In
Real Life:
The Avenger's Ops Division is comprised of folks who love to talk about
space exploration, propulsion systems, how easy it is to fly through an
asteroid field, and whether or not you could fly a starship using a data
PADD (It's just like playing a very, very dangerous game of Tetris. -ed.)
How We Operate:
The Avenger's Ops Division is dedicated to ensuring that the Chapter operates
smoothly and efficiently. The Ops Division works in conjunction with the
other departments aboard ship to facilitate the planning and implementation
of activities, trips (Away Missions,) and events, both on a Chapter and
organizational level. Recruitment and membership retention is another
endeavor that the Ops Division tries to assist with on a Chapter level.
The Chief Operations Officer (as with all the other department heads)
acts as a liaison between the rank and file membership and the Command
Staff, making sure any and all suggestions, criticisms, or other issues
get addressed.
"Operations is the duct tape
that holds this boat together!"
For
further information, or if you have any questions, contact the Chief
Operations Officer;
OK, I'll be the first to admit it. I suck. I have been super busy lately, and on top of that, I've been having computer issues out the Yin Yang. The result of all of this on my end is that it has been MONTHS since I have updated my log. For that, dear reader, I am sorry.
So, where to begin? My last entry marked the passing of Rick "Super Freak" James, who grew up about a mile down the road from where I am typing this entry. That was what seems like an eternity ago. A LOT has happened since then, both on a Chapter/Fleet level and on the personal front.
Let's start with the Chapter, since this is, after all, a log about the USS Avenger and her Operations Division.
In Ops, Vice Chief Fleet Captain Brenda Bell has been working above and beyond the call of duty with our Voter Registration Initiative. Thank you Brenda (and Frank, too) for all of your help with this project.
The crew manifest has changed a bit. We welcome Joy and Mike to the fold and say farewell to two former members. As far as membership goes, this is a wash. +2 New recruits. -2 Jumping ship. Net gain/loss of zero. Let's hope that we can add the distinctiveness of both Joy and Mike to our Collective, er, Chapter! Welcome aboard!
With the recent flurry of escape pods, our CMO Commander Mike Balewitz has now added DOIC of the 769th MSG to the list of initials that he can put behind his name in STARFLEET. I look forward to working closely with Mike in regards to our Marine Strike Group. Congratulations Mike!
Congratulations are also in order for our friends Kat and Steve, now known as Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson. They tied the knot on Saturday, October 9th. Mazel Tov!
Speaking of weddings, associate members Major Rick Bruckman and Commodore Joan Pierce will be getting hitched in three, count 'em, THREE DAYS! And our buddy Colonel Pat Commune of the USS Challenger will be saying, "I do." a week after that with his bride-to-be, Kathleen. A few weeks ago, Mr. and Mrs. Joost Ueffing got hitched, and the wedding maddness goes on! Our friends Sandy Berenberg and Karen Goldbach of the USS Pride of Scotland will be walking down the aisle aboard a riverboat next year. Our former Ops Chief Lauren Milan will also be getting married to the CO of the USS Asimov Martin Lessem. Aboard the USS Hathor, Ben Woods and Kristen Horan have also decided to join the nuptial bandwagon. And not being one to be left out of a trend, the Chief of Operations of the USS Avenger (that's me!) asked his girlfriend Adriane Moss to marry him a few days ago on October 15th.
SHE SAID YES!
No plans have been set in stone as of yet for our wedding, but rest assured I will have the most twisted minds in our circle of friends working tirelessly to bring about a bachelor party worthy of song!
Onward to Adriane. She's wonderful. She's a loving, sweet, sharp tongued Southern gal from Louisville, Kentucky. We met in July, and got together as a couple shortly thereafter in August. She's a fan of Star Trek and Star Wars, but is not a member of organized fandom (yet!) We met at a local bar that is two blocks from my Louisville apartment. Some of you may remember her as the redhaired gal who was wearing my Green Lantern T-shirt at the October shipwide. She's a student at a very well respected culinary school, and she hopes to begin a business as a personal chef upon graduation. She has two terrific kids, one 7 year old son and one 4 year old daughter. They adore me almost as much as I do them.
Yeah, I know this is sudden. But what can I say? She's amazing.
Adriane and I will be traveling to Bethlehem, PA for the R7 Conference the weekend of November 5-7. I hope that some of you will be there so she can get to know you and you her. There's still time to register for the conference and banquet, but not much. If you want to attend, NOW is the time to sign up!
I'd post more tonight, but I have things to do here and quite frankly, I just dropped a big ol' bomb on all of you. I'll post more about this and other events soon.
I decided that instead of posting all that happened at the IC in a blog entry, I'd instead write it up as an article for our Award Winning Avenger News. So that's what I'm working on at the moment, along with projects for the MSG, R7 Conference, and other assorted fun.
Just got back from the IC in Birmingham, AL about 5 hours ago. What a party! Region Two really knows how to run an event.
There will be an extensive IC Debrief Report coming later today. For now, a much deserved slumber is next on my busy agenda.
However, before I do that, I want to congratulate a few folks that are near and dear to us.
FCAPT Liz Woolf is this year's recipient of the "Law and Order" Scholarship, granted by SFI's Scholarship Fund (which we helped to fund earlier this year with our Poker Night.)
MGEN Sandy Berenberg is this year's recipient of the "Armin Shimmerman Scholarship for Profitable Business."
Our very own Regional Award Winning newsletter The Avenger News can now call itself the best of the best!That's right folks... Our newsletter has won the Best Newsletter of 2003 for the ENTIRE FLEET! Way to go to our editors (both past and present) and contributors!
That's the uber-quickie update. Again, the IC was incredible. For those of you that attended the last IC, this one blew it out of the water with a cruise missile! It was outstanding at every level.
The IC countdown has begun for me and my travel companions from the USS Hathor, Ricky and Joanie. We should be leaving for Birmingham, AL around 18:00 Thursday. It's a six hour drive, but there is a time zone shift of one hour, so theoretically, we will get there in five.
Plans are in the works to meet up with our very own Admiral Alex when he arrives at the hotel from the airport. We wish him a safe journey.
I'll be a busy camper at the IC, with several Academy related events, a few parties to attend, a commissioning (Louiville's own Pride of Scotland,) and the usual mayhem that ensues when you get a bunch of 'Fleet members drinking.
Had a moment, and thought that I should probably update my blog yet again.
Operation: Move Mooby (Part 2) is in full swing, and a busy weekend of packing and moving some bookcases has come and gone. Tonight, while doing my laundry in their new washer and dryer (THANKS Joanie and Ricky!) Rick and I went to his future in-laws' house to get a table and two chairs from their attic. Then we moved the furniture to their new abode, a large two-bedroom upstairs (grrr!) unit located in a building about 60 yards from the apartment they currently reside in. The move is slow and steady, and I will probably be helping them with the packing for the next few days. Wish them luck if you see them in IRC.
The excitement on the homefront regarding the recent commissioning of the USS Hathor is starting to die down a bit. Replacing it is the buzz of two upcoming events, the IC in Birmingham, AL, and ConGlomeration, a local sci-fi/gamer/fantasy convention located in Louisville, KY. I will be at both, as will members of our new daughter-ship.
Sunday, the command staff of the USS Avenger held a meeting, and I was happy that our Vice Chief of Operations Brenda Bell was able to attend. I don't get the opportunity to say this often, so I will take this time to thank Brenda on the job she is doing as my eyes and ears in my physical absence.
Of note was the recent rash of promotions. I am happy to see that there are several crew members that are taking the initiative and getting involved with the Chapter. That type of enthusiasm and leadership by example is vital for the longevity of a Chapter, and as we look upon our 20th year as a Chapter, I am hopeful that such drive in the members will continue into the next 20 years. Congratulations to all of the members that will be getting their promotions at the next meeting. (I'm not going to spill the beans and spoil the surprises, but one of the promotions is in Ops.)
Also discussed at the meeting was the possible need for an assistant to Fleet Captain Bell in her duties as Vice Chief of the Division. In essence, the position would be a Vice-Vice Chief of Ops, someone who I could rely upon to contact me and act as my proxy in the event that Brenda was unable to or unavailable. So, at this time I would like to make it known that I will be accepting applicants for the position of Yeoman for the Operations Division. The requirements will be as follows:
~ Applicant must meet the minimal requirements as set forth in the USS Avenger handbook (be a member in good standing of the USS Avenger, etc.) ~ Applicant must be willing to report directly to Brenda and myself when acting on behalf of the Division. ~ Applicant must be a member of the Operations Division (or be willing to join us.)
If you are interested in helping out, if you would like to join Ops, or if you think you would look better than Yeoman Rand in that red mini-dress she wore (just kidding!) then send me an e-mail and we will talk. I'll keep the application process open until the end of August, with the option to extend the deadline if needed.
In other Operations news, I am happy to see that Brenda (with the aid of her ubiquitous partner in crime Frank Warren) has been having great success in the Ops Division's drive to get citizens registered to vote for the upcoming National Election. If you are not registered to vote and would like to (and really, isn't that part of what being an American is all about?) just ask Brenda for the paperwork at the next monthly meeting and she will be happy to help you through the simple and painless process.
