Awards Ceremony, 2015

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To the community of UFOP: StarBase 118, Welcome to the fleetwide awards ceremony for 2015, or (as our characters know it) 2392! The awards this year recognize some of the most talented people in the history of the organization -- and as SB118 turned 21 this year, that's quite a bit of history! Among this year's notables with respect to duty post awards includes the first time a nurse has been recognized with the Prantares Ribbon (the medical officer of the year), recognition of the standout intelligence and diplomatic officers of the fleet with duty post awards, and the recognition of a civilian with a duty post award. Our finest simmers continue to show that they can take unusual positions, posts outside the traditional rank structure, and more, and create memorable, award-winning characters when they do so! The special and staff awards also recognize a talented group of simmers, including with a new staff award, the Chief's Citation, that recognizes staff members (commanders and above) whose primary service to the group is via OOC work and not in service aboard a starship. We also recognize the outstanding new COs this year with the James T. Kirk Cross and the Rising Star Award, both of which go this year to COs who the community has recognized as present and future leaders. The member service awards continue to grow, recognizing membership lengths of one, three, five, and ten years! A remarkable number of simmers have been around for such extended periods, and we invite you to continue on to that list below the staff awards to view this impressive collection of simmers. Finally, we finish off with recognition of the Top Sim of 2015. This year, we recognize a pair of writers who I have had the pleasure of knowing jointly for a decade or so -- and the “jointly” is particularly appropriate because the sim that was named 2015’s top sim was a joint collaboration. Scroll down for more! Congratulations to everyone recognized in this ceremony, and many thanks to all our members who submitted nominations and assisted with the awards process. Now, without further delay, I present to you the 2015 awards! -- T (Fleet Captain Aron Kells & Fleet Captain Cassandra Egan Manno) Duty Post Awards We begin with the awards presented to members of our fleet who most fully realize the duty posts in which their character sims. The nominations in these categories are reviewed by a panel of five staff members: two commanders and three members ranked captain or above. The Prantares Ribbon The Prantares Ribbon Dial Awarded to those medical officers who has moved beyond competence to display a true gift for the healing arts in the context of space medicine. The officers given this award should display the ability to keep a steady hand in the often hazardous conditions in which they must practice, as well as the willingness to risk their own life to save the lives of others. Dial, USS Constitution-B - presented by Jalana Rajel Dial, or Daniel if we talk about the player, has been playing a nurse from the time he left the Academy. From the very start he had a quite vivid idea of how sickbay could work on a starship and had worked on bringing this idea to life. Not only did he integrate himself as nurse into plots, but he also created more medical staff that ranged from paramedics, nurses and orderlies. He breathes life into several layers of staff in sickbay, that goes beyond doctors. He shows the sometimes mundane work behind the scenes in a new light, showing the importance of those often not seen. He also researches illnesses, treatments and more to make sure that his medical sims are sure and sound. He showed this side consistently since he joined SB118 and therefore deserves the Prantares Ribbon for his dedication to the craft. The Phoenix Award The Phoenix Award Rustyy Hael Named for the vessel that legendary engineer Zefram Cochrane piloted during his historic first warp flight, this award goes to those Engineering officers who continue this tradition of excellence in the field of engineering. By performing their tasks with enthusiasm, imagination and diligence, by managing to make their equipment perform above and beyond its rated capacities, the officers meriting this award further the mission of their ship by their superior know-how. In short, miracle workers. Rustyy Hael, USS Constitution-B - presented by Jalana Rajel Rustyy, and his player Noelle, has a very unusual and unique way to write for Engineering. It is a pleasure to see that she is writing outside the box and is not afraid to use unusual ideas to make things work. Best example would be the way she solved the Constitution's problem to return back into its own time after the engines and ship were damaged too much to return. Using the materials found at 1914 on earth like hydrogen from a Zeppelin and gunpowder to kick the ship through the singularity was ingenious. Noelle also spends a lot of time on research for not only Trek-tech but other ways to achieve different solutions, to keep things interesting. With her dedication to the position and new ideas she deserves the Phoenix Award. The Cochrane Award The Cochrane Award Maxwell Traenor Given to those science officers who have contributed greatly to the advance of science in the midst of their Starfleet career, by staying knowledgeable about their field, participating in the community of science, but most importantly, by placing their knowledge at the service of their ship and its mission. Maxwell Traenor, USS Darwin - presented by Renos Maxwell Traenor’s writer not only explores a less worn path with his character, choosing to portray a regular scientist who learned the inner workings of the science department and gained much of his experience from a long career spent as an enlisted man. This only serves to make his sims more interesting and gives us a potentially more realistic view of the job. His character is incredibly rich and endearing because of his flaws; his posts are expertly written with high attention to detail, balancing masterfully real science concepts with Treknobabble to bring our plots to life, offer inventive solutions and even give us a few surprises. I am incredibly proud and delighted to present him with the Cochrane award! Congratulations and well done! The Pilot's Sextant The Pilot's Sextant Kaitlyn Falcon An award named after an old Earth navigational tool, the Pilot's Sextant is given to those Helm officers who have proven themselves to be the best of the best. From finding a safe route home to flying an emergency atmospheric landing, pilots who have earned the right to this award know the importance of staying focused, and puts their ability to make spectacular maneuvers at the service of their ship and its mission. Kaitlyn Falcon, Starbase 118 Ops - presented by Sal Taybrim and Leo Handley-Page from Taybrim -- Lt. Commander Falcon has been a steadfast member of the StarBase 118 Ops team since we launched in December. Falcon's player has not only been a great support to the crew and staff, but his writing has been excellent throughout the year. As a character we watched Kaitlyn Falcon grow from a rough and tumble lieutenant to an incredible leader and respected bridge team member. And then there's the flying. In the past year Falcon has flown the Excelsior class USS Albion through the incredibly dangerous Jenatris cloud, through an asteroid field peppered with mines, and faced off in a dogfight against a Cheyenne class ship. She flew an unfamiliar Rigellian Striker out of the wake of a temporal anomaly, rescued crewmembers in an Arrow class shuttle while escaping a Romulan terrorist, towed a bomb-laden freighter to a safe distance away from StarBase 118 and escaped the resulting blast and helped engineer a fly-by transport of a shuttle crew to save an entire away team before the shuttle was destroyed by hostile fire. In every mission she has found ways to expand her role as HCO, and really make every aspect of being both a pilot and a Starfleet officer shine. from Handley-Page -- LtCmdr Kaitlyn Falcon (and her writer Jonno) has been a strong and creative force in the Fleet for a very long time. Whichever ship Falcon has been on, each and every time the role of Chief Helmsman (often a forgotten role) was brought to the fore of the mission. The feisty red-head is written as a very convincing character, with depth and humour. Falcon has shown time and time again that it is possible to write dynamic and engaging ship-piloting scenes, whilst keeping the action relevant to the mission and not overshadowing others. Falcon was able to mix exciting adventure storytelling with an excellent grasp of the technical aspects behind actually flying ships, be they either massive starships like the USS Vigilant or the USS Albion, or one of the many small shuttlecrafts and runabouts. Never have a crew been able to actually feel every emergency manoeuvre or smooth landing than when Falcon is at the helm. This really helps the SIM, and bring the adventure to life. It is for these reasons that LtCmdr Kaitlyn Falcon deserves the Pilot's Sextant. Congratulations Jonno! The Order of the Valiant Heart The Order of the Valiant Heart Didrik Stennes This award is given to those ship's Counselor who have shown great skill in protecting the mental health of their crewmates, clearly demonstrating superior ability to care, assist, and comfort those in need. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty in assisting their crewmates with their problems, and in preventing future problems from occurring. Didrik Stennes, USS Darwin - presented by Renos Didrick Stennes is a character who has been on the receiving end of extensive counselling and can relate to his patients in a unique way. He is dedicated, patient, works hard to earn the trust of his crew and uses the right approach to suit the individual, whether it’s an informal chat in the corridor or helping someone blow off steam on the holodeck. When faced with reluctant patients he is highly persuasive, building trust as opposed to forcing his hand. The character’s writer seeks out unconventional and creative methods, which are not only effective but keep his sims fresh and exciting to read. Whenever I see his name in my inbox I know we are in for a treat and that’s why I am so excited to present Didrick Stennes with this award. Congratulations and well done! The Black Cross The Black Cross Award Tracey Townson This award is given to a member of the Intelligence community that strives to accomplish the goals of Starfleet Intelligence, while simultaneously upholding the ideals and structure of Starfleet command. This person has the cunning to gather intelligence by means of deceptive dialogue or espionage, as opposed to force drawn confessions. While matters of intelligence are often game changers, this person strives to attain those goals within the boundaries of their Commanding Officer, and the regulations of Starfleet. Tracey Townson, USS Invicta - presented by Raj Blueheart and Aron Kells from Blueheart -- Tracey Townson has been a long time member of SB118, and during that time, she has held numerous posts in various departments. She first took on the duty post of Intelligence Officer when she served on board the USS Discovery-C between 239012.26 - 239102.03, and is currently serving in that position on board the USS Invicta. It was while on the Discovery as an Intelligence officer that Tracey Townson began to embrace her new role and develop it with astounding effect. With a background of a highly complex character to begin with, including one of a mother to an adopted Romulan child in addition to being a character from an alternate universe, her role as an Intelligence officer is only made richer and three-dimensional. In essence, an anti-hero that deserves the reader’s empathy and understanding, while at the same time, skillfully maintaining just the right authority and demeanor that accurately describes an Intelligence officer. To that effect, it gives me great pleasure to pay homage to her incomparable resilience, wealth of experience, and exquisite writing with the Black Cross award. from Kells -- Though she’s only been aboard Invicta for a short time, Tracey has already impressed me with the dedication and integrity she brings to the intelligence post. Intelligence is typically a duty post I don’t allow, but Tracey’s experience with the position and her unique take convinced me that she would be the second person I could trust in the role -- the first was last year’s Black Cross recipient, Captain Quinn Reynolds. Intelligence, no matter which way you come at it, is a difficult position to sim, but Tracey’s productive read on the position combines a bit of operations with a bit of mission specialist to provide a complementary bridge officer who is there to support the command staff and lead when necessary. I respect her history with the group and as an intelligence officer, and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. The Lwaxana Troi Medallion The Lwaxana Troi Medallion Lyldra This award is given to a member who takes a unique role outside of the normal StarFleet positions and creates a colorful and engaging character. Lyldra – Diplomat, USS Darwin - presented by Renos Lyldra is the kind of diplomat who is always looking for opportunities. One day she can be found researching wanted criminals in search of any scrap of information that can give her an edge when planning an approach for negotiation and communicative efforts. On other days she may be listening to local comm chatter to identify who is operating in the area with a view identifying opportunities to trade or build relations. Lyldra is a well rounded character who is kind, fair and persuasive when it's time to talk. Her writer, Lee, is always thinking out of the box and brings more to the role of diplomat than I’ve ever seen before so it's with great pleasure I present him with this well deserved award, congratulations and well done! The Strange Medallion The Strange Medallion Roshanara Rahman Named after Commander Sally Strange, widely known as one of the most creative and dedicated First Officers in the fleet's early years, this award is given to those who perform above the call of duty in the position of First Officer. Roshanara Rahman, USS Invicta - presented by Aron Kells I would trust Rich to run my ship in a heartbeat. In fact, as we've just begun his commander's practical, I'm doing just that! He's utterly comfortable in the role, and in fact our first sims on Invicta placed Rahman, not Kells, in the captain's ready room to speak with the crew about concerns re: moving to the new ship. Rich is entirely dedicated to the quality of the group. He recently was the force behind the launch of the FNS website, and his dedicated mentorship was the inspiration for the launch of this year’s Pathfinder Award to recognize excellent in mentoring. He has revolutionized the 118Wiki, has been responsible for activities as varied as leading the Department of Veterans Affairs and singlehandedly editing podcasts for the Podcast Team, and more. Rich's core strength comes from filling in where he sees gaps and ensuring that something happens there. While others may simply fill a role, Rich goes the extra mile and creates something new. Consider, for example, that without Rich, we would have no Federation News Service, no Wiki Ops Team, no Department of Veterans Affairs, not to mention no funny Starbase 118 Trading Cards (from this year's April Fools Day), and much more. Rich's dedication and importance to the Invicta and to the entire group mark him as the standout first officer of the year and one of the finest simmers and all-around people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know! Special Awards Next, we continue with awards which recognize members of the fleet for particularly important contributions or roles which affect the fleet's OOC areas. Here, too, the nominations are reviewed by a panel of five staff members: two commanders and three members ranked captain or above. The Rising Star Award The Rising Star Award Sal Taybrim For members who show great promise in many facets of their participation in the group, and to whom we look to as a future leader. Sal Taybrim, Starbase 118 Ops - presented by Leo Handley-Page I have had the pleasure of working with Sal Taybrim (and his writer Jamie) as my First Officer for the whole of this year and have found her to be the complete command simmer. During my time as a Commanding Officer, I was supported 100% by Jamie's professionalism and enthusiasm, and I honestly say I could not have done this task without her. Her administration and organisation skills are second to none. Her writing is always of a high quality, characterful and engaging - and she always manages to include any struggling simmer into the action with grace and patience. She is also very active OOC - not only with the crew, but throughout the wider Fleet. She is without doubt a *rising star* in the UFOP: Starbase 118 Fleet, and has just been given her own command! She thoroughly deserves the Rising Star award as Jamie is the *one to watch* for future greatness. Congratulations!! The Kalendra Award The Kalendra Award Jalana Rajel Awarded to a simmer who has performed (on more than one occasion) devious, unexpected plot twists. The simmer must have shown an ability to surprise their colleagues with clever plot twists that were relevant and plausible, given a particular plot. Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution-B - presented by Nugra If you want devious, clever, and insidious when it comes to plot twists, than look no further than our own Jessica. This year she has spun a crafty tale of suspense around her ship and her crew utilizing surprise twists like interfering with an important assassination, to allowing a guest simmer to appear unannounced to question their crew creating an unforgettable nemesis. Jessica has shown great detail and dedication in creating an unforgettable story and plot where no one is able to predict its end. For that, I am proud to present the Kalendra Award to her! Sarpeidon Award The Sarpeidon Award Chythar Skyfire Given to any simmer who has made outstanding contributions to the 118Wiki. Sarpeidon was the world in TOS's "All Our Yesterdays," in which the planet's population created a library containing their entire world's history. This is, in essence, what our wiki strives to become: a collection of our group's history and a simming database. Chythar Skyfire, USS Gorkon - presented by Quinn Reynolds We all love our wiki! It's a fantastic resource for characters, ships and the past history of the group and useful for members both old and new. Lt. Commander Chythar Skyfire is one of our most active contributors, updating ship, mission and character pages. Not only that, but she often acts as a tutor to other members, helping and teaching them how to incorporate changes from the simple to the complex -- indeed many of the nominations we received were from her grateful students. Thank you for all your hard work, Commander, and congratulations on your award! Locutus Award The Locutus Award Eerie For members of the Publicity Team who go above-and-beyond their monthly requirements for participation on a regular basis. These team members show enthusiasm and flair for spreading the word about or role-playing community and take an active interest in finding new ways to invite people to join our ranks. Eerie, USS Gorkon - presented by Quinn Reynolds The publicity team is one of our group's most important activities, ensuring that we maintain a strong online presence to draw new members in and keep participation high. This award recognises those who go above and beyond the call of duty in their contributions to its activity, and Lieutenant Commander Eerie's efforts within the team has more than earned such recognition thus year. His impressive levels of participation, enthusiasm and reliability have ensured that there was always a steady stream of articles for the various arms of our publicity arms, and are deeply appreciated. Well done, and thank you, Commander! The Boothby Award The Boothby Award Joan Hart For trainers who go above and beyond their Academy training requirements. These trainers display an outstanding example of dedication to bringing new cadets to our community. Joan Hart, USS Doyle - presented by Selene Faranfey Lieutenant Commander Joan Hart has been part of training team since 2009 on and off. He has long completed his requirements, and is still enthusiastic about making sure new Cadets aren't blind sided coming into our wonderful group. Besides training our cadets, he makes it part of his responsibility when he COs to make sure that new trainers working with him are not only given the best example of what to do next, but also tips and feedback on what is expected on the next level. He has recently taken additional responsibility by joining the Academy Statisticians, whose duties include keeping academy tracking documents up to date. I am proud of Lieutenant Commander Joan Hart, and honored to be able to present him this award. The Xalor Clan Xifilis Award The Xalor Clan Xifilis Award Given to any simmer who overcomes any sort of disadvantage while simming. This award was originally called the "Rachel Garett Pendant," but was renamed for the 2000 ceremony to to honor a respected simmer in UFOP: StarBase 118 who passed away in that year. This is the only Special Award that is given more than once per ceremony. Ben Edwards Ben Edwards, Duronis II Embassy - presented by Toni Turner Although Major Ben Edwards (A.K.A. Commander Siris) came from the USS Avandar to the Embassy/Thunder a very short time ago, he has become appreciated for being a dedicated simmer. Despite personal difficulties and the stresses of real life, he sets a good example for other officers, and proves the quality and effectiveness of his worth within the UFOP: Starbase 118 group. For his determination, it is my pleasure to present him with the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award. Lyldra Lyldra, USS Darwin - presented by Renos Lee, the writer behind Lyldra has had one heck of a turbulent year. He’s had to deal with a lot of personal upheaval and difficulty but to give an example of his dedication - when faced living out of a hotel for several weeks and struggling to find somewhere to live after plans to move fell apart, he stuck with it, using the hotel's wifi all while job seeking and having very limited availability. Lee's circumstances made it harder to participate, yet through it all he remained upbeat, polite and communicative. He remained a full time player giving us great quality, enjoyable sims. We all have such massive respect for him for sticking with it and doing it so well and that’s why I’m honoured to present him with this award. Staff Awards Staff Awards are reserved solely for officers who are Commander in rank, or above. As the people in our group who carry the burden of leadership and investment in our future success, it's important that we take a few moments to recognize the dedication and work they put in throughout the year. Without a staff as dedicated as the one we have, we simply wouldn't be able to sustain our community nature and many of the activities we enjoy. This year, the fleet’s First Officers were empaneled to vote on the nominations and advise the Executive Council on recipients. For the six awards presented below, five of the recommendations from the First Officer panel were accepted. Staff Member of the Year Award Renos For staff members who have contributed tirelessly to the organization through any number of OOC channels, while maintaining excellence in simming on their vessel. Renos, USS Darwin - presented by Aron Kells 2013 was an amazing year for James (aka Renos, Greir Reinard, and a host of other memorable characters): He won not one but two duty post awards (for counseling and for first officer), and followed this up with two special awards, the Locutus (for outstanding achievement in the Publicity Team) and the Rising Star. This amazing showing is unprecedented in the group’s history and is likely to be an unbroken record even if SB 118 lasts another twenty years. Lest you think I’ve forgotten the year, though, I mention 2013 as a baseline -- because as impressive as James’s contributions were that year, 2015 proved a personal improvement. According to his current XO, Maxwell Traenor, “In the past year, he has worked tirelessly to promote the interests and health of UFOP: StarBase 118 through whatever need is presented to him. Alongside being an active member to the Captains Council, he has also accepted a position on the Executive Council; facilitated what is arguably the most difficult taskforce, the Publicity Team; works with our greatest assets by being the Cadet Steward; and co-facilitated the popular and successful 2015 FWPA. And somehow, he has managed to do this while still being the most prolific simmer on the Darwin consistently month by month. Without a doubt, UFOP: StarBase 118 is so much the better by James's numerous efforts, and this award would be the perfect way to show just how much his efforts are appreciated.” However, James was nominated not just a single time for this award, but a full five times this year, including multiple nominations from his fellow COs. While many of them would be appropriate to quote here, I’ve chosen a particularly poignant line from James’s former XO, Kael Thomas: “Without Renos there would be a large hole in the fleet. Without Renos I wouldn’t be a Commander and at the level of simming and OOC activity I am now. I wonder just how many others he’s touched and inspired.” When I stepped back from some of my OOC activities this year, including Cadet Steward and Fleetwide Promotion Coordinator, James was not only the person I had in mind to take over for me but the first to volunteer. He’s a dynamo whose presence enriches us all and he is most certainly this year’s Staff Member of the Year! The James T. Kirk Cross Jalana Rajel Given to new Commanding Officers who show outstanding potential in the field of commanding. Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution-B - presented by Aron Kells Jess (Jalana) is an excellent example of what we should look for in new COs. She is even-tempered, creative, and nurturing, and her crew has rightly sung her praises. She is easy and pleasant to work with and her dedication to the group, including the projects with which she's most closely associated (the Image Collective, the Graphics Contest) shine because of her involvement there. Despite her newness to captaincy for SB118, she is already integral to our history and is inseparable from whatever current success the group currently enjoys. It is even more gratifying to have support from across the fleet, and Jess was nominated for this award from three simmers on three different ships across the fleet. She is clearly well respected, and so I would like to share some particularly representative comments from those nominations: “She has done a fantastic job of being communicative to the crew, involving everyone and making the staff feel reachable and personable. When problems arise they are quickly addressed and Jalana takes time and effort to make sure that the entire crew is being included in the plot. … I firmly believe she is the best new Captain SB118 had this year, and look forward to seeing how the Conny develops into 2016!” ...and… “I know from experience that this is very, very difficult and many ships disintegrate if the CO disappears. The roles of FO and CO are quite different and Jess had to make this transition at short notice but the day to day running of the ship was not disrupted at all. I think she displayed extraordinary professionalism in handling the situation. What’s more, she went on to oversee the switch of the crew from the Apollo to the Constitution with equal ease, again a situation that can see crew slip away. I have no doubt that Commander Jalana Rajel is an exceptional commanding officer and is fully deserving of this award.” The SB 118 fleet, the Executive Council, and the panel of first officers who chose this award have spoken, and I am delighted to recognize Jess as SB 118’s finest new commanding officer of the year! The Shuvalis Diamond of Recognition Selene Faranfey Renos For long-term achievement in leading the Training or Publicity Teams as a way of advancing peaceful relations with "newly discovered life forms.’’ This award was recently edited slightly to apply to both the Training and Publicity Teams. And this year, it was decided to award it to nominees who were strong on each of those teams. The Executive Council intends to make changes to this award, and create a new award, to ensure that we don’t face this choice again of having two stellar candidates and only one award to present! Selene Faranfey, USS Doyle-A - presented by Renos Captain Faranfey has been an active, dedicated member of the Academy training team since 2013. Besides training cadets she has used her attention to detail to ensure classes run smoothly and has been a driving force behind the scenes in the Academy's Statistician team for a year and a half. Though she has been a Commandant for only three months she has taken to the role with ease and performs her duties with distinction. I'm delighted to present Captain Faranfey with this award for her long-time achievement in recruiting, training, and developing new officers. Congratulations! Renos, USS Darwin - presented by Toni Turner This award recognizes the achievement in leading the Publicity Team, and Captain Renos certainly has led the team with honor and dedication. Not only has his efforts kept a steady flow of new people to our doors, but has also enhanced the reputation and status of UFoP: Starbase 118 throughout the simming communities. His nominator, Maxwell Traenor, gave us a perfect example of Captain Renos’s work: "As the fleet has faced a prolonged period of contraction, the Publicity Team has never been more important. Being the facilitator of this Taskforce, James has met the challenge head-on and works ceaselessly to find new venues to promote the fleet. Despite waning team membership, James has still managed to pull off some impressive feats, culminating in scoring a coveted hosting opportunity for FallFest 2015." It is my pleasure and honor to present Captain Renos with the 2015 Shuvalis Diamond of Recognition. The Sarek Star Kali Nicholotti Given to a command officer who shows great diplomatic ability in working with members and staff. Kalianna Nicholotti, USS Apollo-A - presented by Tristan Wolf FltCapt. Nicholotti (Marissa) always puts the interests of the fleet at the top of her priority list, and in one very specific situation she sacrificed her own goals to put our members first when the fleet called on her. That’s enough of a reason to award her the Sarek Star. But that doesn’t even begin to mention all the areas of the fleet that Marissa has been an important part of, from originating The (Image) Collective, to managing time-intensive publicity efforts, and acting as the Captain at Large. And in all of her work, she has been nothing if not friendly, easygoing, and helpful – traits that are all critical for us in continuing our work and moving ahead toward a better future. Congratulations to Marissa, and thanks to her for her perseverance. Christopher Pike Pendant Aron Kells Awarded to commanding officers who command their ship with honor and dedication, and help to provide a creative atmosphere which fosters outstanding simming. Aron Kells, USS Invicta - presented by Tristan Wolf FltCapt. Kells (Tony), exemplifies everything we’re looking for in a Christopher Pike Pendant recipient. It seems like an apt moment to recall all the previous accolades that have helped build to this moment: Excellence in writing, demonstrated by three Writing Challenge wins and the Order of the Valiant Heart (Counselor of the Year award); excellence in simming, demonstrated by TOSMAs I and II; excellence in leadership, demonstrated by the James T. Kirk Cross (outstanding new commanding officer) and the Silver Palm award; and excellence in community building, demonstrated by his Staff Member of the Year award. That’s not even to mention the fact that Tony has acted as the Captains Council Magistrate, Captain at Large for the Executive Council, and is now an Executive Council member in full. He’s been a member of the News Team, acted as the Cadet Steward and Fleetwide Promotion Coordinator, and also held the role of Writing Challenge Facilitator until that contest was retired. Since taking command, Tony has been a professional Commanding Officer of the highest order, crafting plots with aplomb while deftly expanding the horizons of his crew with new ships on a regular basis (Mercury, Garuda, Invicta!), and helping to mentor a player to the rank of captain, with another in the pipeline. Beyond all that, Tony is unfailingly kind and friendly, eager to help, selfless, and forthright. I have always been able to count on his counsel, and appreciate his efforts and participation in our community. He makes it a better place to be, and has left an indelible mark. Our deepest thanks, Tony – for your incredible work we award you the Christopher Pike Pendant. Chief’s Citation Tristan Wolf Starfleet history is much more liable to recognize the triumphs of its notable officers, and while non commissioned and enlisted personnel occasionally receive recognition, the NCO backbone of a starship is likely to go unremarked upon. So that our integral support staff don't similarly slip through the cracks, the Chief's Citation recognizes those essential staff members whose determined work has benefited the group, IC and/or OOC, even while their primary service was not as the commanding officer of a starship or other simming installation. Tristan Wolf, Executive Council - presented by Selene Faranfey While we all know Fleet Admiral Wolf, as he is the head of our fleet, he does a lot for the fleet that isn't always visible to the average member and it is my honor to change that. Admiral Wolf not only keeps our sites running, running the donation campaigns, but he also maintains the sites and communicates with our hosts. Whenever a taskforce needs an extra hand, he jumps in to keep it up and running until someone suitable steps forward. The Academy suffered a huge loss when Rear Admiral Jaxx went on LOA, and Wolf jumped in, making sure classes continued, and looked for team members to assist him with this task. As the fleet went through numerous changes this year, commissions and decommissions, he worked tirelessly to ensure that what was done for those crews had their best intentions at heart, as well as was manageable with the fleet and other ships. Often times he suffers the task of being the face of bad or upsetting news, which bears its own toll. Because of his contributions of time, hard work, and sweat, it is my privilege to present Fleet Admiral Wolf with the Chief's Citation, an award designed to recognize officers whose work is essential to our group! Length of Service Awards The list below only contains members who have newly hit the threshold for the award. For example, a member who's been here for four years, and received the 3-year award last year, won't be listed below. You can see all previous winners of Length of Service awards here. Some members who have been on LOA since before these awards were created will be in multiple award tiers below as they “catch up” with the awards they missed. We’ve used the best information we have available to us in calculating each member’s start date and LOAs. If you believe you should have received an award, but are not listed below, please contact your CO to have this corrected, and please accept our apologies in advance for the oversight. 1-year Member 3-year Member 5-year Member 10-year Member 1-Year Members Elandra Dar, graduated from training on 5/1/2002. Lyldra, graduated from training on 1/3/2005. Tamaiti Scott, graduated from training on 5/29/2005. Jansen Orrey, graduated from training on 6/7/2008. Didrik Stennes, graduated from training on 11/13/2011. T'Mihn, graduated from training on 1/29/2012. Johanna MacLaren, graduated from training on 5/13/2012. S'Kahh Rossh, graduated from training on 7/23/2012. Ren Rennyn, graduated from training on 2/2/2014. Aidonann Danara, graduated from training on 2/11/2014. Dial, graduated from training on 3/4/2014. Lan Riel, graduated from training on 6/30/2014. Raissa Moonsong, graduated from training on 7/1/2014. Michael Jellico, graduated from training on 7/8/2014 Tatash, graduated from training on 8/11/2014. Ayiana Sevo, graduated from training on 9/1/2014 Cory Stoyer, graduated from training on 11/10/2014 Maxwell Traenor, graduated from training on 11/24/2014. Antoinette De Salvo Nel Lupo, graduated from training on 12/9/2014 Tsuki Kazeyama, graduated from training on 12/15/2014. Alexander Bishop, graduated from training on 12/21/2014. 3-Year Members Lyldra, graduated from training on 1/3/2005. Tamaiti Scott, graduated from training on 5/29/2005. Saveron, graduated from training on 2/1/2011. T'Mihn, graduated from training on 1/29/2012. Alex Blair, graduated from training on 6/4/2012. Jalana Rajel, graduated from training on 6/11/2012. Vitor Tito, graduated from training on 6/20/2012. S'Kahh Rossh, graduated from training on 7/23/2012. Irina Pavlova, graduated from training on 8/4/2012. T'Mar, graduated from training on 8/21/2012. 5-Year Members Varaan, graduated from training on 10/28/2001. Anora Manar, graduated from training on 9/5/2003. Tamaiti Scott, graduated from training on 5/29/2005. Hannibal Parker, graduated from training on 3/11/2007. Kalianna Nicholotti, graduated from training on 5/4/2009. Roshanara Rahman, graduated from training on 5/15/2010. Kyle Barrett, graduated from training on 10/3/2010. Nia Calderan, graduated from training on 11/1/2010. 10-Year Members Samal Frazier, graduated from training on 3/10/2004. Toni Turner, graduated from training on 9/20/2005. Top Sims Contest 2015 Winner Sims are nominated by all members of the group, and then reviewed by a panel of judges from each ship. The entire membership is then eligible to vote for the top sim of the year. This year, 27 members chose to review the four finalists and select a sim to present with one of the most coveted writing awards in our community’s history. Saveron Alora DeVeau "Where Vulcan Flowers Grow,” Saveron & Alora DeVeau, USS Invicta, presented by Aron Kells Individually, these two writers are a force to be reckoned with. Together, there’s no limit to what they can do, as evidenced in the final round of 2015’s Top Sims Contest, in which this winning sim was joined by another joint post they created to constitute a full 50% of the ballot. If nothing else, that accomplishment is worthy of recognition! The writers behind Saveron and Alora DeVeau, Sarah and Amanda (respectively), are two of the Invicta’s most stalwart simmers, and both have long and illustrious histories with the group. Amanda has played Alora as a science officer on the Mercury, the Garuda, and now the Invicta, and has been the recipient of many awards, including the coveted Cochrane Award (the duty post award for science) and the Kalendra Award (a special award given to simmers who employ devious plot twists), both of which are awarded only once per year. In the time since “Where Vulcan Flowers Grow” was submitted, Alora has advanced in rank from lieutenant to lieutenant commanders and Amanda continues to be one of the finest writers on Invicta. Sarah, too, has seen Saveron promoted since “Where Vulcan Flowers Grow” -- in her case, by proceeding through the difficult promotion path to commander, which I’m delighted to say she has seen to completion. Sarah, in the guise of Saveron, is recognizable to some of our older members as one of the empresses of the former Writing Challenge: She won no less than four times and was declared runner-up on two other occasions; two of her wins came in 2011 and two in 2013, which makes her a two-time Writing Challenge Champion. With such a glowing histories, it should come as no surprise that these two simmers saw two of their joint sims in the final round of the 2015 Top Sims Contest, nor that “Where Vulcan Flowers Grow” was declared the winner. The sim itself is an introspective, reflective one that nonetheless carries bursts of action, humor, and romance in equal measures. Its unique handling of the two characters amidst those different emotional valences and its quality of writing make it stand out among all the other sims submitted this year, and rightly deserves the title of the best sim produced by Starbase 118 this year. Many congratulations to Sarah and Amanda! Special Thanks Thanks from Aron Kells This year's awards committee, including: Captains Quinn Reynolds and Nia Calderan and Commanders Sinda Essen and Alucard Vess, who voted on the duty post and special award nominations. This is a complex process that includes reviewing all nomination essays and linked sims for a given award and then selecting which candidate best matches the qualities the award is seeking. My thanks for their diligence! Rear Admiral Toni Turner and Captains Renos and Nugra, who helped with the enormous task that is sorting awards and getting them reading for captains and the voting committee to view. The voting committee also helped with this, and I cannot thank all of them enough. Sorting through nominations can be a dirty, time-consuming job, but having several people helping is extremely helpful! The first officers of the fleet, who formed a panel to review and vote upon the staff awards this year. These simmers know their COs best and so their conscientiousness in reviewing nominations and selecting staff award recipients is very much appreciated! Thanks from Tristan Wolf Fleet Captain Aron Kells, who -- for the second year in a row -- facilitated the awards process by managing the Awards Committee, gathering the presentations for each award, and assembling this ceremony. It’s no small feat! I remember having done it in years past and spending up to two full days off (on holiday vacation, of course!) working on it. Many, many thanks to him for all this hard work to help us ensure a smooth and heartfelt awards ceremony.