As posted on the TC Message Board

Pilots who have flown and won medals for the Battlecry competitions in Battlecry 9 and are flying for Battlecry 10 are, I'm afraid to say, in for a disappointment. The Operations Office has decided that the medals awarded to the winners of the competition are too high.

I had put the competition rules and awards system through the correct channels and had them both confirmed. I had authorisation from the Training Officer, a high-ranking officer to award the medals (BGCOM Jarak) and I made sure that the medals were correct for a Fleet-Wide competition. In fact, the medals for BC 9 were correct for just a ship competition, and BC 10 was correct for a Battlegroup competition (as can be seen at the TO page http://www.imperialacademy.org/medalrules.htm).

Still, OPS/FA Howlader sideswiped the competitions. He believed the medals were too large for simple flying competitions and therefore did not approve any of them. Admittedly the rules are certainly simple...you fly the mission and if you get a high score you get a medal. But, it's not as easy when you have to fly against potentially the entire fleet. Not a group of pilots, not just the best pilots...the entire fleet.

I am currently trying to get this changed to make sure that the winners get their medals, but even though I am right and done everything correctly I may still not win. Anyone who is annoyed by this, please don't shoot me, I am not to blame (well, not completely anyway). On another topic entirely, Howlader's e-mail address is danhowlader@hotmail.com.

I am also currently looking into other methods of rewards for the winners, either by lower medals, loopholes or more creative methods. Don't worry though, as I look after everyone who has been wronged, so you competition winners should get something.

CPT Werdna Elbee
(Battlecry Editor)

What will be done about this problem?

To be honest, I'm not sure yet. I am asking the OPS office to reconsider awarding the medals, but it is unlikely that will happen. I am aiming to make sure something is done about this by the next issue, so you will find out within the month (look out on the TC Message Board to keep up-to-date).

My top priority right now is to award the medals that the competition winners were supposed to get, but that is in OPS/FA Howlader's hands and not mine. If I can't get those awards for the winners, I have a number of options.

• Award lower medals to the winners - I would rather not do this, but it would be either a lower medal or nothing at all. This will only be done as a last resort.

• Find more "creative" ways to award the winners - This includes using loopholes to have the award winner get what they deserve, informing their superiors about their achievements in the competition to keep them in mind for promotions and medals, etc. Not only that, but I would probably top that up with a lower medal to make sure they get something. 

• Wait until I can award the Iron Star (IS) - SA Kawolski is currently revising the EH medals, and changing the Iron Star medal as not only a medal for winners of TO competitions, but for other large fleet-wide competitions. More on this can be found at http://www.kawolski.com/xo/ 

So I am very sorry that you may not get a Bronze of Silver Star if you won the competition, but you might win out in the end as the Iron Star just as good, if not better. For all the people that came 2nd, 2rd and helped out your squadron participation, but assured that I will take care of you too, even if I have to bend the rules just a little.