Fishspeak

 <SALUTE!>

Hmmm...I get my own column now. Cool :)

Well, this has been a busy month for me: got WC of my wing, going back to school (Last semester of college!! Wohoo!!), and I turned 21. And yes, I was incapacitated the day after :) Whew! But I'll get through it.

I suppose I should say something regarding SA Compton's resignation from XO, but I don't want to brown-nose. Compton was a good XO and did the honorable thing by stepping down. There are some who wanted his removal much sooner (of course, there are always ambitious fools who undermine a good person's power through slander). Yes, the honorable thing. Perhaps the most difficult task an officer must do is resign when they know their time is up. I've had to do it, though on a much smaller scale. So now I wish Compton the best as the only FM/GN in the fleet.

About eight Battlecry issues ago, which translates to an eternity in the TIE Corps, a debate was posted with the subject, "What makes a good officer/leader?" I wish I could find that MB, as it had a bunch of great responses from a variety of people. I will attempt to recreate at least some of the posts here.

Communication. All activity in the EH begins through communication. A pilot has an idea, so he tells his CMDR. His CMDR replies back, telling the pilot it is a good idea. The idea then becomes a plan, which, through the help of other pilots (who have been contacted and also thought the idea was good), succeeds. A small idea in the head of one pilot engulfs others through communication. Without good, steady communication, the squadron/wing/ship drifts from one another. Drifting leads to inactivity, which no-one wants. Emailing people even once a day helps them to not only stay in touch, but to feel wanted. special. Message boards allow for ideas to be discussed and examined. And did I mention run-ons yet? Communication drives the EH more than anything else, and so a communicative leader will drive his pilots to activity.

Loyalty. A good officer is loyal to his wing. No matter what. It is something which inspires others to succeed where they might have failed before. It is infectious and will spread to others in the wing. Loyalty is what separates a good pilot from a good officer. I can fly all day, be really active, but not really a part of the wing. However, if I begin believing in my wing, supporting it in competitions and on IRC, I go from being a pilot to an officer. A pilot does his duty to his wing because he is required to do so. An officer does his duty to his wing because he wants to make sure his wing succeeds.

Perseverance. Every squadron/wing/ship goes through difficult times. It's a fact of life. A good leader struggles through the hard times and breezes through the good times. A great leader makes sure he is prepared enough to make it at all times. Perseverance can only be achieved through preparedness. If one knows about the upcoming storm, they can prepare for it and weather it much better than if the storm hit without warning. Yet the storm will still hit, and here is where a good leader shows his colors. Does he stay the course, or will he veer off to avoid it? It is hard to know what path to take, yet taking a path is infinitely better than jumping ship.

I suppose I lied. I thought I could recreate that wonderful message board, but instead I have expounded my own views. Hey! It's my column! That's the beauty of it :)

<SALUTE!>