End of Term Address: May-September, 2023
Hello, everyone,
I wanted to be the first to post this address, but now I am not.
I was honoured to have had the opportunity to serve the region as Minister of Defence for these past two months. To be honest, when I was offered this job because Rom planned to resign, I was taken by surprise. I had never lead the NPA before, and with only two months of experience as a minister here thus far, I was unsure if I could fill Rom's huge shoes. I wouldn't say that I've risen to nearly the stature of him, but I think I did alright as Minister all the same
This term, for me, has primarily been about expanding the size of the NPA and conducting military operations on a regular basis. On both fronts, I believe that we have seen some success which the NPA will be able to build off of in the next term.We have conducted a number of training operations for new NPA in tagging and detagging operations. We also conducted a tag raid of frontiers with the West Pacific Armed Forces, and a detag run with the Europeian Republican Navy. With our financial partners in the League Defence Forces and the ERN, we also staged a hostile takeover of the poorly managed Warzone Trinidad Corporation, and promptly cleaned up its tattered finances by ejecting all the nations inside it. I'm not Rom, so he's inevitably going to get short shrift in this address, but Operation Wishing Well happened while he was Minister (technically last term, but who's counting?), and the fact that we are now signing an alliance with that region as a successful, independent community in its own right speaks to the success of that operation.
But who cares about operations? Much more important than those is paperwork. With the standard promotion system we introduced, and also a clearing of the backlog of some people who needed promotions, we now have a consistent promotion track among the enlisted ranks. Indeed, we have introduced many new people who are now climbing the ranks–I would like to shout out in particular @Norvoz, @Rewan Demontay, @Marianne-Britannia, @etiennesickleton and @Kaiser William Fulbright, and @Magecastle, all of whom have shown great promise as new recruits (though they are by no means the only ones!) and whom I hope will go on to lead successful military careers, ending of course in respective short-lived military coups for them all.
We also welcomed new Generals @Icarus, @Koopa, and @Zaz into our High Command. Thanks for your service, you old farts
I would also like to hand out some awards at the end of this term. The first recipient is someone who I have already described as a rock of the NPA. He has consistently attended operations, particularly in Libcord, and has made himself a fixture of our defensive efforts this term and in previous terms. In addition to that, he has also lent a helping hand to our newer members by answering their questions and being a friendly face. I hereby award the Order of Liberation to El Fiji Grande.
I know Zaz really wants a ribbon, and will be sad if I don't give him one. Just kidding–Zaz is earning this with his consistent activity in our operations and his enthusiastic promotion of the NPA on our most second-most infamous hive of scum and villainy (after the mysterious "Australian Gang"): the RMB! (Gameside advocate candidate? The deep state says: maybe!) I award Zaz the Order of Service.
Like the last awardees, this NPA soldier has consistently attended operations. They have also been a friendly and helpful presence in training many of our new NPA soldiers in basic skills and also in assisting our officers. Hmm, seems like a theme. I commission @Hulldom to write me a paper about that! I forgot what I was saying. Anyways. Overall a force in keeping our operations going, I award Koopa the Order of Invasion.
While I wish I could award everyone who pitched in this term, this list grows long, and the hour grows late on the time within which I can reasonably post this address. However, I do have one more award to give. The recipient of this one has demonstrated many creative ideas which he has personally implemented throughout not just this term but the past several terms. It is probable that the work he is mostly known for is in communications, but his contributions to the NPA, including the profile card program which he executed virtually singlehandedly, are also quite significant. I award Kaschovia with the Order of Service.
There are many, many others who have been critical to the NPA's successes this term, and while I am sorry I could not award all of you, your contributions this term have been invaluable and I am proud of every single person who helped out in the past four months. The revitalization of the NPA into a strong fighting force is a project that will require the lasting contributions of many individuals over an extended period of time, and from what I have seen this term I am optimistic that we can succeed.
So long, and thanks for all the fish,
Minister of Defence
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