Closing Address
19 September 2024
There is never a dull moment serving as Minister of Defence. Tag raids, invasions, defences, and liberations, you are always moving around, your mind on alert for any major military developments, ready to act at a moment's notice. Some may find that exhausting, and while that is true to some extent, I have found it a thrilling experience, motivating me to continue my work. Not only that, but the little chats I have had with officers and troops during our operations and the close relationships I have formed with some of them, these small things are worth their weight in gold. I deeply enjoyed those conversations, they made me want to stay around for much longer. Alas, I have decided to chase a higher purpose, because I believe I can do great things for TNP.
As I reported in my Midterm Address, during the months of May - June the NPA executed two iterations of Operation Solar Storm, a delegate-capping run against BoM's trophy regions, defended The Wellspring from a potential invasion, and conducted our third - and most destructive - raid on Warzone Trinidad, forcing the WZT Mafia to abandon the region and relocate to Palmetto. Soon after we launched a Detag Week with the NPO and TBO, detagging 46 regions in four updates. At the end of June, the NPA was deployed to the Confederation of Corrupt Dictators and captured it after a month with the assistance of our allies, the NPO, LDF, TWPAF, and ERN, placing an old enemy of TNP under our permanent control. While occupying CCD we also went on a little fash-bashing adventure with Vibonia at Elba Island, Saint Helene's frontier.
Despite these early successes, from August onward activity problems in the NPA became more apparent as both our tempo of operations and our turnout dropped noticeably. Our wargames with the ERN only had three NPA participants. To address these issues, I decided to focus inward and invested more efforts into rebuilding our inactive officer corps by implementing rank reforms, mentoring promising Sergeants and completing the Soldier's Manual - a basic R/D guide for new recruits. Our two newest Lieutenants, @cosmicsonic and @Caius, have made an immediate impact upon their accession to the rank by leading several tags and detags operations, a hopeful and encouraging sign for our rebuilding efforts next term. Currently, the NPA is piling in The Wellspring to assist its transition to a Stronghold, which would protect the region from any future raid attempts.
I would like to thank my Deputies - although the DMoD position has been replaced with Colonel - @Comfed, @Kaschovia, and @Nutmeg The Squirrel for their work and contributions. No Minister can succeed without a good team, and I appreciate everything you have done in our combined effort to build up the NPA. I am saddened by Comfed's sudden leave as the NPA has lost another competent officer in wartime, but he deserves to take a break after all those enormous pressures that were placed on his shoulders.
Now, it's reward time! I hereby promote Private @norry to Private First Class for participating in one siege of Kelios. I also have a gift that I have been waiting to unveil for some time now: New rank insignia! Special thanks to @Sil Dorsett for suggesting it.
Enlisted
Private | Private First Class | Corporal | Sergeant | Staff Sergeant | Warrant Officer |
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Officer
Lieutenant | Colonel | General |
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Sorry if they look a bit blurry, these small images are for your signatures. Anyone who wants the big and HD version can DM me. No more shall the NPA have to wear the unoriginal, copy-and-pasted US Army ranks.
And that's it everyone! See you next term!
At your service,
Minister of Defense
