Opening Address
May 2025
Greetings!
Firstly, congratulations to @Chipoli, @Halsoni, and @Cosmic for winning their respective elections!
It's always an honour to be offered any position in the cabinet of The North Pacific, but not many are as steeped in history and lined with as much character as that of the Minister of Defense. The heritage of the North Pacific Army stretches back over two decades and features a cast of legendary former and current TNPers, so I am acutely aware as a bit of a NationStates history buff myself how lofty this post actually is and what it represents. I first applied for the NPA almost ten years ago now, which is absolutely insane to think about, and it's always been such an exciting part of this game. NationStates can move quite slowly at times, especially in terms of political movements, but in military gameplay, it is all to play for twice a day and that makes it one of the most engaging and consistently rewarding areas to get into. Despite how long I have been around, and how much I have changed as both a player and a person in that time, this is yet another position I am entering for the first time as I did at the start of last term. This ultimately means that I am going to be learning as much as I am leading, but if I have realised one thing about NationStates and more broadly about life in general, it is that there is always more to learn. I'm sincerely looking forward to trying my hand in this role and doing everything that I can to get the NPA where it can and deserves to be.
Now, let's get down to business. I'm starting a three-day roll call as my predecessor @Comfed did just to get an idea of numbers for the upcoming term, so make sure to go and answer that as soon as you can! I'll be reaching out to anyone who does not respond, and if I still don't get anything from you after that, you may be discharged. A massive priority this term is our activity and internal communication, so it's crucial that I know who is going to be around and reachable over the next four months.
We're still piling in England until their transition to a stronghold is complete as per current orders, so make sure you're deployed! I'm exploring getting a ribbon designed for this one as well, which is something I want to do for a lot more of our operations going forward.
I've also updated the NPA leaderboard and replaced the graphic design with a basic table so I can keep it up to date without needing to re-design it every time. This means I have been able to extend it to the top twenty positions for current members on our roster, although this does need to be updated once the roll call is complete.
As per the Delegate's campaign, I will be putting significant planning into bringing back the call to serve releases, including both interviews and radio shows. My former experience in terms of hosting and editing shows for the Northern Broadcasting Service will be of tremendous help here and I look forward to speaking to some of our best soldiers about their time in the North Pacific Army.
And finally, I'm going to use the skills I have learned during my time as Minister of Home Affairs, as well as assistance from the new Ministry of Integration, to really focus on recruitment of new members over the next four months. It is my hope that we can build that strong social foundation in our military and create an environment where the NPA is not all about just turning up for operations, but also about making friends, establishing rewarding social routines, and progressing up the ranks as a team.
I'll be considering some promotions over the next few days too as I get more acquainted with the position and speak with High Command. Ultimately, it is an absolute honour to get the chance to fulfill this role, and it is my utmost hope that I can do our region and our military proud.
Here's to the next four months, everyone.
Minister of Defense
Last edited: