A-to-Z Blog Challenge: M is for Morale

Morale

    

OPORD 310325-001  NAVCHIEF AUTH 1178

To: ALLCOMs ALLFLIGHTs

    DESCON III

    DESCON V

    DESCON VI

1.SITREP - MORALE ALL UNITS

a. It has come to the attention of this office that morale among the crews of all of ships has degraded significantly over the months of our exile.  

b.While this is understandable, reports and complaints about behavior both on and off duty have reach a frequency and severity that makes addressing the issue a priority.

c.To that end, the surveys, performance evaluatutions, and observations made command and this office have identified the following causes of our current morale crises:

• Knowledge that our homeworlds are occupied:   This is the most obvious cause of low morale, the simple fact we can’t go home again.  Solving this problem is the the grand strategy of the current war.
• Loss of contact with kith, kin, and ka:  The fact that many of us forked copies to serve in the military while staying at home has not kept us from that bane of long patrols, homesickness.  While we cannot remerge with ourselves left behind, It may be possible to initiate covert communications at a later date.
• Lack of shore facilites  and recreational spaces: Destroyers are simply not designed for patrols of the length we’ve been enduring.  The fact that the only places off ship available are factory webs and the modest spaces aboard Varangian simply highlights to all concerned that there is nowhere to go.

d. Having identified these points as primary causes of our worsening morale, Command and this Office have developed several action plans and directives: see below.

2. MISSION - MORALE/PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS

All personnel - from the Prime to the newest recruit - are identified as needing a morale boost. The following directives are aimed at improving morale both on patrol and at base.   These are to go into effect immediately.  The directives are detailed below:

3. DIRECTIVES

a. Three new starships are to be commissioned from the recent lend/lease acquisitions.  These are to be designated Destroyer Tenders and one each attached to the Destroyer Constellations in the fleet.

b. Crew from the destroyers are to be rotated into service aboard the tenders.  In addition to serving as crew on these tenders, crew will be assigned for additional cross-training in all specialities and as instructors in cross-training.

c. Prime has authorized the hiring of private sutler services to be stationed aboard the tenders to provide amenities and recreational services for destroyer crews on patrol.

d. Prime has authorized the hiring of sutler services to be stationed on base at Elsinore Cavalier HQ to provide amenities and recreational services for all personnel.

e. Crews from Destroyer Command will begin rotating aboard Varangian for cruiser training.  It is our intention to add combat cruisers to our fleet within the year.

f.  WHILE ON AUTHORIZED LEAVE ONLY, Fraternization will be condoned among all personnel of equal rank among shipmates.  Personnel who are serving aboard different ships may fraternize across rank WHILE ON AUTHORIZED LEAVE ONLY.

g. Intelligence resources will formulate an action plan for establishing contact with the homeworlds for purposes of determining what, if any, resistance is being mounted against AdStar occupation at this time.  Secondary to this is the goal of initiating some communication with loved ones behind the lines.  Just by letting our citizens in occupied territory know there are elements out here and fighting will surely boost their morale.

4. EXECUTION - SEE ATTACHED FILES

*PERSONAL ADDENDUM NAVCHIEF:

“It’s a new world out here, Officers and gentles.  It wouldn’t surprise me if our next constitution is based on Ship’s Articles from Gleise’s pirate days.  I know a lot of my fellow War College grads started frothing at the mouth halfway through section three.  Just remember one thing:

“Prime’s plans are working.”

-4Char Itawa, Captain, acting Naval Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister