JG26 Squadron Status ??

[JG26_Badger]

S~: JG26 members and Friends

Happy New Year to all and I hope 2010 brings you much joy, health and success.

What is our status as a squadron ?? What are we and what do we want to be? I ask this questions because its a New Year and I think we need a new start. I know there are always time zone and other conflicts and real life issues that leave us with only a limited amount of flight time. However being a member of a team/squad means that you value the comradeship and esprit de corps that comes with battle. Nothing brings people together more than war! We have not fought for a long time. JG26 means more to me than a call sign tag in the Hyperlobby.

Currently The June 1942 Multi-sector SEOW campaign is on I registered us as a squadron we fly in Kuban sector on thursday nights . Jobbo_Fett and I are involved in the Kuban and are sharing theater command I am more staff. Jobbo has become the overall tactical commander planning the flights. We can use some more JG26 pilots. So that is one date that is available. I also got 4 slots for JG26 european members in the Midway campaign and the Cent Med campaign. There are seats that you have to plan your flights. That is for the european members missions planned during there time zones.


I would like to see if there is any interest in our squadron/group to fly together for a Squad night event. A JG26 squadron campaign depending on interest and numbers we can either fly against the enemy (ai) or fly break into teams and fly against each other or another squad.

If I remember correctly the Sunday campaigns had the best turnout so how about an event a weekly squad event on Sundays between 2100-2300 GMT . That would be between 2:00pm-4:00pm EST, 3:00pm -5:00pm CST and 1:00pm - 3:00PM PST for all us guys in the States and Canada seems like once a week would give us the best time to get all the US and european members flying together.


Based on our current numbers and moral status. I think the 1st option is best. We need to be bloodied in battle. I have a template all set historically based, coops. I need some skinners and people that could be squadron leaders, army generals, etc. Time to get active and get involved. There is a role for everyone and unless we get involved the status will stay the same. I have created a thread for sign in in the JG26 campaign section. If you are interested.

So there are at least 2 days during the week that we can fly together as a group. Thursday nights ( SEOW Kuban), other SEOW sectors, and a proposed yet to be confirmed Sunday campaign based on interest.

This is for your thoughts and really to see if there is any interest from members or friends. Please share. Maybe we can even schedule a meeting on TS channel to discuss get everyone together and get organized, share thoughts etc.



S~
JG26_Badger

[lake]

Hi Badger,
Time is limited right now, I tried a couple of these missions, not that impressed to be honest. Waited for 20mins to join then kicked. Remember the Italians who were worried that you would damage their Stuka. lol.

Wish I had more time. Sorry.

Squad status- not too good at the moment.

[357th_Yip]

S! Badger, et al

Right now the squadron is more a loose association of pilots who trust each other to fly honestly and enjoy the same kinds of coops and settings. JG26 has always been organizationally challenged---we have not had a defined command structure, except for EZ who is our Über leader---and it has been a long time since we did campaigns together.

For me personally, I enjoy the freedom of jumping into coops as I can. The expectations of a campaign just don't fit my schedule or desires right now. Having the JG26 uniform gives me an identity but I tend to fly with several other loosely affiliated pilots in a more relaxed manner.

I appreciate the work Badger has done arranging squad participation in the SEOW. That's a lot of effort for a less than encouraging return so I can appreciate his frustration.

I don't have an answer for the squad question. Things have become what they are by default and unspoken consensus, I guess.

[Deleted]

I posted something here a couple of days ago, then erased it.
Didn't know if I thought it through enough before pressing the reply button.. Now I wish I kept it..

Frustrated a tad because to look at our squad satus... It's true, the JG26 isn't as active as it used to be, but the majority of our pilots are alot older than our roster 10 years ago. We've lost pilots to new babies, new jobs, and a list of many other things. Even MY time has been drastically reduced since joining the Jagdgeschwader 26 by real life stuff. Not a recuction in love for the sim or the squad, just alot more to do.

We can't just join a squad and expect everyone's going to show up for an event.. especially when most of us are now over the age of 30, and our numbers are only at 14, with about 11 of us being on at least once a week. To compare, our roster, two years ago was somewhere around 25. So yes.. some might find our "Squad Status" to be a little more relaxed than the past. But I wouln't categorize it as being "not good". Have a little faith! Our numbers have been lower than this before.. by about half. I've put posts out there to make the public aware of our squad and our open doors for new recruits in different forums, posted up small recruiting posts in HL chat, and in my mission briefings and we continue to get new pilots... Slowly... but surely. I figured, the bigger our numbers, the better chance at having a handfull of pilots that could attend campaigns, squad matches and such. We recieved a bunch of new players at the end of '09 and I'm sure we'll see more, but this needs work. You can't just sit back and expect people to join your squad without a little effort. Maybe those that need a better "Squad Status", should jump on the recruiting train and drag in some more good pilots for our ever-aging squad.

Still.. I've said it before, and I'll say it again.
I know I can sign on through the week and still have good friends to fly with, planned, or unplanned.

I've put up a post in the past asking if someone else would like to take the reigns ("Uber Leader") without a response, other than refusal because members were happy with the squad. I'll offer the position of CO once again to any of our pilots that thinks they can steer the squad in a better direction. Just give me a PM and we'll get the ball rolling.

EZ

Our Roster
www.freewebs.com/jagdgeschwader26/roster.htm

[lake]

JG26 is not the largest or most organised squad from setting up a campaign at a moments notice, our strength is the quality of our pilots who I am delighted to call friends. EZ is the best leader and only leader we need, so keep it up boss.

I value the relaxed informal way of doing things, no pressure, unlike real life.
Badger has done a wonderful job of organising these events, but as a squad we are not strong enough to support him. Have a Twinkie on me .

[JG26_Ken]

Hey Badger,

I will try to get on thursday nites and sunday. I just have a bad memory and tend to forget things. Ive got the new computer and up 2.0 pretty much set now, so I should be good to go.

Ken

[JG26_Sparta]

g'day all
can't we just start over with some coop campaigns we used to do?
fixed date/time, with debriefs.

I myself have very few time to fly and as you know, I mainly fly with FC lately.
The last months, I've only been online on Monday evenings (after 10 pm GMT+1) and hardly find anone online of JG26.

I suggest one of you sets a day/time or two and just see who can make it.
as for SEOW, I joined Lake once (some months ago already? I really can't put a date on it) and it was boring as hell. We even ended up strafing a train and some trucks.

Cheers,
Sparta

[JG26_Sparta]

actually, sticknmove is "always" flying on the same (coop/moving dogfight) servers

[Deleted]

I loved the coop/campaign sundays we used to have aswell.
The thing with Coop campaigns, is you need someone to do it..
To get into the FMB and ensure there's enough action/ground
targets, to grab recon photos, etc., like Alpha did in the past.

I've always wanted to try it, but couldn't guarantee, I'd have
enough time between sunday's to work on the next one.
Until we find someone to do that, we are left with SEOW which
is very cool if you look into the coordinating aspect, but too much
work for the limited time I have after flying a couple runs an
evening and the occasional built coop mission for the vault.

I think the new squad campaign that Badger has set up for
sundays will be a good way to get the blood warmed up again.

[JG26_Scannon]

Thanks for the kick in the pants Badger, much appreciated!

I can make the Sunday mission but the Thursday mission is out of the question at the moment.

I'll try and stay tuned to whatever you put together....

Scannon