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Valued members of our community, I hope you've enjoyed reading through this year's awards ceremony. I know it's a lot of text, a lot of recognition, just a lot to read overall! But, in particular, I hope what you take away from this ceremony is the full feeling of gratitude and appreciation that pours out from what we're doing. I'd imagine it's hard to understand, before you reach the command levels of our community, just how much work is going on behind the scenes to pull off everything we do. But let me pull back the curtain and point out just how much this exercise is choreographed: Our process begins in April by reviewing the past year's ceremony, the suggestions we got from the community, and the list of awards to decide if we need to retire or add any. The Captains Council discusses these things at length – considering what's working and what's not – before we have to refresh the nominations form, check all of our award pages, begin preparing our news posts and fleetwide emails, and then launch the process. From there it's a sprint to the end of the nominations process, pushing everyone in the fleet to participate – uncovering memories from weeks and months ago of ways that people impressed us, reviewing each of our peers and trying to understand the impact they've made on our community. All the while, our staff is ensuring that every angle is covered in nominations and that each person who has earned an award gets nominated. Things really get hectic once nominations close as our Awards Facilitator – Jo Marshall, this year – picks an Awards Committee and starts collating the nominations. There are at least 100 tasks that must be done in a line before we actually get to the ceremony, involving every member of the command staff, with some folks being buried in the work, like Kirk opening an overhead compartment to reveal thousands of tribbles. At the end of the day, we are all exhausted, but filled with gratitude for the opportunity to make entirely clear how much we appreciate everyone's contributions. Although we go to great lengths throughout the year to try and help each of you understand how much we value the time and effort you expend to write the perfect sims, we also know the magic of coming together for this recognition – to write down in the annals of our history that "this person was amazing, and we want to thank them for that." It's no trivial effort – as much as we want you to think that it is! – and I hope that those of you who earned awards can take some time to look back over the history of the award you won, maybe read some of the presentation from those past ceremonies, and know that someday someone else will be doing the same with your name. Welcome to the Hall of Honor, you've earned it. Before we close, I'd like to mention some commendations and "credits" where they're due: First and foremost, to Jo Marshall, who stage managed this process – collating, coordinating, logisticating, pontificating, and memeing every step. She brought a whole new character to the role and upped the ante for all those who come after her. I have deep empathy for the person in this position, and even deeper thanks for all of the hard work put in to make sure that every detail is perfect and correct. Thank you, Jo Marshall, for everything you've done to make this "show" go off without a hitch! To our Awards Committee, that read through 22 awards worth of nominations and carefully voted to award the Duty Post and Special awards. You've done a great service puting in this time and consideration, and helping our community come to the best decision. To our Deputy Awards Facilitators, who helped Jo Marshall with the incredible lift of bringing this ceremony to fruition, making sure that all the nominations were properly collated and checked against our rules, and that everything was where it needed to be! To our Commanding Officers, who have been tireless and extremely gracious throughout the whole thing. Your efforts are priceless in how much care and time you've put in. Thank you for everything you've done here, and everything you do to maintain this thing we've all built. This is an amazing thing we have and I hope you know how rare and precious it is to have a "round table" like we're experiencing right now. To our First Officers, who judged the Staff Awards and every other day of the year help make what we do possible. Thank you for being our cheerleaders, our assistants, our defenses, our collators, and our partners in this. I look forward to the day when you sit in the captain's chair and look in gratitude at the person in your seat. And finally, my last thanks is to you, dear members! You make it all worthwhile. The joy you bring, and the joy you experience fuels every moment of this. I look forward to many more years in service to this community. Until next year… 🖖 - Jordan, FltAdml. Tristan Wolf

I'm delighted to present the badges for this years award ceremony! See below for the full badge list. If you believe you should have earned the badge but are not listed, contact your CO. Learn more about badges and how to display them on your wiki pages here. And don't forget: Make sure you take our survey about the awards ceremony to let us how you think it went. The full ceremony has been posted on the wiki now, as with all previous ceremonies. Awards Chairperson Presented to a staff member that has held the position of Awards Chairperson for an Awards Ceremony. If more than one staff member holds the title, or is appointed an assistant or deputy, all receive the badge. Sky Blake, Veritas Ishkabella Journs, Atlantis Randal Shayne, Arrow Jo Marshall, Gorkon Awards Committee Presented to any staff member that participates in the yearly Awards Committee to select Duty Post and Special Awards. Nugra, Constitution-B Ash MacKenna, Juneau Jarred Thoran, Atlantis Awards Ceremony Nominator (Standard) A player must submit at least 1 nomination for a fellow player during an awards ceremony, in any category. This badge can be earned multiple times, but is only awarded once per year. A player earning an elite or legendary badge will not also earn the lower levels in the same year. Awards Ceremony Nominator (Elite) A player must submit at least 5 nominations for fellow players in any category. This badge can be earned multiple times, but is only awarded once per year. A player earning an elite or legendary badge will not also earn the lower levels in the same year. Awards Ceremony Nominator (Legendary) A player must submit at least 10 nominations for players on more than 2 vessels in any category. This badge can be earned multiple times, but is only awarded once per year. A player earning an elite or legendary badge will not also earn the lower levels in the same year.

Welcome to the final day of the awards ceremony. So far this week we’ve announced the recipients of the Staff, General, Length of Service and Special awards. Today we present the Duty Post awards. Each award focuses on a different department from the major ones such as medical, operations or engineering to the more unique - like diplomacy, intel or marines. Even civilians have a chance to be recognised for the valuable contributions that can be made to our stories by those who prefer the path less worn. Each of these awards recognises a player for excellence in simming their duty post. Since only one award per duty post is given each year, only the very best are chosen and they are highly coveted awards. You’ll see from our spread of winners — who range in rank from Ensign to Captain — that every player has a chance to be considered for one of these by consistently simming to the best of their ability and striving to improve their craft. The Prantares Award - Medical The Prantares Ribbon is a duty post award and is awarded to those Medical officers who have moved beyond competence to display a true gift for the healing arts in the context of space medicine. The officers given this award should display the ability to keep a steady hand in the often hazardous conditions in which they must practice, as well as the willingness to risk their own life to save the lives of others. Addison MacKenzie, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: “What makes a good medical officer is, I think, more than just a medical tricorder and a dermal regenerator. For good or ill, every good medical officer needs to have an established bedside manner. It can be supportive, like Dr. Crusher, or irascible, like Dr. McCoy or The Doctor, but it's something that's so necessary to a character. Matt, who I had the pleasure of getting to know when he first entered the fleet with Doctor Addison MacKenzie, who began as a medical officer under my character, the Veritas's CMO at the time, has crafted Addison with a delicious point of view. Simply put, she knew she wanted to be the best, and she knew she could be the best, and that's how she approaches every interaction. Another nominator noted that her demeanor is "mature, professional but wryly funny" — a tall and nuanced order, but one that Matt pulls off extremely well for Addison. I don't think I've encountered a medical officer with so much personality, and that combined with MacKenzie's extremely competent approach to medicine makes her, and Matt, a shoo-in for this year's Prantares Ribbon.” The Natasha Yar Pin - Security The Natasha Yar Pin is a duty post award and is awarded to those Security officers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting and preserving the lives of their crewmates, even at risk to their own. Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “The character of Samira Neathler is written as one of the best examples of a security officer I have ever had the pleasure of reading and simming alongside. Sami has created a shrewd, intelligent and meticulous young woman who carries out her responsibilities with professionalism and restraint, always understanding that in Starfleet, violence is a last resort. We've seen her shine in protecting her fellow crew from dangerous situations while never stealing the spotlight from her fellow writers, shielding them from harm in character while encouraging their creativity and contributions out of character. It's a difficult balance to master and yet Sami achieves it time and time again. As chief, she runs the department with a light touch and a deft hand, meeting and greeting new additions with a wry sense of humour and an invitation to help improve and develop the role of security aboard the ship. She's an exemplar of how to write Security, following in the finest traditions of the on-screen officers and I'm so pleased to present her with the Natasha Yar Pin. Congratulations, Sami!” The Voyager Medallion - Ops The Voyager Medallion is a duty post award and is awarded to those operations officers who have shown great skill in keeping a starship in working order despite near-impossible circumstances. The officers receiving this award have advanced the field of Operations, making sure duty rosters, provisions, gear, and even recreation time are available... no matter what. Jona ch’Ranni, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “There's something a little bit marvellous about the way Josh (Jona ch'Ranni) approaches the role of Operations Officer. It's a wonder to watch him take relatively mundane scenes of his character's day-to-day duties — PADDwork, inventory and more — that not just flesh out the department, but draw other writers into unexpected and delightful moments of character development. He crafts his sims in a way that really underscores and reminds us how important Operations to the smooth running of a ship, as integral to its fabric as the bulkheads and warp core. He writes his character with engaging, gentle humour and his attention to detail is reflected in his sims. It can't be overstated how much another simmer feels noticed and appreciated when an off-hand comment or situation they write into their sim is later reflected in one of Jona's. The events and situations that other people sim in their storylines are not just acknowledged but reflected in his own scenes with a unique Operations twist. He's a fantastic example of how to sim the Operations duty post and I'm delighted to present Jona ch'Ranni with the Voyager Medallion. Congratulations!” The Sisko Tactical Cross - Tactical The Sisko Tactical Cross is a duty post award and is awarded to those tactical officers who have shown cunning and bravery in battle. Master strategists, and experts in targeting and shield power distribution, these officers have done the impossible to save their ship and the lives of its crew. Melody Delri’ise, USS Juneau Presented by Oddas Aria: “One of the most competent Tactical Officers I have had the pleasure to work with, Ryan's Deri'ise has a combination of attributes that makes her formidable, yet not a cliche. Far from the brooding, tough, rough Tactical Officer that could be imagined, Delri'ise is a character that is a professional - a character that gets the job done efficiently. The award is well deserved for a player who helps sim so much about what goes on outside the ship, how those things affect the ship, and ways the ship and other crewmen can work to solve the problems at hand. Congratulations again Ryan, very well deserved!” The Phoenix Award - Engineering The Phoenix Award is a duty post award that recognizes engineers. Named for the vessel that legendary engineer Zefram Cochrane piloted during his historic first warp flight, this award goes to those Engineering officers who continue this tradition of excellence in the field of engineering. By performing their tasks with enthusiasm, imagination and diligence, by managing to make their equipment perform above and beyond its rated capacities, the officers meriting this award further the mission of their ship by their superior know-how. In short, miracle workers. Romyana Casparian, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: “Rebecca, who plays Romyana Casparian was posted to StarBase 118 Ops and hit the ground running. From the moment Casparian stepped onboard Starbase 118 Ops, right in the thick of a deadly mission, she has brought her skills and quick thinking to the table. She is consistently able to bring her quick thinking skills and creativity in engineering to her writing, balanced by a truly compassionate viewpoint of a young person struggling in a crazy galaxy. She punctuates action such as holding a ship together in a tense battle with small moments that let her character shine. Furthermore, she goes above and beyond for her fellow crewmates both in and out of character. One example is when Romyana's fellow crewmate, Lt Bailey, was in much need of her expertise. Because Bailey is an Elaysian, she had crutches and leg braces that did her few favors on away missions. Rebecca could immediately see possibilities for improved design and overall mobility. She jumped around the chance to help right away, running with the idea of improved braces and even making the crutches Lt Bailey’s favorite color - hot pink. All of this is bolstered by Casparian's energetic and positive presence on Discord where she is frequently inspiring her crew with new ideas, connecting with others on joint posts and bringing a fun voice to our downtime conversations. She is a friendly, and wonderful person to talk to and has brought an ongoing excitement to StarBase 118 Ops, which we all love! I am so happy to see Romyana recognized with this year's Phoenix award! Congratulations Rebecca, you have done a fantastic job and I am so proud of you!” The Cochrane Award - Science The Cochrane Award is a duty post award and is awarded to those science officers who have contributed greatly to the advance of science in the midst of their Starfleet career, by staying knowledgeable about their field, participating in the community of science, but most importantly, by placing their knowledge at the service of their ship and its mission. Quentin Collins, USS Juneau Presented by Oddas Aria: “For the second year in the row, I have the pleasure of presenting the Cochrane Award. Quentin, Justin, has consistently been the go-to source for all things science - whether telling me why it's why a particular piece of a mission needs to be changed because the science doesn't work, or coming up with a bit of techno-babble to solve an issue realistically, or using regular science to deal with a mission detail like filling out why an antagonist would e searching out a particular area of a newly discovered region of space. Justin is a seemingly endless well of knowledge dealing with all things Science related and seems to be able to apply it to the story at hand in a way that is relatable and not overwhelming. He has a quiet but joyous competence writing for science that the entire ship - and fleet - benefits from. It is my pleasure to present the Cochrane Award for these reasons and more.” The Pilot's Sextant - Helm The Pilot's Sextant is a duty post award that recognizes helm officers. An award named after an old Earth navigational tool, the Pilot's Sextant is given to those Helm officers who have proven themselves to be the best of the best. From finding a safe route home to flying an emergency atmospheric landing, pilots who have earned the right to this award know the importance of staying focused and puts their ability to make spectacular maneuvers at the service of their ship and its mission. Ben Garcia, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: “Wes, who plays Ben García, is in the tricky but rewarding position of playing both the Thor's second officer and another duty post on top of that, in his case that of HCO (helm, communication, and operations). Both roles are very much open to interpretation, each perhaps more so than any other duty posts, and together? Well, let's just say that there are lots of possibilities! But Wes has taken a wholly fresh approach to García's duty posts, playing from strength to strength depending upon what the situation calls for. Need an away team leader? He can do that. Need an audit of the senior staff's crew quarters? He can do that. But this award recognizes the strongest helm officer of the year, and so I want to particularly laud Wes for the way he tackles that particular challenge. Helm is a notoriously difficult post to play well since helm's role in the story often boils down to pointing the ship and pressing the warp buttons. Wes, however, allows García to seamlessly meld his command experience with his piloting skills, as most recently evidenced by his recent turn as an away team commander and ace mission pilot for the Thor's first independent mission. However, I also have to draw attention to his excellent work in simming the Thor's final departure from Duronis II following the completion of the embassy's mission. Great work all around, Wes!” The Order of the Valiant Heart - Counseling This award is given to those ship's Counselor who have shown great skill in protecting the mental health of their crewmates, clearly demonstrating superior ability to care, assist, and comfort those in need. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty in assisting their crewmates with their problems, and in preventing future problems from occurring. Corliss Fortune, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “What a wonderful example of a Counsellor Corliss Fortune is! From the very first time she wrote a counselling session with one of the Gorkon's writers, it struck me with how well she approaches the role, bringing a remarkable authenticity to her sims. The research she's done into psychology shows through, with Corliss' patients being guided through their struggles with kindness and patience, backed up by genuine counselling techniques. We've seen her guide members of the crew through marriage counselling, the fallout of a father betraying his son, regressing a mother and daughter through past traumas to heal together, aid a recently joined Trill in understanding and exploring their new identity and support a member of the crew in coming to terms with life-altering injuries. She helps the ship's writers delve into their characters' psyches, crafting sims that inspire, wrench hearts, and begin journeys of lasting character development that we see reflected in sims months and sometimes years down the line. I'm delighted to present Corliss Fortune with the Order of the Valiant Heart. Well done, Corliss!” The Semper Fidelis Award - Marines For those StarFleet Marines who have shown great skill in protecting their crew, accomplishing their mission, avoiding tragic loss of life in the line of duty, and upholding the values of the UFoP in times of crisis. Wes Greaves, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: “Now, what you have to understand first about Jacob, who writes for Wes Greaves, is that he is a marine officer. When he speaks about and sims for Greaves in particular, and marines in Trek in general, he carries real-world authority and experience with him. He's easily been the strongest, most thoughtful marine player I've ever encountered, but I'm very pleased to see him win the Semper Fidelis Award this year for more than the quality of his sims. He's recently embarked upon a complete redraft of the Thor's marine detachment, which anyone can now read on the wiki (https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Thor_Marine_Detachment). He also began a conversation on the Thor's OOC list about the place and status of marines, both on the Thor, and in the Trek universe, and it's been one of the most in-depth and thoughtful OOC conversations I've ever participated in as a member of SB118. As a result of that conversation and of his own experience and drive, Jacob created a guide to both simming for and the role of marines in our game, which I'm excited to share with the fleet as a resource for future marine players and anyone curious about what marines are doing in SB118's universe — so, consider this award very well deserved, but also a teaser for what this extremely talented simmer has in store for us!” The Black Cross - Intelligence This award is given to a member of the Intelligence community that strives to accomplish the goals of Starfleet Intelligence, while simultaneously upholding the ideals and structure of Starfleet command. This person has the cunning to gather intelligence by means of deceptive dialogue or espionage, as opposed to force drawn confessions. While matters of intelligence are often game changers, this person strives to attain those goals within the boundaries of their Commanding Officer, and the regulations of Starfleet. Ash MacKenna, USS Juneau Presented by Oddas Aria: “Marissa, the writer for MacKenna, is an experienced simmer and nowhere does this show more than when she is writing for an intelligence officer. Instead of going the obvious route and writing a character that is rogue or living in the shadows, Marissa writes a character collecting information from both conventional and unconventional sources. Using her position she contributes to both the lore and the action of a mission, the ship, and the region of space she finds herself in. Not only does she contribute to ships in meaningful ways - she does so in a way that is believable to the situation. The information comes to her character through hard work and manner befitting her position and in a way that allows other players a sense of wonder and inclusion in the story - encouraging them to contribute and to play along more. Marissa is one of the best writers I have written with, and I look forward to writing with her for a long time to come.” The Strange Medallion - First Officer Named after Commander Sally Strange, widely known as one of the most creative and dedicated First Officers in the fleet's early years, this award is given to those who perform above the call of duty in the position of First Officer. Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “It is hard to do justice to exactly how good Em (Jo Marshall) is as a First Officer, but I'll do my best! Every role aboard the ship she's involved with is attended to with enthusiasm, meticulous care and a generous dose of good fun. She's a constant force for improvement and positivity aboard the Gorkon; she handles the mentoring program with a kind and supportive hand, encouraging the other staff members to do their check-ins and offer advice on how to handle difficult situations. Her own interactions with her mentees and other members of the crew are all that could be asked for, offering solid guidance with humour and inspiration, always striving to encourage people to be the very best simmers that they can. She guides the plot with aplomb, consistently throwing in delightful twists that keep people on their toes, all the while providing plenty of opportunities for other members of the crew to shine. The efforts of others are always recognised and respected, with Em ensuring that her sims are beautifully written, acknowledging and including all the small details that other writers have introduced and building upon them. Her writing is some of the best I've seen, with evocative descriptions and characters that just beg to be interacted with. She fundamentally understands that this is a collaborative game, celebrating the contributions of our writers with every sim she sends and ensuring that everyone gets to feel like the star of the show and never a supporting character in someone else's story. More than that, her dedication and love for the fleet is shown in how she participates beyond the Gorkon itself. In the academy, she trains new cadets with care and enthusiasm, with other trainers and newly-graduated cadets talking of how much they enjoy working with her. She's also active with the Federation News Team, Poll of the Week, the Image Collective — each task attended to with the same dedication and care that we see in her efforts aboard ship. Em also takes her observer role on the Captain's Council seriously, actively participating in the discussions that take place there and helping to steer the fleet forward. She is, simply put, one of the best simmers and finest first officers that I have ever had the pleasure of serving with. Congratulations, Em! I am so proud and delighted to be able to present you with the Strange Medallion” Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Welcome to Day Three of the Annual Awards Ceremony 2020! The Staff awards are only for those members who have achieved the rank of Commander or higher. Just like with last year, the first officers of the fleet were asked to vote on the nominations for each staff award, providing recommendations to the EC about who should receive each award. We’re so happy to have this valuable feedback and guidance for our staff awards! This year, we’ve introduced two new awards into the fold to celebrate the magnificent achievements of our long-term staff members, for the love and dedication they have poured into our community. These awards recognize the hard work of our community members who go above and beyond to ensure that everyone has a great experience here. There's so much behind-the-scenes work required to keep the engine of our community running, and these folks are a central part of that. Elinor of Kanist Order of Excellence Named for one of UFOP: StarBase 118's most significant founding members. This award recognizes those who have served the fleet as a staff member for at least 5 years, attained the rank of Rear Admiral or higher, previously been awarded the Picard Award and Staff Member of the Year Award, and continue to serve the fleet to the betterment of all members. This is the highest staff honor, celebrating longevity, dedication to the fleet, and the perseverance for wearing the Admiral's belt. Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Presented by Aron Kells: "I first met Emma, aka Vice Admiral Quinn Reynolds, back in 2007. I had just been assigned to the Triumphant as its new first officer, and Emma had just seen Quinn promoted from ensign to lieutenant JG in the Triumphant's engine room. The Triumphant crew was very new, and when our CO took increasingly extended (and unannounced) breaks, I looked for help in navigating the uncertainties of my first XO gig. Even then, Emma was endlessly competent and a clear leader and I relied very much upon as Quinn became my acting XO at the tender rank of JG. In fact, my positive impression predates even that tomfoolery, back to when she reached out to me following my transfer to Triumphant. She'd noticed that I was running a PNPC whose last name was Reynolds and suggested that, since Quinn's surname was Reynolds, might they be related? If you've ever noticed the positive simming opportunities that Emma provides to others, then know that this, too, has been there since the beginning! Years later, when I took over the Mercury (and then launched Garuda and Invicta), I very much wanted Emma to return to sim with me, as she was then on a long-term LOA from the fleet. I'm delighted to say that she accepted and wrote Quinn as a captain of intelligence for a few important years. At the same time, after I had a couple of XOs who went on LOA and had no viable candidates, she offered to create a new character who could serve as XO — not because she wanted to sim the position necessarily, but because she knew the ship could use the help. We designed the character with a "kill switch" wherein he'd defect as a part of whatever mission if (and then when) another player was ready for the XO spot. Again, I want to draw your attention to the positive attributes on display here — playing cooperatively, making sure the ship came first, helping out and always adding to the ongoing story. When she launched the Gorkon, I hated losing her, but of course, I recognized that she was a stellar simmer and would come roaring back into that center seat. It's worthwhile too to highlight her choice of ship name — the Gorkon is the first ship in the fleet named for a fictional character, but specifically a character who embodied optimism regarding interactions between individuals and groups, as well as the peacemaking processes as a whole. Emma's credo is right there in the Gorkon's motto: "We succeed together in a greater whole." Nowadays, everyone in the fleet has likely had some interaction with Emma in some way, whether on the Gorkon, as a part of her service on the Executive or Captains Councils, on Discord, or as a part of her long-running leadership in the Academy (or something else entirely!). In fact, the Executive Council of 2015 would routinely seek Emma's opinion on tricky matters, even before she had returned to captain the Gorkon or serve on the EC. It is entirely fitting that Emma is the inaugural recipient of the Elinor of Kanist Order of Excellence, the group's new highest honor — and that she was also the only nominee for the award, and still received half a dozen nominations for the honor! She is the flesh and blood of Starbase 118, and I do now and will always toast to that once-JG who helped me figure out what the heck I was doing back in 2007." Honor of the Admiralty The highest award that can be conferred upon a UFOP: Starbase 118 staff member under the rank of Rear Admiral. This award recognizes those who have served as staff members for a minimum of five years in a multitude of disciplines. From facilitating our task forces, engaging with the Captains Council, and leading with the utmost dedication, these writers volunteer their time, effort, and skill to building our game and community and have comprehensively earned the respect and loyalty of members. Roshanara Rahman, USS Veritas Presented by Aron Kells: "Writes one of Rich's nominators: "He is quite literally the reason that I am still a member of this community." You can't ask for higher praise than that, and yet I think Rich, aka Fleet Captain Roshanara Rahman (and roughly 6000 other characters), has earned not only the respect this award signifies but all the substantial accolades that have come his way over the past decade. I was honestly not sure what to make of Rich at first when he transferred to the Mercury eight years ago. He was already a lieutenant commander and introduced Roshanara as such, so he was well-regarded around the fleet, but then he started suggesting ... things. Not bad things, certainly, but things I hadn't seriously considered before: long-ranging character arcs that lasted for months or years, novel ways to track and recognize promotions (which eventually morphed into the player achievement system), and then, once he became my XO and was able to access the Captain's Council, even bigger ideas about how specific aspects of the group ought to change. Many of the big, structural changes that have occurred over the past several years, from giving commanders the right to vote on most matters in the Captain's Council to the ongoing reform of rights for players on LOA, found their inception in Rich's ongoing fight to make the group more fair and equitable for all. And that's well before we even talk about the wiki! Along with Deliera (aka Lt. Cmdr. Blake and also about 6000 other characters) and a few others, Rich has completely revolutionized how we use the group wiki. Try the Six-Degrees-of-Rich game sometime: Find your way to a random article on the wiki and then click around through a few more linked pages. Odds are, most of those pages will have either been directly edited by Rich or will use a template that Rich either designed or dreamed up. Especially when we talk about the wiki, it's hard to imagine what Starbase 118 would look like without Rich. Despite all of his work, believe me when I tell you it was quite a job getting him to even think about going for promotion and command, even though I knew he'd be amazing. But for a long time, Rich was content to write and edit and work in the background. No matter the way in which you've encountered him, though, I hope you're able to see that Starbase 118 is an endlessly richer place (no pun intended, or maybe pun very much intended) for Rich's presence and all that he's accomplished and will continue to accomplish as one of our most productive and laudable staff members. He is absolutely deserving of the inaugural Honor of the Admiralty, and I'm only sad that he can't win this one twice, as I'm sure that he'll continue to dazzle us all with everything he does and the ways in which he makes Starbase 118 better for everyone." Staff Member of the Year Award For staff members who have contributed tirelessly to the organization through any number of OOC channels, while maintaining excellence in simming on their vessel. Oddas Aria, USS Juneau Presented by Roshanara Rahman: "The past year has been an eventful one for Nicholas, the writer behind Captain Oddas Aria, and the fleet has soared because of his many contributions. While continuing to serve as commanding officer of his vessel, Nicholas planned and executed Project Capstone, a daring and unprecedented 12-week event where players came together to post as a new crew on the shakedown cruise of the USS Juneau. The event was the culmination of a wider yearlong fleetwide plot arc about the development of the Warp XV engine and arguably the most ambitious “joint” simming occasion since Operation Bright Star in 2010. After Capstone’s completion, Nicholas and his crew on the USS Eagle made the Juneau their new home, and behind the scenes, he took on a new role as the Captain-at-Large on the Executive Council. Since his term began, Nicholas has introduced regular CAL “office hours” on Discord and monthly summaries of EC business to the Captain's Council to ensure more of our staff know what’s happening at our fleet’s highest levels. This is all on top of his continuing duties as an Academy Deputy Commandant and co-facilitator for the Advanced Starship Design Bureau team! Our community’s finest staff members and captains are those who grow beyond just the bulkheads of their ships to see themselves as caretakers of the wider fleet as a whole. It is this legacy of service that has enabled our community to thrive for twenty-six years, a legacy that Nicholas has continued as our 2020 Staff Member of the Year." The James T. Kirk Cross Given to new Commanding Officers who show outstanding potential in the field of command. Jarred Thoran, USS Atlantis Presented by Jalana Rajel: "There aren't enough words to describe the impact that this year’s James T. Kirk Cross recipient has had on the fleet and his fellow writers, but I'll try. In his three years adventure of writing with us, he has won numerous awards showing that he is a dedicated writer that his fellow shipmates simply love to write and work with. He has shown early on that he was eager to do more than just show up: he trained new members of the fleet, mentored new players to his ships, became a First Officer, lead the publicity team and has shown great promise from the beginning of his Starfleet career. That potential has not stopped; on the contrary, he brought it into the way he is leading his ship, the USS Atlantis. While researching Richard's accomplishments it was anything but difficult to find voices who spoke highly of him. One of the strongest impressions he made was when he received command of the USS Atlantis. Under the best of circumstances that is a busy and stressful time, even though full of excitement. Things go very fast and are turbulent, especially when joining a new crew. But Richard has taken up this difficult role in a stride and quickly established himself as the kind of CO that inspires his fellow writers and brings out the best in them. Richard has an eye for what the members of his crew need to thrive and he assists them to the best of his abilities to get to their best selves. Richard's crew knows him as a hardworking, fair and compassionate CO who is always willing to listen, communicate and give advice. Between all this work behind the scenes, he does not forget to have fun while writing or joining in the playful banter in his ship's chat, which makes him a well rounded Commanding Officer. He is admired by his crew and the fleet at large and it's my honour and pleasure to congratulate Richard - and his IC counterpart Jarred Thoran - for receiving this great award, which is very well deserved. I can't wait to see where the next year leads you! " Chief’s Citation Recognizing the essential staff members whose determined work has benefitted the group In Character, and/or Out Of Character, even while their primary service was not as the Commanding Officer of a simming installation. Inspired by the non-commissioned and enlisted personnel who are the backbone of any starship but were rarely recognized in Star Trek lore in favor of the officers. Randal Shayne, USS Arrow Presented by Oddas Aria: "The recipient of the Chief's Citation Award is often one of those members of the fleet who works behind the scenes to make the fleet a better place, putting the hours in adding to those activities outside simming that make the fleet more of a club than just a place to come and play a game. Through their endeavors, they work to make the fleet a place to hang out, talk about our favorite things, and participate in a larger universe. Randal Shayne, the recipient of this year's Chief's Citation, meets the above criteria and more. As the Poll of the Week Co-Facilitator, a member of the ASDB, heading up the Picard Canon Committee, serving on the Captain's Council, and more Shayne is involved in several activities around the fleet that make our group the group it is. Congratulations to Commander Shayne!" The Sarek Star Given to a command officer who shows great diplomatic ability in working with members and staff. Sal Taybrim, StarBase 118 Ops Presented by Aron Kells: "It's my honor and delight to award this year's Sarek Star to Jamie, aka Fleet Captain Sal Taybrim. Though I've never simmed directly with her, I've known and respected her since she first came to my attention, the better part of a decade ago now. I was lucky to oversee her captaincy exam about five years ago, and not only was she clearly an excellent CO, but she also helped me rethink how to interact and empathize with my crew. I was predisposed to think positively of her already, though, after an event that had occurred a few years before in which Jamie had approached me on behalf of herself and others who, it seemed, didn't quite know how to articulate what sort of help they needed. At that point, Jamie was firmly established in my mind as someone who not only works well with others but advocates on behalf of others. Over the half-decade or so she's commanded Ops, I've only seen those qualities improve, and so it's very much time to recognize Jamie with the Sarek Star. However, I also recognize that I often view others from the very privileged position of having been a captain for quite a few years and that one's colleagues and crew are often the best when it comes to telling the real story. I read Jamie's nominations for the Sarek Star as impartially as I could, and I was pleased (but not surprised) to learn that she's very much held in esteem by folks on Ops and around the fleet. According to one nominator, "Jamie handles everyone she contacts professionally, with an outstretched hand of friendship and with firm guidance." Importantly, that nominator writes, Jamie has perfected that very tough balance between establishing firm boundaries and cultivating simmers with collaborative and unique opportunities on Ops. Another nominator notes that Jamie is "always on hand should there be a problem, or a crewmember has plot ideas for character development or plot point, always finding a pleasant and interesting balance between the two." And I'm sure that most folks, whether on the forums or on Discord, or somewhere else entirely, have noted Jamie's positive disposition — or, as one nominator put it, "the ever-present encouragement for all." Simply put, Jamie is not only a diplomat but is also a delight, an outstanding CO whose dedication to the growth and sustainability of her crew is second to none. This award is long overdue and extremely well deserved!" Christopher Pike Pendant Awarded to commanding officers who command their ship with honor and dedication, and help to provide a creative atmosphere which fosters outstanding simming. Oddas Aria, USS Juneau Presented by Roshanara Rahman: "Through the words of his nominators, the impact that Nicholas, the writer behind Captain Oddas Aria, has had on his crew is clear. They cite not just his creative energy but the care and support he gives to those under his command. One person noted, “He is humble, exceedingly competent and possessed of a fighting spirit. For every hit, problem and issue, Nicholas has the patience to face it and the desire to find the best answer possible.” As his former training CO and now fellow captain, I couldn’t agree more. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Nicholas develop from a cadet in 2016 to an outstanding first officer and now one of our finest captains. One thing Nicholas has never stopped doing since his first days in 118 is asking questions and advice when he comes across new or challenging situations. That humbleness cited earlier by a nominator has only helped him ensure that he is always learning and becoming the best player and now CO that he can be. And now with his first officer Commander Randal Shayne embarking on a new chapter of his own, Nicholas has ensured that the high standard he has set for himself and his crew will continue to spread throughout the fleet and to the next generation of officers. Congratulations and well-done, Captain!" Kathryn Janeway Award For retired Commanding Officers who have made a great impact on their crew and left an indelible legacy on our community history. Rear Admiral Toni Turner Presented by Tristan Wolf & Oddas Aria: "The retirement of Rear Admiral Toni Turner (Ann) was a sad day earlier this year, as she ended a 14-year run with the fleet, having made a mark on nearly every area of our community. We want to recognize her dedication and loyalty, her boundless enthusiasm for simming, and her fierce advocacy for her crew. How do you encapsulate a career this long and mention all the things that need to be said? I recall so many moments from her time with us, even from those early days as a Counselor at Duronis II Embassy when she struggled to find her voice as someone who had only experienced Star Trek casually and wasn't intimately versed in all the fandom and lore. She was nothing if not persistent and determined, though, to command her own vessel and lead a crew, and nothing was going to stop her. She earned the affection of many in the group with her tireless willingness to volunteer for anything that needed help. As a result, she rotated through many positions in the fleet – winning 19 awards along the way, including the Boothby Award and Staff Member of the Year. In later years of her command, she was an active participant on the Captain's Council and then the Executive Council as a full member. As a Commanding Officer, she returned to the Embassy — after having served on the Challenger and Resolution — and earned the James T. Kirk Cross, Christopher Pike Award, and even the Picard Award. She was single-minded in her pursuit of finding and elevating new officers, encouraging them to look toward leadership and command. She was a booster of everyone she worked with and was incredibly empathetic to those who struggled with finding their voice as she had. We thank her for her long-time service to the fleet and hope she enjoys a restful retirement!" Please join us in congratulating these members of the staff!

This year we had two sets of special commendations we wanted to give out alongside our awards: Written by Fleet Captain Sal Taybrim: Jalana Rajel - for incredible dedication year after year to The (Image) Collective. She's consistently helpful with graphics of all kinds: New awards, character portraits, and more! And, she's consistently a friendly and helpful staff member for StarBase 118. German Galven and Nijil from StarBase 118 Ops: Who took the lead in cheerleading the awards and nominations process, and assisted in writing up the shipwide awards ceremony for Ops. Alex Blair from the USS Constitution: Who assisted Jalana in cheerleading the awards and nomination process on the USS Constitution and also assisted her in writing up the Constitution's shipwide awards. Also, German Galven for his work on the News Team: He has been an integral part of meeting our goals every month and uplifting others through an unending series of interviews! Written by Commander Randal Shayne, new CO of the USS Arrow: LtCmdr. Quentin Collins: Justin has been nothing short of an exemplary first officer from the beginning. He has had a hand in everything from award cheer leading to mentoring to discussing command decisions and making suggestions for our new region. And, on top of it, he stepped up without hesitation when the launch of the Arrow was moved up. All around fantastic. LtCmdr. Kim Chin-sun: James has been similarly helpful in the launch process. Specifically, his input and work in terms of mentoring cannot be overstated. Because of him, we can help guide newer officers effectively from the beginning. On a more personal note, I'd like to extend my personal gratitude to Marissa (Cmdr. Ash MacKenna) who has been spiritually supportive to me, and, from what I understand, functionally essential to the Juneau.

Welcome to day one of the annual Awards Ceremony! We’re very excited to present the General Awards. The General (Ship) Awards have been presented by each captain to their crew. The winners this year, as in previous years, were chosen by the fleet’s commanding officers (or in cases where the commanding officer was also nominated, the first officer was called in to decide) from the nominations made by you! This is your chance to see how each of the other ships did and see who picked up what award. The Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement First Class (TOSMA) The Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement First Class is given to members who show great dedication in their behavior and simming abilities. A candidate for TOSMA regularly contributes good, solid ideas to the plot and character development. They also take the time to edit and proofread their sims to ensure quality in their writing. Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution Caitriona Cayne, USS Gorkon Ash MacKenna, USS Juneau German Galven, Starbase 118 Ops Addison MacKenzie, USS Thor Wil Ukinix, USS Veritas Esa Kiax, USS Atlantis The Genesis Award The Most Improved Simmer Award. For officers who show conspicuous effort in improving their simming skills. Jacob Horne, USS Constitution Joshua Sutton, USS Gorkon Artinus Serinus, USS Juneau Solaris McLaren, Starbase 118 Ops Tara Wilkins, USS Thor Charlena Vanlith, USS Veritas David Knight, USS Atlantis Scotty Cross Given to an officer who shows extreme creativity while solving a plot dilemma or in-character plot twist. Toryn Raga, USS Atlantis Randal Shayne, USS Juneau Arturo Maxwell, Starbase 118 Ops Charlena Vanlith, USS Veritas Neelix Award For extra, out-of-character simming devotion. This includes, but isn't limited to, helping fellow officers who are in need of simming aid, visibility on the forums, OOC list presence, upkeep of wiki pages, etc. Edward Spears, USS Constitution Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Noa Levinson, USS Juneau Romyana Casparian, Starbase 118 Ops Wes Greaves, USS Thor Ceciri Ariadust, USS Veritas Esa Kiax, USS Atlantis Nebula Bar Awarded to a simmer who has shown great imagination when creating or expanding upon planets, stars, stellar phenomena, and other physical environments and settings, such that these settings create a convincing, descriptive, realistic environment that inspires other simmers or enhances the flow of a given plot. Edward Spears, USS Constitution Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Randal Shayne, USS Juneau Anath G'Renn, USS Atlantis Laudean Commendation Awarded for achievements in exploration with new lifeforms. The recipient will have shown great creativity in many facets of species creation or expansion, including physiological, psychological, cultural, social, and more, and their creativity will inspire their fellow simmers. The Laudean Commendation can cover many aspects of species development, but should primarily be based in IC simming. Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution Artinus Serinus,, USS Juneau Nijil, Starbase 118 Ops Alieth and Alexander Brodie, USS Thor Raissa Moonsong, USS Veritas Ishkabella Journs, USS Atlantis Silver Palm Awarded to a simmer who has consistently boosted the morale of his/her crew. The recipient will be known to be able to add that spark to a plot whenever it may be lagging, or may be able to consistently bring enjoyment or a bit of humour to the sim, whilst keeping such sims relevant and realistic. Corliss Fortune, USS Gorkon Quentin Collins,, USS Juneau Karen Stendhal, Starbase 118 Ops Geoffrey Teller, USS Thor Clik Zae'Li, USS Veritas Ishkabella Journs, USS Atlantis Sheathed Sword Presented to those to decide to inflict mental and/or physical trauma on their character, and then dive into the resulting emotions and choices in a realistic manner. The name comes from a line in a Robert Jordan book where a warrior must be prepared to 'sheath the sword' in his own body, i.e. take a grievous wound to achieve one's goal (in this case, more realistic simming) as opposed to an actual goal of the character. Cade Foster, USS Constitution Genkos Adea, USS Gorkon Sheila Bailey, Starbase 118 Ops Addison MacKenzie, USS Thor Roshanara Rahman, USS Veritas Serala, USS Atlantis B-Plot Award For those simmers who manage to show a good portion of the character's life despite the demands of the main plot. Ravenna Carter, USS Constitution Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Melody Delri'ise, USS Juneau Sheila Bailey, Starbase 118 Ops Dar Elandra, USS Thor Timothy Alentonis, USS Veritas Toryn Raga, USS Atlantis The Russ Bar The Russ bar is awarded to a writer whose knowledge of Trek lore is extraordinary. Named for Tim Russ, the actor who played Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager, who was already a dedicated Star Trek fan before securing the role on the show. Chloe Waters,, USS Juneau Sirok, USS Thor Jarred Thoran, USS Atlantis Pathfinder Award Given to those who have shown great care in the mentoring of fellow members. Yito Seja, USS Constitution Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Quentin Collins, USS Juneau Alexander Brodie, USS Thor Jansen Orrey, USS Veritas Kurt Logan, USS Atlantis Khan Award Awarded to a simmer who thoughtfully develops a three-dimensional villain over the course of a mission or more. Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution Quentin Collins, USS Juneau Sal Taybrim, Starbase 118 Ops Quen Deena, USS Thor Wil Ukinix, USS Veritas Serala, USS Atlantis Q Award Awarded for continually surprising their crew with unexpected, devious plot twists throughout the year. Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Anath G'Renn, USS Atlantis Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Today we are proud to present the Length of Service and Special Awards! Length of Service Awards Length of Service Awards are presented to members who have been continuously active for at least a year, there are also tiers for three, five, 10, 15, 20 and even 25 years of continuous service. And, in recognition and celebration of the achievements of Commanding Officers, we’ve introduced a new award. These are length of service awards given to those who have served as commanding officers for their ships and stations continuously for five or ten years. This year, 47 players have reached a length of service milestone. Of those 22 are celebrating their first milestone, having picked up the award for one year of active membership. Another 12 have achieved three years active membership and six more have been here for five years. Three players have reached the incredible ten-year milestone, and one has reached 15 years! Additionally, we have two players celebrating their five-year command milestones, and our Fleet Admiral is heralding in 25 years! 25-year Length of Service For those who have been members continuously for 25 years. Special congratulations to Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf for achieving his 25-year Length of Service milestone. None of this would be possible without Wolf's dedicated leadership, vision, and driving force for the past twenty-six years. Thank you, Admiral! 5-year Commanding Officer For those who have served as commanding officers for their ships and stations continuously for five years. Officers in this category are also appointed to the rank of Commodore to recognize their experience and leadership. Commodore Jalana Rajel, who took command of the USS Constitution-B (NCC-9012-B) on May 5th, 2015. Vice Admiral Quinn Reynolds, who took command of the USS Gorkon (NCC-82293) on July 7th, 2015. 1-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for one year. Jacob Horne, graduated from training on August 23, 2017 Ferier Kian, graduated from training on January 30, 2018 Ilana Ganarvuss, graduated from training on April 10, 2018 German Galven, graduated from training on July 29, 2018 Samira Neathler, graduated from training on August 27, 2018 Pholin Duyzer, graduated from training on September 13, 2018 Geoffrey Teller, graduated from training on September 17, 2018 Lazarus Davis, graduated from training on October 2, 2018 Corliss Fortune, graduated from training on October 3, 2018 Jona ch'Ranni, graduated from training on October 19, 2018 Chloe Waters, graduated from training on November 1, 2018 Willimina Bellweather, graduated from training on November 5, 2018 Wil Ukinix, graduated from training on November 13, 2018 Esa Darkkdust, graduated from training on November 20, 2018 Quentin Collins, graduated from training on December 1, 2018 James Colquhoun, graduated from training on December 1, 2018 Sheila Bailey, graduated from training on December 11, 2018 Ben Garcia, graduated from training on January 2, 2019 Quen Deena, graduated from training on February 6, 2019 Addison MacKenzie, graduated from training on February 19, 2019 Charlena Vanlith, graduated from training on April 15, 2019 Karen Stendhal, graduated from training on April 19, 2019 3-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for three years. Anthony Meeks, graduated from training on January 17, 2011 Yogan Yalu, graduated from training on November 13, 2011 Ket Shoba, graduated from training on August 18, 2013 Ceciri Ariadust, graduated from training on December 15, 2014 Luthas, graduated from training on June 8, 2016 Krindo Pandorn, graduated from training on August 9, 2016 Prudence Blackwell, graduated from training on August 17, 2016 Piravao sh’Qynallahr, graduated from training on November 21, 2016 Arturo Maxwell, graduated from training on November 21, 2016 Melody Delri'ise, graduated from training on January 19, 2017 Anath G'Renn, graduated from training on February 28, 2017 Jarred Thoran, graduated from training on May 8, 2017 5-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for five years. Raissa Moonsong, graduated from training on July 1, 2014 Cory Stoyer, graduated from training on November 10, 2014 Randal Shayne, graduated from training on February 2, 2015 Nijil, graduated from training on February 9, 2015 Kurt Logan, graduated from training on March 2, 2015 Arlo Thorton, graduated from training on March 23, 2015 10-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for ten years. Dassa Alexander-Dalton, graduated from training on October 1, 2004 Loxley, graduated from training on January 25, 2007 Roshanara Rahman, graduated from training on May 27, 2010 15-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for fifteen years. Nyka Wyss, graduated from training on January 22, 2004 25-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for twenty-five years. Tristan Wolf, graduated from training on… he's never been through the Academy! Enrollment time, Admiral! Special Awards The Rising Star Award For members who show great promise in many facets of their participation in the group, and to whom we look to as a future leader. Geoffrey Teller, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: "The folks who nominated Brian (Teller) for this award wrote a combined total of over 2500 words in support of this year's Rising Star. Many of those highlighted the responsibilities he's taken on over the past year, including as the acting XO and then CO of the USS Diligent for a mission on the Veritas, and then the masterful job he's done as the XO of the Duronis II Embassy and, currently, the Thor. It's even more appropriate that Brian was also last year's Luminary Award winner, as that award recognizes one member per year who shows extreme promise in their SB118 career, but who is ranked lieutenant or under. His dedication, support, mentorship, and involvement have been recognized by all around him, from SB118's guiding councils to the ensigns onboard the Thor. In fact, a group of ensigns approached me unsolicited to sing Brian's praises, noting, among other positive qualities, that he's cheerful, shows a strong work ethic, and is always able to engage simmers who don't know where to go next. A few of his nominators wanted to celebrate "Future Captain" Teller with this award, but I don't think they went far enough -- so please join me in celebrating "Future Admiral" Teller, this year's Rising Star!" Luminary Award Given to members holding the rank of ensign, lieutenant junior grade, or lieutenant. For those who show great promise in their future endeavours in UFOP: Starbase 118 RPG. Alieth, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: "I also have the pleasure of recognizing Andrea, aka Lieutenant JG Alieth, this year's winner of the Luminary Award! Even if you haven't simmed with her directly, you've surely encountered Andrea before -- she sims on the Thor, but she's active all over the fleet forums and Discord, and her work as a part of the Image Collective has already become legendary. Her work with her RL husband Miguel, aka Ensign Sirok, produced the Thor's redesigned logo, and this led to a complete logo redesign for all the ships in the fleet. Her sim quality, too, is extremely high, and all of this came when she was just an ensign -- she was only promoted to lieutenant JG a couple of weeks ago! The whole SB118 fleet is lucky to count Andrea as a member, and I look forward to seeing what she does next. If this year is any guide, perhaps we'll be looking forward to Rising Star Alieth in 2021...?" The Sarpeidon Award Awarded to members who have made outstanding contributions to the 118Wiki. Sarpeidon was the world in TOS's "All Our Yesterdays," in which the planet's population created a library containing their entire world's history. This is, in essence, what our wiki strives to become: a collection of our group's history and a simming database. Sky Blake, USS Veritas Presented by Roshanara Rahman: "It seems only fitting to talk about Sky Blake's writer Deliera and her contributions to the 118Wiki in particular because it was through the wiki that we first connected. Long before we wrote together as shipmates and now CO and first officer, I stumbled upon Deliera's wiki page for her character and her behind-the-scenes pages and was in awe. I reached out to her later to help launch the Featured Bio Contest, which ran from 2012 to 2017 and highlighted great wiki bios from across the fleet. In 2014, we launched the Wiki Operations Team (now squadron), where she served as Vice Chief of Wiki Operations and eventually as team facilitator. Today, she continues her work on the wiki as an administrator, ensuring this vital resource of our fleet stays organized and up to date. Taking care of this important work doesn’t often draw attention to itself, and so I'm glad to see that this year six separate nominations were submitted for Deliera to be recognized with this award. Clearly, her dedication and hard work has not gone unnoticed. Besides her own contributions to the wiki, other players also cited how she can always be counted on to provide advice and guidance for those learning how to use it. She is a tireless champion of the power of the wiki to help people further tell their characters' stories, and she is so well-deserving of this award!" The Boothby Award For trainers who go above and beyond their Academy training requirements. These trainers display an outstanding example of dedication to bringing new cadets to our community. Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: "Week after week, one name that stands out in the Academy is that of Samira Neathler. She's a stalwart member of the team, volunteering her time and energy whenever she can while knowing when she needs to step back for a week or two to recharge her batteries so that she can continue giving her best — a balance that's trickier than it seems! In every position she fills, she stands out as an exemplar of that role; her sims are beautifully written and set a fantastic example for our cadets, as an XO she keeps the class running smoothly with her organisational skills, as CO she supports both the cadets and the other members of the training team by offering feedback, insight and encouragement. The nominations consistently spoke of what a fun and welcoming environment she makes for our cadets, and how much she inspired and encouraged our newer trainers in their own path through the academy. For all these reasons and more, I'm delighted to present Samira Neathler with the Boothby Award. Congratulations, Sami!!" Quark's Bar Quark's Bar is a special award and is awarded to members who are regularly active on the forums and have been supportive and involved in conversations enhancing the overall forum experience. Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Presented by Tristan Wolf: "The Captain's Council debated, this year, how to handle the rise of our Discord chat room when it comes to the Awards Ceremony. The end result was to wait until we had a better sense of what was to come in the next year. But it's clear, nonetheless, that many people in the fleet felt like Quark's Bar, created for the forums, as applying to the chat room as well – we had seven different nominees, many of which mentioned Discord. Everyone who was nominated was a vital and enthusiastic voice in our community. They're all people who've contributed to making the vibe fun in the last year – a place where people want to congregate. But one person, Jo Marshall, had the clear endorsement of the Awards Committee. Marshall has been tireless in helping to develop the OOC vibe, particularly on Discord. Between assisting in setting up the bot, to creating fun and interactive commands, and even helping to edit our staff guide to managing Discord, she's been proactive every step of the way. How can we forget that she also led the project to expand our custom emoji, including adding a number of Black actors into the mix. Our Discord is more fun because of everything she's brought to the table. She also led the charge in planning and executing this year's Writing Challenge revival, which saw the largest ever amount of participation in a challenge – all on the forums. Between the theme and rules she put in place, writers from every ship in the fleet demonstrated an incredible level of creativity that put our judges panel to the test in deciding who would win. I've so much appreciated Marshall's quick wit, friendly and helpful personality, and willingness to go the extra mile to try new things. She absolutely deserves this award!" The Xalor Clan Xifilis Award Given to any simmer who overcomes any sort of disadvantage while simming. This award was originally called the "Rachel Garett Pendant," but was renamed for the 2000 ceremony to honor a respected simmer in UFOP: StarBase 118 who passed away in that year. This is the only Special Award that is given more than once per ceremony. Karen Stendhal, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: "Stefania, the writer behind Lieutenant JG Karen Stendhal, has proved her strength and determination since the moment she joined SB118. From Italy, English is her second language, which is a true struggle in and of itself. But she constantly works to overcome this challenge, upholding a fantastic personal standard of writing as well as a willingness to add as much as she can to each mission. Her writing improves with each and every sim and she brings a wonderful sense of humor and charm to her character and her narrative. Simming with Lieutenant Stendhal is a joy and will bring a smile to the face of any of her fellow crew. During recent events known globally (COVID19), her world has been turned upside down. Italy was one of the first countries quarantined after China. She let us know that she was in a very tense lockdown and dangerous situation. Still, she wrote on, never letting the craziness of the real-world affect her enthusiastic and lively writing. She even maintained an MSNPC throughout the crisis, assisting with our last mission as a leader as well as a player. Stefania, you are truly an amazing and enduring writer. Thank you so much for all your enthusiasm, humor and wonderful simming. I am so proud to be able to honor you in this year’s fleetwide awards! " Toryn Raga, USS Atlantis Presented by Jarred Thoran: "The past year has not been kind to Toryn. Living in Florida he has been at the mercy of numerous storms and tornadoes that have at times prevented him from simming.. Additionally, with the spread of COVID-19, Toryn has been deeply affected, both in a professional and personal capacity. Lesser people would no doubt have thrown in the towel, but Toryn has persevered through it all and is an inspiration to his crewmates. It is my honour to present him with the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award. " Sheila Bailey, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: "Aly, the player behind Lieutenant JG Sheila Bailey, is an incredibly strong player who is passionate about disability awareness and portraying characters that are not disabled, but differently-abled, showing a true depth of characterization and an honest willingness to explore these characters and allow others to learn more about those characters through writing. In the tradition of all the best characters in fiction, Aly’s characters are in part a reflection of herself and some of her real-life struggles. Some days she does not have the energy to write and Aly communicates well with her fellow crew on days when she needs to rest or take a break, and still maintains a full time posting and excellent writing. We can see in her love for her characters, a passion for this awareness in real life, as well as an overwhelming strength to shine through difficult times and bring something truly creative and meaningful to out simming on StarBase 118 Ops. Aly, you have grown to be a brilliant and respected simmer on StarBase 118 and this shines through all the effort and passion you put into your writing. I am so proud to be able to recognize all your hard work and honor you in this year’s fleetwide awards!" Noa T’Nessa Levinson, USS Juneau Presented by Oddas Aria: "Since coming aboard Ensign Levinson has made herself an invaluable member of the crew by being a source of unending positivity, friendliness, and willingness to lend a hand where needed. In addition to her steadfast devotion to maintaining a positive atmosphere, she has honed a set of simming skills that is hard to rival - using extended prose and commentary in a way that moves the story purposefully and realistically. These are all great qualities for a player to have, something grateful COs love to find in a player that has only been with us a short time, and qualities we are astounded to find in players that are not playing in their native language. The amount of time she puts into each sim, and other interactions with the group, in a language, not her own is an example to all of us and makes the entire group better." The Community Champion Award For members who participate in – or help facilitate – simming community events, representing the best of UFOP: SB118 to other organizations by hosting events, acting as contest judges, or otherwise contributing their expertise in a way that benefits the wider community. Tristan Wolf, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: "At first, this award may seem like a no-brainer. Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf founded this community and remains on as its head administrative officer. Many players only see Fleet Admiral Wolf as the overarching admin that helps run the game. But what does running the game actually mean? What does it all entail? What does Fleet Admiral Wolf do behind the scenes? Let me take you through just a portion of everything Fleet Admiral Wolf does to support this community. First, he’s the driving force behind our publicity efforts, which reaches out to Star Trek fans across the globe and helps bring new players into the game. If you came here through a link, advertisement, Facebook or Google search, you had contact with Wolf’s work. If you’ve made a new friend in the past year you have certainly been facilitated by Fleet Admiral Wolf’s work. Going along with this Fleet Admiral Wolf runs our News Team which is not only a major factor in publicity but keeps our members constantly informed and entertained. He helps organize every major taskforce from the Chat team to the Academy and makes sure all members are informed of everything from forum outages to fun events on Discord. If you’ve been able to participate in something entertaining on the forums or a fun event on Discord, again Fleet Admiral Wolf helped make that happen and made sure you got the news. Moreover, Jordan, the person behind Fleet Admiral Wolf is a champion for creating a stable, long-term, inclusive, and safe community for writers of every background. He is passionate about making sure this community stays supportive of all players and Star Trek ideals. He guides the game’s staff in timely discussions about how to continually improve our community for all members. Jordan is also consistently focused on fleetwide unity and supportive of all our ships and crews. No one is more concerned about the fleet as a whole and making sure every ship is successful and every player has a good place to sim than Fleet Admiral Wolf. Everyone from newly posted Ensigns to seasoned veterans matters to this game and they matter to our Admiral. All of this has created an unprecedented run of 26 years and counting of a stable, complex and well-crafted game run by volunteers, founded on a dream that Fleet Admiral Wolf had of having a place where people could write about a better future full of fantastic adventures and strong friendships. We are all here today, celebrating awards and enjoying wonderful stories because of Fleet Admiral Wolf’s constant dedication to this community. I would like to personally thank you, Jordan, for creating this wonderful game and I hope that every player will join me in congratulating you as this year’s Community Champion!" Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Welcome to the fleetwide awards ceremony for 2020, or, in world, 2397! I'm filling in for some hefty boots here, so I'll try to make it quick and lively so we can jump into the deep end and kick the awards off! There are five categories of awards: General Awards (which some ships have presented to their crews already!), Duty Post, Special and Staff Awards recognise players across the rank spectrum for all sorts of IC or OOC achievements. The member Length of Service Awards continue to grow, recognizing membership lengths of one, three, five, 10, 15 and even 25 years! A remarkable number of simmers have been around for such extended periods, and they count among our numbers. This year we’re celebrating our 26th year as a vibrant and incredible community of players coming together. A massive thank you to everyone who submitted nominations this year, and to everyone who had the heart there but not the energy for it. It's been a rough time all around the world and that you're choosing to spend your free time and creative energy here is honestly heartwarming. I've really loved seeing how we celebrate one another, keeping us propped up through the trials and tribulations of a turbulent time, and how every single nomination is a note of love, respect and gratitude for our fellow writers. It's a huge reminder that everyone is appreciated and valued for our imaginative contributions to our collective. Keeping all of this running behind the scenes is no small task — more like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill only for it to keep rolling back down — and yet, it runs smoothly; the welcome is warm and generous, and we have a fantastic fleet to show for it. To that end, I’d like to extend a special thanks to our tireless leader Fleet Admiral Wolf and our wonderful leadership team who continuously drive forward to make the fleet better and better with every passing year. No request for help is too much, nor too silly, and I know everyone in the fleet has benefited from the guidance you all have given over the years. With the addition of the new length of service awards celebrating those in command for five and ten continuous years of commanding a ship or installation, the fleet is in a fantastic position of stable leadership and the ripple effect is felt at all levels. So, on behalf of the entire fleet, thank you for doing everything you do! Stay weird. Stay unique. The future's here, let's take it for a ride. Happy 26th anniversary everybody! -- Em (Jo Marshall) p.s. Can I have the champagne now?

Nominations for the 2020 Awards Ceremony open on Monday, May 18 at 12:15am Pacific Time and close on Wednesday, June 10 at 11:45pm Pacific Time. If this is your awards ceremony with us, welcome! This is a tradition that dates back to 1996, wherein we honor the people of the fleet who are simming really well, or contributing OOC. Back in the "old days," we would gather the entire fleet onto one email list (we were a lot smaller then...) and sim together an award presentation; now we do things a bit differently. Here's how it works today: Everyone in the fleet submits nominations for consideration. The group staff (ship COs, EC members, etc.) review the nominations. Each ship has their own awards presentation on their OOC email list for awards in the General Awards category. Award in this category can be given to one person on each ship. Then, we have a fleetwide presentation of awards here on the forums. Awards in the Duty Post, Special, Staff, and Length of Service categories are presented over the course of three days. One person in the fleet can receive each of the Duty Post, Special, and Staff categories. How to nominate: We rely on each and every member of the fleet to submit nominations so we can recognize the best members of our community who are putting in the time and effort to make this a fun place to be. So we need your help! If you don't nominate your peers and mentors for awards, they won't get recognized. We want to encourage everyone to be really free with their nominations – there's no penalty in putting in a nomination that doesn't ultimately get the award. But ships that have fewer nominations tend to end up having fewer award winners – so don't be shy! Multiple nominations from members of a ship for any given award can help send a signal to reviewers that a certain person is really deserving, but also one really great nomination can be the deciding factor for someone to win an award. Follow these simple instructions to get started: Check out the wiki Hall of Honor to see the list of awards and learn more: https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Award Consider who you want to nominate. Then do a quick check on the list of past award winners to make sure they haven't won the award before: https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=List_of_Award_Recipients (You can sort the table by clicking on the column headers, or you can use your browser's "Find" feature to quickly find a character anywhere on the page – on PC, use CTRL+F, on Mac use ⌘+F.) If the person hasn't won the award before, head to the nomination form: https://www.starbase118.net/members/personnel/forms/award-nomination-panel/ Enter your information and select the award. Then write a nomination reason. For some awards, we'll ask you for a link to a sim if you have one readily available that helps justify your nomination. Don't stress out about finding a sim, but if you have one, it could help. If you feel really confident about your award nomination, chat with others on your ship who might also feel the same way and recommend they make a similar nomination! Writing a good nomination: Remember, your nominations are going up against other nominations from your ship (for General category awards), or from the entire fleet (Duty Post, Special, Staff category awards). So the better you make your case for why your nomination should win, the more likely it is that it will help your nominee end up getting the award. After the nomination period opens this year, going to post on the Community News some great sample nominations that helped their nominees win an award. I'll add a link to that post once it's up. But in the meantime, you can check out these from previous years: https://www.starbase118.net/2018/award-nomination-examples/ All that being said, don't go overboard! If the case for a nominee self-evident, or clearly shown by a sim, it's okay to write less in your explanation and allow the evidence to stand on its own. How to get a sim link: You can grab a link to a sim by going to your ship's Google Group archive (the link is in the footer of every sim). Awards Ceremony schedule: June 27, Saturday: Introduction, General Awards June 28, Sunday: Special and Length of Service Awards June 29, Monday: Staff Awards June 30, Tuesday: Duty Post Awards, finale/acknowledgments, complete ceremony posted. Questions? Head to the Discord chatroom, where we have the #awards2020 room where you can ask questions of other members. Or, ask your FO or CO for help – they're happy to answer questions and have been through multiple ceremonies!

After you submit award nominations, you're brought to a form where you can suggest changes to our Awards Ceremony nominations process. On the whole, everyone expresses great satisfaction but how things work! But as with last year, we have some suggestions that came through that I'd like to address: This is an issue with our forms plugin conflicting with our website theme. It's been difficult to fix, but hopefully folks can navigate the form well enough seeing the bold indicator with the selection. If you're an expert in CSS / WordPress plugins and themes – and want to help with this – email me at t.wolf@starbase118.net and I'll send you the information I got back from our form plugin support about it and see if you can help us resolve it! I figured it would slow down submission of the form and frustrate people if they had to check the email address twice. We have everyone's email address on record and can pretty easily track back to what we have on file for you if necessary – but you wouldn't get your nomination "receipt" via email, for sure. We've gotten this a couple years in a row and I've just asked the Captains Council to consider this suggestion specifically. Hopefully we'll have a decision by the end of the ceremony this year. I must admit I'm always a little perplexed by this one. The nomination panel page is already quite large, so I'm trying to minimize the size of it? We have links to the list of all awards and their descriptions under the dropdown boxes where you select which award your nominating someone for. And the idea here is you'd open the Hall of Honor – which is linked from the nominations panel – and decide which awards you want to nominate for, and then go back to the form to do the nomination. From what I gather folks are doing that in reverse, like going to the form and looking at the names of the awards and deciding who to nominate for them? Do we really need to have a list of all the award descriptions on this page as opposed to just having links to the Hall of Honor on the wiki? Open to feedback – please respond below! We're not going to allow anonymous submissions. The only way to make this a little bit faster is to have a profile on the site so it can recognize you when you load the form. As such, I've added a registration form where you can do that. Once you're registered and logged in, you should find your email address and character name filled in the form each time you arrive on it. Sim links are optional. It says that right on the form, and we hide the sim link box automatically for staff awards where a sim link wouldn't make sense. The Captains Council is in discussion about this right now. We're hoping to have a solution before we launch nominations but if not we'll have something to say about it for next year! Thank you everyone for your suggestions! Please feel free to add more to the form this year so we can continue to improve the process!

I'm delighted to present the badges for this years award ceremony - including the all new, one time only 25th Anniversary Badge. This legendary badge recognises members who are active during the annual Awards Ceremony on the fleet's 25th year anniversary. All active members as of June 30, 2019, have earned this badge. See below for the full badge list. If you believe you should have earned the badge but are not listed, contact your CO. Learn more about badges and how to display them on your wiki pages here. And don't forget: Make sure you take our survey about the awards ceremony to let us how you think it went. The full ceremony has been posted on the wiki now, as with all previous ceremonies. Awards Chairperson Presented to a staff member that has held the position of Awards Chairperson for an Awards Ceremony. If more than one staff member holds the title, or is appointed an assistant or deputy, all receive the badge. Jarred Thoran, Columbia Jo Marshall, Gorkon Randal Shayne, Eagle Awards Committee Presented to any staff member that participates in the yearly Awards Committee to select Duty Post and Special Awards. Evan Delano, Veritas Theo Whittaker, Columbia Toni Turner, Duronis II Embassy Awards Ceremony Nominator (Standard) A player must submit at least 1 nomination for a fellow player during an awards ceremony, in any category. This badge can be earned multiple times, but is only awarded once per year. A player earning an elite or legendary badge will not also earn the lower levels in the same year. Awards Ceremony Nominator (Elite) A player must submit at least 5 nominations for fellow players in any category. This badge can be earned multiple times, but is only awarded once per year. A player earning an elite or legendary badge will not also earn the lower levels in the same year. Awards Ceremony Nominator (Legendary) A player must submit at least 10 nominations for players on more than 2 vessels in any category. This badge can be earned multiple times, but is only awarded once per year. A player earning an elite or legendary badge will not also earn the lower levels in the same year. 25th Anniversary Badge This legendary badge recognises members who are active during the annual Awards Ceremony on the fleet's 25th year anniversary. To be awarded, members must be active and in good standing on the date of June 30, 2019. This is a one time only award.

Welcome to day one of the annual Awards Ceremony! We’re very excited to present the General Awards. The General (Ship) Awards have been presented by each captain to their crew. The winners this year, as in previous years, were chosen by the fleet’s commanding officers (or in cases where the commanding officer was also nominated, the first officer was called in to decide) from the nominations made by you! This is your chance to see how each of the other ships did and see who picked up what award. The Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement First Class (TOSMA) The Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement First Class is given to members who show great dedication in their behavior and simming abilities. A candidate for TOSMA regularly contributes good, solid ideas to the plot and character development. They also take the time to edit and proofread their sims to ensure quality in their writing. Arturo Maxwell, Starbase 118 Ops Quen Deena, Embassy of Duronis II Toryn Raga, USS Atlantis Anath G’Renn, USS Columbia Rajel, USS Constitution Quentin Collins, USS Eagle Kyrrha Tereen, USS Gorkon Geoffrey Teller, USS Veritas The Genesis Award The Most Improved Simmer Award. For officers who show conspicuous effort in improving their simming skills. Wallace Williams, Starbase 118 Ops Daylan Daroo, Embassy of Duronis II Maddi Hyden, USS Atlantis Sheila Bailey, USS Astraeus James Colquhoun, USS Columbia Alex Blair, USS Constitution Chloe Waters, USS Eagle Groznin Smith, USS Gorkon Addison MacKenzie, USS Veritas Scotty Cross Given to an officer who shows extreme creativity while solving a plot dilemma or in-character plot twist. Reema Poq, Starbase 118 Ops Krindo Pandorn, Embassy of Duronis II Trelixxa Maeli, USS Atlantis Solok, USS Astraeus Jocelyn Marshall, USS Gorkon G’var, USS Veritas Neelix Award For extra, out-of-character simming devotion. This includes, but isn't limited to, helping fellow officers who are in need of simming aid, visibility on the forums, OOC list presence, upkeep of wiki pages, etc. Krindo Pandorn, Embassy of Duronis II Maddi Hyden, USS Atlantis German Galven, USS Astraeus Rune Jolara, USS Columbia Yito Seja, USS Constitution Kayla Drex, USS Eagle Jocelyn Marshall, USS Gorkon Jansen Orrey, USS Veritas Nebula Bar Awarded to a simmer who has shown great imagination when creating or expanding upon planets, stars, stellar phenomena, and other physical environments and settings, such that these settings create a convincing, descriptive, realistic environment that inspires other simmers or enhances the flow of a given plot. Malko, Starbase 118 Ops Hannibal Parker, Embassy of Duronis II Jona ch’Ranni, USS Columbia Quentin Collins, USS Eagle Sky Blake, USS Veritas Laudean Commendation Awarded for achievements in exploration with new lifeforms. The recipient will have shown great creativity in many facets of species creation or expansion, including physiological, psychological, cultural, social, and more, and their creativity will inspire their fellow simmers. The Laudean Commendation can cover many aspects of species development, but should primarily be based in IC simming. Ben Garcia, Embassy of Duronis II Jacob Harkrow, USS Astraeus Pholin Duyzer, USS Columbia Edward Spears, USS Constitution Irina Pavlova, USS Eagle Ghant Xerix, USS Veritas Silver Palm Awarded to a simmer who has consistently boosted the morale of his/her crew. The recipient will be known to be able to add that spark to a plot whenever it may be lagging, or may be able to consistently bring enjoyment or a bit of humour to the sim, whilst keeping such sims relevant and realistic. Gogigobo Fairhug, Starbase 118 Ops Alexander Brodie, Embassy of Duronis II Kurt Logan, USS Atlantis Jacob Harkrow, USS Astraeus Jarred Thoran, USS Columbia Saveron, USS Constitution Kayla Drex, USS Eagle Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Sky Blake, USS Veritas Sheathed Sword Presented to those to decide to inflict mental and/or physical trauma on their character, and then dive into the resulting emotions and choices in a realistic manner. The name comes from a line in a Robert Jordan book where a warrior must be prepared to 'sheath the sword' in his own body, i.e. take a grievous wound to achieve one's goal (in this case, more realistic simming) as opposed to an actual goal of the character. Daniel Cain, Starbase 118 Ops Lorian Lovar, Embassy of Duronis II Kurt Logan, USS Atlantis Lael Rosek, USS Astraeus Pholin Duyzer, USS Columbia Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution Prudence Blackwell, USS Eagle Cory Stoyer, USS Gorkon G’var, USS Veritas B-Plot Award For those simmers who manage to show a good portion of the character's life despite the demands of the main plot. Davine D’Fini, Starbase 118 Ops Stefan Germanovich, Embassy of Duronis II Valin Dermont, USS Atlantis Pholin Duyzer, USS Columbia Edward Spears, USS Constitution Oddas Aria, USS Eagle Cory Stoyer, USS Gorkon Wil Ukinix, USS Veritas The Russ Bar The Russ bar is awarded to a writer whose knowledge of Trek lore is extraordinary. Named for Tim Russ, the actor who played Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager, who was already a dedicated Star Trek fan before securing the role on the show. Dar Toral, Starbase 118 Ops Rode Mitchell, Embassy of Duronis II David Knight, USS Atlantis Theo Whittaker, USS Columbia Geoffrey Teller, USS Veritas Pathfinder Award Given to those who have shown great care in the mentoring of fellow members. Gogigobo Fairhug, Starbase 118 Ops Toni Turner, Embassy of Duronis II Serala USS Atlantis German Galven, USS Astraeus Jarred Thoran, USS Columbia Saveron, USS Constitution Genkos Adea, USS Gorkon Niccolò del Vedova, USS Veritas Khan Award Awarded to a simmer who thoughtfully develops a three-dimensional villain over the course of a mission or more. Boris Hendon, Embassy of Duronis II Toryn Raga USS Atlantis Anath G’Renn, USS Columbia Randal Shayne, USS Eagle Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon G’var, USS Veritas Q Award Awarded for continually surprising their crew with unexpected, devious plot twists throughout the year. Arturo Maxwell, Starbase 118 Ops Krindo Pandorn Embassy of Duronis II Kiliak Jo, USS Atlantis Luna Walker USS Columbia Lystra, USS Constitution Jocelyn Marshall, USS Gorkon Raissa Moonsong, USS Veritas Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Awards Ceremony season is upon us, and it's time to get all dressed up for the big event! As we launch our ceremony, we'll encourage everyone to change their forum avatar to their character wearing glamorous attire like the kind you'd see on the red carpet. There's no need to get things perfect – lots of players just find a picture of their character's actor somewhere on the web and use that, like so: But if you're looking for something more spiffy, you can also head to the Graphics Requests forum and open a new thread asking for some help. Make sure you leave plenty of time for the team there to help get something that works – best to start earlier than later! Once you have an image you like, you can change your forum avatar by following these instructions.

The Staff awards are only for those members who have achieved the rank of Commander or higher. These awards recognize the hard work of our community members who go above and beyond to ensure that everyone has a great experience here. There's so much behind-the-scenes work required to keep the engine of our community running, and these folks are a central part of that. Just like with last year, the first officers of the fleet were asked to vote on the nominations for each staff award, providing recommendations to the EC about who should receive each award. We’re so happy to have this valuable feedback and guidance for our staff awards! Special Commendation Quinn Reynolds, Roshanara Rahman Presented by Tristan Wolf on behalf of the Executive Council: "This year we had an interesting set of nominations for Quinn Reynolds and Roshanara Rahman, nominating each of them for the Great Bird Award. The Great Bird is the highest honor given to any officer, and is intended to be given to those folks that push a paradigm shift in our way of thinking. After reviewing the nominations, the Executive Council felt they didn't match exactly what we're looking for with the Great Bird Award, the criteria for which is very specific. But these nominations had their heart in the same place: Wanting to recognize people who've made incredible, deep contributions to the group that have had an outsized impact on the nominators and should be recognized accordingly. We know that one of the weaknesses of our awards program is that the longer you're here, the more likely you are to have been awarded nearly everything. So we want to just take a moment to recognize – here at the top of the Staff Award presentation! – that we've heard your nominations and know that many want an opportunity to show these staff members how important their contributions are. The Executive Council is going to consider, for next year, if there's another award we can add that can match the intention of these nominations. But until then, we just want Emma and Rich to know how much we appreciate their contributions, and how glad we are to have them as leaders in our community. It would be hard for me to say anything at this point that hasn't been said about Emma or Rich already – you only have to go back to last year's Picard Award, or T'Pau Cluster presentations to learn about how much we value the expertise, wisdom, and care Emma brings to our community; or to last year's Christopher Pike Pendant presentation for Rich, or 2017's Staff Member of the Year presentation, to learn how his innovation, skill, and enthusiasm for new ideas has brought us to new horizons. So more than anything, we just want to emphasize for Emma, and Rich, on that people are watching the love and care they put into our community, that they are recognizing these contributions, and that we are all thankful for them." Staff Member of the Year Award For staff members who have contributed tirelessly to the organization through any number of OOC channels, while maintaining excellence in simming on their vessel. Tristan Wolf, Executive Council Presented by Quinn Reynolds: "The winner of this year's Staff Member of the Year is someone who is always visible, yet the dedication and countless hours he puts into the group often flies under the radar — to the point where I assumed he must have already won this award! Tristan Wolf leads or has a hand in almost every major OOC effort that we have: the Academy, the News Team, the Publicity Team, the Chat Team, and of course the website, forums, wiki and Discord. But wait, there's more! In the past twelve months, he's been a driving force behind the launch of multiple ships, supporting the fleet's new commanding officers with teething problems and unexpected situations. In fact, he is always on hand to offer guidance to captains both new and veteran, offering thoughtful and practical advice that can be instantly implemented, helping them through all kinds of difficult (and sometimes unusual) circumstances. Of course, it's not just the staff he supports, but members too. He's a dab hand at the art of placement, finding our new graduates or transfers a home where they'll have the best chance to flourish and have fun. Every new cadet is welcomed to the fleet and extended a genuine invitation to come to him with any difficulties. Close to my heart and that of many others, he's always making sure that all our community environments are a considerate, safe place for all. It's fair to say that this fleet would not be the place it is without his dedication, leadership and vision, and so for this reason I am honoured and delighted to present Tristan Wolf with the Staff Member of the Year." The James T. Kirk Cross Given to new Commanding Officers who show outstanding potential in the field of commanding. Mei’konda, USS Astraeus Presented by Roshanara Rahman: "This year’s James T. Kirk Cross recipient, Captain Mei’konda, celebrated his promotion to captain recently, the culmination of his journey towards command that he and his writer Aaron began two years ago. Since his first days as an ensign, Aaron demonstrated a knack for leadership in-game, most memorably when he was given the opportunity to take command of his ship the USS Mercury early in his character’s career to complete a mission. Yet while his simming and storytelling remain as impressive as ever, it is the skill and effort that Aaron demonstrates each day since having assumed a command of his own last year that has earned him this recognition as an outstanding new commanding officer. Since his transition from a supporting ship’s staff member to the role of a command staff officer, I have witnessed Aaron’s development as a mentor, teacher, and leader, first as FO for the USS Veritas and now as CO for his own crew. His kindness, patience, and ability to pinpoint an issue for him and his crew to focus on serve as a model for the members under his command now learning to become leaders in their own right. He has honed his communication style that is gentle yet direct when giving feedback to others. The positive roleplaying environment he has created aboard the USS Montreal and USS Astraeus is reflected in the enthusiasm of his crew’s simming. Through it all, he remains humble and seeks the advice of his fellow COs as he continues to learn the intricacies of command. It has been a great privilege to write with Aaron since he was first assigned to the Mercury after his graduation in 2013, a great honor to serve as his command mentor for the past two years, and now a great joy to call him my fellow captain. Congratulations, Captain Mei’konda on all of your achievements and godspeed as you and your crew embark on the next chapter aboard your new vessel!" Shuvalis Diamond of Recognition For long-term achievement in leading the Publicity Team. Jarred Thoran Presented by Quinn Reynolds: "This year, one of our most decorated officers will be Jarred Thoran, a seemingly tireless community member, First Officer of the Columbia, and even the Awards Facilitator for 2019! One place he was highly nominated was for his work on the Publicity Team, where he has been dedicated to expanding our reach, organizing the team, and finding new channels for recruiting. This led to the discovery of Reddit as fertile ground for nostalgic Star Trek fans, and dozens of new applications that helped bolster fleet membership just when we needed it most. One nomination said he 'injects with his own energetic love for ushering in new blood to SB118,' which seemed like a delightful way to describe it. And there are more fun projects on the horizon that Thoran is facilitating with the hopes of expanding our reach even further. So for all this ingenuity and diligence, awarding him the Sarek Star seems like the exact way we need to honor his work. Thank you and congratulations, Cmdr. Thoran, for everything you're doing to help our community grow and thrive!" The Sarek Star Given to a command officer who shows great diplomatic ability in working with members and staff. Theo Whittaker, USS Columbia Presented by Sal Taybrim: "The Sarek Star epitomizes a Command Officer’s ability to work with others, and recognizes extreme effort put into building communication between crewmates, ship staff, the Captain’s Council and the Executive Council. No command officer better exemplifies this award in 2019 than Captain Theo Whittaker. Over the past year Captain Whittaker had worked through a number of hurdles that are common in roleplaying games and have the potential to either break a game or make it stronger. And in even circumstance, Captain Whittaker rose to the challenge. His crew strongly recognized his efforts to work with a disruptive player, all the while protecting the rest of the players from the disruption. They recognize his calm and supportive mentorship, as well as his ability to build up new staff members when experienced staff need to take an LoA. Captain Whittaker had done an exemplary job in supporting and training his command staff and creating a fantastic mentorship program for new leaders in the SB118 fleet. Captain Whittaker also made great strides in building strong positive communication with his fellow Captains and the flag officers. He reaches out to his fellow command staff for help early on so positive solutions can be implemented before a crisis happens. This not only builds stronger bonds and better trust between command officers, but it also protects Whittaker’s crew and makes sure the game on the Columbia stays fresh and fun. I am so proud of everything Mikey has done over the past year to ensure the success of the USS Columbia and this award is so richly deserved. Congratulations, Captain Whittaker!" Christopher Pike Pendant Awarded to commanding officers who command their ship with honor and dedication, and help to provide a creative atmosphere which fosters outstanding simming. Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution Presented by Toni Turner: "Of all the awards presented, the Christopher Pike Pendant is one of the most coveted as it symbolizes the things that every commanding officer in aspires to do - command their ship with honor and dedication and help to provide a creative atmosphere which fosters outstanding simming. And Fleet Captain Rajel certainly has accomplished that goal as anyone can tell, from the sims her crew submit. They are comfortable in the environment she has created. It is evident that this talented lady takes pride in her work and strives for perfection in everything she does to enhance the entire community through the collective and her writing. So it is my honor to present her with the Christopher Pike Pendant and give her my sincere congratulations for her accomplishments." Chief’s Citation Recognizing the essential staff members whose determined work has benefitted the group In Character, and/or Out Of Character, even while their primary service was not as the Commanding Officer of a simming installation. Inspired by the non-commissioned and enlisted personnel who are the backbone of any starship but were rarely recognized in Star Trek lore in favor of the officers. Alex Blair, USS Constitution Presented by Tristan Wolf: "It's always a pleasure to recognize someone like Alex Blair (Jeremy) who has been a member for quite a while now, across a number of ships. In his case, this recognition comes for his quiet and reliable service in a number of OOC roles where he's been an invaluable pillar. If you've never simmed with him, then you almost certainly know him from our weekly email newsletter, which comes out every weekend with a roundup of the last week's worth of Community News and reminds everyone about upcoming events in the fleet. Jeremy has been assembling the newsletter for over two years – dutifully preparing everything we need and delivering it on time for review. It's been a benefit to the fleet as more people know about what's happening around the community, and Jeremy's help has been invaluable to me on making it happen! But that's not all – in addition to the newsletter, Jeremy's also the Chief Academy Statistician. This is a role that requires keeping careful notes about not just every new and returning player that comes through the Academy, but also about all the Training Officers. In this role, Jeremy has helped us keep track of when each trainer finishes their requirements for promotion, but also just ensuring that we rotate trainers properly each week with new classes. As thanks to him for all of his work over these past few years, we award this Chief's Citation. Congratulations, Cmdr. Blair!" Please join us in congratulating these members of the staff!

Welcome to the final day of the awards ceremony. So far this week we’ve announced the recipients of the Staff, General, Length of Service and Special awards. Today we present the Duty Post awards. Each award focuses on a different department from the major ones such as medical, operations or engineering to the more unique - like diplomacy, intel or marines. Even civilians have a chance to be recognised for the valuable contributions that can be made to our stories by those who prefer the path less worn. Each of these awards recognises a player for excellence in simming their duty post. Since only one award per duty post is given each year, only the very best are chosen and they are highly coveted awards. You’ll see from our spread of winners – who range in rank from Ensign to Captain – that every player has a chance to be considered for one of these by consistently simming to the best of their ability and striving to improve their craft. The Prantares Award - Medical The Prantares Ribbon is a duty post award and is awarded to those medical officers who have moved beyond competence to display a true gift for the healing arts in the context of space medicine. The officers given this award should display the ability to keep a steady hand in the often hazardous conditions in which they must practice, as well as the willingness to risk their own life to save the lives of others. Genkos Adea, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “From the moment he arrived on the ship, Genkos Adea left a deep impression on everyone around him — though sometimes he wished he hadn't! A throwaway comment on a Romulan colony had terrible consequences, and became one of the formative incidents in this medical officer's career as he tended to the aftermath. It's something that he still refers to now, and it's wonderful to see how his early experiences have and continue to shape his character. We have had the pleasure of watching him grow from an inexperienced young ensign into a skilled department chief, the writer expertly weaving Adea's skills and abilities into the story when the spotlight is upon him, all the while supporting other members of the crew to ensure they have their chance to shine, too. A recent mission is a fine example of this; when his team were infected with the deadly Rushton's Disease aboard a broken and failing ship, he made sure that their quest for a cure provided plenty of opportunities for non-medical members of the team to have some fun. It was very well done; a delight to read and I know a lot of fun to sim, reminding us all exactly lucky we are to have him as our Chief Medical Officer! And so, I am so very pleased to present Genkos Adea with the Prantares Ribbon. Congratulations, Elliot!” The Natasha Yar Pin - Security The Natasha Yar Pin is a duty post award and is awarded to those security officers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting and preserving the lives of their crewmates, even at risk to their own. Blaidd Vescori, USS Eagle Presented by Oddas Aria: “When Mister Vescori first appeared on the Eagle he immediately jumped in and began playing a security officer in the finest tradition of the fleet. Given his character’s size and background he could easily have played the role of a sort of overbearing cop. As he plays he not only shows himself to be a capable security officer, but one who goes out of his way to job professionally, while competently. The crew has seen Blaidd take to a role that would be relatively minor on the ship, and expand it to something fitting his large physical size. On Away missions he has written very well written sims full of action and suspense resulting in the completion of the mission in very realistic ways that have long lasting consequences. It is my very great pleasure to present Blaidd Vescori with the Natasha Yar Pin! Congratulations and keep up the amazing work!” The Voyager Medallion - Ops The Voyager Medallion is a duty post award and is awarded to those operations officers who have shown great skill in keeping a starship in working order despite near-impossible circumstances. The officers receiving this award have advanced the field of Operations, making sure duty rosters, provisions, gear, and even recreation time are available... no matter what. Esa Darkkdust, USS Atlantis Presented by Brell: “Lieutenant JG Esa Darkkdust the Atlantis' Trill operations officer has since coming aboard has shown a dedication to a role that is not always easy to be sure just what it is you should be doing. Be it managing power levels, assigning crew quarters, or overseeing the installation schedule of a replacement warp nacelle, Darkkdust embodies what is is to be an operations officer. Those little details about their job and what it entails are common in their sims adding depth and sense of reality into our game. Being able to imagine the day to life onboard Atlantis is enriched with nearly every sim Darkkdust posts. For these reasons and many more it is my distinct pleasure to present Esa Darkkust with The Voyager Medallion.” The Sisko Tactical Cross - Tactical The Sisko Tactical Cross is a duty post award and is awarded to those tactical officers who have shown cunning and bravery in battle. Master strategists, and experts in targeting and shield power distribution, these officers have done the impossible to save their ship and the lives of its crew. Lystra, USS Constitution Presented by Jalana Rajel: “When you are a tactical officer on a ship like the Constitution, your life is full of challenges, since we don't do much in regard of battles or space fights. Rameses has taken on that challenge when he joined us with his Secondary Character Lystra. He has shown that you don't need space battles to be a kick-butt Tactical officer, even though under his fingertips we performed one of our first Space fights on the Constitution. Rameses is never afraid to push the envelope, throw in twists and turns for the crew, but also work with them to solve the issues. Rameses is so great in his role, that he did not only get one but two nominations for this award. "Lystra is one of those officers that you expect is already much higher rank than they are. She is on point and always looking out for the greater good and safety of others. In our recent mission, Lystra stayed in a situation that put herself in danger in order to protect civilians and her superior officers. This type of behavior is a great example of a good, strong, tactical officer." "Lystra's tactics, whilst sometimes unorthodox, are always interesting and her descriptions of battle scenes are vividly imagined, bringing the story to life." I can only agree with these heartfelt comments and am happy that Rameses found his way onto the Conny. It's my pleasure and honor to present to him the The Sisko Tactical Cross for the great portrayal of a Tactical Officer and I can't wait to see where he'll be taking us next. Congratulations Rameses!” The Phoenix Award - Engineering The Phoenix Award is a duty post award that recognizes engineers. Named for the vessel that legendary engineer Zefram Cochrane piloted during his historic first warp flight, this award goes to those Engineering officers who continue this tradition of excellence in the field of engineering. By performing their tasks with enthusiasm, imagination and diligence, by managing to make their equipment perform above and beyond its rated capacities, the officers meriting this award further the mission of their ship by their superior know-how. In short, miracle workers. Tasha MacFarlane, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “A miracle worker indeed! The winner of this year's Phoenix Award writes an engineer who is as ingenious as she is enthusiastic, using her engineering know-how to solve desperate situations, such as shutting down a breaching warp core, to spending her free time building a shuttle — from scratch! — to satisfy her own curiosity and personal goals. Engineering can be a tricky department to play, and it's not always easy to find a way to contribute to the plot without first breaking something. Tasha adroitly manages to do just that, finding all kinds of different ways to use her character's skills to do bring something new and interesting to our stories. We've seen her tinker with the artificial gravity to protect her team from advancing assailants, and most recently, create an incredible holographic disguise for the Gorkon's bridge and crew while they were masquerading as pirates. She has a deft touch, and it's always entertaining to see what she's doing to do next. For all of that, and more, I am delighted to be present Tasha MacFarlane with the Phoenix Award. Congratulations, Theo!” The Cochrane Award - Science The Cochrane Award is a duty post award and is awarded to those science officers who have contributed greatly to the advance of science in the midst of their Starfleet career, by staying knowledgeable about their field, participating in the community of science, but most importantly, by placing their knowledge at the service of their ship and its mission. Kayla Drex, USS Eagle Presented by Oddas Aria: “Kayla Drex epitomizes the Science Officer role. During missions she easily interweaves the mind of a curious scientist throughout the narrative, offering suggestions and information appropriate for her position. Both IC and OOC Drex continually impresses, providing details and thoughts to improve writing, and realism in the science aspects of both the Ship and the Fleet. Participating in cross-fleet activities, such as SIMSCON and the SJAS, she gladly imparts her knowledge, time, and talent to the fleet as a whole, and we are lucky to have her. For all of these reasons I am very pleased to be able to present Kayla Drex with the Cochrane Award.” The Pilot's Sextant - Helm The Pilot's Sextant is a duty post award that recognizes helm officers. An award named after an old Earth navigational tool, the Pilot's Sextant is given to those Helm officers who have proven themselves to be the best of the best. From finding a safe route home to flying an emergency atmospheric landing, pilots who have earned the right to this award know the importance of staying focused, and puts their ability to make spectacular maneuvers at the service of their ship and its mission. Chloe Waters, USS Eagle Presented by Oddas Aria: “Sometimes players write in such a way as to make you believe they have been doing that job forever. Mister Waters writes this way, making you believe you are alongside her as she pilots The Eagle, or whatever she has been tasked to fly. Chloe adds detail, action, and thought to her writing, making it a joy to read. Reading how the Eagle responds and works is a joy through her writing, and never feels redundant. It is amazing to have Chloe Waters with us, and an absolute pleasure to present her with the Pilot’s Sextant.” The Order of the Valiant Heart - Counseling This award is given to those ship's Counselor who have shown great skill in protecting the mental health of their crewmates, clearly demonstrating superior ability to care, assist, and comfort those in need. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty in assisting their crewmates with their problems, and in preventing future problems from occurring. Alexander Brodie, Embassy of Duronis II Presented by Toni Turner: “At the Embassy Brodie performs a multitude of functions ranging from standard psychological evaluations to the more complex counseling needed when the traumas of battle become overwhelming. Due to the "head shrinker" stigma, Counselors have been a much maligned duty post, but  Counselor Alex Brodie takes his patients in a new, less threatening direction - he counsels by NOT counseling, but is adept at getting people to talk to him, and his powers of observation are excellent. He has skillfully crafted a fatherly tone whose words are consistently measured, poised – and above all – supportive both inside and outside of the consultation room. We are very fortunate to have him at the Embassy for his professionalism and caring. Congratulations, Alex!” The Semper Fidelis Award - Marines For those StarFleet Marines who have shown great skill in protecting their crew, accomplishing their mission, avoiding tragic loss of life in the line of duty, and upholding the values of the UFoP in times of crisis. Gogigobo Fairhug, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: “When Major Fairhug first came onboard StarBase 118 Ops, despite his character having a strong security background he was worried about taking on a marine role because he felt that marines could too easily turn into "violence first ask questions later" sorts of characters. But after thinking about it Gogi decided that he could really shape the role to his own character's pleasant. optimistic personality by emphasizing all of the special functions that marines can play from intel gathering to specialized security to search and rescue. He's done amazingly well in continuing the proud tradition of SB118 Ops' Marine force as a complex and multi-faceted force that thinks first and shoots only when necessary. Gogi has also gone above and beyond in reaching out to other players both who have marine PCs and pNPCs as well as players in other departments. He’s established himself not only as a strong marine, but as a leader on the crew and a character that others love collaborating with. He’s also a terrific mentor who helps groom other players to continue in his footsteps as he moved onwards towards command ensuring that StarBase 118 will not only have great leadership but a strong complex marine force that focuses on great stories for years to come. I am so proud and so happy to present this award to Major Fairhug!” The Black Cross - Intelligence This award is given to a member of the Intelligence community that strives to accomplish the goals of Starfleet Intelligence, while simultaneously upholding the ideals and structure of Starfleet command. This person has the cunning to gather intelligence by means of deceptive dialogue or espionage, as opposed to force drawn confessions. While matters of intelligence are often game changers, this person strives to attain those goals within the boundaries of their Commanding Officer, and the regulations of Starfleet. Rune Jolara, USS Columbia Presented by Theo Whittaker: “I am extremely proud to present this award to Rune Jolara. Given to those who are adept at playing the role of Intelligence Officer. Kait, the player of Columbia’s chief of intelligence, has spent a great deal of her time with the fleet operating from the shadows. After all this time, she still manages to write the role in a realistic and engaging way. She is not a super-spy a la James Bond but nor she is an unethical operative undermining the core values of the Federation. She is instead a master analyst who can parse a situation with relative ease yet still throw up roadblocks for us to surmount. Skilled at threat assessment and getting to the truth, there is nobody I trust more to suss out the hidden dangers of the Sagittarius Reach both IC and OOC. Rune has become a close adviser to Theo and an integral part of the Columbia’s voyages in the distant Sagittarius Reach.” The Lwaxana Troi Medallion - Non-traditional roles This award is given to a member who takes a unique role outside of the normal StarFleet positions and creates a colorful and engaging character. Toryn Raga, USS Atlantis Presented by Brell: “Lt Commander Toryn Raga, has in his role of Mission Specialist shone amazing adaptability in filling this multifaceted position. Mission Specialist is a little of this and a little of that working with any department on the ship. Raga was well prepared for this being formerly the head of security and for short time acting chief of Atlantis' Marines detachment. His dedication to moving plot forward and facilitating the writing of others using his position is displayed in his sims time and time again. His character is the core that stays with him from position to position and always colors his actions making for richly detailed lively reading. It is my pleasure and honor to present him with The Lwaxana Troi Medallion, Well earned Raga!” The Strange Medallion - First Officer Named after Commander Sally Strange, widely known as one of the most creative and dedicated First Officers in the fleet's early years, this award is given to those who perform above the call of duty in the position of First Officer. Jarred Thoran, USS Columbia Presented by Theo Whittaker: “Where, oh where, do I start with Jarred Thoran? Saying that Jarred performs “above the call of duty” is an understatement of galactic proportions. I have been proud and privileged to watch this outstanding officer grow and thrive as Columbia’s first officer (and before that, on the Blackwell). A dedicated man of honour and duty, nothing is ever too much trouble for him: whether it be leading a rescue of a certain starship captain from the clutches of augments, leading the charge against mercenaries or willingly leading a team in to danger against near-omnipotent espers changed by their exposure to the galactic barrier. He has won the respect of every member of the Columbia’s crew complement and everybody looks up to him as an inspirational leader. One day, he is going to be an extraordinary commanding officer- of that I have no absolutely no doubt. But for now, let us celebrate the career of this remarkable man. Congratulations, Jarred!” Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Today we are proud to present the Length of Service and Special Awards. Length of Service Awards are presented to members who have been continuously active for at least a year, there are also tiers for three, five, ten, fifteen, twenty and even twenty five years of continuous service. This year, 30 players have reached a length of service milestone. Of those, 13 are celebrating their first milestone, having picked-up the award for one year of active membership. Another 7 have achieved three years active membership and 5 more have been here for five years. 3 players have reached the incredible ten year milestone, and 2 have reached fifteen years! 1-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for one year. Sotak, graduated from training on March 7th, 2018. Kawakame Shin, graduated from training on March 18th, 2018 Valin Dermont, graduated from training on October 4th, 2017 Toryn Raga, graduated from training on October 4th, 2017 Serala, graduated from training on December 4th, 2017 David Knight, graduated from training on December 13th, 2017 Edward Spears, graduated from training on February 14th, 2018 Lorian Lovar, graduated from training on March 5th, 2018 Caitríona Cayne, graduated from training on March 31st, 2012 Groznin Smith, graduated from training on January 30th, 2018 Genkos Adea, graduated from training on February 6th, 2018 Gogigobo Fairhug, graduated from training on November 21st, 2017 Wallace Williams, graduated from training on April 11th, 2018 3-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for three years. Amuro McKnight, graduated from training on February 15th, 2016. Kurt Logan, graduated from training on March 3rd, 2015. Yito Seja, graduated from training on June 28th, 2016. Oddas Aria, graduated from training on May 5th, 2016. Trellis Vondaryan, graduated from training on August 27th, 2015. Jocelyn Marshall, graduated from training on April 10th, 2016. Teryn Vehk, graduated from training on March 15th, 2016. 5-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for five years. Mei'konda, graduated from training on February 12th, 2013. Aidonann Danara, graduated from training on February 11th, 2014. Alexander Brodie, graduated from training on May 10th, 2013. Sal Taybrim, graduated from training on October 6th, 2013. Jansen Orrey, graduated from training on June 7th, 2008. 10-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for ten years. Solok, graduated from training on August 26th, 2002. Ash Tristan MacKenna, graduated from training on May 4th, 2009. Nic del Vedova, graduated from training on August 1st, 2005. 15-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for fifteen years. Lluneh ''Luna'' Walker, graduated from training in October 2003. Kelrod, graduated from training on July 30th, 2003. Special Awards The Rising Star Award For members who show great promise in many facets of their participation in the group, and to whom we look to as a future leader. Jarred Thoran, USS Columbia Presented by Theo Whittaker: "Oh my! I feel extraordinarily privileged to be able to award the Rising Star Award to one of the most hardworking, supportive, loyal, talented and dedicated members of this fleet. He is, quite simply, an inspiration to us all. From the publicity team, to the image collective, to the training team, to the captain’s council, to reaching out to players on the Columbia with generous encouragement and support… nothing is ever too much trouble for Jarred Thoran. He is the living, breathing embodiment of the Rising Star Award. When he tackles something, he does with vigour and never, ever gives anything less than 200%. I cannot recall a time when he has turned down an opportunity or a request. I frequently marvel at his tireless efforts on behalf of this fleet and I know that he is here for the long haul. On top of all this is a humble and a bloody lovely chap! He inspires everyone he meets, both IC and OOC. When somebody is feeling down, he is always the first one to reach out and offer kind words and a shoulder to cry on. At times, it feels that there is nothing that Jarred cannot do. This fleet is extremely lucky to have him in it’s ranks and I cannot wait to see what this incredible person does next! Congratulations on this much deserved award!" Luminary Award Given to members holding the rank of ensign, lieutenant junior grade, or lieutenant. For those who show great promise in their future endeavours in UFOP: Starbase 118 RPG. Geoffrey Teller, USS Veritas Presented by Roshanara Rahman: "Since joining the fleet last year, Geoffrey Teller has quickly cemented himself as a stalwart member of the community. He is a brilliant writer whose sims capture and ignite his fellow shipmates’ imaginations. He’s introduced countless new elements to his ship and the other characters that populate it, whether it’s a coffee shop for the USS Veritas inspired by his captain’s caffeine addiction or a pirate adventure that involved him and his fellow junior officers. Beyond his ship, he is a regular presence on the fleet’s Discord channels, bringing both good cheer and words of encouragement and support to those around him. Like his character, Teller’s writer Brian is a problem solver at heart, always looking for ways to improve things and make both his ship and the fleet at large the best it can be. He tackles challenges given to him both IC and OOC with unbridled enthusiasm and positivity. Most of all, though, in the time he’s been with us, Brian has made a lasting impression on so many of his fellow members across the fleet, and he will no doubt take his place as a future leader in the fleet. Congratulations, Brian, and thank you for your kindness, creativity, and passion in all that you do!" The Locutus Award Given to those members of the Publicity Team who go above-and-beyond their monthly requirements for participation on a regular basis. These team members show enthusiasm and flair for spreading the word about or role-playing community and take an active interest in finding new ways to invite people to join our ranks. Groznin Smith, USS Gorkon Presented by Jarred Thoran: "During my tenure as the Publicity Facilitator I have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic individuals in spreading the word about our community. For the past year there has been one person whose passion for this community shines in everything they do. Few others approach recruitment with such gusto as Groznin Smith. Groznin has shared details of our group far and wide, and I know more than a few members that he has directly recruited from some far flung corner of the internet. That alone is a fantastic achievement - but Groznin does not stop there! He is also a very active member of Discord - often being one of the first to greet new members with a warm friendly welcome. Thank you for everything you do, and congratulations Zech!" The Sarpeidon Award Awarded to members who have made outstanding contributions to the 118Wiki. Sarpeidon was the world in TOS's "All Our Yesterdays," in which the planet's population created a library containing their entire world's history. This is, in essence, what our wiki strives to become: a collection of our group's history and a simming database. Jarred Thoran, USS Columbia Presented by Theo Whittaker: "As with every other OOC commitment that Richard aka: Jarred Thoran, undertakes — he approaches the upkeep of the Wikipedia with enthusiasm, an “anything is possible” attitude and a fire that inspires others. He spearheaded the update of the Columbia Wikipedia pages, helping the transition from the ATF to the Columbia go as smooth as possible. He’s always on hand to help with any tricky wiki coding and he won’t drop and issue till he has resolved it. He essentially wrote the ATF and Columbia rulebook and did it with pride and distinction, earning our undying love and devotion in the process. He is a credit to the Wiki Ops team and I can’t think of anyone who deserves this award more!" The Boothby Award For trainers who go above and beyond their Academy training requirements. These trainers display an outstanding example of dedication to bringing new cadets to our community. Jocelyn Marshall, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: "To say Jo Marshall goes above and beyond doesn't quite cover the boundless energy and time she pours into one of our most important teams! It is a rare week when the call for volunteers goes out and she doesn't answer, offering her experience and skills in any role that's required, all of which she performs to the very highest standard. It says so much that there were so many nominations — not just from those who volunteer alongside her, but from people who had passed through the academy under her guidance. Graduates spoke of how welcomed and valued she made them feel, guiding them through the class with kind, light-hearted and insightful feedback. Similar glowing comments came from her fellow training team members, who talked about how she supports them as they progress through the various training roles so that they can become competent trainers in their own right. She has left a lasting impression on everyone she encounters, a sterling example and one of our finest training officers. For this, I am thoroughly delighted to present Jo Marshall with the Boothby Award. Congratulations, Em!" Quark's Bar Quark's Bar is a special award and is awarded to members who are regularly active on the forums and have been supportive and involved in conversations enhancing the overall forum experience. Irina Pavlova, USS Eagle Presented by Oddas Aria: "When the USS Eagle launched it was a hectic time, one that saw members being added, newsgroups set up, and in general, the crew gathering its legs. During this time Irina Pavlova saw the need for the forums to be populated and ‘seeded’ with content, and did not hesitate to jump in and do so. This attitude is one she carries into the OOC group, helping keep conversations going, information flowing, and in general helping our new crew feel cohesive and integrated. It is my great pleasure to award Quark’s Bar to Irina Pavlova! Keep up the great work! " The Xalor Clan Xifilis Award Given to any simmer who overcomes any sort of disadvantage while simming. This award was originally called the "Rachel Garett Pendant," but was renamed for the 2000 ceremony to honor a respected simmer in UFOP: StarBase 118 who passed away in that year. This is the only Special Award that is given more than once per ceremony. Chloe Waters, USS Eagle Presented by Oddas Aria: "One might assume that a text-based game would be difficult for a writer depending on a Screen Reader. Chloe manages to not only participate, but to do so in an exemplary manner, one that is an example for others to follow and emulate, and one that continuously impresses all who are privy to it. Chloe is an excellent writer who manages to add her own little twist to all adventures and is an integral part of the crew. Congratulations on winning the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award. " Femi Cattan, USS Astraeus Presented by Mei’konda Delano: "When I first met Yasmine after she transferred from the Atlantis, I didn't know much to think about her at first. I could tell she was a great writer, but didn't know the person behind the character. That was until through a series of unfortunate events where her grandparents died back to back a month apart from each other. I felt really sad for her so I wanted to talk to her and see how she was doing. That was when I realized the amazing heart she has for people. In the game, Cattan is a counselor as well as a Doctor. After having to go through her loss in real life, her simming was less than frequent which was very understandable. Yasmine then soon to struggle with keeping up, but I could tell she was trying her best. She has a very heartwarming personality and we all wish her the best and are ready to support her however we can as she works to deal with life’s challenges. " Kurt Logan, USS Atlantis Presented by Brell: "Paul the writer behind Marine Captain Kurt Logan found himself in a situation not many of us could even bare to imagine seeing two loved ones hospitalized at the same time which led to him needing to take a short LOA. Through all of his personal strife, and worry Pauls caring and friendly spirit remained intact. Since returning he has thrown himself into simming, posting at rates shattering his previous records, he has recently joined the ship's staff and remains an integral part of Atlantis. As well as someone I feel truly honored to have gotten to know over our years simming together in the fleet." Theo Whittaker, USS Columbia Presented by Jarred Thoran: "Over the past eighteen months I have come to know a great deal about Mikey, the writer behind Theo Whittaker, including his struggles with autism. It is something that he is not shy about sharing with other - in fact many times I have seen him share those troubles with other simmers who are in a similar situation, letting them know they are not alone. Even when at his lowest points, Mikey does not allow it to interfere with his duties as a captain within the fleet. He is a true inspiration and I am honoured to present him with the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award." The Trailblazer Award For members who originate a creative and innovative way for the fleet to engage with each other and the Star Trek universe. These participants provide unique opportunities that help to make our game an immersive and unique Star Trek experience. Ash MacKenna, USS Eagle Presented by Oddas Aria: " The Image Collective is something I, and most members of the fleet, depend on for everything from Avatar Images to Banners to just the minutiae of things that go into giving our ships, quarters, and generally everything else a bit of extra help in describing and visualizing our world. It is amazing to me that the Image Collective is a relatively new group, and was conceived by Ash MacKenna. The Image Collective adds so much to our group and our fleet would greatly diminished without it. Thank you so much for having the foresight, and imagination, to create such a group. Thank you for letting me have the honor of presenting you with the Trailblazer Award." The Community Champion Award For members who participate in – or help facilitate – simming community events, representing the best of UFOP: SB118 to other organizations by hosting events, acting as contest judges, or otherwise contributing their expertise in a way that benefits the wider community. Sal Taybrim, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Jarred Thoran: "Community Champion. Somebody who contributes their expertise in a way that benefits the wider community - for example by hosting a monthly fleet-wide chat? This is a task that Jamie, the writer behind Sal Taybrim organises on a monthly basis - each chat helping to foster the sense of community, allowing old friends to keep in touch, for members of the fleet to engage with one another. Running the chat is no easy task, from organising a date, planning topics of discussion to keeping things moving along during the actual chat. More recently Jamie has introduced the idea of "fleet watch alongs", an event which has proven a fantastic success with fleet members. Her efforts for this alone are worthy of this award, but that is not all Jamie does! She also organises the Annual Trivia Contest, a near herculean task involving composing sixty questions and then administering them in a controlled fashion for the community to guess the answer. Whilst she is not busy planning the next chat or running Ops, Jamie also keeps a watchful eye over the Discord lobby, helping to maintain the pleasant atmosphere. Jamie puts an inordinate amount of time into fostering the community that we have all come to love and it is my privilege to present her with the Community Champion Award. Congratulations and thank you for all the hard work." Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Well that's a wrap! This year's Awards Ceremony comes to a close as we take stock of the past year's worth of writing and fellowship in our community. It's been an amazing 25 years forging these traditions and building Star Trek stories. Before taking a few moments to thank the folks who made this ceremony possible, I want to recall last year's ceremony: Like so many things we do, the end result comes off like a song – impeccably managed, orchestrated with grace and ease, tied up with a bow and looking like a commercial product put together by a team of paid professionals. But as you will often hear us staff members remind some of our newer members: Everything you see here has been done by volunteers who are putting in their personal time for a love of the game, and a love of the community. It's easy to forget that it must have taken a lot of time and effort to put all this together. The Awards Ceremony, in particular, is one of our grandest hills to climb each year. The process begins more than two months before the ceremony is presented, as the Captains Council reviews the last year's ceremony, discusses changes that need to be made to the awards, and thinks about ways we can improve what we're doing. We have a manual that details not only each step in the process, but also the roles involved, which include the Awards Facilitator, and the Awards Committee Members. And that doesn't even consider the burden of your ship's staff, who are asked to rally every crew to nominations, then review the nominations for General Awards, help compile the Length of Service Awards, and more. We have detailed templates for our news posts, forum posts, and the final, complete wiki presentation that all have to be filled-out properly – a single character mistyped can mean we end up debugging for longer than I care to admit. And then, once it's all said and done, the wiki's records must be updated accurately, otherwise feelings will be hurt, or worse, more work will be added to next year's roster as we're forced to track down and verify missing awards and determine why they weren't recorded. So you see, like an opera, there are set pieces moving in every direction, actors hurrying here and there, costume and makeup being donned, and all of it must arrive on time, correct, complete, and parseled in both a just and fair manner. It's no easy task, and I do hope – for just a moment – you'll consider all these moving pieces and spare some appreciation for everyone involved, who are putting in the work to ensure that everyone below is thanked and recognized for the creativity they've put in over the past year. It's really quite incredible how much work goes into this whole thing, so I'm hopeful that we don't take for granted any of the people who helped make it happen. Awards Facilitator Jared Thoran has these words of special recognition: In addition to what he's said above, I'd like to add my thanks to: Awards facilitator Jarred Thoran. It's no surprise he won a number of awards this year considering how well he managed to facilitate the ceremony and process. He managed to move all the set-pieces perfectly into place with quiet efficiency, and that's incredibly helpful to all the staff that relied on him to ensure they were told what was needed from them, by when, and delivered it into the proper places for presentation. Congratulations to him for a job very well done – and huge thanks to him from all of us! And once again, huge appreciation for every member of the fleet who took their time to write a nomination. Without you, it'd be impossible for us to have this kind of recognition process, because each of you helps to assemble those memories about ways that others have contributed. You're so wonderful for that – thank you! Congratulations to all the winners of awards this year! Your hard work has paid off, and you'll go down in our history books as a part of our history and community, showing that you made us what we are.

2019 Starbase 118 Awards Tribute

Hello and welcome to the 24th annual awards ceremony in our 25th year of our community! There's so much I always want to say, year-after-year as part of this introduction. I'll try and be quick so that we can dive in! First, at the end of the ceremony we'll have more detailed thanks and recognition for the process of getting all this done – so please be on the lookout for that on the last day. But right up front I just want to say thanks both to Cmdr. Thoran who was this year's awards facilitator. It's a really huge job and he handled it beautifully. And thanks to all the staff who took so much time to help prepare. We couldn't have done this without them. Second, I want to thank all of you who took your time putting in nominations. It's such a joy to read them as they come in, learning about how you see each other in this community, and what you value and appreciate. Please know, more than anything else, that this community is filled with love and appreciation and that so many people here are thinking deeply about how their peers are contributing writing and their personal time to build what we have. At the end of the day, our Awards Ceremony is simply a distillation of all those nominations into the consensus we can find among everyone, but each and every nomination is a little love letter and all of you are valued and appreciated for what you contribute. Third and finally, I hope you all enjoy this, our longest-standing tradition outside of simming itself. In our 25th year anniversary of founding this is a special moment to really think about what it means to have a legacy like this, built by Star Trek fans and writers who share a common vision of a more peaceful future, where human potential is limited only by our imagination. -Jordan FltAdml. Tristan Wolf

Nominations for the 2019 Awards Ceremony open on Monday, May 20 at 12:15am Pacific Time and close on Monday, June 10 at 11:45pm Pacific Time. If this is your awards ceremony with us, welcome! This is a tradition that dates back to 1996, wherein we honor the people of the fleet who are simming really well, or contributing OOC. Back in the "old days," we would gather the entire fleet onto one email list (we were a lot smaller then...) and sim together an award presentation; now we do things a bit differently. Here's how it works today: Everyone in the fleet submits nominations for consideration. The group staff (ship COs, EC members, etc.) review the nominations. Each ship has their own awards presentation on their OOC email list for awards in the General Awards category. Award in this category can be given to one person on each ship. Then, we have a fleetwide presentation of awards here on the forums. Awards in the Duty Post, Special, Staff, and Length of Service categories are presented over the course of three days. One person in the fleet can receive each of the Duty Post, Special, and Staff categories. How to nominate: We rely on each and every member of the fleet to submit nominations so we can recognize the best members of our community who are putting in the time and effort to make this a fun place to be. So we need your help! If you don't nominate your peers and mentors for awards, they won't get recognized. We want to encourage everyone to be really free with their nominations – there's no penalty in putting in a nomination that doesn't ultimately get the award. But ships that have fewer nominations tend to end up having fewer award winners – so don't be shy! Multiple nominations from members of a ship for any given award can help send a signal to reviewers that a certain person is really deserving, but also one really great nomination can be the deciding factor for someone to win an award. Follow these simple instructions to get started: Check out the wiki Hall of Honor to see the list of awards and learn more: https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Award Consider who you want to nominate. Then do a quick check on the list of past award winners to make sure they haven't won the award before: https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=List_of_Award_Recipients (You can sort the table by clicking on the column headers, or you can use your browser's "Find" feature to quickly find a character anywhere on the page – on PC, use CTRL+F, on Mac use ⌘+F.) If the person hasn't won the award before, head to the nomination form: https://www.starbase118.net/members/personnel/forms/award-nomination-panel/ Enter your information and select the award. Then write a nomination reason. For some awards, we'll ask you for a link to a sim if you have one readily available that helps justify your nomination. Don't stress out about finding a sim, but if you have one, it could help. If you feel really confident about your award nomination, chat with others on your ship who might also feel the same way and recommend they make a similar nomination! Writing a good nomination: Remember, your nominations are going up against other nominations from your ship (for General category awards), or from the entire fleet (Duty Post, Special, Staff category awards). So the better you make your case for why your nomination should win, the more likely it is that it will help your nominee end up getting the award. Last year, we put together some nominations that helped nominees in 2017 win. You can check them out for some inspiration: https://www.starbase118.net/2018/award-nomination-examples/ (We'll post some more from last year – 2018 – in the next few days.) All that being said, don't go overboard! If the case for a nominee self-evident, or clearly shown by a sim, it's okay to write less in your explanation and allow the evidence to stand on its own. How to get a sim link: You can grab a link to a sim by going to your ship's Google Group archive (the link is in the footer of every sim). Awards Ceremony schedule: June 27, Thursday: PRESENTATION: Introduction, General Awards June 29, Friday: PRESENTATION: Special and Length of Service Awards June 29, Saturday: PRESENTATION: Staff Awards June 30, Sunday: PRESENTATION: Duty Post Awards, finale/acknowledgments, complete ceremony posted on the Community News, in an announcement to the fleet via email, and on the wiki. Questions? Head to the Discord chatroom, where we have the #awards2019 room where you can ask questions of other members. Or, ask your FO or CO for help – they're happy to answer questions and have been through multiple ceremonies!

Last year, we added a question after the nominations form asking what you thought we could improve about the nominations process. Here are some of the questions we got and how we handled them: I'd really like, if it's possible, to be sent an email with my nomination submission on? I think that would improve it overall and help keep track of it. We've added an email notification that sends you your nomination. Let me know what you think this year. Make it easier to find the nomination page. A link on the forums or to the OOC lists, included in the nomination announcements, would be handy. Places we link to it: Hall of Honor/Awards page ("Nomination Panel" in the right-sidebar) Community News post announcing the nomination period open Email to the fleet that goes out when nominations period opens "Everything you need to know about the 2019 Awards Ceremony" thread #awards2019 chatroom pinned items Forums announcement - at the very top of the page once the nomination period opens Any other ideas of where we should put it? Not sure why the Picard Award has a box for a sim submission. To me, it is a purely OOC contribution to the group. You're right. We're hiding that field for that award this year. Possibly just aesthetic changes. Make the form more attractive, possibly bigger font. More attractive how? Was unable to submit nominations with adblock enabled. Try turning Adblock off. It would be helpful to have a link on the awards nomination page to the Google Group, or the archive to assist in providing examples. We've added links to the currently active ship Google Groups in the field where the sim link is requested. Leaving award nominations open all year round, but promoting it just before the awards panel convenes. This makes it easier for players to nominate those whom are eligible for an award all year round, rather than madly rushing to find appropriate sims of those whom may be nominated only around award season. We'll take this one under advisement! I would be more convenient if award descriptions were listed before the list of previous award winners. I think that's the way we do it now unless I'm misunderstanding your suggestion? For example: Prantares Ribbon. It would be helpful to sort the list by award as well as by name. We've moved the Complete List of Award Recipients to a Google Sheet. You can sort and filter to your heart's content. Create a drop down option for 'non-stationed' players, like Wolf, so we don't have to pick random ships to nominate him or any others doing admin only. Aww, thanks! Just put "Starbase 118 Ops" for me. 😃And for anyone else, use their last known ship. We prefer to keep it this way only because we don't want a situation where we add a "non-stationed" option and then folks start putting that for people who are on LOA – we'd rather make sure those nominations are routed to their most recent captain. Hopefully that makes sense? It would be nice if we could vote for multiple awards on the same page. Couple people proposed this but I'm just not sure how to make it happen using the current form software we're using. The problem is that we need to be able to dispatch notifications to the user of the nomination they made, and also dispatch an award nomination notification to our email archive for each nomination, which isn't easy to do if we have more than one nomination on the page. But I recognize this is a bit of an annoyance and apologize for that. If anyone has ideas regarding how to make this work with GravityForms, let me know. I'd love to see the option to summarize/describe a scene or story as reference to the nominee's simming, rather than trying to search through all the posted sims for the moment the nominator is thinking of. In many cases, I couldn't find it after about 15 minutes of search and gave up. Sim links are not required. Implementing a way of automatically checking if a proposed nominee has already received an award in the past might be an excellent, if challenging, implementation to look at in the future. Having a drop down of ships and their assigned crew members, with each member linked to a database of their awards from previous years might make this possible. Not sure how to do this without quite a bit of development work which feels like it would lead us down a road of having to maintain a piece of software on our own, which we're not very good at. Hopefully the new spreadsheet makes it easier to find the people you're looking for with filter views? Thanks to everyone who put in their suggestions! Keep 'em coming using the form! Feel free to also respond here with other suggestions or to follow-up on the items above.

Welcome to the final day of the awards ceremony. So far this week we’ve announced the recipients of the Staff, General, Length of Service and Special Awards. Today we present the duty post awards. Each award focuses on a different department from the major ones such as medical, operations or engineering to the more unique - like diplomacy, intel or marines. Even civilians have a chance to be recognised for the valuable contributions that can be made to our stories by those who prefer the path less worn. Each of these awards recognises a player for excellence in simming their duty post. Since only one award per duty post is given each year, only the very best are chosen and they are highly coveted awards. You’ll see from our spread of winners – who range in rank from Ensign to Captain – that every player has a chance to be considered for one of these by consistently simming to the best of their ability and striving to improve their craft. The Prantares Award - Medical The Prantares Ribbon is a duty post award and is awarded to those medical officers who have moved beyond competence to display a true gift for the healing arts in the context of space medicine. The officers given this award should display the ability to keep a steady hand in the often hazardous conditions in which they must practice, as well as the willingness to risk their own life to save the lives of others. Edward Spears, USS Constitution Presented by Jalana Rajel: “There are players that leave a deep impression from the moment they join the game. The first time I saw Edward Spears dive into a medical procedure I could feel the passion and love for writing details. Medical is a field that strives through these traits. I knew from his comments that he wasn't in the medical profession in Real Life, and the amount of detail and knowledge that went into his sims was impressive to say the least. Not only did he knew his Star Trek Canon medical jargon but also brought in realism that I've seen only from experienced writers before. The last mission on the Constitution required an infiltration team to turn into Klingons, and instead of doing the '10 minute and you are done' bit we got on the shows, he wrote a detailed surgery, and included recovery time as well as consequences in case something went wrong. While that was still shorter than it would be today in 2018, it made it more realistic and didn't give us the feeling that Doctors in 2394 are simply tool wielders. But it didn't end there, Edward also willingly initiated an untested Klingon holographic-mind link so that he could be aboard another ship to treat his ship mates during a potential fire fight. He triaged a potentially fatal wound of a fellow officer, which he is presently working on rehabilitating with said officer. Edward has been with us for only a few months but his imagination, creativity, enthusiasm and passion are an example to everyone. I am proud and honored to present the Prantares Ribbon to the up and coming Edward Spears. Congratulations Derek!” The Natasha Yar Pin - Security The Natasha Yar Pin is a duty post award and is awarded to those security officers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting and preserving the lives of their crewmates, even at risk to their own. Ishani Kasun, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: “What does a player do when they want to play a counselor, but the only open role is security? If you’re Ishani Kasun you make one of the most complex and wonderfully written security officers possible. Ishani’s specialty is in Crisis Control – she’s a security officer whose main weapons to diffuse a situation are empathy and diplomatic words. At every turn in a mission Ishani has a new and clever solution to a problem that involves connecting with other characters. This is a wonderful skill in character because it means out of character Ishani connects with a wide variety of fellow players and characters creating realistic relationships across the ship. Highlights of the past year include Ishani’s continued counseling of a rescued refugee, a blossoming relationship with a fellow crewmember and making the decision to use force to protect fellow crew and civilians from Orion Syndicate criminals. She’s written wonderful scenes to help other characters cope with trauma and had a very realistic process of dealing with trauma, and growing to become a capable leader and department head with her own character. She is an officer that understands both the need for force and yet honors the non-violent tradition of Starfleet. I am so proud to be able to present Ishani with the Natasha Yar Pin!” The Voyager Medallion - Ops The Voyager Medallion is a duty post award and is awarded to those operations officers who have shown great skill in keeping a starship in working order despite near-impossible circumstances. The officers receiving this award have advanced the field of Operations, making sure duty rosters, provisions, gear, and even recreation time are available... no matter what. Randal Shayne, Andaris Task Force Presented by Theo Whittaker: “Operations can- on the surface at least- seem to a rather dry role to take on, lacking the immediate excitement of Security or Science. But scratch underneath the surface and you will see that perhaps more than any other, it is vital to the ship's health and success. It a certain kind of writer to do that and I am extremely fortunate that Randal Shayne is exactly that kind of writer. Rarely have I met a writer with Shayne's enthusiasm, eloquence and drive. He dives into his role with joy and excitement. He has transformed his role in to the living, beating heart of the Andaris Task Force. Every syllable of every word of every sentence of every paragraph in every simm is thought out and considered. He brings the role and the character to life with such beauty that it is often breathtaking. I have said it before and I will keep on saying it: Randal Shayne could (and probably should) write professionally. His simms are THAT good. I am deeply honoured to simm alongside an officer who brings his role to life with such ease and aplomb and it gives me great pleasure to be able to say a few words to an officer so deserving.” The Sisko Tactical Cross - Tactical The Sisko Tactical Cross is a duty post award and is awarded to those tactical officers who have shown cunning and bravery in battle. Master strategists, and experts in targeting and shield power distribution, these officers have done the impossible to save their ship and the lives of its crew. Arturo Maxwell, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: “Arturo Maxwell has taken a niche role and turned his character into a bedrock of StarBase 118 Ops. He writes strong evocative posts, combines a real life knowledge of military structures with a love of fiction and creates complex relationship with fellow PCs. Maxwell as a player is a good writer, and is excellent with communicating with staff and other players about mission ideas and shore leave plans. Maxwell as a character is not just a great crewmember, he's a man with a daughter, a strained relationship with his parents, a budding romance with another PC and a fantastic friend to so many other characters on Ops. Not only this, but he played through a plotline where his character was punished for IC actions -something he helped plan for character development. I was very impressed by his willingness to make his own character make a mistake, and play through realistic consequences. This made Maxwell a better rounded character with a believable story arc who became a stronger department head overall. I am so happy to recognize all of Maxwell’s hard work and so proud to present this award!” The Phoenix Award - Engineering The Phoenix Award is a duty post award that recognizes engineers. Named for the vessel that legendary engineer Zefram Cochrane piloted during his historic first warp flight, this award goes to those Engineering officers who continue this tradition of excellence in the field of engineering. By performing their tasks with enthusiasm, imagination and diligence, by managing to make their equipment perform above and beyond its rated capacities, the officers meriting this award further the mission of their ship by their superior know-how. In short, miracle workers. Valin Dermont, USS Atlantis Presented by Brell: “Valin Dermont joined the crew of the Atlantis at its launch and quickly found a home among the crew and at the side of the warp core. Not only is he technically adept in writing his duty post, Dermont's family life and friendships are thoroughly explored to our enjoyment. His character's engineering skills were learned by the seat of his pants as crew on a freighter, and he uses that unusual pre-starfleet life to enrich each and every sim he submits. His character breathes life into what can be a stiff and mechanical department.” The Cochrane Award - Science The Cochrane Award is a duty post award and is awarded to those science officers who have contributed greatly to the advance of science in the midst of their Starfleet career, by staying knowledgeable about their field, participating in the community of science, but most importantly, by placing their knowledge at the service of their ship and its mission. Sotak, USS Atlantis Presented by Brell: “Since becoming a member of the Atlantis crew she has quickly shown her aptitude for her chosen field. Getting to participate in a Duck Blind on her first full mission aboard has shown this in the attention to detail she has adhered to in preparations for the ground teams that would be altered to look like the local population. More than just a science drone Vulcan, Sotak has joined in many social situation with her crewmates. Where though stoic on the outside we as readers are treated to her internal thoughts that are anything but dull.” The Pilot's Sextant - Helm The Pilot's Sextant is a duty post award that recognizes helm officers. An award named after an old Earth navigational tool, the Pilot's Sextant is given to those Helm officers who have proven themselves to be the best of the best. From finding a safe route home to flying an emergency atmospheric landing, pilots who have earned the right to this award know the importance of staying focused, and puts their ability to make spectacular maneuvers at the service of their ship and its mission. Na’Lae Mandak, Andaris Task Force Presented by Theo Whittaker: “I've had the distinct pleasure of working alongside the recently promoted Lieutenant (JG) Mandak since joining the Andaris Task Force in December 2017. In the seven subsequent months, I have been drawn in by Mandak's witty writing and charming descriptions of life as a Starfleet conn officer. Whether it be piloting the USS Blackwell or one of its auxiliary vessels, the writer of Lt. Mandak makes you feel as though you are sat next to her, watching her work. We even see the logistics of the job at times in her interactions and planning- and it is never a dry subject. Only Mandak could take what could have been a dull conversation about logistical planning and make it easy to follow and gripping. And I still feel like we have barely begun to know this charismatic officer! Whatever the future brings for her, consider me excited!” The Order of the Valiant Heart - Counseling This award is given to those ship's Counselor who have shown great skill in protecting the mental health of their crewmates, clearly demonstrating superior ability to care, assist, and comfort those in need. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty in assisting their crewmates with their problems, and in preventing future problems from occurring. Rune Jolara, Andaris Task Force Presented by Theo Whittaker: “Intriguing, outstanding, compelling... they are perhaps the three words that come to mind when I think of Rune Jolara. Often characters tend not to reach out to counselors out of fear or uncertainty but Rune finds a way to bring them out of her shell- whether it be by her presence or through therapy combat. On missions, she often assists diplomatically or gathering intelligence using her former background. In short: she is invaluable to the Blackwell and we are all the richer for her presence. I still fondly recall Theo's first encounter as she got settled in and even now as she deals with Klingons- the blood enemies of the Al-Leyans on our current assignment- she is utterly compelling. When I see a post from her, I'm always excited because I know it's going to be golden.” The Semper Fidelis Award - Marines For those StarFleet Marines who have shown great skill in protecting their crew, accomplishing their mission, avoiding tragic loss of life in the line of duty, and upholding the values of the UFoP in times of crisis. Kurt Logan, USS Atlantis Presented by Brell: “Though for most of his time with us in the fleet he had been a Security officer in many ways Logan always had the Marine mindset. Since transferring to Atlantis at its launch and putting on the Marine green that has been made clear. His quick and unusual thinking has also served him well.” The Black Cross - Intelligence This award is given to a member of the Intelligence community that strives to accomplish the goals of Starfleet Intelligence, while simultaneously upholding the ideals and structure of Starfleet command. This person has the cunning to gather intelligence by means of deceptive dialogue or espionage, as opposed to force drawn confessions. While matters of intelligence are often game changers, this person strives to attain those goals within the boundaries of their Commanding Officer, and the regulations of Starfleet. David Knight, USS Atlantis Presented by Brell: “Many expect certain things when they see Starfleet Intelligence, a spook, spy, taking notes on everyone. The real lives of the officers who fill this vital role are often much more mundane, with a lot of reviewing reports and data to read over. Ensign Knight shows what it means to be a Starfleet Intelligence officer. He is diligent in his monitoring of the activities of the Par'tha expanse, and the Freeworlds, as well as the comings and goings around Deep Space 26. He gives the knowledge trusted to him its due respect. He has also been quick to file his well thought out reports with his superiors, and with the greater Intel community on the Blacknet.” The Lwaxana Troi Medallion - Non-traditional roles This award is given to a member who takes a unique role outside of the normal StarFleet positions and creates a colorful and engaging character. Mirra Ezo, Andaris Task Force Presented by Theo Whittaker: “Famous- or should that be infamous?- for her sassy mouth and larger than life personality, I had always been quietly convinced that Mirra would make one heck of a diplomat. An unorthodox diplomatic, mind you. I'm glad I was right. From the moment she confronted the Hur'Q leader on Arndall, we all knew that we were in for something VERY special. Equal parts serious and utterly hilarious, Mirra Ezo brings joie d'vivre to her new role establishing herself in a close knit team with aplomb. She can create, mediate and solve a diplomatic crisis before breakfast, peppering those in her line of sight with a well timed comment- sassy or otherwise. In a short space of time, Mirra has worked wonders in a department rarely seen on TV and Film Trek- a true testament to her writers skill!” The Strange Medallion - First Officer Named after Commander Sally Strange, widely known as one of the most creative and dedicated First Officers in the fleet's early years, this award is given to those who perform above the call of duty in the position of First Officer. Oddas Aria, Duronis II Embassy Presented by Toni Turner: “The Strange Medallion . . . Wow, what an honor to bestow this award on my own First Officer, Commander Oddas Aria, especially coming from a nominator saying he "served with many First Officers. One (of which) he would of loved to hang naked over a burning flame." Thank goodness Oddas didn't meet that criteria! He went on to say, "Commander Oddas is one of the best XO's I have come across. She is helpful and is always there for us." Another said of her, "Cmdr. Oddas has her work cut out for her. Not only does she have the uncommon responsibility of a Federation installment and three ships to look after, but she also has some very big personalities to deal with who do not always see eye-to-eye with her. Despite this, she always does her best for the crew while allowing them to express themselves." From my point of view, she has made mentoring easier for the entire staff. Each letter she sends to our players is filled with praise, encouragement, offers of help, and suggestions of things they could do to become a better simmer or to integrate into the storyline. She keeps a detailed record of our sims and if anyone falls short of the sim requirements, she writes them a thoughtful and friendly inquiry. Her sims set an excellent example for the rest of the crew, are well thought-out, and invoke amazing responses. She is a proponent of Embassy and the Fleet at large. She is the type of player who enjoys her duty to the CO and to the players. I feel very fortunate to have her among the Embassy/Thor crew because she fulfills all the demands of the FO, and when it comes time to make difficult decisions, she does not back down and is honest with her assessment of the problems that arise from time to time. Congratulations Oddas for this well-earned recognition!” In closing this year’s awards ceremony we’d like to thank the people who made this possible and make one final, special presentation. Our thanks and appreciation goes out to: Awards facilitator Rear Admiral Renos, who is facilitating the awards ceremony for the third year running. The Awards Committee, comprised or Rear Admiral Renos, Captains Brell and Sal Taybrim, Commanders Oddas Aria and Maxwell Traenor, who voted on the Duty Post and Special Awards and who volunteered to help pull materials together to help prepare the announcements. They put in a considerable amount of time and effort to help ensure everything was accurate, prepared and ready for awards day. Their help has made this the smoothest awards ceremony yet. The commanding officers of the fleet, who put in a lot of time and effort to review the nominations for their ships and ensure that the right people are selected for awards. The first officers of the fleet, for voting on the staff awards to provide recommendations to the EC about who they should choose to receive each award, for determining the recipient of general awards where their CO was nominated, and writing awards presentations where needed. Captains Nugra and Roshanara Rahman for helping to update the wiki with this year’s recipients. All of you who submit wonderful, heartfelt nominations each year! Finally, while we're all rockin' them feels for all the awesome fun and friendship we've got going on here for a crack-a-lackin' 24 years the awards facilitator, Rear Admiral Renos, would like to give a special shout out to the community's founder, Fleet Admiral Wolf. It’s not always easy to see just how much Fleet Admiral Wolf pours into this community because a lot of his tireless work is done in the background. Whether he’s working with the website, forums, WordPress, wiki or other resources we have, he makes sure everyone has accounts, and troubleshoots issues ensuring we can all enjoy everything the community has to offer all of the time. His inbox is always open to everyone, whether you’ve been working as a staff member for years or you’re a brand new ensign. His passion, drive and determination keep this community thriving and going strong in an age where there are more real life pressures, more options for entertainment than ever before. On behalf of the whole community I want to take a moment just to that him for everything he continues to do for us. Please join us in congratulating all the winners on their hard work this year. The full awards ceremony is now available on the wiki.

Today we are proud to present the Length of Service and Special Awards. Length of Service Awards are presented to members who have been continuously active for at least a year, there are also tiers for three, five, and ten years of continuous service. Additionally, we’re excited to announce the introduction of three new tiers for fifteen, twenty and twenty five incredible years of continuous service, marking our most dedicated and long-serving members. This year, 34 players have reached a length of service milestone. Of those, 11 are celebrating their first milestone, having picked-up the award for one year of active membership. Another 11 have achieved three years active membership and 6 more have been here for five years. 4 players have reached the incredible 10 year milestone, and two have reached milestones so amazing we had to introduce new Length of Service awards to cover them. 1-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for one year. Arturo Maxwell, graduated from training on November 21th, 2016. Sam Braddock, graduated from training on December 10th, 2013. Prudence Blackwell, graduated from training on August 7th, 2016. Yito Seja, graduated from training on June 28th, 2016. Femi Cattan, graduated from training on August 9th, 2016. Krindo Pandorn, graduated from training on August 9th, 2016. Anath G'Renn, graduated from training on February 28th, 2017. Jarred Thoran, graduated from training on May 8th, 2017. Alexander Brodie, graduated from training on April 30th, 2013. Tasha MacFarlane, graduated from training on November 21st, 2016. Yiggtissi, graduated from training on June 27th, 2017. Aitas, graduated from training on July 26th, 2017. 3-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for three years. Attikus Rundstrom, graduated from training on February 9th, 2015. Solaris McLaren, graduated from training on November 11th, 2013. Evan Delano, graduated from training on July 7th, 2013. Maxwell Traenor, graduated from training on November 24th, 2014. Kurt Logan, graduated from training on March 2nd, 2015. Aidonann Danara, graduated from training on, February 11th, 2014. Theo Whittaker, graduated from training on March 23rd, 2015. Randal Shayne, graduated from training on February 2nd, 2015. Mirra Ezo, graduated from training on May 4th, 2015. Ayiana Sevo, graduated from training on, September 1st, 2014. Cory Stoyer, graduated from training on November 10th, 2014. Raissa Moonsong, graduated from training on July 24th 2014. 5-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for five years. Sarah Mason, graduated from training on August 21st, 2012. Brell, graduated from training on January 3rd, 2005. Alexander Williams, graduated from training on June 24th, 2013. Rune Jolara, graduated from training on September, 2012. Irina Pavlova, graduated from training on August 4th, 2012. Brayden Jorey, graduated from training on December 10th, 2012. Chythar Skyfire, graduated from training on February 17th 2013 10-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for ten years. Hannibal Parker, graduated from training on .March 11th, 2007 Tal Tel-ar, graduated from training on April 18th, 2007 Trel'lis, graduated from training on February 19th, 2008. Pandora, graduated from training on June 29th, 2008. 15-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for fifteen years. Boris Hendon, graduated from training on March 1st 2002. 20-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for twenty years. Tristan Wolf, graduated from training on June 15th, 1994. Special Awards The Rising Star Award For members who show great promise in many facets of their participation in the group, and to whom we look to as a future leader. Maxwell Traenor, USS Constitution Presented by Jalana Rajel "From the first time I have met Maxwell Traenor back on the Apollo when he joined as a Science Officer, I've got the vibe of enthusiasm, humour and dedication to the game. Ever since I have kept an eye on his progress and not once has he stopped showing how much he enjoys the community and loves the people in it. In short time he had risen to the ranks of Leadership as a First Officer and dedicated a lot of his time not only on the ships he has served on, but also in his work leading the Top Sim Contest, being part of the Podcast team, Trainings Team and Public Relations. Whenever help is needed he does not hesitate to jump in and blossoms in his work to make the game fun for everyone. Even in times when a firm hand is needed he does that with respect and understanding. As First Officer he is invaluable for his ship, his sims are entertaining, full of details, humour but also severity if needed. Whenever I hear his name mentioned by my crew members it is in combination with praise. He takes time out of his busy days to answer questions, mentor junior crew members, writes sims to include as many people as possible into plots and his crew clearly loves him and his characters. He is the voice of reason to me many times, showing the other side of the coin that I might miss otherwise. He has worked tirelessly and has just been promoted to Commander, which has been long overdue. Without him the Conny and Starbase 118 wouldn't be the same. I have no doubt that when his times comes, he will be a fantastic CO with a crew who can build on and trust in him. I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to present the Rising Star Award to my First Officer Maxwell Traenor. Congratulations Jay!" Luminary Award Given to members holding the rank of ensign, lieutenant junior grade, or lieutenant. For those who show great promise in their future endeavours in UFOP: Starbase 118 RPG. Delan Han, Embassy of Duronis II Presented by Toni Turner: "Delan Han has been with us for a short time but has already begun making an indelible mark on the group. Not only has he been participating more than full time, he has done so by creating more than one believable character helping fill out needed holes. Han has not been shy about helping out on the wiki. He has helped update information on the Embassy ranging from the Science departments to information on the ships of the fleet and, more recently, beginning to contribute ideas on Trill. Han has also begun the process of taking on mentoring and staff responsibilities and has been excelling at it. Lieutenant Han has shown great enthusiasm for things that help the Embassy and the fleet as a whole. From helping to keep our wiki up-to-date, adding quite a number of PNPC's to making a Beer, Wine and Spirits list so other players, choosing to be Trills, can choose their poison. It also includes a history of Trill Winemaking. He is a driving force in his sims, and will go far in the organization, enriching it and making us all better. Congratulations Delan, well done!" The Locutus Award Given to those members of the Publicity Team who go above-and-beyond their monthly requirements for participation on a regular basis. These team members show enthusiasm and flair for spreading the word about or role-playing community and take an active interest in finding new ways to invite people to join our ranks. Jarred Thoran, Andaris Task Force Presented by Nugra: "When it comes to the Publicity team this year, there is one thing for certain; the Publicity team would have fallen apart if Lt. Commander Jarred Thoran did not take the initiative and run Publicity for a few months. RL had become a nightmare for me, and when I needed help the most, he stepped up without asking and handled the facilitator tasks with courage and with dedication. I commend Jarred Thoran for his initiative and his camaraderie in helping me keep things going. I'm proud to have him as my right hand and my fleet mate. Congratulations on your win, Commander!" The Sarpeidon Award Awarded to members who have made outstanding contributions to the 118Wiki. Sarpeidon was the world in TOS's "All Our Yesterdays," in which the planet's population created a library containing their entire world's history. This is, in essence, what our wiki strives to become: a collection of our group's history and a simming database. Aitas, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: "Aitas is a person with an incredible eye for detail. This extends to the SB118 wiki. She's been instrumental in combing through the wiki and suggesting many quality upgrades that organize our information better as well as making good changes in old information so it fits well within our canon and mission for creating a sensitive and mature game story. Some of the work I have witnessed her do was to comb through all of the Ops history - which is 20 years and 18 COs worth of information. She created documents of changes that should be made and prompted a major overhaul of the history pages on StarBase 118 Ops. But her work didn’t end there, she’s also been instrumental in going through inactive ship’s histories. She flagged information that was contradictory, confusing or just plain wrong and worked very hard to fix it. She's also really sensitive about changing thoughtless entries that could be offensive to new players into entries that are well thought out and treat delicate subject matter with a sensitive and well-reasoned hand." The Boothby Award For trainers who go above and beyond their Academy training requirements. These trainers display an outstanding example of dedication to bringing new cadets to our community. Jarred Thoran, Andaris Task Force Presented by Quinn Reynolds: "To say that the recipient of this year's Boothby Award goes "above and beyond" doesn't seem to quite cover it. Jarred Thoran not only puts a huge amount of his time into the academy, regularly volunteering and participating in classes several times a month, but always strives for excellence, whether acting in the capacity of mock cadet, class XO or class CO. Cadets clearly benefit from his patient, kind and thoughtful guidance, and he's a joy to work with as a fellow training officer. As academy commandant, I feel privileged to have someone so dedicated and talented as a member of the training team, and I'm delighted to present him with this year's Boothby Award. Congratulations!" Quark's Bar Quark's Bar is a special award and is awarded to members who are regularly active on the forums and have been supportive and involved in conversations enhancing the overall forum experience. Attikus Rundstrom, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: "Attikus Rundstrom - you might know her better as Rustyy Hael or Noelle, is an amazingly creative and energetic simmer, staff member and contributor to StarBase 118. This really shows in her commitment to the forums. She encourages fellow members to use the Species Guild form, sparks quality discussion in the public group topics and is a tireless cheerleader for Ops to get active on the forums. She creates quality topics, encourages people to post and stays positive throughout all of it. Noelle is also one of many great players who actively recognize fellow players in the ship and appreciation forums and she encourages others to do the same. She’s always positive, supportive and ready to help a fellow player out of character. She is a great person to honor with this recognition for all her excitement, energy and support. Congratulations Noelle!" The Xalor Clan Xifilis Award Given to any simmer who overcomes any sort of disadvantage while simming. This award was originally called the "Rachel Garett Pendant," but was renamed for the 2000 ceremony to to honor a respected simmer in UFOP: StarBase 118 who passed away in that year. This is the only Special Award that is given more than once per ceremony. Groznin Smith, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: "One of Discord's regulars, Groznin Smith is filled with enthusiasm and friendliness, clearly taking immense joy in being a part of our community. What's remarkable is that he maintains that spirit of fun and good humour despite the numerous trips he has to make for medical appointments, most recently involving significant surgery to his leg. He's open and candid about his disability -- sharing the details and a few pictures of his medical journey -- and really quite humbling in the way he honestly discusses the difficulties he's experienced. For these reasons, like his nominators I believe he is more than deserving of the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award, and I'm proud to present it to him." Valin Dermont, USS Atlantis Presented by Brell: "Real life has a way of getting in the way of most everyones simming. It takes a lot of effort to be able to overcome, and continue to post sims that fill crewmates with joy over the humorous content.Even more so when it is a storm of RL troubles hitting in short order. Valin Dermont is one such person who makes great effort to stay in the game, and post while while enduring many hardships." Raissa Moonsong, USS Veritas Presented by Roshanara Rahman: "Mandy, the writer for Raissa Moonsong, is an award-winning player recognized for her superior talents as a writer and for her out of character efforts to boost ship morale. She has done so while also having to undergo a most personal and challenging time in her life, facing a grueling health crisis. She simmed full-time as long as she could until her treatment needed her to rest and have the time to gather the strength to fight her illness. Her courage in the face of all this has been awe-inspiring to witness both for the crew and me as her CO. With great joy, we have recently welcomed her back to active simming, and we all wish her the best as our fellow shipmate, player, and friend." Trel’lis , Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: "Dusty, the writer behind Trel’lis, has struggled this year with injuries and other health related issues that have hampered her ability to post regularly. But she always maintained good communication through our OOC channels and posts as much as she can. I am always impressed by how quickly she bounces back from being in the hospital or at the doctor to posting again. It is clear that she loves to play her character, and this great effort stands out. Trel’lis is a dependable character both in game and out of game, and a good friend to many characters on StarBase 118 Ops. She’s overcome so many difficulties and still been able to make a niche for herself on the Starbase. Thank you, Dusty, for putting so much effort into your writing. You have improved so much over the years and overcome so many difficulties and have become a vibrant member of our crew. You deserve to be recognized and I happy to present you with this award!" Wallace Williams, Embassy of Duronis II Presented by Toni Turner: "Wallace Williams came to us and after a short time sent us a sim that said, essentially it was nice to sim with us because it helped with his autism. It took us a few extra weeks to realize English was also his second language. Despite this, he has kept up a great simming rate and is always full of creative and imaginative ideas and plot twists. Congratulations Wallace, we look forward to simming with you for a long long time." The Trailblazer Award For members who originate a creative and innovative way for the fleet to engage with each other and the Star Trek universe. These participants provide unique opportunities that help to make our game an immersive and unique Star Trek experience. Roshanara Rahman, USS Veritas Presented by Tristan Wolf: "Created as a means of incentivizing innovation our game, the Trailblazer Award is already highlighting some of the most wonderfully fresh ideas in our fleet. This year's recipient is Captain Roshanara Rahman (Rich), someone who has built his very brand on helping the fleet think in new ways. Some of his first innovations were on the wiki, bringing fantastic graphical elements. He followed that by developing the Veterans Affairs committee, to help long-standing members of the fleet identify things we could improve. And later, he developed the spinoff group that's now being highlighted below. The Federation News Service was created by Rich as a way of enriching our In Character universe with little "slice of life" stories, written in the news formats. At first, they were posted on the wiki, and then later, we launched FNS into its own website. Since he developed the idea, Rich has helmed the operation, even bringing the news style to our monthly mission reports, which have been a requirement of the Constitution since it was drafted – and the new format has taken dry monthly recaps and revitalized them into fun "dispatches from the edge," that are not just entertaining to read, but now act almost like little bits of advertising. So a trailblazer is exactly what Rich is, and he fully embodies the spirit of this award. We're lucky to have his creative mind and intense loyalty to our community. Kudos to him for all the hard work that's gone into his many efforts over the years." The Community Champion Award For members who participate in – or help facilitate – simming community events, representing the best of UFOP: SB118 to other organizations by hosting events, acting as contest judges, or otherwise contributing their expertise in a way that benefits the wider community. Renos, USS Gorkon Presented by Sal Taybrim: "A community champion is not only someone who reaches all parts of our own community, but someone who reaches out to the e-mail roleplaying community at large, presenting our group in the most positive light. I cannot think of a better person to recognize for their achievements in championing our community than Renos. It can be difficult to work with outside organizations, but Renos always presents the best of StarBase 118 when we come together with the outside community. Renos has been a driving factor in our participation in several Ongoing Worlds events including multiple FallFest and SciWorld conventions; helping get presentations organized behind the scenes and leading multiple sessions for the convention under the banner of StarBase 118. For all their great work Renos has been honored with a Squddie award, and has continued to present the best face of StarBase 118 to the roleplaying public. In fact Renos’ work on FallFest is what inspired me to step up and also run StarBase 118 sessions at following events , and he has facilitated other members of our group to represent StarBase 118 in the community at large as well. I can think of no more deserving candidate for this award that Rear Admiral Renos – Congratulations!"

Welcome to day one of the annual awards ceremony! We’re very excited to present the General and Staff Awards. The Staff awards are only for those members who have achieved the rank of commander or higher. These awards recognize the hard work of our staff, who do the behind-the-scenes work required to keep the engine of our community running, and smoothly at that! They help foster the fun simming environment we all enjoy. Just like with last year, the first officers of the fleet were asked to vote on the nominations for each staff award, providing recommendations to the EC about who should receive each award. We’re so happy to have this valuable feedback and guidance for our staff awards! The General (Ship) Awards have been presented by each captain to their crew. The winners this year, as in previous years, were chosen by the fleet’s commanding officers (or in cases where the commanding officer was also nominated, the first officer was called in to decide) from the nominations made by you! This is your chance to see how each of the other ships did and see who picked up what award. Staff Member of the Year Award For staff members who have contributed tirelessly to the organization through any number of OOC channels, while maintaining excellence in simming on their vessel. Sal Taybrim, StarBase 118 Ops Presented by Toni Turner: "I think everyone agrees that Captain Sal Taybrim, the character in front of Jamie, is the glue holding the monthly Fleetwide Chats together, but what you may not know is how she has worked tirelessly for her station and for SB118 as a whole in addition to the chats. She has to her credit a long list of OOC work throughout the fleet, from News to a number of forums and continues through all the connections she's made with many of the writers, not limiting herself to only IC friendships. And as her nominator said, "This kind of work goes a long way to bringing the fleet together and also to bringing in more wonderful writers and characters." She works diligently to ensure fun and quality for each person on board. From simple missions to helping them achieve their goals no matter what they are. Even with all that, she's never once sent a sim that wasn't meticulously checked for proper grammar or correct spelling. And she always ensured everyone is active, with an endless flow of tags. It is my pleasure to present the Staff Member of the Year Award to this hard-working Captain! Congratulations! " The Picard Award The highest honor given to those officers of Admiral rank. Recipients of the Picard Award must show an unfailing devotion to the club, as well as work continually on ways to better the atmosphere of simming in our community. Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Presented by Tristan Wolf: "I'm very excited to present the tenth recipient of the Picard Award. Named after one of our most respected characters of Star Trek, known for his wisdom, strategic skill, and quiet dignity, this award is the highest honor given to those of Admiral rank. Our line of recipients has been a proud and accomplished group of staff members, who've given innumerable hours to our community both in command, and outside of it. Quinn Reynolds (Emma) has one of the keenest minds I've met in our community over the past 24 years. I don't even know if she has legal training in real life, but it wouldn't surprise me! Even before she joined the Executive Council, we called on her to ask for advice in a tough disciplinary process, and since then, she's been bringing her finely tuned sense of justice, order, and fairness to every discussion. I'm always impressed at how she balances logic with empathy, expedience with tradition, and because of those skills, I count on her as one of our most vital community leaders, guiding us through difficult moments with aplomb. But beyond all that, Emma is also a kind and gracious ship's captain, and a wonderful writer, who has solidified the Gorkon into a pillar of our fleet, mentoring new players and developing the skills of the up-and-comers of the fleet. I can't say enough about how much I value and appreciate what Emma brings to UFOP: SB118. Many congratulations to her on earning this top honor, and a place in the history books of our community." The James T. Kirk Cross Given to new Commanding Officers who show outstanding potential in the field of commanding. Brell, USS Atlantis Presented by Renos: "The recipient of this award is a long time member of the group. An endlessly bright and friendly soul who always has a kind word for everyone he meets. For as long as I've known him, he has always been heavily involved on the forums, discord and in various OOC teams, most recently the Training Team where he is a Deputy Commandant. I did a double take as I realised it has only been a couple of months since he was promoted to captain. Brell took command in circumstances that were far from ideal for all involved. Players all appreciate and speak highly of his many qualities and ability to handle difficult situations and players with great respect and care. Brell is not only passionate about his own ship, but the fleet as a whole and its no wonder he's so widely known and popular. I know there are many many great things ahead for this wonderfully talented captain and I look forward to seeing it. Congratulations Brell! " T'Pau Cluster of Distinction For long-term achievement in leading the Training Team. Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Presented by Renos: "The T'Pau Cluster of Distinction is presented to individuals with a long history of achievement in leading the training team. The team is incredibly important to the fleet, ensuring that new players are given a warm, friendly welcome and are introduced to our way of simming. The team also serves as a training group, allowing our up and coming would be captains to hone their leadership skills. Its a complex team to administrate but this year's recipient makes it look easy. She is a very hands on Academy commandant, with a warm, friendly nature that puts everyone at ease. Trainers and new players alike feel comfortable approaching her with any questions or concerns they may have. Her diplomatic abilities have seen her take care of any issues that arose and classes run smoothly under her expert eye. Rear Admiral Reynold's passion and dedication to the team has seen it go from strength to strength. I can think of no one more deserving of the T'Pau Cluster of Distinction. Well done, and thank you for all you do." Shuvalis Diamond of Recognition For long-term achievement in leading the Publicity Team. Nugra Presented by Quinn Reynolds: "The publicity team is one of our group's most vital endeavours, drawing attention -- and therefore new members -- to our group and ensuring our long-term longevity and success. A long-serving and dedicated member of the fleet, Jon (Captain Nugra) has worked tirelessly as a member of this team, even when on leave. A constant presence offering support and encouragement, he is always ready to listen and offer feedback to other members of the team, searching for new ideas and ways to support members new and old. Most recently, he has taken the initiative to revitalise and restructure the team to take advantage of social media to improve our internet presence -- no easy task! It is then with great pleasure that I present the Shuvalis Diamond of Recognition to him. Congratulations!" The Sarek Star Given to a command officer who shows great diplomatic ability in working with members and staff. Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution Presented by Sal Taybrim: "It is sometimes very difficult to realize what a tremendous impact that quiet level-headedness and honest diplomacy have, but in the case of Jalana Rajel, her strength and leadership lets it shine through. Jalana has been a dependable commanding officer for three years, and she’s always been able to mediate disputes with a firm and gentle tone. She’s also been able to provide a welcoming atmosphere for new crew members while making experienced players feel at home. Her crew deeply appreciates her open minded attitude and willingness to listen to concerns and work to solve them. Because of this dedication to providing a great game for all players, her ship has seen great retention in promising players, and she has been a respected mentor for her staff. I am especially impressed by her ability to turn mistakes into teaching opportunities for everyone on her ship – from the highest rank to the newest member. This creates a positive, supportive atmosphere where players are encouraged to write better, and be inspired to tell better stories. I am especially happy to be able to award Jalana with this honor this year because she has done such good work with her senior staff on the Constitution to improve communication and make a great ship to play on. This is seen in the pride she has for her crew and the support she’s given her staff as they work towards command. It takes a good CO to lead a strong ship, but it takes an extraordinary CO to teach others how to move towards command one day. For all of this hard work, the Sarek Star is very well deserved. Congratulations, Jalana! " Christopher Pike Pendant Awarded to commanding officers who command their ship with honor and dedication, and help to provide an creative atmosphere which fosters outstanding simming. Roshnara Rahman, USS Veritas Presented by Quinn Reynolds: "The Christopher Pike Pendant is awarded to those who exemplify everything that a captain strives for; creating a positive, inspirational atmosphere on their ship that encourages everyone to sim and contribute at their fullest potential. Rich (Captain Roshanara Rahman) has done just that in every possible way. A thoughtful, kind and even-handed captain, he is always searching for better ways of doing things, and his efforts have paid off and given rise to a remarkable ship with a remarkable crew. He has created a fantastic and unique campaign area for his crew to explore, rich with with opportunities for stories. His mentoring system supports all crew members, from new arrivals to to command candidates, offering them regular support and advice to help them achieve their own personal goals, creating an environment where everyone is empowered and enthusiastic about making their writing, characters and stories the best they can be. For these reasons, I'm proud and honoured to present him with the Christopher Pike Pendant. Many congratulations, Rich! " Chief’s Citation Starfleet history is much more liable to recognize the triumphs of its notable officers, and while non commissioned and enlisted personnel occasionally receive recognition, the NCO backbone of a starship is likely to go unremarked upon. So that our integral support staff don't similarly slip through the cracks, the Chief's Citation recognizes those essential staff members whose determined work has benefited the group, IC and/or OOC, even while their primary service was not as the commanding officer of a starship or other simming installation. Maxwell Traenor, USS Constitution Presented by Sal Taybrim: "Maxwell Traenor exemplifies the best qualities of a staff member of StarBase 118: he is calm, open minded, creative and communicative. He tirelessly works to create a good experience for all players of the game and to improve the experience on his own ship. As a first officer Traenor has not only been a steadfast mentor to new players onboard his own ship, but he is an active and insightful voice on the Captain’s Council. He has a wonderful ability to see the fleet as a whole, reaching out and advocating for improvements that will help all players have a more enjoyable experience, a quality he also brings to his ship, the USS Constitution, ensuring that everyone from brand new Ensigns to experienced department heads are having fun. He has been a star trainer in our Academy program and currently facilitates the Fleetwide Newsies taskforce, responsible for getting articles schedules every day of the year. On top of all of this he maintains very high writing standards and always manages to portray a realistic and sympathetic character. Maxwell Traenor is truly one of the leaders of our fleet and someone we are looking to as a future leader. I am so glad to be able to recognize all of his hard work with this award. Congratulations Commander Traenor! " Kathryn Janeway Award For retired Commanding Officers who have made a great impact on their crew and left an indelible legacy on our community history. Renos Presented by Roshanara Rahman: "James, the writer behind Rear Admiral Renos, has a passion for simming clear to anyone who has had the pleasure of writing or working with him. In fact, my own relationship with James has been completely through our mutual OOC activities from the Featured Bio Contest that we launched in 2012 to the Training Team, where James served as Academy Commandant. These are just a couple of his numerous contributions to the fleet, and most of course know James as the architecht and first commanding officer of the Andaris Task Force. Before that, he served as commanding officer of the USS Darwin-A. He led both groups for several years before he needed to step down and take a leave of absence to attend to real life affairs. The success of Andaris is his legacy and notable already for this award, but since returning to active simming, James is not one to rest on his laurels. He serves as a mentor for members including our newest COs, and he remains active on the Executive and Captains Councils. With his experience and drive, he continues to bring new ideas that will ensure our fleet's prosperity as it reaches its quarter-century milestone. For your tireless dedication to our community, thank you, James. You are well-deserving of this honor! " Please join us in congratulating these members of the staff! GENERAL AWARDS The recipients of the General Award this year, as in previous years, were chosen by the fleet’s commanding officers (or in cases where the commanding officer was also nominated, the first officer was called in to decide) from the nominations made by you! The Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement First Class (TOSMA) The Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement First Class is given to members who show great dedication in their behavior and simming abilities. A candidate for TOSMA regularly contributes good, solid ideas to the plot and character development. They also take the time to edit and proofread their sims to ensure quality in their writing. Jarred Thoran, Andaris Task Force Kurt Logan, USS Atlantis Edward Spears , USS Constitution Wallace Williams, Embassy of Duronis II Sera zh'Aella, USS Gorkon Aitas, Starbase 118 Ops Chythar Skyfire, USS Veritas The Genesis Award The Most Improved Simmer Award. For officers who show conspicuous effort in improving their simming skills. Krindo Pandorn, Andaris Task Force Amuro McKnight , USS Atlantis Raven Young , USS Constitution Alexander Brodie, Embassy of Duronis II Ferier Lanta, USS Gorkon Scotty Cross Given to an officer who shows extreme creativity while solving a plot dilemma or in-character plot twist. Mirra Ezo, Andaris Task Force David Knight, USS Atlantis Sal Taybrim (playing 2PC Shar'wyn Foster), USS Constitution Tasha MacFarlane, USS Gorkon Trel’lis, Starbase 118 Ops Mei’konda, USS Veritas Neelix Award For extra, out-of-character simming devotion. This includes, but isn't limited to, helping fellow officers who are in need of simming aid, visibility on the forums, OOC list presence, upkeep of wiki pages, etc. Anath G'Renn, Andaris Task Force Saveron , USS Constitution Oddas Aria, Embassy of Duronis II Tasha MacFarlane, USS Gorkon Lael Rosek, USS Veritas Nebula Bar Awarded to a simmer who has shown great imagination when creating or expanding upon planets, stars, stellar phenomena, and other physical environments and settings, such that these settings create a convincing, descriptive, realistic environment that inspires other simmers or enhances the flow of a given plot. Na'Lae Mandak, Andaris Task Force Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Laudean Commendation Awarded for achievements in exploration with new lifeforms. The recipient will have shown great creativity in many facets of species creation or expansion, including physiological, psychological, cultural, social, and more, and their creativity will inspire their fellow simmers. The Laudean Commendation can cover many aspects of species development, but should primarily be based in IC simming. Rune Jolara, Andaris Task Force Lilith Seir, USS Constitution Gogigobo Fairhug, Embassy of Duronis II Attikus Rundstrom, Starbase 118 Ops Sky Blake, USS Veritas Silver Palm Awarded to a simmer who has consistently boosted the morale of his/her crew. The recipient will be known to be able to add that spark to a plot whenever it may be lagging, or may be able to consistently bring enjoyment or a bit of humour to the sim, whilst keeping such sims relevant and realistic. Randal Shayne, Andaris Task Force Valin Dermont , USS Atlantis Rue Blackwell, USS Constitution Boris Hendon, Embassy of Duronis II Jocelyn Marshall, USS Gorkon Sal Taybrim, Starbase 118 Ops Kelrod, USS Veritas Sheathed Sword Presented to those to decide to inflict mental and/or physical trauma on their character, and then dive into the resulting emotions and choices in a realistic manner. The name comes from a line in a Robert Jordan book where a warrior must be prepared to 'sheath the sword' in his own body, i.e. take a grievous wound to achieve one's goal (in this case, more realistic simming) as opposed to an actual goal of the character. Jarred Thoran, Andaris Task Force Toryn Raga, USS Atlantis Yito Seja, USS Constitution Oddas Aria, Embassy of Duronis II Tasha MacFarlane, USS Gorkon Taelon, Starbase 118 Ops B-Plot Award For those simmers who manage to show a good portion of the character's life despite the demands of the main plot. Anath G'Renn, Andaris Task Force Serala, USS Atlantis Sal Taybrim (playing 2PC Shar'wyn Foster), USS Constitution Irina Pavlova, Embassy of Duronis II Yiggtissi, USS Gorkon Arturo Maxwell, Starbase 118 Ops Alex Blair, USS Veritas The Russ Bar The Russ bar is awarded to a writer whose knowledge of Trek lore is extraordinary. Named for Tim Russ, the actor who played Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager, who was already a dedicated Star Trek fan before securing the role on the show. Anath G'Renn, Andaris Task Force Edward Spears, USS Constitution Hannibal Parker, Embassy of Duronis II Davine D'fini, USS Gorkon Pathfinder Award Given to those who have shown great care in the mentoring of fellow members. Randal Shayne, Andaris Task Force Tal Tel-ar, USS Atlantis Jalana Rajel USS Constitution Ishani Kasun, Starbase 118 Ops Lael Rosek, USS Veritas Khan Award Awarded to a simmer who thoughtfully develops a three-dimensional villain over the course of a mission or more. Jarred Thoran, Andaris Task Force Rue Blackwell USS Constitution Brayden Jorey, Embassy of Duronis II Ayiana Sevo, USS Gorkon Ishani Kasun, Starbase 118 Ops Evan Delano, USS Veritas Q Award Awarded for continually surprising their crew with unexpected, devious plot twists throughout the year. Theo Whittaker, Andaris Task Force Toni Turner Embassy of Duronis II Elias Burke, USS Gorkon Vitor Silveira Starbase 118 Ops Sky Blake, USS Veritas Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

It's time to show off what we're all wearing to the awards ceremony. Can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!