Great way to start a mission–with the Obsidian Order bashing your door in. Good luck!
MVP
Commander Jonathan Grayson Executive Officer USS Washington
Commander Grayson had a great month leading a new mission, working closely with a new player, and keeping the story moving with inputs from everyone. Great job!
Most Posts
Commander Jonathan Grayson Executive Officer USS Washington
For writing 10 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant Callisi Veera Chief Operations Officer USS Churchill
Really stepped up to fill in while the Captain was unwell to keep the sim moving after having zero posts the month prior.
Lieutenant JG Patra Rommel Chief Flight Control Officer USS Wayfarer
Excellent writing and teamwork! She stayed engaged and found ways to help the plot even though her character wasn’t with the rest of the crew on Risa. True talent!
Most Posts
Commander Jonathan Grayson Executive Officer USS Washington
One of the newer members of the Sunfire, Thenis steps up with month some quality posts and helping others get involved.
Rookie of the Month
None this month.
Recruitment
None this month.
I also want to comment on the retro version of the IDF website earlier this month. While our website no longer looks like this, it’s amazing to think that these awards that we started in month one of July 2001 are still going strong today thanks to all the great writing from YOU!
With 2022 in the books, it’s high time we checked in with the latest version of the IDF Record Book over on our About page. As it turns out, we have a new all-time leader in monthly awards. Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell of the USS Sunfire now has a grand total of 29.83 awards, passing the previous leader, Jenna Ramthorne (of a prior version of the Sunfire), who has 24.83. What’s even more incredible, is that both characters are played by the same person!
Best Post
Funniest Post
Genesis
MVP
Most Posts
Most Improved
Recruitment
Total
Durnell
5.05
5.78
4
14
1
29.83
Ramthorne
4
.83
4
15
1
24.83
Prolific across multiple award categories, the two stat lines seem to mirror each other. However, the difference is clearly Durnell’s five plus Funniest Post awards to Ramthorne’s zero. See what adding humor to your game can do! Congratulations to Lieutenant Durnell on this incredible accomplishment!
As it turns out, we have quite a few current or recent members who have moved up leader board since we brought the Awards back for March 2020:
Active Member — received an award within the last year or confirmed to currently be on a sim Hall of Famer
All characters with five or more total monthly awards
In addition to all those who’ve won awards, I also want to thank each of our sim Commanding Officers for submitting nominations month-in and month-out and to Rear Admiral James “Rook” Mirtoh for running the program and selecting winners. Without their tireless efforts, the awards simply wouldn’t be possible.
I’ve long been of the opinion that the monthly awards are one of the absolute best features of this fleet, and they’re a key bonus that really distinguishes us from other groups out there. The numbers speak for themselves: Through the end of 2022, we have 969 total documented awards presented to 506 different individuals through 1,226 different award records. Each one is permanently part of our continuing history, starting all the way back with the five original awards presented for our very first month of July 2001 going up through today and beyond.
Who’d have ever thought one could feel lonely on a Starship?
Best Post (Joint Post)
Capt. Rhenora Kaylen & Lt. Sarah Wilson & Cmdr. Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Cmdr. Dean House & Lt. JG Blake Leone & Lt. JG Aurora Vali & Lt. Alison Haldeman & CPO Remal Kajun CO / MO / XO / 2O / C / CC / ACOO / CA USS Sunfire
Capt. Akeno Misaki & Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Avery Coyle & Lt. Rosaleen O’Donnell & Lt. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Mark Johnson & Lt. JG Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok CO / XO / Y / CFCO / COO / CSTO / CMO / FCO USS Wayfarer
Not the prototypical Genesis post, but it does a great job setting things up.
MVP
Commander Jonathan Grayson Executive Officer USS Washington
The Washington’s XO put forth another strong month both in and out of character, which is typical for him. However, this time he purposefully added surprises that continually popped up during the mission, adding another layer to the sim.
Most Posts
Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
The Ensign finished second on the sim with posting, but also advanced the plot quite nicely a couple times while also further developing the character.
Rookie of the Month
None this month.
Recruitment
Lieutenant Avery Coyle Chief Flight Control Officer USS Wayfarer
For recruiting this newest member of the sim, Lieutenant Sidney Harper.
Thanks for another great year in IDF. Expect to see 2022’s final monthly awards post in early January.
This is a great holodeck scene featuring Lord of the Rings characters. A nice juxtaposition between real time events happening on the bridge while seconds are passing on the holodeck. Fun!
Funniest Post
Cmdr. Dean House & Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell CTO / CSS USS Sunfire
Nice multi-scene genesis post about time travel. Excellent use of Daniels!
MVP
Lieutenant JG Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok Flight Control Officer USS Wayfarer
The Wayfarer’s FCO had a fantastic month, leading and organizing posts while also injecting some great Klingon humor into the story.
Most Posts
Lt. Cmdr. Shoniara T’ghann-Travis Assistant Chief Medical Officer USS Washington
For writing 15 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant JG Aurora Vali Chief Counselor USS Sunfire
The Sunfire’s Chief Counselor had many contributions this month, but the most noticeable was moving the plot forward in creative ways that inspired other players to take some chances.
Rookie of the Month
Lieutenant Nicole Logan Chief Security/Tactical Officer USS Washington
Lt. Logan wasted no time in getting to know her fellow crewmembers, jumping immediately into the action.
Recruitment
None this month
2022 is nearly 3/4 done. Keep the great posts coming.
Ahh, classic genesis post, distress calls are the best!
MVP
Lieutenant JG Patra Rommel Structural/Environmental Specialist USS Wayfarer
Since joining as a non-senior staff in Engineering, Rommel has done a fantastic job of getting onto the ship and story and finding things to do in the field.
Most Posts
Lieutenant Anna Thesia Chief Medical Officer USS Sunfire
For writing 7 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant Thriss Kla’ren Chief Engineering Officer USS Sunfire
The Sunfire’s Chief Engineer has really stepped up the past month, encouraging other players to work on joint posts and moving the story along nicely.
The Washington’s new Intelligence Officer joined late in the month, but still managed to post and have an immediate impact to the current mission that was already well developed, showing that she will be a great addition to the crew.
Recruitment
None this month
Congratulations again and have a great summer of role playing!
A wonderfully crafted post inside the mind of the character.
Best Post (Joint Post)
Capt. Akeno Misaki & Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Miller & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Torvin Anor & Lt. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Rania Bhatti & Lt. Mark Johnson & Ens. Magnum Rhodes CO / XO / Yeoman / CEO / CSTO / CC / CMO / FCO USS Wayfarer
I love this post! It’s very well integrated and an exciting atmospheric entry and landing.
Funniest Post
Lt. Ayana Hillis & Lt. Deanna Celes & Cmdr. Jonathan Grayson & Cmdr. Samantha Howard & Lt. Aiko Kato & Lt. Shoniara T’ghann-Travis & PO1 Class Amethyst Reece TO / OO / XO / CMO / FCO / ACMO / CA USS Washington
It’s been 20 months since we last presented individual major awards. In that time, our fleet has seen a lot of growth and set the bar high in a number of areas. It’s also been just over two years since we launched our new website and URL. Bottom line, it’s high time to recognize a few of the individuals who helped make all of this happen.
I’m also very proud to announce the creation of the Special Commendation Medal, which will be awarded for achievement above and beyond the call of duty at the crewmember level. With that in mind, I hereby issue the following seven citations:
The Special Commendation Medal is awarded for achievement above and beyond the call of duty at the crewmember level.
Special Commendation Medal
Awarded to Lieutenant Aurora Vali of the USS Sunfire for outstanding role playing. She is the epitome of the quiet, reliable, and drama free achiever. A true team player, she is considerate of others, puts forth great ideas to the command, and introduces excellent plot twists for others to use–she does all the little things that others often don’t see.
Awarded to Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell of the USS Sunfire for outstanding writing. A role playing force of nature, she’s already second all-time with 20.43 total awards and one of the greatest simmers in IDF’s history. Durnell continues to produce posts of such high quality that one could mistake them for production level Trek.
Awarded to Commander Jonathan Grayson of the USS Washington for outstanding role playing leadership. He’s been the Executive Officer of the Washington for several years now, understanding the nuances of the Captain’s guidance and balancing it with a great pulse on the crew. He’s an excellent mentor, coordinator, and writer to boot.
The Command Excellence Medal is awarded for achievement above and beyond the call of duty at the sim Commanding Officer level.
Command Excellence Medal
Awarded to Captain Dick Sprague for commanding 10 different IDF sims, including the USS Chuck Norris and USS Albion. Sprague not only holds the record for most commands, but also the most Genesis Awards (11). In addition, he ranks third all-time among sim COs for total posts (3,198). A thoroughly unconventional CO, his sims are always unique.
Awarded to Captain Rhenora Kaylen for commanding the USS Sunfire and USS Liberty. Arguably the greatest sim Commanding Officer in IDF history, her outstanding games have garnered community wide recognition, including the 2010 Simming Prize. Incredibly, she also ranks first all-time among COs in both total posts (8,195) and posting titles (39).
The Distinguished Service Medal is awarded for achievement above and beyond the call of duty at the Admiralty level.
Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded to Rear Admiral James “Rook” Mirtoh for serving as Director of Personnel from February 2020 through today. He has efficiently ensured that IDF regularly recognizes its crewmembers for their excellence in role playing, a feature not seen in many other fleets. He is always fair and his efforts showcase the best IDF has to offer.
Awarded to Admiral Ken Gillis for serving as Chief of Technology and Fleet Executive Officer from July 2020 through today. Not only does he expertly manage the fleet’s entire technology stack, but his wisdom and guidance in other areas of fleet operations have proven invaluable. He is the best fleet XO in simming, hands down.
Happy new year! As we close out 2021, I think of all the many great things that happened in this fleet over the last 12 months. There’s not enough room here for it all! But we do have room for our final batch of 2021 award winners…
Best Post (Single Author)
Lieutenant Aiko Kato Flight Control Officer USS Washington
Lt. Kato wins for an incredible third month in a row with an excellent character introspective that distills information into direction for the rest of the crew. Well done!
Best Post (Joint Post)
Lt. Callie Raven-Grayson & Cmdr. Jonathan Grayson & Lt. Shoniara T’ghann Dex CC / XO / ACMO USS Washington
Commander Jenna Ramthorne Chief Flight Control Officer USS Sunfire
Cmdr. Ramthorne returns to action! She’s a brilliant writer and an incredible asset to the ship and fleet, always willing to lend a hand or an ear to whoever needs it.
Most Posts
Lieutenant Shoniara T’ghann Dex Assistant Chief Medical Officer USS Washington
For writing 22 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant Brakon Ryal Executive Officer USS Eminence
Lt. Ryal really stepped up his game, driving the story forward and helping organize posts.
The W’s new security officer jumped aboard with phasers blazing. He showed an ability to adapt quickly and push the story forward, all while developing his own character and working with others.
