Situation Reports / Headquarters
TFCO MINOR SITREP/20 - December 22

Foreword

Welcome to the latest SITREP, updates from around the task-force.
As part of the new communications update, this (final) SITREP will cover a round-up of departmental updates and a Roadmap Update will follow for future developments.

 

Ask questions about this update

If you have any questions about anything in this Update, you can submit them via any Discord channel using the /ask command and it may be answered at the next TAFFCAST/HQin22.

 

Executive Summary

My time and the time of most significant contributors this summer has been spent purely on the operational tasks of keeping UNITAF afloat. This is not as much time on development as we would have liked, as I have spoke about before, which has a noticable effect to the timeline on the roadmap.

This is evident in the lack of SITREPs either due to not having updates to communicate, or having to prioritise doing over communicating. As I mentioned above this does mean you are not informed which is less than ideal. It has also meant that we have had to re-evaluate priorities in many areas, whether that be bringing forward changes or delaying others - something I’ll come onto in a moment.

We continue to be the largest rostered size we have ever been and the expectations within our ranks of me and of all of the administration is as high as it’s ever been. With all the systems and processes UNITAF has already put in place, this can be easily taken for granted. My role and that of all of us first and foremost is to ensure we have slots to deploy to in order to support our roster and balance that with Recruitment, Retention, Campaigns, Operations, Practices, Administration and every other area of development in which we have.

The ORGCOC, which is all those above the rank of Corporal, take a significant amount of this Administration load and over the last 12 months I’ve taken steps alongside the other Officers to begin to delegate the Command of other areas, including Recruitment (J1) and more recently Training and SOP (J6) in order to start the process of improving those areas further by creating systems and processes that allow a wider crowd sourcing of input and improvements, we’ve made a few mistakes here, which thankfully we’ve learnt from and should help us moving forward, this continues with this update below, which was not written by me, but by the newly reformed Communications (J2).

Ultimately, what I want to outline below and in the forthcoming roadmap update is what we are focusing on in the short to medium term and why, what you should expect and how you can help.

Finally this may well be the last traditional SITREP that I issue, as we are pivoting our entire communications strategy away from more information less often, to more frequent minor updates - this will be reflected in multiple initatives and is designed to unclog the backlog of updates to which we want to publish.

Major James
Commanding Officer

 

 

J1 Recruitment and Retention

Our strategy in J1 still has a force cap of around 140 in place, during the winter there is likely to be some re-activations and we’ve already seen a number of these already.

We have this week launched our new Self-service Induction and Re-induction Systems, this is estimated to save hundreds of hours per year for J1, and improve the quality and consistancy of Recruits, which we continue to monitor. You can check it out here: https://unitedtaskforce.net/rro/complete

A common question we get is why do we continue to have a force cap, not just remove it (or raise it) to allow more or bigger operations?

For the most part we’re already at the largest scale of enjoyable Arma 3 missions and so the only benefit coming from raising the cap is more frequent ones. At present our main focus is on making some changes to systems further outlined below, to make a larger unit more manageable, I think once we’re happy with those we might revisit this. Depending on needs, we seek to run intakes every 2-3 weeks.

The gap between 120/140 on this chart represents a transitory segment of the task-force, as a portion are always in the process of enlisting and retiring.

Future platforms will allow a higher player count and when that time comes we can and will look at it further.

J1 is always looking for help, so if you’d like to help with bringing onboard new members you should contact 1Lt Korean Falcon, OIC Recruiting and Retention.

 

J2 Communications

Newly rebranded and now with a team dedicated to the task - J2 Communications is aimed at facilitating improved and more regular communications within our borders. This means J2 works not only to pass information from the ORGCOC outwards, but also to share development from within our many administrative areas and to facilitate communications from our unit at large up through the ORGCOC.

The first goal for J2 has been to compile this SITREP to cover the changes over these past months. Now that we are caught up, J2 will be shifting gears towards smaller and more regular updates on our inner workings as a unit, paired with a handful of new initiatives to facilitate improved communications at large.

Over the last few weeks you'll will have noticed some changes in the way we communicate;

• More regular updates pushing specific communications rather than big communications pushing multiple topics (such as this one)
• Short form town-hall style Q&As in the place of TAFFCAST which will run roughly once per month on Discord.

 

 

J3 Mission Making

Since the last SITREP there have been three missions with a perfect 10/10 rating:

• Operation Parabole’s Pariah
• Operation Sapphire’s Boomerang
• Operation Eiche’s Gulag.

Our compliments to all involved in those! These are very difficult to achieve, with only six since the unit’s inception.

We have also seen a number of new GMs step up to develop missions (and campaigns), which has been very encouraging. Much of their learning was in the framework of Operation Lebra, and there has been a good variety of unusual situations there. While that campaign is winding down, provision is being made for a similar framework going forward. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out in the J3 channel in the discord server. 

Average deployment ratings for the last few months across all operations have seen a slight decline from ~88% to ~85%. This is partially due to a very good August, which was well above the norm in all ratings at ~88%, but this will still be watched closely. One probable reason for this is some of our longer-term GMs reducing their activity, while the new cohort are still finding their feet. There are also a number of newer field leaders stepping up, so we expect these ratings to improve as everyone adjusts, gains more experience, and becomes comfortable in their roles.

The number of deployments has been consistent, with 24/month between August and October. It is expected that with the coming of winter in the northern hemisphere there will likely be more of the active force available, and so the tempo of operations may well increase.

As always, you can check out UNISTATs for more information.

 

J4 Campaigns

A number of campaigns have come to a finish (or will be finishing soon), with new ones starting up. To start with the old:

• Operation Eiche finished after 31 deployments, with the Russians pushed out of the Virolahti area of Finland. The average deployment rating was 85.6, which is remarkable given that many of these deployments were company-sized, which are difficult to get right as so many people are involved. Compliments must be given to the GMs for their excellent work in running the second-longest campaign by number of deployments.
   
• Operation Sapphire finished after 17 Ranger deployments in Kapaulio. The average deployment rating was 88.6.
   
• Currently on the final stretch are Parabole, Lebra and Honeybadger. The last SITREP was long enough ago that Lebra, which started after the last one, is soon set to finish after 22 deployments to date. In addition, the campaign was deliberately more loose with background lore to allow for new GMs to get their feet wet, and has served admirably as a testing ground, as the impressive average deployment rating of 89.9 shows.
   
• Honeybadger, which had just started as of the last SITREP has to date had 14 deployments with an average deployment rating of 8.4.
• Both campaigns still have some deployments in store before they are being retired. Parabole’s last deployment is also in sight, with a SF deployment or two being planned to wrap up that storyline.?

 

Since the last SITREP, campaign teams have been hard at work with new campaigns as well. Lebra and Honeybadger are already mentioned, but campaigns currently in progress that have started since the last SITREP are:

• Operation Hetman - The Polish nation is defending against a major Russian incursion into their territory?
   
• Operation Fault Line - Following a large territory expansion the Middle East by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) - American forces, have rotated to a new area of operations, moving towards the western region of Yemen to aid in direct action, counter-insurgency and training with the Yemeni Armed Forces against the ever growing threat.
   
• Operation Steadfast Resolve (2014) - With the Iron Curtain falling, the power vacuum has created incentive for other nations to take up the mantle of military and economic superpowers. As such, it came as no surprise that the resource rich nation of Takistan would force themselves onto the global stage. (US)
   

New campaigns that are scheduled to come online soon after this SITREP is published are:
 

• Operation Valiant Guardian (2020) - A civil war in the country of Illyria has been raging for years. The troops of the Social Federal Republic of Illyria have been hit with low morale and overstretched supply lines. With the hopes of independence being far from dead, the defenders begin a counter offensive along most of the front line. (Croatia/Slovenia)

Of particular interest to anyone wanting to get involved in J3 and J4 is that Operation Valiant Guardian will be taking over from Lebra as an ‘open’ campaign with fewer restrictions on new GMs who wish to create missions for it. If that describes you, do reach out and get involved in the J3 and J4 channels on the Discord server!

One exciting development in recent months is the creation of campaigns using a range of different situations and combatants, usually driven by campaign teams from those locations.

As always, the list of currently active campaigns are available on the website’s campaign centre.

 

J6 Training and SOP

There is a lot to talk about here in J6. Our biggest challenge currently is having SOP approved and FTXs on the scheduler.

 

SOP

The Approval Portal is where future SOP, Lesson Plans and Loadouts will be able to get approved and originally these were going to be separate systems. Development is slightly delayed on that front which will cost some extra time in the short term, yet save time in the long run, it is as mentioned - currently the highest priority roadmapped item.

That said, a intermediary management console for SOP approvals was recently release and much of the SOP portal backlog has been cleared.

If your SOP is taking a long time to be approved, this is in part due to the above, but it could also mean that the SOP is not yet ready to be approved. Reasons for delay could be the nature or quality of content, but also considerations of format and structure may need to be addressed prior to approval. With his current workload, Maj James no longer has the time to edit these, so 2LT Whitewolf is taking over the quality control to keep the ball moving. For the time being, the best thing you can do is make sure the SOP is as refined as it can be. Until the approval portal is done, the Commanding Officer can manually approve any SOPs that are deemed ready for approval and some of those will follow after this SITREP since SOPs no longer require a SITREP to be made effective.

 

Training & FTXs

From SOP to training, we recognise there are some combat areas which have a lower than optimal frequency of FTXs. In the short term, J6 staff is working to mobilize existing instructors to increase FTX quantity to a baseline in all combat areas. Looking towards more long term solutions, J6 is working to pull the load away from the few and bring more instructors into the fold. The new Assistant Instructor role and a heightened standard for thorough and accessible lesson plans will make for a much more accessible doorway into teaching with UNITAF.

On a related note, Lesson Plans (LP) being restructured and centralised by the J6 staff. An improved format and a heightened set of standards have been adopted for our training exercises, but it will take some time to update the existing LPs. For the time being, most existing LPs are permitted to be used for instructing as normal. One of the next updates we expect will be the Lesson Plans Update where more information on Lesson Plans will be on the website.

If you’re interested in stepping into instructing, or would like to contribute towards the improvement efforts, J6 is always looking for help! Contact 2LT WhiteWolf or Cpl mbaker5114 to get started.

 

 

J8 Mods

With the creation of the mod change log channel you’ll be able to follow the approval and denial of mods, this review process takes place roughly once per month.

 

The following mods were approved for use;

• Better Inventory
• Zulu Headless Client
• Anrop CWR3 TFAR Compatibility
• UNITAF Framework (Official)
• No More Aircraft Bouncing
• Breach
• Community Factions Project (CFP)
• ACE Compat GM
• Global Mobilization Extra TFAR Compatibility
• Iron Front Task Force Radio
• USP Gear & Uniforms AIO
• USP Gear- ACE
• USP Gear Fix

 

The following mods have been denied/no longer approved

• LAMBS_RPG
• Lambs_RPG_RHS
• Lambs_RPG_CUP
• Ratworks- Insurgent Zeus Modules
• Hate's Digital Camera
• VSM All-In-One
• UNITAF Framework
• CLV_International
• S&S
• Drongos Defensive AI
• Camofaces
• Auto Weapon Lower
• Queen and Country

 

 

J10 - Information Security / United Task Force Network

Since the last sitrep was 4 months ago, there are quite a few changes to go through! You will always be able to see these changes being pushed out in the #utfn-change-log and #mod-change-log channels.
Expect more change logs to follow once the approval portal has been completed.

Recent changes have focused on QoL updates as these are easy to push out and resources at the Senior-most ORGCOC have been spread too thinly to address the largest line items on the roadmap, but this is also due to hitting some easy to fix items which have quite some impact on day to day operations. 

Recent updates such as:

• Ability to save and return to after action reports
• Grace periods for AAR submission
• Practice loadout overrides
• Experience specific FTX slots
• Quartermaster system

You can find all the latest updates in the utfn-change-log channel on Discord.

 

Promotions

In the last few months I've been pleased to welcome the following Recruits and to issue the following promotions;

Captain	O-3	Jari
Second Lieutenant	O-1	WhiteWolf
Master Sergeant	E-8	Crossy
Sergeant	E-5	mbaker5114
Sergeant	E-5	Veagance
Sergeant	E-5	Johnson
Sergeant	E-5	Wavan
Corporal	E-4	Bond
Corporal	E-4	Jochem
Corporal	E-4	B.Miller
Specialist 1st Class	E-6	William
Specialist 1st Class	E-6	Mohawk
Specialist 2nd Class	E-5	Fowlds
Specialist 2nd Class	E-5	Sean
Specialist 2nd Class	E-5	SkullCollector
Private First Class	E-3	Kat
Private First Class	E-3	Murk
Private First Class	E-3	Phili
Private First Class	E-3	cjmUK
Private First Class	E-3	BuLLDoG.
Private First Class	E-3	Soren
Private	E-2	Alienking33
Private	E-2	Bossatron
Private	E-2	Barrineau
Private	E-2	kMaN
Private	E-2	Froz3nWolf
Private	E-2	Milfner
Private	E-2	Yato
Recruit	E-1	JamesMay
Recruit	E-1	NIGHTMARE
Recruit	E-1	Dave
Recruit	E-1	MoldyBread
Recruit	E-1	Idyazz
Recruit	E-1	Alyssa
Recruit	E-1	Shepperd
Recruit	E-1	Ziip
Recruit	E-1	JordanTaylor
Recruit	E-1	Firxfly
Recruit	E-1	Slick

 

Awards and Citations

In the last few months I've been pleased to issue the following;

1Lt Mattjamco	Combat Operations Service Medal with Gold Star
Cpl Jenkins	Long Service Medal 1 Year
Cpl Jenkins	Education Command Medal
PFC Adshield	Hatiko Medal
PFC Adshield	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC BlueWolf	Field Exercise Service Medal
PFC BlueWolf	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC BuLLDoG.	Field Exercise Service Medal
PFC BuLLDoG.	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC C.Angels	Field Exercise Service Medal with Bronze Star
PFC C.Angels	Combat Operations Service Medal with Bronze Star
PFC cjmUK	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC Felix	Field Exercise Service Medal
PFC Felix	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC Grezvany13	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC HybridRage	Long Service Medal 1 Year
PFC HybridRage	Combat Operations Service Medal with Bronze Star
PFC Kat	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC Kerry	Field Exercise Service Medal
PFC Miksi	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC Milk Man	Field Exercise Service Medal
PFC Milk Man	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC Murk	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC Sack	Long Service Medal 1 Year
PFC Sack	Combat Operations Service Medal
PFC Shambala	Field Exercise Service Medal
PFC Squido	Long Service Medal 3 Year
PFC T. Wolf	Field Exercise Service Medal
PFC T. Wolf	Combat Operations Service Medal
Pvt FrOzT	Combat Operations Service Medal
Pvt Josef Pagalin	Long Service Medal 1 Year
Pvt Maslank	Long Service Medal 1 Year
Pvt Minaus	Combat Operations Service Medal
Sgt Johnson	Long Service Medal 1 Year
Sgt Wavan	Education Command Medal
SP1 Mohawk	Education Command Medal
SP1 Nomad	Field Exercise Service Medal with Bronze Star
SP1 Nomad	Combat Operations Service Medal with Silver Star
SP1 William	Professional Development Ribbon
SP1 William	Combat Operations Service Medal with Silver Star
SP2 Edoardo	Joint Service Achievement Medal with Bronze Star
SP2 Fire Hawk	Combat Operations Service Medal with Silver Star
SP2 Fowlds	Field Exercise Service Medal with Bronze Star
SP2 Fowlds	Combat Operations Service Medal with Bronze Star
SP2 SkullCollector	Wilderness Partnership Champion Award
SP2 SkullCollector	Joint Service Achievement Medal with Bronze Star
SP3 Applechaser	Long Service Medal 1 Year
SP3 Applechaser	Field Exercise Service Medal with Bronze Star
SP3 Khan	Long Service Medal 1 Year
SP3 Khan	Education Command Medal with Bronze Star
SP3 mtb	Combat Operations Service Medal with Bronze Star
SP3 Yoi Blackkit	Field Exercise Service Medal
SP3 Yoi Blackkit	Combat Operations Service Medal with Bronze Star
SSG Hotspur	Education Command Medal

 

Editors

With thanks to the contributing editors;

 

Major James
Chairman
UNITAF

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