Floating an idea

[AGF]

Saxman -  I'd be interested in joining a squad along the lines you described.  I fly the 1d (usually) for Rooks.  Not real good yet, but working on it.   When I started about 2months ago I set up VMF-211 'AVENGERS'

211 was the squadron that defended Wake Island in Dec. 41.  The forward echelon was 100% casualty -Killed and captured.  Rear Echelons and replacements were reconstituted and flew hogs in the Solomons.  They called themselves the Avengers in memory of their fallen comrades at Wake. In '52 they were reclasified as a VMA-211 and are still an active squadron.  Their original pre-1941 designation was VMF-2 making them one of the oldest in the Corps.

If you are going to put together the kind of organization you envision, I'd be happy to turn over the squad (of which I am the only member) to you

[Saxman]

Sounds good, although with only one member there'd not really be a need to transfer the squad to a CO. Probably be easier for you to just close it out. What's your Game ID? I'm going to try to be online for an hour or so around 8:45-9pm tonight.

[AGF]

My game ID is AGF  I'll try to be on later tonight as well

[navajoboy]

Originally posted by Saxman
Some more details:

What I'm wanting to do with this is focus on teamwork and cooperation, including wingman tactics and coordination between sections, and HOPEFULLY eventually expanding to between flights. The idea is that as successful as a pilot can be on their own, with solid support that success can be magnified (say, a 4-5 kill sortie a pilot is shot down may be landed instead with someone dedicated to watching their back).

The squad will be predominantly based in the MA, although not restricted to any one "mission profile." Squad ops will range anywhere from jabbo strikes or fighter cover in support of base captures to general furballing. The aircraft used for official squadron ops will be the F4U-1D. If HTC adds 1944 F4U-1A as many of the Hog enthusiasts on the boards have been requesting we would transition over to that model (as part of a larger idea I have).

I also don't want to limit squad ops to just FSO night. While that would be the "official" squad night, I'm planning to come up with some way to throw together an official sortie if enough of the squad is present at a time and willing to do so. When there's no official stuff going on it'd be MA business as usual, although I'd HOPE the squad would still wing together.

To start I'd like to find at least four people to fill out a flight and spend some time in the TA working on the wingmen and section stuff. Ideally I would prefer 6-8 to have two full flights to work with.

The squadron will be roughly based on WWII USMC organization, although I don't have all the details of chain on command and jobs within the squadron fully worked out. In the long run I'd like at least one or two recruiting/training officers, an operations/intelligence officer, and a historian who can remember to turn on his in-flight camera and doesn't mind the bad luck the soul-stealing demon box brings. My priority to start with is a good XO, preferably someone with prior squad experience who could help get this project going. So yeah, I'd like those sorts of jobs assigned on merit, not 'cause they join up first.

I have some other, more immersion/fun ideas. Tracking kills scored on squad ops on a web site, maybe even having a "gallery" where members can display their own custom markings of how they WOULD skin their plane if HTC ever allowed original skins (and if there's a way, through H2H or whatever to get the squad in and actually being able to FLY their skins it'd make for a great photo op!)

This is a good idea.. i was going to try something on the Knits side dealing with the 362nd FS / 357th FG. A squad of ponies only pilots. But i just dont have time to do it since is summer time.

I got as far as creating a page
Yoxford Boys

[Saxman]

Unfortunately while I'm getting a lot of "Good ideas!" I'm generating very little ACTUAL interest.