8th Air Force MissionsBrief Overview :The 8th Air Force Mission is a dedicated mission implementing the high altitude four engine bombers of B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators hitting strategic targets deep behind enemy lines escorted by P-38 Lightnings, P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs. Each Mission will have specific targets and responsibilities for each aircraft type.
Location and Time :
Late War Main Arena
Thursday 9PM EST/ 8PM CST
Launch Country :
The 8th Air Force Mission will launch from a host country for a single month and rotate alphabetically through the other 2 countries.
Who can join?Open recruitment is in effect for both members and leaders of the 8th AF until all vacant slots are filled. Players who fly individually and MA squads can equally join. Players of all types are encouraged to participate regardless of experience. Sqeekers too. (Just follow the instructions of your Group Commander)
8th Air Force Forum :
http://stevesscifishootout.forumsland.comThe means to coordinate and facilitate player participation.
The way it works :
There is a chain of command from the 8th AF Commader down to the Group Commander. Just like in real life, no one person is totally in charge of creating orders for all players (when all vacant leadership positions are filled by different players).
1st tier - 8th AF CO/ 8th AF Deputy CO
2nd tier - VIII Bomber Command CO/ VIII Fighter Command CO
3rd tier - Wing Commander
4th tier - Group Commander
1st tier chooses the targets. 2nd tier chooses Wing assignments. 3rd tier chooses Group assignments. 4th tier gets the assignment done. It's the Group CO's who makes thing happen with the Group Command Team where the real participation happens. 1st, 2nd, and 4rd tiers are desk jobs for administrative purposes.
Group CO's are the backbone of the entire operation. Selecting good subordinates will make or break a bomber or fighter group.
Organizational Structure :
2 Groups or more comprise a Wing
2 Wings or more comprise a Command
2 Commands or more comprise an Air Force
Group CO's can organize their Group as they see fit with Squadrons and Flights.
There are 5 Wings initially set-up. Each Wing has 3 Groups initially set-up. A B-17, a B-24, a P-38, a P-47, and a P-51 Wing all ready for membership. P-38 Wing has both J and L Groups. P-47 Wing has a D-25, N and M Group. P-51 Wing has both B and D Groups.
Group rosters are initially 16 for Fighter group and 12 for Bomber Group. When a Wing has filled all Group sots, then augmentation will follow by increasing the roster size for each Group by four. This will continue until a total of 32 has been reached.
For those who know me, you all know that one person should not have to do all the planning and commanding. One person can do that but it takes much away from that person's ability to fly and fight and command. This method allows for many players to contribute to the greater whole.
Another great thing about this type of Mission is that all the best aircraft are used. During Open recruitment, players can choose their fighter or bomber slot while vacancies are available. First come, first serve basis. Now, if a player starts tugging on my sleeve that telling me, "I can take P-38G's or P-47D-11's and fly circles around enemy fighters and shoot them down." Well, I can authorize a new P-38 or P-47 Group after that player has recruited 7 volunteers to fly that aircraft. Who knows, the earlier model P-38 or P-47 Group just might outscore the higher model aircraft.
The biggest wall to the growth of these missions will be two types of players/squads. First type is those who refuse to switch countries due to intense country loyalty. 2nd type are those who think that only base taking and furballing are the only acceptable types of gameplay.
The loyal country players are worthy of respect for staying true. I can only ask that those players take a few hours on one specific day to participate in a huge mission. The next day, go back to business as usual.
The base takers and furballers, well it's your $14.95 a month to spend as you like it. The furballers can take a couple of hours away from weed fighting and show the other players how good you are at 20,000 ft. The base takers, there is a long term plan to give you a piece of the 8th AF action in that regards. the 8th Air Force did have an Air Support Command with C-47, B-26, B-25, A-20, Bostons, and close air support fighters (P-38, P-47 and P-51). Jump into the high altitude missions now, and when we can incorporate base taking, then you guys can do what you do best.
I don't want to have to do everything. I would much rather have many players just like yourself taking leadership roles to add diversity and uniqueness to the 8th AF. Right now, I have a position in all 4 tiers of chain of command. I would prefer to see players taking tiers 2 though 4 leaving me to look at the 8th as a whole. I would prefer to be a member of a bomber group and have a player be my squadron or flight leader to tell me my specific targets to hit. Imagine if that is you giving orders to the 8th AF Commander on what to hit. It's not about who's in charge. It's about everyone doing their assigned role.
There will be a few negative players that will post things like "This will never work", "You won't get many players to do this", and "That's just stupid". Then, I won't expect any participation from them. I will ask them this, "Well, do you have a better idea?" Better yet, I'll ask them to join and challenge them to make this work.
I can't do this alone. This depends on you and me and us working together. Mistakes will be made. We will learn from those mistakes.
How many times have I heard "There's no fighter discipline", "The bombers are too far apart to protect them", and "Why is there 12 P-51's chasing one enemy fighter well below the bombers?" This will be the conduit on a weekly basis to become experts at formation flying, escort duty, bomber accuracy, and other items suited for high altitude flying. The forum allows for the information to be disseminated to all through the chain of command.
Remember when you read that the Wing CO's and above are for desk duty primarily? Here's the other shoe. When I see a problem say too many fighters on one con. I'll start with Fighter Command. Guys, we need to maintain 2 fighters on one con and to not exceed more than 3000 feet below the buffs. The VIII Fighter Command CO will address the Fighter Wing CO's. Then, down to the Fighter Group CO's. The Group CO's will handle that with members of the Group. Complaints go up the ladder and corrections go down the ladder.
All the problems we have in these missions can be resolved on a weekly manner enabling the virtual skies of AH to see a crack bomber and fighter groups working together.
Of course, you can only be as good as your competition. As players organize Luftwaffe reception committees, they will become good at getting past the outer defenses and to the bombers. When these situations happens, evaluations will occur and better planning on our part will be utilized through the chain of command.
I can only offer is a fair and balanced way to conduct large player missions. Within the forum is a set of fair and balanced way of handling things like new unit commanders and soon to be finalized roster transfers. Once Open Recruitment has been completed, I will give no partiality to any player or squad that includes my squad the Arabian Knights. For right now, if a squad wanted to fly the same aircraft, then I will give them that pending vacancy slots plus Group CO if vacant or existing CO would be willing to step down or transfer. There's some jiggle room for right now.
I expect those in leadership roles to follow my example as well.
This is alot of to take in. Once you jump in, it will become clear after a little while.
