Whois: Promotions and Awards

November 9, 2020
November 9, 2020 Poison Toocool

Whois: Promotions and Awards

The UF Starfleet Department of Promotions & Awards processes any number of P&A recommendations  every month. This work is done by a Board of three people who research each submission and then pass along that information to the Commander in Chief and Deputy Commander, UF Starfleet, for final approval.

The number of recommendations received each month varies greatly. But each one takes roughly an hour to process, give or take, if the information is readily available. “We have to check certain criteria,” explained Vice Admiral Kermie Mistwallow, Director of P&A. “Has TIG been reached, has evidence been provided, can we see evidence of participation and contributions on forums, newsletters etc.”

Sometimes recommendations are not able to be approved. “Declining anything is always a last resort,” said Mistwallow. “When it comes to awards the most common reason something may be redirected is that the recommendation does not match the award description.  In this case we always attempt to contact the nominator and recommend another award that matches the situation.”

Ensuring a recommendation has the best possible chance of being accepted means writing a good letter. “Provide as much information as possible to support the recommendation, provide evidence, and links we can go to to find the information supporting the recommendation,” Mistwallow said. “Leave out irrelevant information. Telling us someone is a good friend, a great mother, or that they have been in UFS for so many years, is beside the point. It takes more time to process items with superfluous detail as we have to read through everything submitted to know whether it’s of use or not.”

If a recommendation doesn’t quite meet the mark, P&A does try to assist, added Mistwallow: “We will always communicate with the nominator if something is about to be declined and the reasons why, we offer feedback and suggestions going forward.  Before it is finally declined we will also reach out for that information so we can do our best to try and get something approved.” 

Everyone should know that any member of UF Starfleet can nominate another member for a promotion or award, not just Commanding Officers or Department Heads.  “You do not need to be in a command position to put a recommendation in,” said Mistwallow. “We do suggest you read the Promotions and Awards manual and also take the ‘Promotions & Awards’ class at the Online Academy to get a better understanding of what we look for and what the requirements are.  But anyone can submit a recommendation.”

Help in choosing the right award or writing a strong recommendation is also at hand: those who need assistance can contact the P&A Department via email at promotions@ufstarfleet.org  “We will endeavour to reply as quickly as we can and help with recommendations, advice and feedback,” added Mistwallow.

Lastly, those who chase promotions and awards are probably less likely to get them. “The more you seek something the more it is harder to find. Continue to contribute, continue to have fun, and eventually UFS will thank you for a job well done.” ~