Commanding Officer Application - matttheficus
What is your BYOND key?
matttheficus
What is your Discord ID?
matttheficus
What is your timezone in UTC?
UTC-4
Player Name You Use Most?
Marcus ‘Muppet’ Springfield
Ban Appeals, Whitelist and Staff Applications:
n/a
Have you been banned in the last 3 months?
No
If so, why?
Command Knowledge:
How familiar are you with command positions?
I’ve become something of a CIC enjoyer and can work each Department if need be. My one area of weakness would likely be Quartermaster, as I am not a large fan of Cargo-style gameplay, though I understand how the system itself work. I see Command in a supporting role - much like how a Corpsman functions in the field. Your job isnt to be the star of the show, but to elevate other players and marines by ensuring that every tool they could need is available in a timely, coordinated and competent manner. While it may not be directly transferable, I also have nearly a decade of playtime in SS13 as well (all of it being on Paradise) in which I focused primarily on playing Command positions with a focus on HoS and Captain. While its not entirely the same as CM, I am fully of the opinion that Leadership fundamentals (as in the actual skills you can apply IRL) are something that you can foster outside of the game itself and that their application either via RP or actual operational objectives is core to any “Command” style role, regardless of the codebase.
Hours in XO:
27.8
Hours in SL:
18.9
Character Information:
Why did your character decide to become the CO of a ship?
To Marcus Springfield, a position of leadership is almost a sacred charge: the men and women under your command are putting their trust, their lives, in the hands of their superior. There is no better honor - no better sacrifice - than to take upon yourself the mantle of leadership so that the stresses that befall those who must order their fellow soldiers into battle may only tarnish the soul of one individual. With a career placing them firmly in the line of fire again and again and again, by his own volition, Marcus has continued to live a life dedicated to saving the lives of his fellow Marines. His elevation to Major would simply allow him to continue this practice on a wider field - not only saving a wayward Team or ambushed Squad - but at scale within the Corps.
How did your character attain the position of CO?
The son of a career Intelligence Officer and a Medical Doctor, Marcus Springfield was raised on the ideals of one’s duty to both country and family. Upon completion of his standard education, Marcus immediately enrolled into Officer Candidate School, and at the behest of his father, aimed for a medical billet. However, perhaps due to his own mother’s penchant for adventure, he would apply himself to a more involved practice of medicine. He passed with flying colors in OCS, and enrolled in Combat Rescue Officer School - eventually graduating as a Combat Pararescue Officer.
After three years of operational experience, Marcus was placed as the Platoon Commander within 5th Battalion, Sixth Company ‘Argent Doves’ on board the USS Paean as a First Lieutenant. Following many operational successes, especially during Operation [Insert CO Story Here], he was offered Captainship aboard the USS Paean, acting as an Executive Operational Commander for Rescue Operations originating from the Paean.
With the increase in activity from the CLF, attempts to claim control by the UPP, and further meddling by Weyland-Yutani within the Herculis sector comes the need for additional Commanding Officers. After the demotion and court martial of Major Robert Strickland, an advancement-in-grade for Major came up, and Marcus was placed on a list amongst a flurry of recommendations citing both leadership and a steadfast dedication to the Marines under his command. A life of selfless sacrifice and attention to the needs of his fellow soldier landed him in the culmination of his military career thus far: a Major - an Operational Commander - in the United States Colonial Marines.
Provide a short story of your CO.
Command Actions:
When do you believe it’s appropriate to pardon a prisoner?
Pardons are a curious aspect of Marine Law to me. There is an entire process dedicated to the objective investigation of a crime - that being the Appeals process - that ensures that Marine Law is being applied properly. However, the subjective decision making in a Pardon allows for a weighing of the crimes against the necessities of the current Operation. By bypassing the objective outlook of the Appeal process, you’re then forced to apply greater scrutiny on more extrinsic aspects of the situation as a whole:
- Is the offender truly apologetic for their behavior?
- Will the Pardon of the offender lead to a better outcome for the Operation as a whole as well as their fellow marines?
- Is the nature of the crime one in which displays the character of the offender?
Starting with the first point, there is an enormous amount of trust put into an offender by pardoning them. You are for all intents placing your trust in another person to do better with a second chance. You place yourself at the mercy of another’s decision making by waiving their responsibility to act within the Law or Procedure of the USCM. That shouldn’t be done without due consideration. Trust is a scarce thing, and is something you earn by your actions.
The second point is in regards to how a crime might affect the Operation as a whole - but not just at the macro level. I am sure that everyone is aware that there’s a certain amount of “tolerated shenanigans” at Brief and in general - it’s part of that “MRP charm” that’s kept me playing at this level of immersion for a decade now. However, there’s a reason why things like Disrespecting a Superior Officer exist. Minor Crimes exist to act as “guardrails” against certain behavior, and are really only slaps on the wrist in the grand scheme of things. It’s when Major Crimes - and their application properly - can lead to the death or casualty of other Marines directly even if the intention is proper that a Pardon might be considered.
And the final point, one I personally hold in the highest regard, is that of how one’s actions display your character. I fully believe that your choices and behavior in a round are direct reflections of your personal character - or if you’re role playing a bit deeper, that of your marine’s character. The marine who’s willing to be respectful and take time to speak with you like a person is much more likely to be pardoned than one who lashes out. There is a way to be frustrated or angry or annoyed while doing so respectfully and I think that skill and maturity is something to take into large amounts of consideration when looking at a Pardon.
Give some examples of when you would or would not use pardon.
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The Alpha Specialist is being disorderly and directly insults the CMP after being told to quiet down. They are arrested for DASO and Disorderly Conduct and try to claim that “they are needed since they’re SADAR”. Your position as a Specialist doesn’t give you a pass to be disruptive so a Pardon would not be issued.
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The Mess Technician has prepared a meal along with drinks to the Officers aboard the Almayer. The CMO and ASO decide to indulge too far and are arrested for Intoxication after they return to their Departments still drunk. Both claim that they are needed to oversee Research’s greeno project and the low-staff Req Line respectively. I would choose to not issue a Pardon in either case, instead delegating the issue to a Staff Officer until their time is served, as they both showed behavior unbecoming of an Officer.
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It is currently LowPop, there is a FOB Siege and a CT is left inside of the Medbay after being treated for multiple fractures. The Doctor runs off, leaving the Marine trapped inside. They attempt to ask for help, and after nobody stops by to assist, shoots out the door to get back down to assist with the defense of the FOB. An MP witnesses this, but is unable to arrest the CT as the Alamo leaves just before they can detain them. The MP files the Arrest Warrant for DTGP. Upon being asked over the radio, the CT claims they were not aware there was a release button to the doors, and apologizes. Given that the player is likely slightly newer, had good intentions, and that there was minimal harm done, I would Cancel the Arrest on the CT as their arrest would not be in the benefit of the Operation as well as the fact that the marine was apologetic for the damage done.
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A Cargo Technician accidentally deploys on first drop, thinking they could set up at the FOB with the Req Tent. As the only Cargo Tech, they are unaware that this leaves the marines without droppable supplies. They are called back up to the Almayer and do so without complaint, and are arrested by MPs for Unauthorized Deployment. Given they meant well for setting up a FOB Req area - even if it was misguided, had returned upon being ordered to do so in a timely manner, and are the lone Cargo Tech to operate the Requisitions Bay, I would Pardon them to ensure the continual supply of the Operation.
When do you believe it’s appropriate to use a Battlefield Execution?
I’ve got a funny outlook on BEs. I’ve got about 4 years of working as an Administrator elsewhere and when I first read up on their use in Marine Law I was kinda amazed. It is for all intents and purposes a TempBan enforced by non-Staff! It’s the very mechanic that I shy away from whenever possible - the removal of player agency by another player for an entire round. However, this works astonishingly well for two big ideals:
- When another player/marine is making direct choices that affect the agency of other players in a malicious way.
- When there is an utter disregard to the Chain of Command that requires swift action.
For the first, one of the most offensive things you can do in a game (especially one with RP as a core feature) is to remove another player’s agency. This doesn’t mean that every MP arresting you or the FTL who accidentally OBs the front gibbing you is removing your agency. It is when a decision is made by a player to go “I want other people to either suffer or be forced to deal with me in a malicious manner” that you cross a line. Many times these issues can be dealt with by MPs or by the CO themselves, but sometimes a situation is simply too fast-moving to be handled with the proper channels. It’s in these cases that the quick removal of malicious (moreso in an OOC manner, but with IC behavior) actors is appropriate.
For the second, there’s a level of insubordination that does rise to the level of direct and willing attempts to circumvent the Chain of Command. These situations, while not as egregious as the removal of a player’s agency, can become serious enough to warrant an immediate “course correction”.
I do want to have a caveat that I would be very, very, very unlikely to ever use a Battlefield Execution on a new player unless it is a case of them just opening fire at the Brief or other grief-esque behavior. CO players are meant to be the prime examples of the CM playerbase in how to act and conduct yourself in game. Hell, my personal desire to become a CO was mostly due to the respect and desire to help newer players that I saw from current Commanding Officers. Many players tend to remember the bad more than the good - therefore, the use of tools like a BE should be heavily weighed against the impression its use leaves on the player base as a whole.
Give some examples of when you would or would not use Battlefield Execution.
-
The Chief Medical Officer asks to create Greenos during the Operation. The Marines are slowly winning, but it is not an easy fight. I approve three total Greenos, other than the Queen. The CMO proceeds to allow over seven Greenos and makes no attempt to contact myself or the CIC about the increase in population and even actively gives the queen more monkeys. Given they disobeyed a direct order, allowed for unchecked growth of a possibly hostile hive on board the Almayer, and even propagated its increase in size, I would BE the CMO and charge a Staff Officer to oversee the containment or removal of the Greenos.
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An Alpha CT is a general nuisance during Brief. They are yelling, shoving marines over, and causing a scene. There are no MPs currently active. Given the fact that upon my awakening from Cryo that I notice there are no MPs, I would have prepared by securing a baton and a pair of cable cuffs during gear preparation in my satchel. I would hand the tools to a Staff Officer and Deputize them to arrest the CT for Disorderly Conduct rather than BEing them. I do not see BEs in the case of non-immersion breaking nuisance (ie, realistic tomfoolery - not spamming memes or amogus or something) as a good reason for its use. COs are given the ability to Deputize for a reason, and should there be no MPs, they should prepare accordingly.
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A Bravo Rifleman directly sexually harasses my XO as they’re giving the Brief in front of the entirety of the assembled company. This is a direct insult to a superior officer in the most heinous of manners in front of the entirety of the company. This kind of behavior is, to Marcus, not something that can be “treated” in a medical sense - it’s a direct judgement of one’s character and shows that they don’t respect either the chain of command nor the person in which they’ve directed the harassment. As such, to ensure the continued respect and honor of a member of my leadership team who I hold in high regard, I would BE the Rifleman.
