[DoD][USAF] Saying what shouldn't need saying

Day 2,521, 17:47 • Published in USA USA • by dmjohnston


I hate responding to trolls.


Mood Music: Take a walk.





Recently, long-time troll Franklin Stone (formerly known by a bunch of different names on his now permabanned accounts) published a couple of articles making reference to the operational nature of the United States Armed Forces. Aside from the obvious annoyance caused by having to stare at a massive copy of his avatar at the start of his articles, some things apparently need addressing.

Franklin has supported the concept of a “Military Fitness Academy” as he calls it. From what I can glean from his generally nonspecific prose, this academy would teach new players how to play the game and provide supplies and gold for upgrades and fighting. I think we can all agree it’s not a bad idea. If only someone had thought of this before now.

But wait...it sounds eerily familiar. Maybe that’s because it’s been around in something called USAF Flight Training since Synesi created it over two years ago. I won’t even mention the Boot Camp program that was its predecessor and operated in a similar capacity. With the recent addition of the USAF’s DoD Strength Enhancement Program which provides low level soldiers with gold for training ground upgrades nearly 4 months ago, it seems like the program that Franklin wants to remove USAF’s funding to run is already running as part of the USAF!


More of Franklin’s gripes stem from the cost of USAF’s operations. I’ve spent numerous months over the course of the last year or so working in the Department of Defense, including so many months as Secretary of Defense that I’ve lost count. In literally every one of those months as SECDEF, I have reduced the USAF budget. The current budget line stands at 125k cc per week, but this week I requested just 55k cc from the Congressional Budget Office, as any congressman can verify for themselves. Compared to the 200k+ per week we were spending when I first took over the big chair, this is a remarkable reduction. Despite this drastically reduced spending, USAF continues to provide some of if not the best supply levels in the eUS. Responsible and conscientious operation of our national military has shown that we can continue to run effectively while be responsible and cognisant of where our funding comes from.


In times past, generous players have donated their own money or assets to assist in the operation of the USAF or its various branches. This trend has declined considerably in recent months as the game’s overall decline continues.

When I published the USAF Articles of Organization some months ago, following the massive overhaul that accompanied the merger of all USAF’s branches into a single military unit under the direct leadership of the President of the eUnited States, I stated that the USAF’s Purpose was, “to provide reliable, directable damage to the President of the eUnited States.”

Franklin has stated that he “sees the Military as a check against the Executive getting America involved in useless wars.” By it’s very nature, the USAF responds directly to the command of the President and his National Security Council. This reliability when called is why the USAF was created in the wake of the schism between JCS-led military and the eUS government. When a military body seeks to set its own foreign policy, it can not be considered an arm of the government’s force.


Franklin has outright accused the USAF of accepting our weekly operational budget as “a bribe for [our] loyalty.” He seems to ignore the fact that the President of the eUnited States spends every day as the literal in-game commander of the USAF unit, controlling, alongside the Secretary of Defense and USAF Operations Commander, the orders of the eUS’s official fighting force. As a former President, I can say with 100% certainty that a national military does make a difference in foreign affairs in eRepublik. The ability to directly control large portions of national damage is a great and powerful thing that can not be replaced through so-called “bribes” or agreements.

Obviously, most of you already know this, but sometimes, when the trolls come out, it becomes necessary to say again what shouldn’t need saying.


Dio bless you, and Dio bless the eUnited States of America.