The Disfuntional AAR
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by Majester
Last night, with the help of Paul Hamon, that great Satan and root of everything evil in Australian society (if his detractors are to believed), I discovered that I'm apparently the CO of Mike Company in the AAR.
It's good that I have an awesome sense of smell. Sleeping with some fairy dust on my pillow may even help me divine the names of my squadies. Restricting all communication to the forums is a tactical mistake that has effectively side-lined the average player. The AAR bears testimony to this.
If you have read this far and are wondering what I'm on about: the AAR is the Australian Army Reserve. It was created so that the average citizen could contribute to the safety and defence of Australia without the need to travel. You essentially need to be able to fight and respond to the odd roll-call in exchange of the occasional weapon and doing the right thing to protect what is ours. Every citizen should be a member. But they are not. Communication, or the lack thereof, seems a major issue.
I also find it very disturbing that the military command is dominated by senators and other government types. Not only is this a conflict in interest, but it smacks of elitism. There is nothing wrong with serving in the military as a private while you hold other government offices - but having the need to occupy all positions top positions simultaneously is exclusive and smacks of cronyism. While this may merely reflect a lack of active players - an even more damning reflection on the lack of eAustralian society - a concerted effort needs to be made to recruit new people. The criteria are deliberately low, and yet we struggle for recruits.
But why do I carry on about this? The AAR is our only defence in times of war. The military is too small to effectively ward of invasion. Joe Citizen is the wall - the bulwark that reflects damage. The only thing more important than large numbers of citizens (whence we go on about procreation and population), is an organised citizenry. A well organised AAR would allow us to move our population en-mass in times of crises to create staggering walls of defence. Currently we cannot even tell a CO that he is a CO and has a squad. Hell, we can't even send a simple message to a citizen that her application has been accepted.
Join the AAR today and help change it for the better. Your work today will pay dividends when everything we hold dear is once again threatened. And in the current climate, that day could be tomorrow.
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good article, orginization is always the key. mark twice cut once XD
I decided to join the AAR a few weeks back due to my self-invoked sense of duty to my country. From the outset, the time between application and enlistment was long and not organised, and then I only discovered my acceptance via the forum and also there just happened to be a roll call as well so that could also serve as a notice of my acceptance.
The communication and structure and organisation is a major problem, but I believe people are seriously trying to change this. I know when I run not this term but next term for the senate, I plan to try and help the process however I can.
The potential is there for a great platform for all Aussie citizens
Yes I was AAR marshal until recently when I quit due to conflict of interest with my deputy Minister of Defence job.
Unfortunately the AAR has been plagued with some bad luck and a lot of citizens comming and going, including Marshalls and other ranks, make it a very hard military unit to organise. It is starting to come together, but the AAR is so much larger than our Dropbears or Koalas that makes organising a real challenge.
The other problem is that the active and older players soon leave AAR to join ACUK or Dropbears, leaving AAR with unseasoned newer players for the most part.
I would love for more active players to step up to that challenge and offer to help out in AAR in whatever capacity they can.
Back before the NAP, and even before I was elected for this term (back when Patti11 was PM), I was waving my arms and jumping up and down saying 'we have a communication problem people'.
Then weeks later people complain about the lack of communication and I just put my head in my hands in disbelief.
Maybe making older Citizens that are in the ACUK or Dropbears responsible for AAR squads as party of their requirements.
I doesn't have to reflect the way it is in the real world, it needs to be build to give younger Citizens more skills.
Dropbears strength 10 or ACUK 100 damage maybe is not enough, could there should be extra duties commanding a squad?
Unsure.
Paul Hamon
The AAR is the toughest force to organise, here is why;
a) It's numbers comprise of roughly 1/2 of eAustralia's Soldiers, so thats about the Dropbears and the Koalas combined.
b) It's a logistical nightmare.
c) Inactivity is a problem, due to "not much happening in regards to military action.
Reorganizing the AAR should be on the top of our things to do list and I seriously hope that the guys in charge get it sorted out sooner rather than later.
Did you guys know that WAR Games are on now! Ireland v USA and because it was Rhode Island being 'attacked' we are able to fight in them. Is the word out yet on that??
I wrote this article 8 months ago about the then named ADF(which has had its name changed a few times and is not the AAR) and when Patti promised reforms I warned that changing the name was not going to help.
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/the-australis-report-on-the-military-capabilities-of-eaustralia--775066/1/20" target="_blank">http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/the-[..]1/20
You can’t get a bombed out car and give it a shiny new coat and expect it to run faster, you need to replace the engine and fix it from the inside.
Unfortunately no one listened at the time and we are still in the same trouble we faced 8 months ago....
Er ... how would you plan on monitoring activity, then, Majester?
Or are you suggesting we just give people money and weapons, and not check whether they are even training in wars?
what current climate is this, Majester?
Indonesia have agreed to the NAP with us, and we also have MPPs with 4 major EDEN nations. Are you afraid South Africa is going to invade us? 😛
Tim be nice 😃
Anyone who joins AAR needs to be active on the forums for it to run smoothly. Please don't join up if you can't commit to this.
the AAR has been reorganized back when cozza was commander marshal ando now it is more efficient then it was when i first joined.
the onus is on squad commanders to PM there squad members about roll call, orders and alerting them to new articles in the AMM or DoD newspaper. if they cant do this they should step down as squad CO. platoon commanders are there to call roll calls every 1/2 weeks and PM squad COs about the roll call.
dont forget though if you dont reply to two roll calls in a row you will get taken of the register
@Binda33 IMO Being active on the forums is not the problem, I'm sorry but I've found a lack of ordered information and easy to use.
This is not appropriate to be posting an article on Majester. I will be in contact with you.
here bloody here. Good stuff Majester.
And yes Bass Junkie, this *is* an appropriate thing to be posting an article about. Having a position and not being told that you have it? That's outrageous.
Hmm ... someone seems to have made the Army Democratic again 😛
I shall have to see about that 😛
Whitelaughter, perhaps if the people who have been granted a position were active enough to read that they were given it we wouldn't have this problem?
To any other AAR out there: Don't forget to check the forums, and don't forget to read my announcements. Maybe then you won't look like an idiot.
Get real Bass - firstly because the forums are so user unfriendly that making heads or tails of them is a nightmare; besides, those of us who've been around for a while gave up on them long ago becuase they were only up once in a blue moon.
Secondly, because only a moron gives a postion to someone without confirming that they are (1) still playing, (2) interested in the position, and (3) *capable* of performing the duties of that position.
So, yeah, someone looks like an idiot - but it aint Majester.
What the fuck? How thick are you if you can't use the forums? Personally, I don't want to have anyone who is too stupid to use a forum.
Really, if anyone still considers the military in any form democratic or accountable to the people, contact me immediately so I can set them straight.
Oh, one more thing before I go do some work - The "😉isfuntional" AAR? I'm kinda glad the AAR isn't fun, would be a worry if it was.
majester, why don't you come up with a plan to better organise and get involved? You may have great ideas ... I wish you'd offered some in this article.
I think you'll see that a lot of things here are handled by a small group of people who are willing to sacrifice a great deal of their personal time in order to handle the responsibilities of eAus. If others would like to get involved and take on some of the work that would be great.
Soooo, apparently the forums we have running totally suck and are "unuserfriendly" (which, btw, isn't even a real word).
I now pose a question to you: How do you suggest we coordinate EVERYTING RELATED TO THE GOVERNMENT? (incl: Senate, Inspector General, Cabinet, Military (all three branches), political parties, and special interest groups)
That's it DA, I'm starting my own forums. With hookers. And Blackjack.
In fact, forget the forums!
I may just leave my forum for yours them (esp if you get some Latina hookers 😛 ).
Rofl
Poignant article,but I don't think it ends there. eRepublic reminds me of the RW more and more all the time.
"Currently we cannot even tell a CO that he is a CO and has a squad. Hell, we can't even send a simple message to a citizen that her application has been accepted."
Erm, actually, I receive messages to pass onto my Squad, and they PM me back with info. I don't know what you're on about there. And I likewise communicate by PM ingame with my Platoon CMDR too, so again, not sure what you're on about there. It's a "secure" form of communication, so while you'll see official natter on the forums, the concept that we're gagged elsewhere is just ridiculous.
As for Squad leaders being from an elite chosen few... Really? You think? Hell, I'm a squad leader and I've run unsuccessfully for the Senate three times in two different countries and not even gotten close any time. Probably won't get close this time either.
Sure I see a fair bit of experience at the top of the Chain. Just the way it SHOULD be I'd argue.
Oh, and there's nothing wrong with speaking out when you see something retarded... You don't need a military to be democratic in order to do that.
"I don't agree" does not equal insubordination.
Indeed, historically Australian Soldiers in RL are well known for airing their views frankly to ensure the job gets done. The idea there is that the Chain listens to the feedback, and either takes it on board, or says "STFU and get on with it", but there's never anything wrong with asking the question.
@Whitelaughter - When I "found out" I was a Squad Leader a few days ago my initial thought was "WTF?" However, the date/timestamp on Bass' posts in the forums CLEARLY spell out the AAR's current structure, including Squad CO's and 2IC's. If I'd READ it when it was posted I wouldn't have been surprised. If posts on the forums are read with any frequency there shouldn't be any surprises. 😛
And the notion that the forums are difficult to use is just retarded. Sorry, but it is. FFS.
<3 Si Botak lol
I agree that the forums are not that complicated. Anyone who tries should be able to find the AAR section of forums with little difficultly. I'm a mother of two, fairly technology illiterate and I have no trouble whatsoever.
Sex is always the answer.
+1
ROFL
Not a member, I'll fight when/where I want/need to, and I can fund my own weaponry.