1. CONGRATULATIONS! With your promotion to command you have reached the most challenging and rewarding position in TFA. Although there are 
   no tangible rewards, you will have the opportunity to experience the most satisfying role in this organization. No where else and no other 
   position in TFA gives you the chance to lead your troops to success. By success we do not necessarily mean victory in battle, but also in 
   seeing your pilots and your officers grow and develop under your command.

2. Your overall Duty is to see that all the pilots under you are active. You are to Lead them in such a way that they grow to respect you as 
   a person as well as a Leader. You are to do all you can to see that yours and their piloting skills grow. You are to stay in contact with 
   the pilots on a regular basis and attempt to build good relations with them. You are to be there for them when they need a friend, some 
   advice, some help or anything. Just be a good Leader and they will respect you. 
 
3. As Executive Officer it was your duty to manage the day to day affairs of the squadron and to ensure the proper performance and training 
   of both the pilots and the Flight Leaders. As Squadron Leader you are charged with the overall performance of your squadron in all 
   respects. This is a demanding assignment. You are responsible to High Command for your squadron and to your squadron for guidance and 
   leadership. It is vital to stay "up to speed" with the duty requirements for all your personnel in order to ensure everyone is doing their 
   job. Your duties in this respect include but are not limited to:


a. Chain of Command. You must ensure that your squadron understands and follows the chain of command. As their leader this can be a 
   difficult position. You will many times feel an overwhelming desire to help, but you must ensure the chain works. This does not mean you 
   should ever ignore the needs of your pilots, but you should do your utmost to allow the XO and Flight Leaders the opportunity to do their 
   job. Never get caught in a position where your actions will contradict or undermine the authority of your XO or FL's, this could cause 
   great turmoil within your squadron.

b. Performance of Duty. You are now responsible for the training and performance of your entire squadron. You decide the policies and set the 
   course for your ship. You must ensure that your XO and Flight Leaders are well trained and motivated. Your tools to help you accomplish 
   this mission are few. You must rely on your own abilities and judgement to do what is right for your squadron. When your XO or one of the 
   FL's are having difficulty performing to your expectations, you must first assume that they do not fully understand what is required of 
   them. Train first, then you will have no doubt as to what they have been taught. If you still have a problem, then make "corrections" as 
   you deem necessary. If "corrections" are required, this is something you must do in private. If you criticize one of your officers in a 
   public place, such as a meeting, you will permanently undermine that officers credibility and effectiveness within the squad. If the 
   problem is a pilot, remember your chain of command and use your officers to fix the problem. If you find yourself directly criticizing a 
   pilot, then you have not done your job.

c. Leadership. As you have been promoted to command it is assumed that High Command has special faith in your leadership abilities. Do not 
   take this faith for granted. Command of a squadron is the greatest leadership challenge you will face in TFA. Use the lessons you have 
   learned in your progression to this exalted position. There is an old saying about ship captains, "the captain is the heart and soul of 
   the ship, he IS the ship". You are now that ship. Your squadron will take its cues from you. You will find that the squadron will, in some 
   aspects, begin to reflect your own personality. If you take the challenge of leadership seriously, you will begin to notice that you will 
   not have to issue "commands". A commanding officer that is doing it right will merely have to mention that something needs to be done, 
   then watch in contentment as his squadron scrambles to make it happen. This is the joy of an effective Commanding Officer. If you lead 
   well, you will find no greater satisfaction. There is one vital point you must remember at all times. You are in command, no one else. 
   You should listen to the input of your squadron, but when decision time comes, that decision is yours alone. When in command, COMMAND! 

4. It is your duty to check the Comlink at LEAST every other day. It would be in the best interests of you squadron for you to check it 
   daily, several times a day if possible. This is necessary because many times Senior Officers make posts that are intended to 
   "Reach the Masses" since Mass emails do NOT always work. You are responsible to ensure that your squadron is "up to speed" with what is 
   happening in TFA, stay informed. You are also responsible to check for inappropriate posts on the comlink by members of your squad. 
   If you see such a post, use your officers and fix the problem.

5.  When your Squadron receives a new pilot, Send them a welcome letter stating who you are and what you expect from them. Your letter should 
    include the squadron chain of command, and the name of their new Flight Leader. You also must ensure that the XO and the pilots 
    Flight Leader are doing this as well. This may sometimes seem like repeated effort, but that new pilot needs guidance, and they need to 
    be made to feel welcome. That letter and all letters you send out as an Squad Leader need to be in the proper format.(See E-Mail Format)
    I'd suggest creating a standard welcome letter so that you will have it available for future mailings.

6.  If you have not already done this, you should add all members of your squadron to your ICQ as well as any other TFA you already have 
    there. I rename all TFA pilots on my ICQ in the following way:

TFA Bobba/WCII          TFA Nimrokon/SL/Omicron
TFA Hero/CnC            TFA Puttz/XO/Iota
TFA Megalodon/FL/Zeta

You should also add all your squadron members to your address book in your E-mail program so that mailing to them will be easy.

7.  It is your duty to collect the results of weekly practices that your Flight Leaders should be holding, from your XO. You are to review 
    them and take note of any vast improvement and/or lack of improvement on the part of any of the pilots. If you notice that the pilots 
    dont seem to be improving you should then try to attend some of the practices so that you can add your knowledge and skill to the 
    practice enviornment.

8. It is your duty to send a report to your Wing Commander at least once a week reporting on the status of the Squadron. You are to comment 
   on Practices, Conduct, Inactivity, Compliments and anything else you feel is worth reporting about.

9. You are to perform any additional duties that your Wing Commander may inform you to carry out.

10. Welcome to an exclusive club. Many members have come and gone, but a privileged few get the opportunity to command. Your new position 
    is heavy with responsibility, bear it well. 

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR NEW COMMAND!

Note: TFA has initiated a "Leave" Program. This is where a SL or XO may take a ONE WEEK Leave Of Absence and the other will take his spot 
      during that time. This is to allow you to be able to have some "Down/Free Time" from your duties as SL or XO. 

Please do not abuse this program or it may be revoked. Abuse is Constantly taking Leaves one after the other.


~Site Updated by Senior Pilot Seigram