Squadron Staff
Great job! You've officially got the basic structure of your squadron in place- from here we get to build...
As your squadron builds, though, you'll need more staff to handle the increase in membership. Even from the beginning though, between just yourself and your XO (and any other members who might get placed with you in those first day), it's important to understand the duties of each member of the squadron staff.
Flight Member
The Flight Member (FM) is the basic unit of the Navy. He or she partakes in activities planned by the superior officers, but also contributes his or her ideas to the squadron as a whole. FMs can partake as well as direct certain activities (if granted by the superior officers). FMs, btw, are not always new recruits; they can be veterans and even former Naval administrators. Their input, as well as their activity, is one of the most important ways you can tell if you're doing your job well. This is done through reports!
Flight Leader
The Flight Leader is a coordinator of sorts; a middle-man. The FL's basic duty is to keep in communication with his flight members. Even if he or she only has one flight member, the FL has a responsibility to be in contact with him or her two or three times a week. This can be done through Message Center, IRC or even e-mail, but continued contact is essential. As problems arise (if someone becomes in-active for instance), it's the job of the FL to ask the necessary questions. "Are you getting busy and thinking about taking some time off?" or "Do you think that you can't handle the full activity status in the Navy? Would you like to go to only a post a week?" or "Do you think you need to remove yourself from the squadron and focus on RL?" If none of these is the case, then they need to simply ask: "Have you lost interest? Why the sudden loss of activity?" This is the FL's Job!!! Not yours!!! Often, the SC discovers that a member is inactive far too late. This shouldn't happen; the FL should be letting them know if a member is slipping away and then give the reasons why. This will allow you to take the proper actions as the situation unfolds. If your FL is not accomplishing these basic tasks- you need to first re-explain his duties (although they need to know them when they first come in), and if the problem persist: consider removing him.
FLs can also be a valuable tool in relaying important information. If you'd like a new rule or order to get to each member, the FLs are a great way to make sure that the message gets out. While you can post a basic message on your squadron thread, telling your FLs to make sure their flight members know can be an effective way to ensure your message has the impact you expect.
FLs can suggest people for promotion or medals. They should, regardless, make sure they're noting people who're performing well.
FLs, also, can be great ralliers and enthusiasts during competitions or story-writing; they can coordinate with their groups and lead the charge. When choosing FLs, you'll want to try to choose someone reliable, active and up-beat.
Executive Officer
Your XO is kind of like your shadow; he does what you do, basically. In many ways, it's best to think of the XO as your partner; this is the person who will be primarily involved in helping you write the background for stories; he or she will help you design contests and set-up any kind of inter-squadron or inter-division stories/activities. They're also the individual that you're going to want to bounce ideas off of- and! They're the most likely to be able to offer you good suggestions. All-in-all, the duty of the XO is act as a sort of partner in helping you make decisions and follow-up on those decisions. The both of you should be aware of when you'll each be online and, in the event one of you is going to be absent, they should know so that they can cover the bases. Between your XO and you, the list of rewards (medals/promotions) should also be circulating. They also have much of the same authority you do to punish or moderate the squadron topic.
Both you and your XO have access to the Commander's ComNet, so both of you should be able to produce reports there. However, if you feel that your XO is performing well (or not so well) it should be included in a personal message to the Wing Commander so that the individual can be considered for promotion. As the SC, you can always over-rule a command given by your XO.
Again, though, he's not really an inferior, though he probably has less experience than you. This isn't always the case, but it probably will be if this is your first squadron. Regardless- think of it like a partnership and do your best to communicate with this individual.
Squadron Commander
Your job, essentially, is to make sure that 1) Everyone else is doing their job; 2) that you're sending in weekly reports on the "Reports" thread on the Commander's ComNet; and 3) that you're the one who has the ultimate wisdom in keeping interest and over-all enjoyment running high. If problems look like they may be cropping up, or something seems out of place, it's your responsibility to address the issue or at the very least consult a higher-up about it. The welfare of your members' is in your hands, and you're responsible for keeping their interest and attention healthy in the VE.
Now that we have a firm understanding of the duties within the squadron staff, let's move on!
Go back on page to: Squadron Foundations
Or- back to the beginning: SC Basics
