NORTHERN LIGHTS, UKAHALA–The most random, pressing, and head-scratching questions about RFCP canon answered! PART 3!
In this next edition of the beloved question-answering series, we will address three more pieces of DEEP dive RFCP knowledge. All responses provided by the Commander.
- What is “Honorably Retired” vs. regular retired?
Retired (regular) means a soldier turns in their resignation (or disappears from activity) peacefully and without joining a different army. They may or may not still be in the server. They hold no ill will towards the army. However, they do not hold the special privileges that Honorably Retired individuals hold, which are:
- Rank retention–If an Honorably Retired chooses to reenlist, they are guaranteed their highest earned rank. Regular retired individuals are welcome to reenlist, but they may or may not be given their highest earned rank. The Commander may assign them a lower rank considering the new environment of the army.
- Special role–Honorably Retired have a special role in the server that shows up on the role section of Discord above Allies and displays their highest earned medal. (Regular retirement roles do not display any awards or honors).
- Listed on Website–Honorably Retired are listed on our ranks page with their medal stars shown next to their names.
- Standing invitation to most important army events.
- The distinction of the title “the Honorably Retired [xxx].”
To become Honorably Retired rather than regular retired, one must meet all of the requirements of regular retired status (no enlistment elsewhere, a peaceful departure, and no ill will towards the RFCP), but one must go a step further than “no ill will” and demonstrate an exceptional GOODWILL for the army. Or, in other words, the individual still actively cares about the success and wellbeing of the RFCP, despite their inability to participate. When deciding whether or not a retirement is Honorable, the Commander will also consider the lasting accomplishments of the individual. So, the Honorably Retired status requires both a past that is honorable and a present that is honorable–the present goodwill towards the RFCP. Finally, the Honorably Retired individual should be thoughtful and hold reasons for retiring that are not related to apathy or personal dispute, and typically that are against their preference (ex. “I would love to stay enlisted, but I am unable to because of so-and-so going on in my life now.”). Individuals who abandon their rank abruptly or leave the server under 1) questionable motive, or 2) when the army is in poor health, will struggle to earn Honorably Retired status. Some examples of non-questionable motive include school, parenthood, Discord detox, health/mental health unrelated to the army, etc. Individuals under any circumstances choosing to leave the server jeopardize their chance for earning Honorable Retirement. Of course, if an individual is livin’ it up on Discord while pretending that they left the army server to “not be distracted”/to pursue a digital detox, these individuals not only will not receive the Honorably Retired status–they risk a Dishonorable discharge status. Such individuals are referred to as “ex-[rank]” and may be blacklisted.
One quick note on “peaceful departure.” Departures by their very nature can start out a little bumpy. But if those emotions are smoothened out and friendly balance is restored, and the candidate meets all other obligations of the Honorably Retired status, the departure may be considered peaceful. A peaceful departure, however, never includes decidedly disliking or renouncing the RFCP.
Some individuals who leave the army, especially those under the rank of Corporal, are generally neither retired, Honorably Retired, nor dishonorably discharged. They’re just part of the expected attrition of random users coming and going before they could “stick,” so to speak. These individuals are identifiable by the fact that they probable held little understanding of what we are/what they were leaving.
I am aware that some who leave do not care about earning Honorably Retired status. But the Honorably Retired status is worthwhile and reflects good life skills in the professional world–such as leaving a good impression/legacy, not burning bridges, concluding something gracefully, and maintaining cordial contacts as a future resource. These are things young men and women should value and think about.
Of course, even better than being Honorably Retired is staying enlisted and climbing the ranks!
2. Why is the European division called the Air Force and the Australian/Asian division called the Navy? Why not vice versa? And why are the Spanish-speaking soldiers called the Marines?
I assigned the European division to be our Air Force because I chose Red Baron as the new rank representing the European 3ic. The Red Baron was a figure from real-life WWI that famously engaged in dogfights (air-to-air combat). I thought it was a unique and standout name for a new rank. Thus, of course, the Air Force made sense for the EU division. My decision followed consideration for what our Navy would be, too. I determined that the Asian/Australian division ought to be called our Navy due to the mass of the Pacific Ocean, Earth’s largest body of water. The Spanish-speaking division came latest, and thus claimed the last major military branch still available–the Marines.
3. Where does our merch come from? And why do some items from the RFCP store take FOREVER to arrive, and others only take about a week?
The answer to this question is a major compliment to our army! Most of our merchandise comes from my creations on http://www.zazzle.com using images associated with the RFCP like the flag, my hat, etc. However, as we grew, Zazzle took notice that our flag BELONGS to the RFCP! I was not successful in contacting them and claiming ownership of the RFCP because I did not have any in-real-life license proving I am Prior Bumble! It’s rather cool that we’re big enough to be recognized as an institution by Zazzle. It’s also inconvenient. It means that Zazzle sometimes rejects my merch orders as copyright infringing…on ourselves. When this happens for one product, it usually means I can never order that product again through Zazzle, and I have to create it elsewhere. That is what happened with the RFCP blanket and the RFCP snow globe. Those are now made through Etsy, which takes more time, and which is more complicated to order–so I often don’t get to it for a while.
Another fascinating mix of questions answered! What bizarre and burning questions do YOU have? Let us know in the comments!
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