501st Newsletter Issue #18

CT Sideways, Chief News Editor
Monday, June 3rd, 2019

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     To my fellow members of the 501st and its GARC allies, a special report:

     It starts with a rumble in the sky. You know the sound - hostile air. You see Heavy Missile Platforms (HMPs) and Vultures flying over head. You wonder if your assault trooper brought enough AA rockets. Then the ARC-170’s roar overhead and the skies are clear.

     Lightning has been a long-standing presence in the unit and a place for experienced leaders in Razor to shine. Always emphasizing teamwork and fast responses, the pilots of Lightning exemplify the fundamentals of Razor.

     To be a Lightning pilot is to be a leader. After talking to CX Scuba, that became evident.

    “Lightning pilots are a position of earned notability, comparable to an NCO” he said. One has to not only have a good understanding of the situations that can develop on the field, but also nimble awareness.

    Lighting pilots aren’t usually the first ones to respond to a problem in the skies on accident. Combining their aircraft's extreme speed with their pilots’ ability to read and gauge a battlefield, these pilots are able to handle situations at speeds the contemporary Confederacy fighters could only hope to mimic.  

    When asked about the specific aircraft, I was informed that Razor typically uses three aircraft. The ARC-170 fighter, Y-Wing attack Bomber, and the A-Wing Interceptor. Speaking to flight commander CX-X Dylan I was given a thorough education on the airframes:

    “The ARC-170s are what we practice the most. They are the all rounders, able to give support and dog fight. Then we have the Y-wings. Not as good in a dog fight, but carry more fire power and give a bigger punch. Finally there's the V-wings. They are almost to fast, but they rip apart Vultures. Obviously each airframe is built for different tasks but Dylan says its important to know which one you need for the job. With all this fire power, its important to know when to use it.” With the power to level an Area of Operations its no wonder Dylan values restraint.

     Lightning also maintains a lesser-known secondary duty. Not only are they responsible for dealing with red air and CAS missions, they also help send messages across the front line using their aircraft as a mobile long range radio.

     “They fill a role called Midpoint Operator” Scuba told me. “We used to have a LAAT that would be assigned to fly around from place to place, carrying messages across the AO. The venator was pretty far away back then.”

     But with the new aircraft at the Republic's disposal, that task can be handed off to the faster aircraft on the field.

     I had then asked Scuba what he would want the unit at large to know about Lightning, and he said how great an example of a detachment can work. That some people can be tasked with different objectives, but work together and still be part of the team. Lighting pilots are never treated any differently, and are always treated as if they are part of Razor, but don’t be fooled, the pilots of Lightning still have the responsibility of maintaining Razor’s mission. These clone pilots are just as deadly in a LAAT, so feel confident the next time you jump in!

     Dylan notes that combat flying is a priority for the pilots under his command. While stressing that any lighting pilot is capable of piloting a LAAT, their training becomes more combat-oriented as their time in the detachment goes on.

     With all the level of training under Lightnings’ belts, it's no wonder there's so much awe aimed at them. Next time you see a pilot on, be sure to say hello! If you’re interested in joining Razor, be sure to check out their discord channel.

    
      Until next time,

      CT Momentum, signing off.  

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Battalion HQ -
"I told you it would happen. I told you all it would happen. I've been saying it since the 501st, but no one listened" - CC Bondoer

Avalanche HQ -

Olympics kick off this weekend.

Avalanche 1 -

Tom(CT to Sr. CT)

“We’re ready for the campaign to start and kick everyone’s ass in the Olympics” - CS Legia

Avalanche 2 -

“The quote above us is completely and utterly false. Also, the other platoons may find themselves in a "Crisis" during the Olympics.” - CS Pompano

Avalanche 3 -

Sunshine (Cadet to CT)

"Lava hates the JT-12." - CC Ewik

Avalanche 4 -

Snorri (Cadet to CT)

"I've made a mistake. The consequences have yet to appear. But once they do it'll be impossible not to notice. Everyone should live in fear from this point onward." - CS-M Coward

Acklay -

“Crisis isn’t even in his mid-life.” - CC Lava

Razor -

"If you're interested in being a pilot prepare for an announcement Soon " - CX Scuba

Mynock -

“A good soldier obeys without question. A good officers commands without doubt.”- CC Klein

Zeta -

“The beatings shall continue until the morale has improved.” - CP Fancy

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DID YOU KNOW?

Double clicking on map markers allows you to change the colors, text and symbol of already placed markers. Use this to change the mark to black once you know the target has been destroyed.

501st Trivia

LT Euler thinks Big Mouth is a good show and that it is not trying to destroy the moral fabric of society.

501st Discord

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501st Donation Page

^{501st News opinion doesn’t necessarily reflect the opinion of the entire community. If you’d like to help the news team, you can in many ways, including but not limited to, signing up for the news team, submitting an article, posting a piece of media or getting publicity for an event. For those interested, please contact either CT Sideways or CP Sense for more information. Your voice matters, let it be heard. We’re currently looking for journalists to collect stories, media and content and story writers to write articles. Also please consider donating to the 501st to help pay for server costs and help keep this community alive and well maintained. Photo credits: CX-C Lutas, CT Aeon and CT Momentum Extra graphics by: CT Shift and CT Daku}

^{Chief News Editor: CT Sideways}

^{News Editor: CP Sense}

^{Writers and Journalists: CT Daku, CP Hoodoo, CT Momentum, CT Stone and CT Ruse}