Community Update No.14

24DEC21 2045 hrs UTC

Happy Holidays to all Red Devils members!

And welcome to the latest community update bulletin. The last (and only other time) I've written on this subject, I suggested that the next time you'd see an update that Horner would be returning and taking over...

Horner has decided for the time being to stay retired from RD and Milsim in general to help focus on work and real life commitments. We wish him well, and will continue to benefit from his background assistance from time to time.

So therefore we're stuck with me writing these updates until someone else wants to do it.

The last eight months have certainly been interesting, as the pandemic continues worldwide. Red Devils has done well, with both platoons continuing to operate efficiently and the creation of the ad hoc Airlanding Group that contains both B Troop (Anti-tank) and D Troop (Recce) within it. When we look at our allied groups in the WW2 Community, we should be thankful to our membership for their continued loyalty and support - many other groups aren't as lucky!

April and May saw the conclusion of Operation COMPASS in North Africa, followed by an in-house Wargaming PvP Exercise.

In June we tackled Operation TONGA where we glider landed and assaulted what was later affectionally dubbed "Pegasus Bridge." This campaign began with PvP against new community ally 102nd Panzergrenadier Division.

July, August and September followed with much needed training, exercises and some fun missions. In September we were invited to join the 7th FJ Division to their PvP operation, but only in limited numbers. Those that stayed behind participated in an Asymmetrical in-house PvP mission of my design that pitted British Airborne against German Wehrmacht forces fighting over a bridge, with minor objectives scattered around the area.

For October we were treated to our final operation of the year, Operation VARSITY - the airborne and airlanding invasion of Germany in 1945. Our forces portrayed the various landing elements that neutralized German defenses east of the river, then defended against counterattack and blocked retreating forces entry into the country.

The remainder of October and November was a focus on training and recruiting once more, but also a special event: we were invited to join the 7th Armoured Division in their version of Operation TONGA! A combined RD/7AD merged together for one event to conduct the glider landings of the Ox and Bucks at Pegasus Bridge. It was nice once again to be able to work with an allied unit on a Coop/Joint Op after so long of a hiatus. We hope to work with 7AD further in the future!

After the final missions of the year in December, we capped off the year with the holiday tradition of piracy: Thire's Nassau Campaign! True to their nature some pirate captains conducted secret parley and agreed to work against Stede Bonnet and his crew to ensure that the prized Spanish ship was secured and booty shared fair, as one does in the Pirate Republic!*

This brings us up to speed on current events. As we move into January and begin our tempo again, I hope all of you will be returning and joining us for another exciting year in Red Devils!

• Thire's Desert SAS events
  
• Return to RD in January
  
• TBA Campaigns for 2022
  

Community Review 2021

As many veteran members know, we typically use the break in December each year to take note and reflect on the year's progress. We send out feedback surveys and plan for the next year. 2021 is no exception, and provided next are links to the surveys this year. For ease of use, I've separated the survey into two components: Events and Leadership. 

Each survey response will require a name, please use the format indicated. The results will be only known to myself, and I will generate reports for staff and members afterwards without naming who the responses came from. If there are any questions about the content, please DM me immediately.

So once again, I'm asking for your assistance in helping give feedback on this year's events.

The deadline for completion of the surveys is 1 JAN 22. While the surveys are not mandatory, they are highly suggested as the feedback from membership is very useful to us for building the unit better.

As always, please follow the instructions in each survey. No joke, troll, meme responses - any attempt to do so will nullify your response.

Events - https://forms.gle/wKhi3CynpBKpzZtx8

Leadership - https://forms.gle/fEkS3GnNkTaTQj9S8

Thank you so much for your support!