Steam Name: Mexico / Kevin Gates
RP Name: XO Mexico
RP Rank: XO
Steam ID: STEAM_0:1:444862476
Battalion or squad you are applying for: 41st Elite Corps
Experience:
* NA - SA
I went through the usual staff process. I managed to get staff of the week and staff of the month during my time in the staff team. During my time in the staff team I learned more about gmod in general. I had never really played gmod so this opportunity allowed for me to learn how to do staff work. I learned how to manage multiple things at once, tickets, players, issues, etc. As a Senior Admin I would constantly host things for the server, I was a very active GM. I rose through the ranks fairly quickly. I had SA before every applying for GM and was taking quite a few tickets on a daily basis. This position gave me more understanding on how the server operated internally; as well as how the community interacted with each other in events, and during passive rp.
*GH - GM
I got GH around the time I was an admin. I would constantly host events. Although GH’s are mainly supposed to assist with events I usually hosted smaller events individually. A few times I definitely bit more than I could chew with events; however I quickly filled the shoes on what a GM is supposed to be. I eventually applied for GM after many of my peers suggested I should. As I GH I was hosting events deemed for a GMO. I had hosted multiple full main server events and the community would easily get immersed in all the scenarios I created. My time as a GH and GM made me open my eyes and filled me with creativity when it came to creating events and scenarios. Even though I am not staff anymore, I still host events for my battalion and our peers. I try being as creative as possible by creating more RP than action in my events. I will have an admin or senior admin spawn a few things or help me around while I cloak around and advance the event according to player choice.
* 21st PVT - SGT
My first battalion in Synergy was the 21st. I was fairly new to Gmod, and had only played around 2 hours. The 21st made me feel at home. In less than a week I managed to reach the rank of SGT and I was quickly making a name for myself. I learned faces, formations, and lore here. I started learning people's names and building my connections around the server. The funny part is that I joined the server to minge but I ended up staying for over a year. My beginnings on the 21st really opened up my thoughts on what RP was like. I learned as much as I could and tried being on 24/7 if it meant hanging out with my fellow troopers. The 21st immersed me in Synergy and provided a foundation for my future self in the server.
*21st Spec Ops
Once I reached SGT on the 21st I was given the opportunity to join SO. I became an SO pilot and the abilities for RP that it opened up for me really got me even more hooked on the community and server. Being SO I was trained in how to use a cloaking device. I was also pilot trained which gave me the ability to pilot ships in game. During this time I started getting trained in everything I could on the server. From medic to engineer, EOD, Tech, etc. All the training I received along with my SO training opened many doors. I started doing more RP in events, detonating bombs, negotiating, etc. I spent hours reading the training documents over and over again until they stuck with me. SO showed me what a sub-unit can offer along with the opportunities battalions have plus the RP these subunits can open to you.
* 41st SGT - Executive Officer
After my time on the 21st I decided to try something new. I had always had my eyes on a bigger battalion. I used to stand outside of bunks doing recruitments on the 21st and that's when I met Shpack which was Improcco Clanky at the time. Seeing Green Company and Improcco just hit a switch in me. I had to reach that someday. I wanted to strive for bigger things. One day I decided to leave 21st to go to 41st. I started at SGT, I went onto the ARF regiment. I wanted to get my name spread out, to be recognized in that new battalion. I was constantly hosting training, recruitments, etc. I still hold the record for longest recruiting session. I once spent 4 hours sitting outside of bunks hitting an advert to join 41st. My time in the 41st was not perfect. I even got demoted once from SFC to SGT. After my demotion I focused on the battalion. I doubled my time on the server and quickly started making it through the ranks. I made it into a green company, became ARFL, ARCL, and eventually got Gett which is Improcco Lead. I quickly made it through the ranks, I was an outstanding officer, I skipped from SGM to WO, and from WO to 1stLT. Once I hit the officer it became evident that this was my home. Within a month I was captain, another 2 months go by and I'm Colonel. Before I knew it I was in the commander team. I assisted shpack in whatever I could and continuously showed activity and initiative by guiding the junior officer team as well as the senior. During my time as a senior officer _ I started realizing more about the battalion. How it worked, its structure, along with its core members. I became a crucial member, the anchor of the battalion. I learned of the things that needed fixing and haven't stopped working on fixing them since. We have had our ups and downs but have seen massive improvements.
* 41st ARFL
My first big position was ARFL in the 41st. Once I made it to a green company and reached the rank of SFC I applied for ARFL. I took everything that I had learned and put it into my applications. Eventually I got through the interview and was chosen as the new ARFL. This position gave me my first steps in becoming a future officer. I learned how to manage a branch and how to keep its members entertained and active while keeping it professional. As an ARFL I was tasked with handling the main trooper in the battalion at the time, the ARF. During this time most of our new troops joined the ARF branch. What this meant for me is that I would have to keep my eyes more open than ever. Since PVTs were joining here this was the biggest opportunity for them to mine. Back then ARFs had a rocket launcher which usually got the new guys in trouble. I was the first point of contact, If someone in my regiment got in trouble I was the one to handle the issue first. During this time I learned how the chain of command worked; as well as the structure of regiments and the leads and officers in them.
* 41st Green Company
Around the time I was a SGT I had the opportunity to try out for Green Company. At the time, Dono was GCL and his tryout was recognized for being incredibly difficult to pass. For a whole week I practiced faces, formations and overall did anything I could do to get ready for my tryout. The tryout was tough but I managed to pass. The Green Company was huge for me. I had finally made a sub unit in the 41st. I was very proud of my accomplishment. Green Company taught me a lot, especially serious RP. Dono made it very clear to me how serious Green Company was. He told me only the best of the best joint Green Company. I took that seriously and started RPing heavily. I worked as hard as I could to outshine everyone in the battalion. This mentality was the one that got me to where I am today. Green Company taught me how to take things seriously along with showing me what it was like to pass a hard tryout and to work harder than ever before.
* 41st ARCO-ARCL
While I was ARFL I eventually managed to get all my ARC training. Luckily around the time an ARC spot had opened in the 41st. I rushed to take it and I made sure I was the best of the best, just as how ARCs should be. I was ARC for a few weeks when eventually Sixta made me ARCO. Under his wing I learned how to handle things through discord. I was constantly looking at Rancor discord and pinging 41st about ARC. I was getting people waived and sent over to Rancor for their selections, leadership, and W&T. I got very involved with our officer core around this time. My name started being mentioned more around the battalion for the constant good work I was doing. Sixta eventually resigned from trooper and I was made ARCL. It was mostly the same as ARCO but in my opinion a bigger responsibility. I made sure I was showing the officers and the new guys what a good ARCL can be. I even had my own documents to keep track of all the ARCs in the battalion as well as for the reserves and ARC trainees. My hard work paid off eventually. I managed to get promoted to WO and continued to outshine everyone during events and RP.
* 41st Improcco Gett
When I was Major I was still ARCL. I was still pushing for the best of the best. I flew through the junior officer ranks. Once I had reached Major I knew there was no looking back anymore. I had made it into one of the most trusted individuals in the battalion. My hard work was paying off. My continuous activity and initiative eventually had me set eyes on Improcco. I finally believed I had enough to apply for a position. When Tenn opened, I proceeded to apply. One of my best friends on the server, Chew, was going for that position at the time. I was told about it and I decided to let him go for it. I withdrew from the position and focused on working even harder to achieve something bigger. Gett is the only position that is chosen by the BCMD. I knew it was huge, and I decided to keep working for it. One day, it finally arrived. The biggest promotion I had ever had, my body was shivering, and a chill went down my spine as I walked towards the stand in DB. The words echoed through my mind and still echo until this day. “Bring me Gett ''. The Gett before me and fist Gett was Stockings, I had big shoes to fill. As Gett I was tasked with taking care of Improcco, it is a smaller subunit so I quickly rose up to the challenge. At the time Improcco had no structure, once you had Improcco there was nothing else to do. As Gett I made many changes and Improcco would not be this good if it was not for me. I worked alongside Killjoy and implemented a Jedi system to Improcco, we came up with a tryout along with 3 Jedi positions. When I was Gett the Improcco guys and I also managed to create a lore document along with specifications for the sub unit.In this document we have the history of Improcco as well as personalities for lore characters, etc. I also pushed heavy RP for Improcco, we are now recognized around the server as great RPrs and lots of new guys in the 41st have their eyes set on us, we are role models to them. Improcco has never been in a better state. During my time as Gett is when I got XO. This position was the biggest I had gotten and I have been XO for 5 months now. I have assisted Shpack, and Tomm in running the battalion and have constantly been the Anchor and what holds us together.
* 41st Regimental Lead
After ARCL I eventually became REGL. I was taught how to manage multiple regiments at once. This position is the one that set me up to be a commander in the future. I spent a long time with this position and really settled into it. I managed to keep all regiments in 41st active and filled as best as I can. In this position I familiarized myself with how every single regiment worked. I was in constant contact with each lead and made sure they were doing okay. My strategy was to encourage recruitment in order to fill regiment slots with new people to develop them into leads for the near future. This position sharpened my management skills even further. I was heavily active in the discord as well as the roster, making sure everything was up to date and checking lead applications often. This position also made me familiar with interviews. I was constantly hosting interviewers for candidates for regiments. The development of my interviewing skills really helped me in the long run. As an Executive Officer I am constantly talking to people in private as well as hosting small interviews for WOs once we think they are ready for their next step.
My Experience In-Depth:
Overall, I learned the most about the server while I was on staff. I learned about the structure of the battalion while I was in the 41st and I learned about the opportunities and how other battalions worked when I was in the 21st. Wherever I was I was constantly learning. Over the course of a year I became extremely familiar with most aspects about the server. I consider my time in staff to be one of the biggest factors. When I was on staff I learned the inside and outs of the server. I learned how all battalions worked and operated during events. As well as learning how the server perceived other battalions, etc. During my time in the 41st I read through all documents and made sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to. When I rached commander in 41st there were many issues that needed solving. Some of my accomplishments were, completely re-structuring Improcco. Developed a team of exceptional commanders. Fixed and improved on our relation with the 501st immensely. Incorporated documents to ease the process of applying for lore positions. Worked with command to develop a new roster idea along with an automation for recruitments, training, etc. Successfully assisted 2 Grees in maintaining activity and engagement in the battalion over the course of 7 months. Overall, I know 41st like the palm of my hand. 41st is my home.
Why should you become a Battalion Commander?: I should become a battalion commander to officially lead the 41st into new levels of professionalism, and discipline. I plan on developing future leaders to carry the battalion and to remove the stigma that 41st is a bad battalion. I want to make 41st be a top 3 battalion and for all our troops to be recognized server wide. I want to reorganize the chain of command and create a set structure for the battalion in order for us to be more disciplined rather than as relaxed as we have been in the past.
Re-Structuring:
The 41st have also been known as a relaxed battalion. If you were a trooper with us, you would know that there is not a structure to how we work. Usually if there is an issue you just send a message to a commander and then the issue gets solved. This has created an issue that I have noticed for awhile now. Commanders are constantly being messaged about issues that a normal officer or even SNCO could solve. This is creating an overload of work for our commanders while our senior and junior officers just chill in the background. During my term one of my main goals will be to restructure the battalion as a whole. I managed to do it for Improcco when I was Gett but now I plan it on a bigger scale. My plan is to firstly appoint an Elite Corps Officer and Lead. Green Company, Elite Core, and Improcco leads and officers will be talked about regarding these changes. As of now we are working on a chain of command documents. A document we will discuss further in upcoming battalion meetings. These documents will restructure the flow of work and make sure that chain of command is used when handling issues. This will give the opportunity to junior officers and senior officers to handle issues before they reach command level. Along with the re-structure of the chain of command, regiment and branch leads will also take part in this chain of command chain. We will be creating a new flow in which Regiment officers or leads will try resolving the issue, if it is not solved they may reach an officer, and so on until it reaches XO or BCMD level.
Discipline:
Through my time in the battalion I have tried working with our BCMDs to create discipline and professionalism around the battalion. A problem that we have had in the past is the constant minginess. We were overall too lenient and light with our punishments. As of the month of April I have already started deploying changes around the battalion in meetings and through discord to combat these problems. We are now at 7/10 in RP levels. We have also told people that removal and demotion will happen now, if one is arrested and or causing issues. It has now been 14 days since this change and action was executed and I am pleased to say we have seen about a 200% improvement. The troops are still having fun in the game by creating fun RP situations. We are now being recognized a lot more server wide. My changes have delivered a better reputation in only 14 days. I plan to keep this going. 41st will be at a constant 7/10 RP level. We are taking pride in our RP and will only continue from here. Many methods have been tried on the battalion to combat minges and troublemakers but a lot of them to no avail. This latest change has worked wonders and the command team and I are very happy with the results. During my 41st term we will implement more rules and to keep midges at bay. We will be more strict and we will show much more discipline. One of my proudest achievements is converting minges. While many battalions take pride in pointing fingers at us for taking minges and minging. I instead am proud of doing this. We are taking troopers that no other battalion would take, and we are converting them into something they could never imagine. We have converted minges such as Batdog, and Joe into officer material. Batdog was once one of the biggest minges in the server, he had around 2 bans and 15 arrests. I am proud to say that he is now a commander in the battalion. I am so proud of him and he is a core member of the 41st now. I plan to continue to try and convert these minges. I plan to show them that RP can be fun while also being serious.
Branch and Regiment Engagement:
A problem that the 41st has been having is that we are constantly not doing much when we are in the game. We are either b hopping around base or just sitting there. What I plan on doing in my term is to give more assignments to our leads. I will work closely with our REGL to make sure all leads/officers are active and appropriately engaging with their regiment. I want to make sure that they are hosting patrols, training, etc in order to keep troops engaged and constantly doing something. Sub-unit leads and officers will also be required to keep troops engaged. We are planning on developing future leaders to carry branches individually. We also want to broaden our timezones to be able to pick up recruits and cover more ground. The 41st has generally always been a night time battalion. We are wanting to get more troops from different time zones in order to cover more ground and have more opportunities for recruitment and events.
Do you understand the lore of your battalion or squad?: Yes
Availability:
Monday - Friday 6PM - 11PM
Saturday - Sunday 5PM - 12AM
My schedule and availability will most likely change, I am going to school during the summer and fall. My vacation will be during the Winter. I work part-time and full-time as a college student.
Estimate of how long you've played on Synergy Roleplay?: Over 1 year.
Do you have a microphone?: Yes
Where do you want your battalion or squad to be at the end of your term?: By the end of my term the server will have a completely new view on the 41st. The 41st will be a heavy RP battalion and we will be recognized for it. We will now have a solid structure to follow along with new officers and commanders that will be able to carry the battalion for years to come. We will have solidified our relations with the rest of the ATK regiment even more and will be just as known as the 501st. We will be more disciplined and structured, and overall become the best version of the 41st we could ever be.
Do you understand that if you go inactive that you will be removed from your position?: Yes.
Do you understand that your position has a three month term limit and you must reapply after three months to maintain your commander rank?: I understand.
