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shy-magpie · 4 years

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RQG 145

My first EA episode and I'm getting to it 4 hours after release because I'm so excited about joining the Patreon I can’t focus. Its silly but hey birthday money well spent if it makes me this happy right? Ok I think I'm centered enough to hit play.

Eee its going to be my name there someday!

Poor Cel! Poor Azu!

I'm impressed, Alex managed to summarize pretty well given the circumstances.

Hamid: oh dear! Skraak: Skraak, pressure equalization, Skraak!

What! I was right - he has been getting clearer! Did Alex imply he has been playing up how drugged is? Smart way to get a sense of the party while he gets his feet under him if so.

Thank you Alex, we need those numbers. Oh poor Hamid is confident on a 3.

Skraak is helping! Hamid is listening to him!

~~~Party time~~~

Alarms!

Blast doors? Yes! They won't drown!

Azu! Cel! Zolf!

Point Cel, Shoin seems actively against being useful

Nice, Salt Beard coming up properly after all this time! Scary sounds! Bubbles! Thats got to be a good sign right? Loving the bit with Zolf's thumb!

Not clear what happened plot wise, but Ben did some nice work showing Zolf’s emotions in ways I can’t put into works. Healing time! It is a very Cel, TBF, to quantify their health

Speaker time! Oh thank goodness everyone is healed up. Yeah the food's poisoned we got that with the brunch Hamid was dragged from.

Sweet, torches in the bags of holding are fine.

Loving the character interactions, especially Zolf and Cel bonding over Shoin’s bad design.

Bryn! Alex! That is an actual crime! Conspiracy to commit angst!

I love Zolf's growth!

I will need a transcription of this scene!

Cel was in war zones?

Speakers again

~~~

Hamid is humming opera music (Carmen?)

Scratch? Skraak has been marking the path when Hamid didn't think of it. I love Skraak! Hamid dear, when you get a moment, I know there's a lot on your mind: double check on Skraak's name and pronouns would ya? Also Hamid is doing awesome with the changes. I had faith in him but its great hearing him cheerfully ask Skraak for input as a local expert; instead of trying to force the pattern that worked before even as Skraak gets less kid like. Love to see how this shakes out, even though I confess Hamid having a new younger sibling was a treat. OK enough tangent let's open a hatch!

Oh pressure gauge! I wonder if that helps with more than flooding.

Wrench! I love a call back.

That's one way to refer to Hamid's abilities. Also I am aware of Zolf and Hamid's dwindling spell slots; I am just convincing myself they will be able to camp for the night in a safe hallway before Alex Shoin happens.

Oh good something is maintained around here.

Green light? Alex, did you come up with the hidden doors purely to mess with theoretical maps? Because Babs has been doing pretty well so far but I'll be her second if she challenges Alex to a fight in the parking lot after this episode.

~~~Break time, no ad is surprisingly weird, on edit listen is an ad with Mike that proves once again that I am so far gone on RQ that I even find the ads charming~~~

Oh more Hamid time!

That was a lot of dice, no numbers that I caught. Oh dear! (Was that Ben teasing him?)

In the rafters of a very large room. Huge domed ceiling, sounds pretty. Have I gone 20 minutes without saying how much I love Alex's set design? Thank you Ben, I will google it, *sticks out tongue*. Seriously as long as you enunciate and don't get into stuff so niche you lose people in England too, then don't worry about us from the US. Honestly you guys worry about everything, the occasional missed reference isn't worth the brainspace.

Still not happy about the lack of maintenance, especially given that's what stands between the party and drowning

Skraak sounds worried: it is his first time down this far and sounding more himself by the second. Still no hint of second guessing throwing in with Hamid! As good as Bryn is at avoiding spoilers, I thought he wouldn't have brought up Cohort on the discord if Skraak took it really badly as they sobered up, but is still a relief. Not that I would blame Skraak for much short of turning out to be the secret Big Bad: the circumstances were pretty messed up; even if I stand by saying you can't leave someone who pledged to you and isn't in a position to cover that up if their old boss catches them. Yes I know a conversation about spiders not being the most dangerous thing the party used on Kobolds is coming but with Skraak not turning out to be a kid, it might be more tense but cut my concerns in half. Hell the Kobolds might well be able to fend for themselves post Shoin if they loot the place in compensation.

"I still think that might be an exaggeration"

Oh Hamid has the Elven cloak too. How do you wear two cloaks at once? And don't say you don't, Hamid is not losing 4 levels of dragon awesome (or however Pathfinder put it) in the middle of a dungeon.

Skraak remembers the health potion and doesn't mind being asked to hang back. Hamid arms Skraak with a injection spear. Has the canisters for it too. I may have underestimated him (or on the Doylist level this falls under reasonable retcon; then again I might just have missed Bryn saying he was pocketing this stuff because I thought he would run it by Zolf). *Shrugs* please keep a sample for testing, I have a pet theory I'd love to see tested.

Alex, just...thanks for using a tone of voice that made it completely clear you were joking

Skraak: Skraak avenger, death from above etc! Hamid: Remember, General Skraak Avenger! Hamid remembers what he said to Skraak whether they do or not! OK like I said I loved Hamid adopting Skraak as a new little brother but this new phase is a lot of fun if harder to quantify.

Oh the sleeves! The cloaks don't have to have much physical presence, do they? That makes sense. Sleeves and prestidigitation? Right after being so charming with Skraak? Hamid is in fine form

Alex is just feeling mischievous tonight, I like it.

An enormous pipe organ? I love Alex's set design. (also one day my brain will pull up the right person the first time when someone references Bill Nye or Bill Nighy but even with the Pirates context today is not that day)

I know, Ben, cosmetic or not its fricken awesome.

I don't like the pipes, I don't get the pipes, but I don't like them (that fine mesh better not imply there is something airborne in the complex)

Is it wrong that other than the more obviously ominous bits this sounds like a great place to live?

Chaise longue

Is this seriously set up for the party -wait... Did Hamid skip to the end of the maze with only Skraak for back up and no sleep!?! No reunion or camping scene first? Not even a spell restoring nap?!

Human IOD? ALEX, WHAT IS UP WITH THIS FIGURE? ITS SHOIN RIGHT? ITS GOTTA BE.

Don't listen to Ben, Alex will get you if you jump to conclusions. That's my dragon! Sneaky lad learned from Sasha!

~~~Of course he is switching to the party. Man has a sense of timing.

More party favors, daggers make my heart twinge

Azu takes Cel’s hand to guide them

Gonna light a torch? Or is Zolf keeping up his anti light thing.

Alex is simplifying things No Zolf is not throwing open the door. Oh thank hope, Zolf is lighting a torch. Pathfinder jokes

We like it too Alex!

I like the zone thing.

Cel, I adore you! Zolf just promised backstory! Get that down! And a miner/minor pun, these people are the best! Oh tin miner!

Lights! Golden bulkhead! Seriously where is this guy getting his money?

Azu spots a trap! Yes Alex, we respect your craft. Trip wire!

I love the boots

Oh Cel is clumsy, I hadn't actually noticed that.

Genre savvy Cel hulks out with bat wings! Claws! Fangs! HP goes up thank all the gods! (Azu lets go of their hand)

Ben needs to look up spells but Zolf is prepared Azu puts on the iron beard

They throw open the door!

~~~

Poor Bryn, stuck waiting for the next episode like us listeners to find out the results.

I've been re listening to some early episodes and I really missed the "byes". It's a silly sign off but I think that comfort with silly might be part of why I like it?

Re: the bloopers, it would have been a little funny if they did a “detect traps” and got knocked out like when Hamid tried detect magic in, was it Rome?

OK bottom line: Skraak is awesome; I still miss Sasha but at least Lydia can be a bat even if it isn’t cloak of the bat; Zolf came back better than ever and actually wants to have at least 2 real conversations; and Azu is a champ for doing so well despite her phobias (which are still taken seriously because Helen and RQ are friggen awesome). Fun and pulpy, that's how ya do it! Stakes from the sea floor to the stratosphere! Character moments! Sets that make Hollywood weep in jealousy!

Okay okay some people may be stressed out after that even though everyone ended up fighting fit, which is fair, ok? but physical peril? Just a roller coaster to me, I'll take it any day of the week and twice on Sundays!

#long post #Rusty Quill Gaming #RQG spoilers #RQG season 4 #live blog thingy #RQG 145

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courtneytincher · 5 years

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U.S. Army National Guard uses Shadow in support of a state emergency for first time

The U.S. Army National Guard uses for the first time its RQ-7 Shadow drones in a mission supporting a state emergency.

According to a statement released by the 69th Public Affairs Detachment, the Shadow unit was activated to assist with efforts to contain the deadly Camp Fire.

“This is something we’ve been hoping for and striving for,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Steven B. MacArthur, acting platoon leader for Detachment 1, Delta Company, 578th Brigade Engineer Battalion, Tactical Unmanned Aviation System (TUAS).

The team had already flown a successful mission a few nights before. The previous day’s operations were grounded by weather, and they were eager to get the Shadow back in the air.

“We’ve been talking about being activated for earthquakes, for fires, for floods, for any kind of state emergency. We looked forward to the day that we could do this, and it’s finally here,” an excited McArthur said.

The RQ-7 Shadow, a tactical unmanned aviation system (TUAS), is not the first remotely controlled aircraft to support state emergency missions – the Air Force has conducted multiple interagency efforts in support of state missions – but it is different in its ability to launch without the requirement of a traditional airfield. The Shadow launches via a hydraulic catapult launch system, which means it requires very little runway and can begin operations close to an incident.

Recent changes in regulation made it easier to receive authorization to fly the TUAS in National Air Space during emergency missions. During the Camp Fire response efforts, California received approval to fly the TUAS during an emergency since the regulatory change, setting it up to become the first state to fly the aircraft in support of an emergency mission.

But, there was a problem – The 578th aircraft were grounded for maintenance, after a summer of heavy rotation flying missions at Ft. Irwin’s National Training Center.

The flight crew from Detachment 1, Delta Company, 152nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, were in California from Rochester, New York, for annual training in Camp Roberts when the Camp Fire became a declared emergency.

“We were out here conducting two weeks of training flight operations with the support of the California Army National Guard,” said Warrant Officer Andrew W. Silver, Det. 1, Delta Co., 152nd BEB. “They were activated to come up here to support CAL FIRE. Due to ATC rotations, their aircraft were in reset. We had brought two of our own, so we brought those up and put them together for them.”

Just like that, their training mission had become a real life emergency response.

During the first days of the mission, the units worked in a symbiotic partnership – the New York team provided the aircraft and maintenance, while the California team operated the aircraft. After adjusting the New York team’s orders, the units would fly joint missions together.

The partnership between California and New York was just one of several coordinated efforts required to make the mission a success. The flight operations teams also worked in partnership with the Air Force and civilian agencies.

“We push the feed out to them so they push it out to other coordinated agencies,” said Aircraft Commander, Sgt. Gregory Green, Det. 1, Delta Co, 578th BEB. “We pilot the aircraft and take the pictures, and they determine what’s in those pictures.”

Green, the first Army National Guard Shadow Aircraft Commander to log an emergency service mission stateside in the National Airspace System, said that with the aircraft’s on-board imagery system and digital zoom, it can capture images that look as though they are only 200 feet away from an object.

“We were able to get a clear view of the smoldering and recently burned areas as well as the area currently on fire,” he said. “From several miles out we were able to see the northern edge of the fire burning on top of the mountains.”

As the information is obtained, it is received by the Air Force Systems Operator and then analyzed at a Processing Assessment and Dissemination (PAD) Cell, said Tech. Sgt. Levi Choate, cyber systems operator with the 222nd Intel Support Squadron.

“Basically what we do is take the feed that the RQ-7 personnel are bringing in, and we transmit that data, the electro-optical and infrared data imagery that they are capturing, over to a PAD cell at the Incident Command Post in Chico, so that they can do an analysis of the information that they are getting, and they can provide intelligence updates to CAL FIRE,” said Choate.

By streaming video of incident activities, the RQ-7 was able to provide intelligence information to firefighters on the ground, and support planning tasks occurring in the Incident Command Post, said Randy Rapp, CAL FIRE Deputy Chief of Air Operations.

Rapp said the RQ-7 provided real time, live imagery of incident activities, fire behavior, fire location, infrared imagery, damage assessment and mapping of specific areas of the fire. The video allows remote personnel to see first-hand how the fire behaves, while the infrared imagery allows firefighters to locate hot spots and detect heat signatures outside the defined containment lines.

“These missions provide our firefighters real time fire information that are critical to implementing the appropriate strategy and tactics based on fire behavior and location,” Rapp said. “This is extremely useful at night or in smoky conditions where firefighters have limited visibility and aircraft such as helicopters and airplanes cannot fly. This obviously enhances firefighter safety.”

Rapp said the Shadow provided important important information aiding CAL FIRE’s strategic decision making process.

“The RQ-7 flew designated areas of the Camp Incident and provided detailed mapping of the fireline,” Rapp said. “This allows our firefighters to keep informed as to how far the fire has progressed and provides information to fire planners as to what strategy and tactics need to be employed and at what timeframes.”

For many in the Shadow unit, this is exactly the kind of work that motivates their service.

“I joined this unit because I wanted to serve my fellow man, but also so I could give this information to the commanders who are making decisions,” said MacArthur. “If they have more timely information they are able to make better decisions that can save lives, and bring people home.”

This historic mission, which supported the efforts to fight the devastating and deadly Camp Fire, also held personal significance for members of the crew.

TUAS Operator Pfc. Madison C. Albrandt, Det. 1, Delta Co., 578th BEB, just graduated her training course in July. She is new to the Shadow unit, and this mission was the first time she’d been activated for an emergency.

“Fires hit really close to home my last year,” Albrandt said. “So being able to help out another town – I kind of know what they’re going though, and it means a lot being able to help them out the best way we can.”

TUAS Operator Spc. John C. Torres, agreed.

“Morale overall is pretty high because this is a real world application of what we usually do in training,” Torred said. “A lot of the guys in the unit are really glad we are actually helping people out and using this equipment to benefit California.”

For Systems Maintainer Spc. Jared Lyons, the mission hit even closer to home.

“My house is in one of the evacuation zones,” said Lyons. “It’s very personal for me, and has an impact on making sure everyone is safe.”

This mission doesn’t only support the immediate tactical response, either. In addition to strategic information, the data can be used for other types of resources and planning, CAL FIRE’s Randy Rapp said.

“With the large numbers of structures lost in Paradise and the surrounding areas, the RQ-7 was able to capture damage assessment imagery as well, which is very important incident information with regards to planning and the application of state and federal grant applications and disaster declarations,” Rapp said.

The team members were excited that these aircraft might now be used more easily for real life emergencies within local communities. Silver and MacArthur discussed the kinds of opportunities where the aircraft might be able to be used, from hurricanes and floods to locating lost hikers. With the RQ-7’s longer flight time, and the camera’s 50x digital zoom, it can cover more ground and observe more closely than a traditionally piloted helicopter.

“You can have this up there flying for 6 hours, and mark all the grids of people who need rescuing, and the medevac is able to go directly to those locations and get them out of there,” Silver said. “It would vastly cut down on waste…and allow them to conduct more rescues, and get people out of there faster. It cuts down cost, it cuts down transit time, and people’s wait time.”

MacArthur nodded in agreement.

“We can do that same job for much cheaper and much much longer,” he said.

After launching the aircraft successfully for the second time, the team huddled together around the ground control station, watching the Shadow’s flight path. The impact of this mission and its value to the community, mixed with its historic significance and fortuitous partnership were not lost on the team.

“It means a lot to me,” said Silver. “It’s something I’ve been working towards for years in our own program in New York. Just this year they opened it up, and made it something we can do. To happen to be here when it occurred really does mean a lot. It’s a big moment for unmanned aviation.”

Photo by Spc. Amy Carle

from Defence Blog