Relocation to Battlegroup Harmony Name: Matthew Hemlock Date of birth: June 18th, 790 A.S. Place of birth: Littleton, Planet New Denver, Colorado System, Liberty Space Basic description or picture:
Rank: Commander Former fleet and battlegroup: Liberty Navy Third Fleet Join Date: February 6th, 811 A.S.
Awards: Homeland Defense Medal (817/823), Recruiter Ribbon (820), Hellfire Legion Service Medal (823), Purple Heart (823) Certifications:
Basic Fighter Training - West Point, New York
Basic Bomber Training - Fort Willis, Denver
Basic/Advanced Fleet Warship Command Training - Fort Albuquerque, Los Angeles
I must admit, despite his tendency to play hero, Capta-- er, Commander Hemlock is one of the best officers under my command. He may look like the servin' type, but that maverick is anything but, and has always been like that since he was recruited under my command. He graduated third of his class in basic training aboard West Point. Within his first year, I saw it fit to give him his promotion to Ensign, but he just kept rising.
After West Point, he continued with basic bomber training at Fort Willis on Denver. He built up a reputation as one of the gutsiest pilots there, which I suppose is a prerequisite for bomber pilots. I wouldn't know. I captain warships. After training, he was raised to Lieutenant, which honestly didn't last long. In preparation for his eventual promotion to Lieutenant Commander, I saw it fit to accept his enrollment into the Fleet Warship command Training Courses at Fort Albuquerque on Los Angeles, where he soared with flying colors.
It was at about this time, and with his promotion to Lieutenant Commander, that I began to see the worth in Hemlock's service. During a routine patrol in New York, Hemlock's squadron, along with an accompanying Gunboat, the Deseret, came across a marauding party of Rheinland Military ships which, coming from the report, consisted of another gunboat, seven fighters, and a transport which was reported as hauling marines of Rheinlandic origin. I'm not sure of the specifics of the engagement, but the result was a victory on the behalf of Hemlock's ships and the Deseret. For this, he was awarded the first of his two Homeland Defense Medals.
After the engagement, his career was rather uneventful until he was promoted to the rank of Commander through his time in the service. Not long after he was promoted, he came to me regarding the recruitment of an associate of his, Catherine Reyes. Considering his service to this great nation, I decided to accept his request, and put Cadet Reyes under his command. His training of the Cadet, and her eventual rise to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, was all I needed to give him his Recruiter Ribbon, and soon after his promotion to Captain.
His service after his promotion, however, is quite different from before. Not long after, he had requested a transfer to the command of a Victory-class Siege Cruiser, the Shamrock Bay. Given his decorated service history, and after a talk with it's CO Terrance Bradford, he was approved and given command of the ship. Not long after he took command, I had given him clearance to operate on the Third Fleet's behalf during Operation "Royal Flush", where his ship, along with the majority of the First, Fifth, and a majority of the Secondary Fleet, aided in the destruction of the R.N.S. Oubli. After the operation, he returned to Liberty. Upgrades of the ship and replacements of the roster followed, and after a devastating operation by the Hellfire Legion, Hemlock was left wounded, and the Shamrock Bay critically damaged.
His actions involving the Hellfire ships, as well as the crew recounts of the engagement, gave me no choice but to demote him back to Commander, but along with that, rewards of the Hellfire Legion Service Medal, the Purple Heart, as well as another Homeland Defense Medal. The Shamrock Bay was put back into service fairly quickly, but Hemlock remained rattled, injured and out of duty for several months. He has recently recovered from his injuries, and I've since learned that he has taken the lessons learned from the Hellfire incident to heart.
I've no doubt that you will find a use for Hemlock, his crew and the Shamrock Bay, Rear Admiral Knight. Should you find this relocation form acceptable, I will send word to Commander Hemlock and give him his final orders, and promptly send him off to you for a debriefing. His record is outstanding, even including the misdemeanors, and I'm sure he would make a fine addition to your battlegroup.
-Regards Admiral Franklin Christianson
Liberty Navy Third Fleet
