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RETIREMENTS
It is as clear a changing of the guard as their could be. The Chief of the Navy and Chief of the Army are both retiring to start 2068, and both are the most recognizable and accomplished heads of their respective branches that SPACE has ever had.
** Senior Rear Admiral Ellie Camble is the standard by which all future naval officers will be judged(6824 promotion score). Ironically, she retires just as the navy is about to begin deserving the name. SPACE was just over three years old when she graduated the academy in 2028. She was a senior officer before there were any notable ship commands and therefore never received one, taking just over four years to reach Captain rank in the summer of '32. After 18 of her 22 years as Communications Officer as Fleet HQ, she was promoted to Rear Admiral. Since 2055, she has served impeccably as the navy's top officer. She will be succeeded briefly by Rear Admiral Leota Schnepel(57).
** Major General Sterling Silvers took less than 16 months to rise to the top of the Army in June 2028. A little over a year later, he became the first, and only until now, Major General in SPACE. He has overseen the modernization to TN-tech in the ground forces, commanding low-tech armour divisions for over two decades, and the first brigade for the past almost three years since the reorganization took place. A few can say they were more skilled, including his successor Brigadier General Abel Rosinski(58), but none approach his visibility and/or reputation. The Army was not called upon to do much of anything during his tenure, but there must always be vigilant men ready to do violence on behalf of humanity if need be. For four decades, Silvers was charged to make sure there were, and he fulfilled his duty well.
There are others stepping aside at this time as well. Health and age are becoming an issue for a number of the more experienced scientists and administrators, but for the time being they all soldier on.
** Brig. Gen. Angela Bankson, a 36-year veteran of the general rank and longtime commander of the garrison on Titan.
** Cols. Roberto Nicastro and Edward Clontz
** Commander Kathy Wheatly, famously of the Wheatly geology team, which she headed for five years until 2045. By that time she was already a senior officer, but despite experience on many different vessels, she never quite made it to Captain.
Cmdr. Tell Perj Jr. -- 4th out of 26. For two brief periods totalling around six months, Perj Jr. was the top promotion candidate for Captain, but he never made it. Barring something highly extreme, this will be the final tour for the 49-year-old veteran officer. He'll spend it back onboard one of the Forrestal sensor ships.
Lt. Cmdr. Rob Nielsen III -- 18th out of 79. Another tour on board the FT Hercules ... it could be worse.
James Earl Jones V(6) -- Still at Stephan-Oterma, but has improved himself enough that a colony posting is likely in a year's time.
Pioneer Deacon Palmer(CP 50) -- Shipyard operations is due to be finished late in the next year. He has one, maybe two projects left in him in my estimation(64 years old).
Joe Tycho(EW 65) -- You can count the number of researchers as important as the ailing Tycho on one hand. A victim of health issues both physical and psychological, he also seems likely to snap at any time. It's a fate all too common with geniuses, it seems. About two years remain on his task improving meson cannon focusing abilities to increase their range.
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