MostGloriousLeader

CLASSIFIED Today the American Commonwealth Armed forces have begun the annual Winter Shield Exercises, designed to test the abilities of the armed forces under cold weather and winter conditions. With large amounts of snowfall and temperatures projected to remain under 20 degrees Fahrenheit for the next week these are ideal conditions for the exercise. All branches of the armed forces will be participating in the exercise with most active duty units participating in some manner. In addition to land and air maneuvers the Navy is conducting a a large Fleet Exercise in the western North Atlantic with most of its combat vessels which will culminate in a joint amphibious operation on the Virginia coast. Winter Shield is scheduled to run for one week.

Scuffle in the Capitol A fight broke out in front of the Capitol Building this afternoon as protestors gathered to protest the bill passed yesterday providing for the expansion of the Republican Guard. The bill calls for the guard to be upgraded from a battalion to a brigade sized force responsible for security and protection of the Capitol and Congress. While the Guard was out in force during the protests they maintained positions at the perimeter and allowed the Capitol Police to handle the situation, which escalated when a fight broke out between protestors and counter-protestors. Capitol Police officers in riot gear quickly dispersed both sides with teargas and arrested two dozen individuals from both sides identified as participating in the brawl. Several dozen people were injured in the event along with four officers. After the event, security at the Capitol building was increased with the presence of dozens of officers and additional troops from the Republican Guard. The mayor of Washington D.C. stated that "While freedom and the right to gather and protest is an important right for the people of this nation, we cannot and will not tolerate violent gatherings or hooliganism in any way". The president issued a similar statement asking people to "remain calm and use dialogue to solve issues".

The sheep and attached gifts arrived at the White House where they were passed through extremely rigorous security screening for weapons, explosives or biological/chemical agents. After it was cleared the White House staff wasn't entirely sure what to do with the sheep but President Bronson decided he'd always wanted a pet so he adopted it. The White House veterinarian, previously having nothing much to do, was no in charge of caring for this animal which could often be seen grazing on the White House lawn.

Shammy, Tanis, TBM.

[size=5][b][u]White House, Washington D.C.[/u][/b][/size] [b]Daily Executive Briefing; Oval Office[/b] The morning briefing began like any other with President Bronson meeting with the heads of the major cabinet departments as well as military advisers present with the national security adviser opening with a summary of noticeable developments within the Commonwealth and around the world. Going down the list there was an overview of the war underway in Africa and some light hearted banter about a nation who’s leader was an apparently avid Harry Potter fan as well as the usual boring economic overview that seemed to drag on forever to the President. After about half an hour, a bit longer than usual, the national security adviser was finished and sat down. With the normal stuff out of the way they would move on to more specific pressing developments, the first issue being addressed by Leslie Torrez, the head of the FBI. “Mr. President, I’m sure your political advisers have pointed out the trend in this upcoming election of greater support for both far right and left parties. Investigations by the FBI have uncovered some disturbing activities with some of these groups like the stockpiling of weapons and ammunition and the creation of training camps. While none of these acts are inherently illegal in themselves, they are still worrisome and a sign of the creation of politically leaning paramilitary groups. Most of the weapons they have are legal purchases but a raid by police near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania uncovered a stash of light machine guns and several dozen RPGs. We’ve been trying to piece together how they’re getting military grade weapons but so far we haven’t had any major breakthroughs”. “If I may Mr. President?” interjected General Morgan, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. “I’ve received a compiled report from an joint investigation between the DoD Inspector General’s Office and the GAO regarding the activities of the Republican Guard. The report details issues in the recruitment and training of the unit. Almost all officers in the Guard are political appointees with little to no leadership experience. The rank and file troops themselves are usually politically inclined to join. While they are receiving the necessary training required of a combat unit, most training time is devoted to so called ‘integrity programs’. I must say that it is exceedingly dangerous to have what amounts to a brigade sized paramilitary unit with somewhat questionable values composing a major portion of the capitol’s security”. “Look Alex” said the President. “I understand your concern and I agree with you completely. The problem is that the existence of the Republican Guard has been written into law by Congress and I don’t have enough political support in either the House or the Senate to get rid of it without facing retaliation from the Republican Party and I need their support for several critical issues that are coming up. If I’m still president after this election I’ll see what I can do but that still depends on whether or not congress gets changed up or not as well. By the way, how exactly does this tie into Les’s report?” he asked. “Well I was getting to that sir” responded the General. “In that same report they uncovered some discrepancies in weapons and equipment stores. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of weapons and a considerable amount of ammunition have up and vanished without a trace. Hell, there are even rumors that they're missing a few tanks. I checked up on the weapons recovered in that raid Les mentioned and while the RPGs aren’t ours, since we don’t use those, the light machine guns and ammunition matched a missing weapons shipment for the Guard. Either someone in the Guard is very careless about handling its equipment or somebody found a way to make some money on the side. Whatever the reason it can't be good. The worst thing is we can't do much about it because they're operating under the status of Legislative Privilege that was bestowed upon them during their formation. My investigators barely managed to get this information and even so I can't do anything about it because the Department of Defense has zero jurisdiction over them”. “Alex, are you telling me that the Republican Guard is involved in the illegal sale of military equipment?” asked the president. “I’m honestly not sure Mr. President” responded the General. “I do think we’d all rest easier if we had a definitive answer though so with your permission sir, I’d like to conduct a more thorough investigation alongside the FBI”. The president mulled it over a little before responding in a much more serious demeanor that he usually had. “General Morgan. Director Torrez. You will initiate a joint investigation into the matter with the full backing and authority of the presidency. This is a priority issue and I want it completely resolved as soon as possible”. “Yes Mr. President” said the general as he came to attention, saluted, and exited the room with Director Torrez. President Bronson was still in deep thought over the matter until the Secretary of the Treasury produced an overstuffed binder that looked as if it were a foot thick, to which the president let out an exasperated sigh as the briefing moved on to the budget review.

Yeah, I'm mostly liking what TBM has suggested.

I like TBM's idea but if I could make another possible suggestion. Get rid of the tech scale entirely and level the playing field for that and cap it at the present day. A larger nation inherently has advantages in being... well... larger. More of pretty much everything for the most part. I'd personally rather see more emphasis on roleplay than statistics and techno-babble and I feel that if we can cut out the focus on technology that is emphasized in many cnrp wars then we might be able to have better actual roleplay when war comes around rather than trying to browse the web for theoretical work on some weapons project or concept. On the other hand nations with very high tech levels have worked a long time to grow their ig nations so perhaps something should be done to recognize that if we completely level the playing field. Perhaps a special tech multiplier could be used. For every 1,000 tech a nation has it gets a x 0.1 size bonus to an ig military category. EX: You have 1,000 tech, you get to give a x 0.1 bonus to your soldier count, tank count, airforce, navy, etc. If you have 10,000 tech you have ten x 0.1 bonuses to distribute among the different categories as you see fit (evenly distributed or put them all into one). Obviously you'll have to declare what categories and can't just switch them up in a war. I know the math might sound crappy but I feel it could be a workable way for higher tech nations to retain something of the advantages they've enjoyed out of some form of fairness plus it can add a little flavor as to how your military works. Also, on the matter of strictly going with what's been deployed. I feel we should allow for some wiggle room in that area so we aren't using the same damn things for every nation. Making custom equipment based on stuff irl should be allowed. That all being said I really don't care all too much about how we go about this as I'm fine with the current scale or a new scale or get rid of it or whatever. The only things I'd really be opposed to are magic and a really messed up tech scale ( like civil war or WWI tech). I'm actually on the fence with magic, it might be kind of cool but I feel that it is much more open to abuse than tech as its not really as verifiable as technology is.

Personally I don't mind the current scale all that much. I just feel we need to address these tech issues before a war occurs so its not one giant cluster $%&@ of !@#$ like whats happening now. Like when someone makes a new toy for their military they submit it to a new tech thread or something so the whole community can examine it and approve of its feasibility. On the other hand I don't really mind this new tech scale either. I might get bumped down but then everything is kind of grounded in reality so that's always a plus. If it were me I'd start the tech scale post WWII, not many nations have equipment from WWI. Hell most nations don't have stuff from WWII either.

[u][b]Infrastructure Overhaul Completion[/b][/u] The federal government has announced the successful completion of the National Infrastructure Revitalization and Expansion Program. Under the program funding was provided for the expansion and renovation of a wide variety of utility and infrastructure systems. [u]Power[/u] One of the primary goals of the program was to provide adequate protection of power generation facilities and the power grid from attack. As such the national power grid has been hardened against EMP weaponry to prevent the loss of a critical utility system in the event of a war or terror attack. Another safety measure is the storage of large amounts of spare parts and equipment to allow for rapid repair to damage to the power grid. [u]Telecommunications[/u] As another critical utility, the telecommunications network has also been hardened against EMP and conventional attacks in the same manner as the power network. Funding has also allowed for a massive expansion of the network with fiberoptics providing secure and reliable communications capabilities. [u]Cyber Net[/u] National WiFi availability was accomplished with a separate program several years ago but cyber security were found to be lacking. While the Department of Defense had its own top of the line cyber security systems other non law enforcement/intelligence government agencies came up short. As a result the FBI Cyber Division has been doubled in size and reorganized, becoming the FBI Cyber Security Branch. With the increase in manpower and operational capacity the Cyber Security Branch is responsible for countering criminal and terror activities using the net as well as the defense of government and critical utility networks against all external and internal cyber threats. [u]Highway System[/u] Under the NIRE Program the national highway system received a large amount of funding for repairs and renovation. Areas that required repairs have been taken care of while major highways have had their capacities enlarged to allow for a larger volume of traffic. [u]Rail Network[/u] While the national rail network received funds for maintenance and repair one of the major projects of the program was the creation of a national high speed rail line. The Maglev train line will connect the Commonwealth's major cities including Norfolk, Richmond, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City, Albany, Syracuse, Manchester, Portland and Bangor.

[b]PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT[/b] It is clear that the situation in J Andres has not improved whatsoever during the last several days. The assassination of Queen Stephanie is unacceptable in the Commonwealth's eyes as an action that seriously degrades the stability of the region. After much consideration the American Commonwealth formally declares its support for the McDowell government as the legitimate government of J Andres, being elected through a popular election. The actions of Richard Mercton and his faction are the acts of a warmonger whose aggression sparked a wider conflict. While we still wish all parties involved could achieve diplomatic reconciliation, the murder of J Andres head of state may make that an impossibility. As a result Commonwealth forces have been ordered to prepare for the probability of direct intervention in the J Andres conflict. [b]CLASSIFIED[/b] Orders were passed down, before the announcement was given, to Commonwealth forces to prepare for the possible deployment of troops for a police action in J Andres. Several armored and mechanized infantry divisions began moving to forward staging areas while artillery and aviation assets set up for operations. The no fly zone was still being enforced but now tactical fighter aircraft and bombers were placed on alert. An amphibious strike force was assembled 100km off the coast of Rhode Island while marine, air-mobile and special forces units were being readied in several bases on Long Island. Reconnaissance assets were already in place to monitor the conflict but efforts were raised with more assets being made available, most noticeably several satellites, constant airborne recon aircraft and SIGINT/ELINT observation through air, satellite and ground based assets. [b]RESPONSE[/b] [quote] [font=courier new,courier,monospace]TO: COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT FROM: AMERICAN COMMONWEALTH DOD TOPIC: RE We understand the concerns of the Colombian government and would be glad to provide assistance in this matter. Facilities at Francis S Gabreski Air Force Base will be made available for Colombian evacuation forces to operate from if needed. Be advised that with the current trend of escalation in the conflict as well as the murder of the Queen, there is a high probability of our forces initiating an intervention to end the conflict if the situation doesn't improve soon.[/font] [/quote]

[quote] [b]PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT[/b] The American Commonwealth has always prided itself on being a source of stability on a continent where this has not always been the case. Our policies and actions have reflected this line of thought. We have no desire for conquest or the subjugation of other nations. The situation currently taking place in the nation of J Andres is completely unacceptable for both regional stability and our very own national security. An internal political feud has erupted into a civil war in the Commonwealth's back yard and we will take any and all measures necessary to rectify the situation. The American Commonwealth's embassy in J Andres will remain in place and functional with enhanced security measures. Our nation looks upon our embassies as if they were our own national soil and that is how it shall be treated in the event of an attack. If necessary we offer our diplomatic channels as a means to end the conflict. Foreign diplomats who wish to leave J Andres are free to use our embassy as a means of exit. Effective at 1800 today, a no fly zone will be implemented over the nation of J Andres. Unauthorized aircraft will be forced to land or risk being shot down by the American Commonwealth Air Force. This has been done to ensure the security of the region as well as to protect ourselves against possible escalation of the conflict. The ban applies to all aircraft, military or civilian, fixed or rotary wing. Any attack on Commonwealth aircraft, ships or personnel enforcing the no fly zone will be met with an appropriate military response. All border crossings on the American Commonwealth-J Andres border will be closed with exceptions made for refugees fleeing the conflict. The deployment of military forces to enforce the closed borders has been authorized and are taking place as we speak. If the civil conflict in J Andres does not resolve itself soon or if it escalates any further we will consider direct intervention as the only alternative means to end it. [/quote] [b]CLASSIFIED[/b] The border with J Andres was closed and locked down with armored and mechanized units. Several squadrons of F-22s were tasked with enforcing the no fly zone along with several E-3 Sentry AWACS working in conjunction with ground based radar and SAMs. The navy moved several corvettes into the Long Island sound under the cover of SAM units operating on Long Island while two carrier battle-groups were on station about 150 km offshore. A marine battalion was deployed to Fishers Island to reinforce the observation/coastal artillery base on the island. The Commonwealth military was ordered to DEFCON 3 alert with some, most notably the airborne and air assault units, notified to be prepared for quick deployment.

"Well I think it would be wise to hold off on making any diplomatic decisions until the current situation is resolved. However, until then we will be monitoring the situation closely" warned the Secretary of State. "Alright Chris, take it easy" said the president. "Mr. Aurora please excuse Secretary McNutt here. He has just recently come into the job so he's working on improving his tactfulness. I do sincerely hope we'll be able to meet again soon to discuss relations between our countries soon under better circumstances. Was there anything else we needed to discuss?" he asked.

"This is completely acceptable" responded Cooper as he signed the treaty with his own personal pen. [quote] Signed, [i]Peter D. Cooper[/i] American Commonwealth [/quote] OOC: Sorry, forgot about this.

"Well the American Commonwealth has always seeked out good relations with its neighboring nations and I suppose J Andres is the newest one" said the president in a joking manner. "As for economic cooperation, I feel it is a splendid idea that would be mutually beneficial for both our nations although we maintain an open border policy with all countries provided the proper customs and security measures are observed so that shouldn't be an issue. An economic treaty would be fine though" he said. "If I may interject sirs" said Secretary McNutt. "I don't wish to come off as sounding rude, Mr. Aurora, because that is not my intention, but it is something I must bring up. We understand that there are some internal issues you have in your nation. A sort of east/west schism. While the domestic affairs of another nation usually isn't a cause of concern for our nation, it is in the American Commonwealth's interest to have stable neighbors. That was the primary reason for our intervention when Vinsalia fell. That being said our nations are now neighbors and the prospect of instability in one of the few nations that actually borders us is a legitimate concern to our country" concluded the Secretary of State.

Bronson was enjoying the food and champagne while talking with Secretary McNutt when the J Andres foreign affairs minister walked over and introduced himself. "Ah, hello Mr. Aurora" he said as he shook his hand.. I'm President David Bronson and this is Secretary of State McNutt" he said gesturing to the man to his right. "Hopefully you're enjoying this party as much as we are. What can I do for you this fine evening?" he asked.

[b][u]WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS[/u][/b] [b][u]M1A3 Abrams[/u][/b] [img]http://www.deviantart.com/download/157056716/M1A3_Abrams_Tank_by_OutcastOne.jpg[/img] [size=2][i]Image of M1A3 Prototype[/i][/size] Developed in a joint venture by Hershey General Defense Systems and General Dynamics, the M1A3 is the newest model of the ubiquitous Abrams main battle tank used by the American Commonwealth military. Goals for the A3 variant included increased lethality, mobility and survivability with a reduction in weight, all of which have been achieved. The M1A3 is the first Commonwealth MBT to mount an electrothermal-chemical gun. The M400 120mm ETC Cannon is a smooth-bore gun which is both lighter and provides over twice the amount of velocity compared with the old 120mm/L55 gun. Reloading of the tank has been simplified as the rear area of the turret that houses the ammunition storage is now a modular section that can be replaced by a whole new fully stocked magazine in much less time, although it is still possible to manually reload if needed. Secondary armament consists of a co-axial M240 General Purpose Machine Gun, another M240 for the loader, and a stabilized remote weapons station capable of mounting a variety of armament from machine guns to grenade launchers and mini-guns. The armament is coupled with a new advanced sensor suite that enhances the tank crew's situational awareness and engagement abilities. The new fire control system allows the tank to hit targets over 12 km away with extreme accuracy. The full sensor suite consists of not only the individual crew optics but a full 360 optical array that allows any member of the crew to view the full area around the tank in normal picture and infrared. The tank is also equipped with a mini-drone which the crew can use for reconnaissance and target spotting. The M1A3 is fully networked and capable of being integrated into the Battlenet for real-time information and communications. It also has a millimeter band radar to act as an early warning system for incoming weapons like ATGMs. Protection is provided with a next generation composite armor that is highly resistant against both HEAT and kinetic penetrator weaponry while weighing less than previous versions. A new version of the MVAPS-ADS provides full coverage active protection against ATGMs and kinetic penetrators while a new MVAPS-PDS provides soft-kill countermeasure responses in addition to an optional electronic warfare capability. Other modular armor systems are able to be installed as well to add extra protection when needed. As a result of the need to protect itself against new threats on the electronic battlefield the M1A3 is fully resistant to electromagnetic weaponry. Another new feature is the elimination of the old fuel guzzling gas turbine engine which has been replaced with a newly developed hybrid electric propulsion system which allows the M1A3 to maintain its speed and mobility while reducing fuel requirements and lowering the weight of the vehicle. A new hydro-pneumatic suspension system improves the vehicles stability and firing accuracy when on the move. Overall weight savings have reduced the Abram's loaded weight to a little over 60 tons improving its tactical mobility as well as reducing wear and strain on the vehicle itself. All in all the M1A3 is a new and highly capable tank that will allow the Abrams line of vehicles to serve in the American Commonwealth military for some time to come. [u][b]M8A2 Thunderbolt Armored Gun System[/b][/u] [img]http://www.combatreform.org/thunderbolt02tn.jpg[/img] [size=2][i]Image of M8 AGS[/i][/size] The M8A2 Armored Gun System is a replacement for the M551B Sheridan as the Commonwealth military's primary light tank designed and manufactured by Hershey General Defense Systems. The A2 is an complete overhaul of the original M8 design incorporating new technologies developed alongside the M1A3 project. Its primary armament consists of the same M400 120mm smooth-bore ETC cannon used on the M1A3 Abrams providing a highly lethal weapon on a smaller vehicle. One of the major differences from other Commonwealth military tanks is the installation of an auto-loader. In order to improve survivability it is an compact bustle auto-loader, drawing ammunition from an armored compartment in the rear rather than having it in the turret on a carousel. Mechanical reliability is very high while its rate of fire can reach a maximum of 14 round per minute. Its secondary armament consists of a co-axially mounted M240 GPMG and a 50 caliber M2 Browning HMG for the commander. A remote weapons station may be installed for the commanders secondary weapon if deemed necessary. The M8A2 also uses the same fire-control and stabilization systems the M1A3 uses to allow for superior accuracy and range as well as the all round optical array. Due to the nature of the M8 Armored Gun System's mission, low weight is one of the primary goals of the design. This is reflected in its armor which consists of several modular armor systems which may be installed depending on the situation and mission requirements. Level 1 armor is the base armor provided with the vehicle which consists of a titanium alloy and composite material armor that provides all round protection against heavy machine guns and small arms while being able to withstand up to 40mm rounds against its frontal arc. Level 1 armor is also the only configuration that allows the M8 to be airdropped safely and the basic package also protects against EMP weaponry. Level 2 armor consists of add-on armor which increases all round protection to 23mm rounds and frontal protection against up to 90mm rounds and most light/medium anti-tank weapons at the cost of being unable to be airdropped. Level 3 armor provides all round protection against 40mm rounds and frontal protection against 120mm rounds and most anti-tank weapons but in this configuration the M8 can no longer be carried by light tactical transport aircraft like the C-130. Propulsion is provided by a lighter and more compact version of the electric drive engine system developed for the M1A3. It provides a slightly larger amount of power as the previous diesel engine allowing for speeds of up to 50 mph off road while vastly improving fuel efficiency. Its hydro-pneumatic suspension system allows for a smooth ride and excellent weapons stability while on the move. [u][b]M109A8 Paladin[/b][/u] [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Bae_PIM_upgrade.jpg/220px-Bae_PIM_upgrade.jpg[/img] [size=2][i]Image of M109A8[/i][/size] [size=2][size=4]The M109A8 is a complete overhaul of the M109 self propelled howitzer design to maintain its effective on the ever changing modern battlefield. Design points for the new Paladin model included higher rate of fire, longer weapon range, better accuracy, larger ammunition capacity, higher speed and operational range and reduced maintenance requirements. [/size][/size] The original 155mm howitzer has been replaced with a 155mm 52 caliber ETC gun which has an increased range of 50km using unguided shells and up to 80km using extended range ammunition. The new gun, coupled with a new firecontrol equipment, provides a noticeable increase in accuracy. A new auto-loader improves reliability and increases the rate of fire to 12 round per minute and eliminates the need for loaders reducing the crew to three (commander, gunner, driver). Ammunition stowage has also increased to store a total of 50 rounds. While not the most critical part of a self-propelled howitzer, the armor of the M109A8 has nonetheless been upgraded to improve its survivability. New composite armor allows a weight reduction while providing all round protection against heavy machine gun rounds and overhead artillery splinters. Active defense systems are also able to be installed to improve survivability against heavier threats. The M109A8 uses the same hybrid electric propulsion system used in the M1A3 which allows for easier maintenance and parts commonality while increasing the power available to the Paladin and its speed which has risen to 40mph off-road. The hybrid electric system also allows for an increase in fuel efficiency further reducing logistical requirements.

[u][b]Andrews AFB[/b][/u] After mulling over his invitation President Bronson decided to attend the event and a reply was given to notify the Athenians that he and the Secretary of State would be arriving. Everything was fairly quiet at home and he could spare a couple days from the elections which were beginning to get tiresome. Hopefully he'd get to socialize with other world leaders and possibly broaden the Commonwealth's foreign affairs efforts. Now he was sitting in his personal office on Air Force One lying on the couch awaiting takeoff. A cold front had moved in from the west and was causing some severe winter weather and flight delays along the eastern seaboard. Luckily it was only supposed to last a couple hours so he'd only be a little late. He began to feel the aircraft taxiing along the tarmac and soon the 747 was in flight and on the way to Switzerland. It was a peaceful and uneventful flight over the Atlantic with the President catching up on some paperwork before he began his [s]vacation[/s] state function.. Once they received clearance and landed, Bronson and Secretary of State Christopher McNutt would disembark with two secret service agents, all of them dressed in formal attire, and proceeded to the Palace by transport provided by the Athenians. On arrival the agents turned over their weapons including their sub-machine guns, service pistols, batons and several other weapons. They were skilled in hand to hand combat but nobody was truly worried that something would happen, not here at a major function hosted by the Athenians. While late they had thankfully arrived just before the beginning of the Athenian's speech. After listening and applauding, Bronson and McNutt set out to begin mingling with the other guests.

[u][b]Operation New Dawn[/b][/u] Congressional approval was given for the long term deployment of Commonwealth military forces to Colombia to assist with reconstruction efforts along with a $50 billion relief package. The 4th, 8th and 23rd Engineer Brigades along with 132nd Sustainment Brigade and the 72nd Infantry Division were deployed via strategic airlift to Colombia to begin assistance with reconstruction and aid operations. Heavy equipment and materials would be transported by the Navy's Sealift Command in an effort that used almost all available navy transports and several chartered cargo vessels. Several dozen construction and engineering companies were also privately contracted to provide additional capabilities and work capacity. Private relief efforts were also conducted with NGOs and civilian aid groups raising money and volunteers to assist with rebuilding and aid efforts. Ultimately several thousand civilian volunteers would arrive in Colombia to participate in reconstruction. Fundraising efforts brought in a total of $300 million as well as a $200 million donation from Milton Hershey, the head of the Hershey Corporation. Private aid packages were put together to be distributed to the population in the event they were unable to secure supplies for whatever reason.

[u][b]Drill, Baby, Drill![/b][/u] A national geological survey conducted by the federal government has uncovered a previously undiscovered sizable reserve of petroleum in western Pennsylvania as well as offshore in the mid-Atlantic along with large quantities of natural gas. Estimates of the size of the combined finds are said to be able to provide the petroleum needs of the American Commonwealth for several centuries according to the most conservative estimates. The western Pennsylvania fields have been open to bids by the state government and will be developed in a joint venture between Pennsylvania Gas & Oil and the Hess Corporation. The Mid-Atlantic field is on federally owned territory within the Commonwealth's Exclusive Economic Zone and will be developed and managed by the newly created government corporation Atlantic Petroleum, the first government owned corporation in the nation.

[quote] [u][b]Diplomatic Cable[/b][/u] To: Colombian Government From: Office of the President of the American Commonwealth Subject: Reconstruction Assistance The American Commonwealth wishes to convey its deepest sympathies with the Colombian people over the madness and destruction that has taken place in their nation these last few weeks. We would like to offer support for rebuilding efforts in your nation and are willing to make available what we have in terms of monetary, manpower, material and any other assets you might require to aid in your recovery. You can be assured that Colombia has a friend in the American Commonwealth. Sincerely, [i]David T. Bronson[/i] -President of the American Commonwealth [/quote] OOC: Sorry its a bit late but I haven't really had much opportunity to write anything for a bit.

"No, I think everything's been covered here as far as I'm concerned" replied Cooper.

"Well shipping will also need to route through Lake Ontario to make it to the Saint Lawrence Seaway and if I remember my briefing correctly roughly 22% of the Commonwealth's Great Lakes based shipping requires access to the ocean. Even so, we are willing to defer on this issue for Lake Ontario if you prefer. As to how this arrangement would work. We would set up an inter-governmental agency that can handle and coordinate things ranging from the administration of port facilities, standardization of safety networks and protocols, security measures, navigation and other things like that".

Wooo! Two new neighbors in one day.

[quote name='Voodoo Nova' timestamp='1355366891' post='3063161'] Confirmed. [/quote] same

[quote]We congratulate our southern neighbors on organizing themselves to the point where self governance is a reality. American Commonwealth troops present for peacekeeping duties will be withdrawn to pave the way for the government of the Federation of Southern States to take over. We would also like to extend an invitation to the Commonwealth proper to discuss future relations between our two nations. -David T Bronson [i]President of the American Commonwealth[/i][/quote]