Couches are a beautiful thing, aren't they? They're a place of supreme comfort. A place to lie down after a long day with a nice, cold beverage so that you can relax and stop worrying about the troubles of the day. Until about a week ago, they were the only thing in my mind I associated with sofas. A nice, comfortable place to lie down. That's what popped into my mind when someone talked about a sofa to me. Not a military pact that ensures the military training of a region or the potential military dominance that a partnership between two of the largest UCRs in NationStates. I didn't even think about the real life equivalent of a SOFA, otherwise known as a Status of Forces Agreement. Now, when I hear the word my brain fights between what I am used to and what I have been immersed in creating for this passed week. It's an odd experience, partnering a couch with a military pact. It leads my imagination into places that would make an American proud.
Regardless of the mental images it puts in my head, working on this agreement has been one of the more rewarding experiences in my NationStates career.
This entire situation began on the 28th of May, 2015(Okay, admittedly the discussion about the state of our military started a few days before that, but those weren't official discussions and no proposals were made). It was the day of my appointment to Minister of Foreign Affairs in The Communist Bloc. To be honest, the ministry was in bad shape. I don't know how it was still working, really. Zenny was providing the bulk of the effort. From writing the update to delivering it and even to fielding opportunities by herself, it all sat on her plate. Sadly, her appointment featured one of those unfortunate moments when someone seems competent and talks a big game but turns out to be a dud when actually appointed. At the same time, we lacked a military leader. Zenny was competent, sure, and had done the job herself for quite a while to respectable levels. The issue came when Zenny found herself with too much to do and not enough hands to do it. With no one capable of doing the job, we were left with a sizable military without a rudder to lead it.
Both of these ministries needed someone or something to help them. The Foreign Ministry needed the diplomatic corp rebuilt from the ground up. At the same time, the region needed a project. Something to be happy about. Sure, we had recently passed a treaty with the Kingdom of Great Britain but that just wasn't the same. A military treaty with no military just doesn't provide the same substance. We needed more. We needed something that would allow us to pursue our ideals as an independent military force and give the region we served something to look forward to in our foreign affairs. In comes the SOFA.. Or rather, in comes the raw material for SOFA.
Sadly, none of us could snap our fingers and make the agreement come about with any prior discussion. No, at first it wasn't as pretty as it is now. I know, I know. It's a shocker. We didn't have everything perfect right off of the bat. Those involved are indeed mere mortals, as much as some of us might wish for more. I approached Zenny with my concerns about the military, she confided in me that she knew there was an issue and it came from her inability to continue to lead the military. She had been waking up early every morning six days a week to lead the raids on top of her school work. She simply could not continue any longer and she had no replacements. As a result of our mutual interest in an independent military, I asked Zenny if I had permission to discuss things with Writinglegend. The goal was to allow our military to remain relevant, secure training for our troops with the hope of building up a self sustaining military, and at the same time strengthen the relations between our regions at the same time.
This led to me approaching Writinglegend with my initial pitch. I think I probably blindsided him at first. It was a rather inconspicuous greeting at first. We went from me asking if he was about, him saying he was and congratulating me on my appointment to MoFA in TCB, and then to me launching into a long winded(long winded in skype terms) proposal explaining our situation and asking for the assistance of Europeia. In exchange for training and exercising our military, it would join with Europeia's own military under Kraken's command to create a sizable independent military force. Writinglegend assured me he was interested, though he would need to discuss things with Kraken and, undoubtedly, the External Affairs Advisory Committee(EAAC for short). I won't get into the details of the rest of the discussion but I will say they went smoothly. Everyone involved acted as professionals as we set ourselves to the discussion of this deal. Concerns were addressed, questions were answered, and the lovely team at Europeia drafted the original agreement. There was, of course, discussion on it and more questions. Boring stuff, really. In the end, we agreed on the proposal we have today.
It was a great experience, this entire thing. Working through adversity to come to a mutually beneficial agreement is something both sides of this can be proud to be a part of. In the process, we have improved the relationship of TCB and Europeia. We have created a military force to stand by as one of, if not the, largest independent forces and made a statement that the two of the largest UCRs in the game today are willing to be not only mature about their dealings but friendly in them as well.
It is a good day for Europeia and it is a good day for The Communist Bloc. I am glad to say that I was a part of this and I look forward to the future for both of our great regions.
