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GNS Covington (C-02) is a pre-Alliance Austin Grayson-class Light Cruiser and the oldest surviving warship in the Grayson Space Navy.. Her current commanding officer is CAPT Rowan Wagstaff-Weston, GSN.
This article is about the historical GNS Covington and current Grayson Space Navy Honor Society. For the modern Grayson Space Navy vessel, GNS Covington (CLAC-01), please click here.

History

Commissioned in 1880 PD, GNS Covington (C-02) was the second of the GSN’s Austin Grayson-class light cruisers; only two of this class were built. Following the heavy damage that she sustained in defense of Grayson during the First Battle of Yeltsin, the destruction of her sister ship GNS Austin-Grayson, and the modern technologies and starships made available to the Grayson Space Navy in their nascent alliance with the Star Kingdom of Manticore, Covington was due to be decommissioned and scrapped. She was saved, however, by a robust letter writing and media campaign organized by the Grayson Space Navy League and the Grayson Space Navy Family Support Command. The campaign urged the Navy, and the government, to preserve her as a testament to the bravery and tenacity of the Grayson Space Navy in defense of the planet and its people. Successful in their campaign, the Grayson Space Navy League arranged for the hulk to be towed to the newly opened Blackbird Yards where the Navy overhauled the vessel back to her original specifications. Once the project was completed, she was placed in a parking orbit above Grayson as a memorial and living history museum.

Museum Ship and Honor Posting

Following her overhaul and establishment in a parking orbit, it was determined by the Navy, even though she had been officially removed from the Naval Register and was now a museum ship, that given the ship’s illustrious history and status, it would be considered a high honor to be assigned as a member of her crew. Thus, the Navy established the Grayson Honor Society under her name. Every year, the best of the best of the Grayson Space Navy would be inducted to the crew of GNS Covington (C-02) and share in the legacy and honor of the ship. Crew membership did not require the honoree to physically crew the vessel; it was merely an additional billet afforded to the honoree which entitled them to wear the GNS Covington (C-02) crest as a silver badge displayed center on the right pocket of the honoree’s service uniform.

It was determined that the Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02) be a senior, active-duty Grayson Space Navy Captain or Flag Officer, chosen by the Protector from a list of nominations voted on by the Navy's serving officers. The Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02) would be afforded the same privileges at any other Captain of a hyper-capable command. If the Commanding Officer is of flag rank, that officer would have the additional distinction of being the only such officer in the Grayson Space Navy entitled to wear the silver cap band on their Service Cap and display the Command Star on their Mess Dress uniform.

The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association

Within The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc., assignment to GNS Covington (C-02) is one of the highest honors for members of the Grayson Space Navy. Crewmembers are considered to exemplify the absolute best in unswerving duty and service to the entire organization, with demonstrated and conspicuous accomplishment and achievement in the Grayson Space Navy in particular. Each year, a "class" of honorees is named on the 21st of December as part of the Protector’s Birthday celebrations. The honorees are announced on the TRMN Forums as well as on the Grayson Space Navy’s various social media accounts. Crewmember appointments are permanent; however, the appointment of Commanding Officer lasts for two years. The transfer of command is announced every other 21st of December.

Advisory Committee

GNS Covington (C-02) is not just an honor society. Its members also have an important role within the component. Each member, by virtue of their membership, is a part of a special advisory committee to the Office of the High Admiral. Co-Chaired by the Permeant Commanding Officer and the Commanding Officer, the "crew" of GNS Covington (C-02) is empowered to discuss the component, and through the Chairs, send recommendations to the Office of the High Admiral on how a process, or the even the component itself, could be improved.

Nomination

Eligibility for consideration is limited to members of the Grayson Space Navy as other branches within the organization have their own, similar societies.
Those holding a billet of ship commanding officer or above may submit worthy nominees to the Grayson Honor Society Selection Committee when nominations are solicited (usually September to November). This includes nominations for Commanding Officer. Members may NOT nominate themselves.

The Selection Committee will consider all submitted nominations for intense vetting. Members of the Grayson Space Navy will be considered based on their contributions to the Grayson Space Navy and to The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association as a whole. Nomination e-mails for all those being considered may include service to the greater organization, but the Selection Committee is chiefly interested in service to, and/or for, the Grayson Space Navy. Such service is the paramount requirement and may be a decisive factor in determining selection for induction to GNS Covington (C-02).

Nominees must have at least one (1) year of service in the greater organization. This requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Selection Committee if a nomination is received that thoroughly demonstrates exemplary contributions, but the nominee has less than one year of service.
Nomination e-mails must include the following:

• 1. Rank, Full Name, and service number of the Nominator (example: CAPT Jon Doe RMN-1234-10)
• 2. Rank, Full Name, and service number of the Nominee (example: S3C Abe Snuffy RMN-2345-11)
• 3. A detailed description of the nominee's contributions to the Grayson Space Navy and The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association. This detailed description should include specific information about the nominee’s contributions, including dates and events if applicable.
• 4. Any available supporting documentation to support the nomination. This could be letters of support or After-Action Reports that cover the events in the nomination. Any supporting documentation should be attached to the nomination e-mail as attachments.

Nominations that do not contain the above information will be considered, however, it will make the deliberation process more difficult and may result in a nominee not being selected by the Selection Committee.

Selection Committee

The Selection Committee will be empaneled from current crewmembers of GNS Covington (C-02), and members of the Office of the High Admiral. The Selection Committee will begin deliberations following the closing of the nomination period (usually in November). Acceptance of new inductees to GNS Covington (C-02) will be by majority vote, with the High Admiral of the Grayson Space Navy, or their designee, breaking any ties.

The Selection Committee will consist of the following:

• 1. High Admiral of the Grayson Space Navy or their designee (Chair)
• 2. Chief of Staff of the Grayson Space Navy or their designee
• 3. Senior Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, GSN or their designee
• 4. Commander of the Grayson Home Fleet or their designee
• 5. Bosun of the Grayson Home Fleet or their designee
• 6. Current Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02)
• 7. Crew member of GNS Covington (C-02) selected by lottery.

Nominations for Commanding Officer are remanded to the Office of the High Admiral, acting on behalf of the Protector, for final consideration and selection. Members may NOT nominate themselves. If no nominations are received, the Selection Committee will dismiss the current Commanding Officer from the Committee and may then recommend their retention, or recommend a candidate(s) for consideration.

Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02)

Appointment as Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02) affords all honors and privileges bestowed upon any other Commanding Officer of a hyper-capable starship, as well as a seat on the Selection Committee. The Commanding Officer is entitled to wear a silver cap band on their Service Cap for the duration of their appointment and may display the Command Star on their Mess Dress uniform. Appointment as Commanding Officer is for two years.

The position of Commanding Officer is only once per lifetime, subject to the discretion of the High Admiral and the Selection Committee.

Permanent Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02)

Protector's Policy Directive 1001 established the position of a "Permanent Commanding Officer" of GNS Covington (C-02), above that of the Commanding Officer. The current and first Permanent Commanding Officer is Fleet Admiral Lord Robert Bulkeley Jr., Duke Mountain View. The position of Permanent Commanding Officer is reserved for those that have given preeminent service to the Grayson Space Navy.

In the case of the current Permanent Commanding Officer, it was his vision and work that helped created the original look and feel of the Grayson Space Navy and to a large extent drove the design philosophy included in House of Steel. The look of the Grayson Space Navy, as it appears today, owes, in a large part, its existence to Fleet Admiral Bulkeley, and as such, he is honored as the first Permanent Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02).

The Permanent Commanding Officer appointment is for life or until willing retirement. The Permanent Commanding Officer is afforded all honors and privileges as the Commanding Officer; however, they are not granted a seat on the Selection Committee.

List of Permanent Commanding Officers

Year	Name
2023	FADM Lord Robert Bulkeley Jr., GSN, Duke Mountain View

List of Commanding Officers

Year	Name
2023	CAPT Rowan Wagstaff-Weston, GSN
2022	BGEN Christopher Bayonet, RMMC
2021	VADM Benyamin Loyola, GSN
2020	CAPT Misha Sumra, GSN
2019	VADM Lord Martyn Griffiths, GSN, Steadholder Pittman
2018	CAPT Aaron Davis, GSN
2017	CDRE Lohengrin Perez Canon, GSN

Crew Manifest

Honorees

Honorees wear the crest of GNS Covington (C-02) as a silver badge worn on the right breast pocket of the Grayson uniform. Note that, similar to the RMN and RMMC HMS Unconquered honor society, the Covington insignia may only be worn on a Grayson uniform. The crew assigned to GNS Covington (C-02) may request a billet upon appointment. This will be a rating for enlisted crew and a department for officers.

This record is kept as a historical archive and honorees are listed by rank/rate when first inducted. As such, their listed rank and assignment may not reflect their current rank or assignment in The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc.. Further, as it is common in the organization for members to occasionally swap between service branches, some members listed may no longer be part of the Grayson Space Navy component. Additionally, as GNS Covington (C-02) was created from the legacy Protector’s Own, all honorees pre-2023, which included members from across the organization and not necessarily from the Grayson Space Navy, have been transferred, along with any legacy billets, per Protector’s Order XXXX-XX. The legacy positions of Executive Officer and Bosun have been eliminated per Protector's Order XXXX-XX and are noted here for the historical record.

List of Legacy Executive Officers

Year	Name
2022	CAPT Philip Clayton, GSN, Steadholder Fitzgerald
2021	CDR John Robison, GSN
2020	RADM Neil Simpson, GSN
2019	CAPT David Sanders, GSN
2018	CDRE Joseph Harney, RMN
2017	CAPT Philip Clayton, GSN

List of Legacy Bosuns

Year	Name
2022	SMCPO Emilio Desalvo, RMN
2021	SCPO David Fretz, GSN
2020	MCPO Kevin Mortimer, GSN
2019	SMCPON Kathy Rau, GSN
2018	MCPO David Melsome, GSN, Steadholder Maelstromm
2017	CPO Benjamin Wagner, RMN

Command

Billet	Name	Rank	Inducted	Assignment
Intelligence Officer	Martyn Griffiths, GSN	RADM	2017	GNS Albion
Intelligence Officer	David Melsome, GSN	RADM	2017	GNS Glory
Operations Officer	Misha Sumra, GSN	LCDR	2017	GNS Paul of Tarsus
Intelligence Officer	Lohengrin Perez, GSN	CDRE	2017	GNS Joshua
Master at arms Mate 3rd Class	Ben Hatcher, GSN	PO3	2018	GNS Glory
Chief Operations Mate	Kevin Mortimer, GSN	CPO	2018	HMLAC Constantine
Intelligence Officer	Jamison Silinksy, GSN	CPT	2019	GNS Covington

Tactical

Billet	Name	Rank	Inducted	Assignment
Tactical Officer	Heidi Nelson, RMN	RADM	2017	Bureau of Supply
Tactical Officer (Weapons Group)	Misty White, GSN	CDRE	2017	GNS Glory
Tactical Officer (Electronic Warfare)	Dan Connelly, GSN	CDR	2017	GNS Erastus
Chief Missile Mate	David Fretz, GSN	CPO	2018	HMS Hector
Tactical Officer (Missile Operations)	Benyamin Loyola, GSN	CDR	2018	HMS Wolf

Engineering

Billet	Name	Rank	Inducted	Assignment
Chief Engineering Officer	Neil Simpson, GSN	CDR	2018	GNS Joshua
Engineering Officer	Joseph Barrow, GSN	CAPT	2018	HMS Hydra
Senior Master Chief Power Mate	William Underhill, GSN	SMCPO	2019	GNS Albion

Communications

Billet	Name	Rank	Inducted	Assignment
Data Systems	Emilio Desalvo	CPO	2017	GNS Glory
Communications Officer	Jeremy Carsten, RMN	CAPTSG	2018	GNS Barbara Bancroft

Astrogation & Flight Operations

Billet	Name	Rank	Inducted	Assignment
Flight Operations Officer	David Sanders, GSN	CAPT	2017	GNS Glory
Coxswain	Sarah Brider, RMN	PO2	2017	GNS Paul of Tarsus
Astrogation Officer	Rowan Wagstaff-Weston, GSN	LCDR	2019	GNS Albion
Chief Helmsman	John McLaughlin, GSN	CPO	2017	GNS Erastus
Senior Master Chief Helmsman	Sarah Hamilton, GSN	SMCPO	2019	HMS Hawk

Medical

Billet	Name	Rank	Inducted	Assignment
Surgeon Officer	Christopher Bayonet, GSN	CPT	2019	GNS Hector Ferelli
Corpsman	Allan MacBain, GSN	CPO	2020	GNS Joshua

Logistics

Billet	Name	Rank	Inducted	Assignment
Logistics Officer	Barb Dalrymple, GSN	LCDR	2017	GNS Erastus
Chief Storekeeper	Benjamin Wagner, RMN	CPO	2017	GNS Albion
Senior Master Chief Steward	Kathy Rau, GSN	SMCPON	2017	HMS Thunderer
Chief Steward	Rayanne McClellan-Staubly, GSN	CPO	2019	HMS Saladin
Logistics Officer	Aaron J Davis, GSN	CAPT	2018	GNS Randolph Candless

Administration

Billet	Name	Rank	Inducted	Assignment
Administration Officer	Joseph Harney, RMN	CDRE	2018	BATRON 2
Chaplain	John Robison, GSN	CDR	2017	GNS Erastus
Historian Officer	Philip Clayton, GSN	CAPT	2017	HMS Duke of Cromarty
Chief Historian's Mate	Robyn Winans, GSN	CPO	2017	GNS Barbara Bancroft
Historian's Mate 1st Class	Conny Odengrund, GSN	PO1	2017	GNS Glory

Non-Billeted Crewmembers

Billet	Name	Rank	Inducted	Assignment
-	Laura Lüschen, IAN	Flotillenadmiral	2017	SMRS Hohenzollern
-	Fiona Clark, GSN	LCDR	2022	HMS Pegasus

Inactive and HMS Valhalla

Status	Name	Rank	Originally Inducted
HMS Valhalla	David Cleric, RMMC	COL	2017
HMS Valhalla	Kit Warren, GSN	CAPT	2017
Inactive	Amy Wagstaff-Weston, CIV	Clerk	2019	GNS Albion
Inactive	Doug Henry, RMN	LTSG	2017	HMS Drake

See Also

• HMS Valhalla - Honors bestowed upon those members who've passed away while members of The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc..
• The Queen's Own - similar honor society for the Royal Manticoran Army
• HMS Unconquered - similar honor society for the Royal Manticoran Navy