Official Historical Information on the
USS Black Hawk, NCC-75004

USS Shiloh
NCC-74683

On 23 March 1996, the USS Shiloh, NCC-74683, was commissioned as a full fledged starship of STARFLEET at MidSouthCon 23, which was held in Memphis, Tennessee.   Representing the Shiloh was Captain Jeffery Higdon and Lieutenant Commander Timothy Raines.  The commissioning, done in concert with the commissioning of the USS Mark Twain, and the USS Shekmet, was done by Vice Chief of Operations, STARFLEET, Commodore Deborah Leafy, who also commanded the mothership USS Alacrity, NCC-1881.

 The Command Staff of the USS Shiloh NCC-74683 as of 23 March 1996:

Chief Computer Operations Officer

Chief Petty Officer Matthew Shelton

The yearly awards was developed to give the crew some much need recognition on a local level.  The winners are picked by the Executive Committee upon the recommendation of the Division Officers. The Cadet of the Year is picked by the Commandant, Ships Cadet Corps; Only NCOs, Junior Officers (Ensigns and Lieutenant, j.g.) on the day of selection, which is the 7th day of December of each year, who qualify for these awards. All members who qualify for the Officer of the Year.  Correspondent Crewmember of the Year is picked from all members of the Shiloh who do not live in the greater Rock River Area. Both Crewmember and Correspondent Crewmember of the Year are picked from all members regardless of status. The basic criteria changed in 1997 awards when the Shiloh became Starfleet Central, which merged with Federated Alliance in 1998, and thus qualifying for rank in Federated Alliance and also was affected by the move of the chapter from Henderson to Rockford. The DSA is awarded by the Commanding Officer.  The criteria for the DSA, which was determined by the Commanding Officer, is determined by participation and contribution to the chapter.   The name was changed to the USS Black Hawk Ship's Awards in 1999.  In 2000 the DSA has been renamed the USS Shiloh Distinguished Service Award, in honor of the former name of the chapter.

At the end of 1996, Region One awarded the USS Shiloh the Unit Distinguished Service Award.  This was the second straight year the Shiloh crew was awarded a Region One DSA.

During the weekend of January 31-February 2, 1997, officers and crew of the USS Shiloh boarded the USS Mark Twain, the University of Memphis, in order to help stage TigerCon I.   

On February 1, 1997, during TigerCon I, it was announce that Five Starships: USS Alacrity, Commodore Deborah Leafey, Commanding USS Mark Twain, Captain Karen Cushing, Commanding USS Providence, Captain Warren Price, Commanding USS Sehkmet, Captain John McGill, Commanding USS Shiloh, Captain Jeffery Higdon, Commanding Formed a new ensemble of starships to be called:  

The MidSouth Squadron

The USS Sehkmet was later decommissioned by STARFLEET. The USS Alacrity changed it's name to the USS Aeon in 1998

The USS Shiloh  withdrew from the Squadron in the summer of 1997 because of its move to Illinois. The Squadron was re-established by the members of the USS Aeon, USS Mark Twain, USS Providence and Nikola Tesla Station in 1999.  The USS Black Hawk is considered an honorary member of the squadron.

Captain Karen Cushing, CO, USS Mark Twain; Commander Jim Cushing, XO, USS Mark Twain; Lieutenant Shawn Booth, Security Officer, USS Shiloh; Lieutenant Commander Chris Higdon, 2O, USS Shiloh; Cadet Ensign (j.g.) Emily Higdon, Senior Cadet, USS Shiloh Cadet Corps; Captain Jeff Higdon, CO, USS Shiloh; Commander Karen Higdon, XO, USS Shiloh. Also participating was USS Shiloh Honorary member, USNPS Ranger Brian McCutchen.

After the cleaning a tour of the park via van was taken. Lieutenant Robert Baker, Engineering Officer, USS Shiloh joined the tour. The entourage returned to Henderson for rest and readiness for the party.
The party was attended by all above as well as others from the USS Providence.

The USS Shiloh was nominated for Best Shakedown Cruise for Region One. During the Region One Conference in Gatlinburg the USS Tycho was given the award. The other nominee was the USS Rutledge.

On Stardate 9706.21 the Starfleet Central is proclaimed, back dated to Stardate 9610.11. Captain Jeffery Higdon is promoted in the ISC to Admiral and is placed on the ISC Admiralty. (Note: The promotion is not recognized in the STARFLEET International).

On Stardate 9710.11, Admiral Higdon was chosen by The Admiralty to become the Interim Commanding Admiral, which acts as the President of Starfleet Central.

On Stardate 9808.15, Starfleet Central formally merged with Federated Alliance.  The USS Shiloh became a member of this organization at this time.   Starfleet Central later merged with Federated Alliance in July, 1998.

On Stardate 9708.14 the USS Shiloh officially left the confines of Region One to enter a new Region - Region 12, and a new Port - Rockford/Loves Park/Machesney Park, Illinois. This was done after it was determined, after the Captain and First Officer informed the crew it was going to move from the area, that the USS Shiloh would have to be disbanded. After a vote of the crew and the approval of STARFLEET, it was decided that the City of Charter was changed to Rockford, Illinois.

 The USS Shiloh held it's first official meeting in the Rockford Area on 20 September 1997 at Tomorrow is Yesterday, a Science Fiction/Fantasy Ship located in Loves Park. The meeting was announced in the Rockford Register-Star under its new name, The Rock River Area Star Trek Space Science Association, which replaced the name STARFLEET of Henderson.

Because of political in fighting and inappropriate actions because of the change in administration in January, 1999, the Officers and Crew of the USS Shiloh voted to leave VACANT the Representative's position on the IFC Security Council until further notice. Later in the year, Captain Higdon reassumed the duties of the Representative until the IFC Constitution was changed to eliminate that position.  The Shiloh, and later the Black Hawk, no longer participates as a member of the IFC.

After the party, the two crews visited Commander Karen Higdon, Executive Officer of the USS Shiloh, recovering from complication to surgery, at Rockford Memorial Hospital. Then both crews went out for dinner at the Illinois Machine Shed near the Tollway on East State Street.