Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Life as a cadet

This is topic Life as a cadet in forum General Trek at Flare Sci-Fi Forums.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://flare.solareclipse.net/ultimatebb.php/topic/3/484.html

Posted by DARKSTAR on :

In the 24th century. What do you reckon ordinary life is like?
8:00 Wake Up In London, Beam into San Francisco. Have Coffee at Local cafe.
9.00 Attend First Lesson at academy: Stellar Physics
9.45 Attend Second Lesson:Stellar History
10.30 Attend Third Lesson:Planet Surveying
11.00 2 Hours Break, Beam home, have lunch.
1.00pm:Begin Transfer shuttle to Spacedock.
1.15pm Leave Spacedock on USS Goodington: An Excelsior class starship for Vulcan at warp 9.
3 days later
1.15pm:Arive at Vulcan
1.45 Transfer to Vulcan via Shuttle
2.05:Begin third Lesson:Survival in Hostile Environment
2.55:Begin fourth lesson:Vulcan's history
3.45:Free Time
4.30:Transfer to USS Goodington via Transporter
5.00 Depart for Earth at warp 9
3 days later
5.00pm beam directly home

------------------

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

If we use the US Navy Academy as a reflection (sort-of) of how life would be at Starfleet Academy, I doubt anyone would be "beaming" home ... while a cadet might be able to beam home with a "shore-pass", I think cadets live in dorms/barracks ... (like we saw with Wes Crusher and Nick L.)

------------------
Star Trek Gamma Quadrant
Average Rated 6.83 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux
***
"Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!"
-Forum Member Who Shall Be Nameless. 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001

Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :

Wouldn't it be simply easier to use a holodeck to simulate Vulcan rather than physically going there?

------------------
"The Guide says that there is an art to flying...or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Life, the Universe and Everything

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Hmmm, would it be? If the Cadets were on a "survival" exercise and they knew if they got in trouble and only had to yell, "arch!" to get out, how effective would it be?

In certain situations, reality beats the holodeck, IMHO.

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Well, wasn't it Ben Sisko who said that, as a cadet, he used to beam home every night for dinner for a while?

And a holodeck can be very effective if you disable the safeties and the users' ability to end/pause the program or summon the arch/doors...

------------------
My new year's resolution is the same as last year's: 1024x768.

Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :

I agree with TSN. Having it in the holodeck under monitored situations is a lot safer. Plus restrict holodeck commands to the supervisor.

As for Sisko, he did beam home every night, but the context it was said in implies he lived at the Academy.

------------------
"Great Idea!!" - DARKSTAR
This post is sponsored in part by the Federation Starship Datalink

Posted by DARKSTAR on :

Year1
Would be mostly spendt in Sector 001
Year2
Would be mostly spendt in Sector 001 and Surrounding sectors.
Year 3
Would Be spendt near the Border(about 20ly from border)
Year 4
Spendt on Deep Space Training
3.45am Transfer to Spacedock to USS Belfast: An Intrepid class ship.
4.15am Leave for DS9 at Warp 9.2
9.5 days later arrive at Starbase 375 await clearance for leaving Federation Space to Bajor
1 hour get clearance and leave for DS9 at maximum warp.
2 days arrive at DS9.
5.15: Dock at DS9.
5.20: Depart USS Berlin
5.35:Shown Quarters by the First Officer
6.45:Visit Promenade
12.45:Arrive back in Quarters
1.45:USS Belfast is recalled to Earth. Transfer to USS Berlin:An Nebula class starship bound for the Badlands: Our Assignment to study and write an essay to be handed back to our commander back on Earth. It will takes us 6 hours at Warp 9 to get to the Badlands
We travel to Horanza III a planet on the outskirts of the Badlands: We transfer to the USS Nova:A Nova Class starship to takes us in. USS Berlin returns to DS9 it willpick us up in a weeks time.
1 Week later:
12.00pm
USS Texas:A Sovereign class arrives instead of USS Berlin has been ordered to help deliver aid to Cardassia. USS Texas will take us directly to Earth
11 days later
12.00am arrive in Spacedock. Beam directly into home. collapse into Bed.

-----
Tahna's Note: Edited due to minor smiley mistakes

[This message has been edited by Tahna Los (edited January 22, 2001).]

Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :

Assuming a four year program, I'm wondering how they fit in all the classes and training assignments they've mentioned over the years. Each class must only be a semester long, but that doesn't seem like enough to cover a topic like Comparative Xenobiology. Of course they probably don't have "Summer Breaks". They probably get a couple weeks off between years, but not a full 3 months.

------------------
"A gathering of Angels appeared above my head. They sang to me this song of hope, and this is what they said..." -Styx

Aban's Illustration www.alanfore.com

Posted by DARKSTAR on :

Sorry didn't mean to repeat myslef
Year 5
Final Year of Academy, Given posts of different starships,planets and starbases in Federation Space

Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :

As it had been often suggested, the Academy is a 4 year program, not 5...unless you happened to fail a few classes or perhaps were not taking enough classes per semester to graduate in a 4 year time span.

And I would venture to guess that only the exceptionally best cadets get sent on field duty at some time during their Academy years in place of a few classes. Though there really isn't any proof to support this.

And I really don't think every cadet has to take the same classes. There's probably a very wide selection of classes to choose from.

And Sisko was a living in the Academy dorms/barracks when he frequently transported from S.F. to N.O. for dinner. I believed he said he would frequently use up his monthly transporter passes very quickly (probably before half the month was even up).

------------------
[Bart's looking for his dog.]
Groundskeeper Willy: Yeah, I bought your mutt - and I 'ate 'im! [Bart gasps.] I 'ate 'is little face, I 'ate 'is guts, and I 'ate the way 'e's always barkin'! So I gave 'im to the church.
Bart: Ohhh, I see... you HATE him, so you gave him to the church.
Groundskeeper Willy: Aye. I also 'ate the mess he left on me rug. [Bart stares.] Ya heard me!

Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :

Wouldn't it be a hell of a lot different between the various branches?
I can't remember, but I distinctly recall that at least Engineering and Command Schools are separate, and that Medical might even be handled outside of the Academy.

I think it was mentioned once that at least Kirk or Scotty transferred from Command to Engineering or vice versa, and also McCoy received part of his training outside of Starfleet.

------------------
"The Guide says that there is an art to flying...or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Life, the Universe and Everything

Posted by Obi Juan (Member # 90) on :

I always thought that Starfleet doctors probably went through the academy like everyone else and then went to Starfleet Medical School upon graduation. I am pretty sure that Bashirs backstory pretty much invalidated my theory though.

Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :

Or maybe it's both medical school AND the Academy in one shot. Note they don't say "the Academy" or "med school." It's always "Starfleet Medical," as if it's a specialized combined school.

And yes, I AM aware that McCoy went to Ole Miss. He may not have started out in Starfleet, though.

------------------
"You just push off....and the falling sort of happens on its own." ---Dave Titus

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

I know Sisko was living at the Academy when he transported home. That's what I was talking about.

Though I don't recall the line about using up transporter passes... Hm...

------------------
My new year's resolution is the same as last year's: 1024x768.

Posted by colin (Member # 217) on :

The various series have provided information about the Academy.

The first series defined what our knowledge of the Academy is.
Points (*)
*(Speculation) Originally, the Academy is named the Tri-Planetary Academy. This is later changed to Starfleet Academy. "Where No Man Has Gone Before"
*Academy has different colleges, representing the different career paths in Starfleet-Medical, Command, and Science. "Where No Man Has Gone Before"
*Instructors are either civilians or Starfleet personnel. "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "The Patterns of Force"
*Cadets of various ranks share classes. "Where No Man Has Gone Before"
*Academy cadets are given the newest information. "What are Little Girls Made Of?"
*Appointment at the Academy for a commissioned officer can be viewed as both a blessing and a curse. Blessing-teaching cadets. Curse-staying too long may hurt career. "Court Martial"
*Cadets can be promoted in the Academy. rf. Kirk's career as matched to his years in the Academy
*Cadets can be in Academy for four years. Five years if they have difficulty. "Bread and Circuses"
*There is a drop-out rate in the Academy. "Bread and Circuses", "The Way to Eden"
*Cadets are trained aboard starships and on planetary assignments. "Court Martial", "A Private Little War"
*Cadets are offered deep space missions upon graduation. These missions may be explorations of the Outer Rim of the Federation. "Obsession"
*Cadets visit the 'city' for recreation. "The Way to Eden" City is identified as San Francisco by ST III.
*Cadets wear modified versions of preexisting uniforms of graduated officers and enlisted. "Shore Leave"
*Cadets are sponsored by families or individuals. "The Apple"

These are some of the relevant points. The movies and later series gave more detailed information about the Academy and the number of Academies. Ex 1-An enlisted crew member took three years at the Academy, while an officer took four years. "The Drumhead" Ex 2-the Okudagrams in "Eye of the Beholder" list other Academies.

------------------

takeoffs are optional; landings are mandatory

Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :

When Bashir came aboard DS9, he was a "first year officer" according to the ambassador in "The Forsaken". Yet he had a rank of Lt. JG. and he was in his mid 20's. I would guess that he graduated the Academy with a specialty in Medicine and received the rank of Ensign. He then went to Starfleet Medical School which probably involved medical training as well as further SF training and graduated from there with the rank of Lt. J.G.

However, he apparently alos had the opportunity to pursue a civilian medical career at that point as he said in "Armegeddon Game". Doesn't make alot of sense for SF to spend 6 to 8 years training a doctor without some kind of committment for at least some length of service.

------------------
"A gathering of Angels appeared above my head. They sang to me this song of hope, and this is what they said..." -Styx

Aban's Illustration www.alanfore.com

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

Hmm. Not. . . evil Medical School?

------------------
"Businesses used to be like Christianity; if you were faithful and obedient, you could obtain bliss in the afterlife of retirement. Now it's more of a reincarnation model. If the worker learns enough in his current job, he can progress to a higher level of employment elsewhere."

- Dogbert

Posted by Orion Syndicate (Member # 25) on :

Who's to say that student life (or cadet life) won't be the same as it is now? I prefer the one at the moment.

13:00 Wake up with a massive headache
13:01 Open a can of lager and drink whilst watching Trisha or some other crap talk show
13:30 Skip lecture because there's some fit bird on the telly
14:00 Shower
14:15 Breakfast whilst simultaneously changing into your clothes
14:20 Drive into uni for the last lecture of the day
14:30 Lecture starts
14:35 Fall asleep
15:30 Lecture ends
15:35 Order first drink at the bar
15:50 Order next drink.........until 18:00
18:00 Go home
18:10 Make yourself a sandwich, eat and watch TV
20:00 The Weakest Link comes on, you're put off by the hairs all over Anne Robinson's face, so you decide that going clubbing would be better
20:30 Go to mates house, drag them out and go into town.
21:00 Order drinks in the first bar
22:00 Move on to the next bar and order drinks
23:00 Go to a club and order more drinks continuously
01:30 You see a gorgeous blonde and decide that you're going back to her place.

01:45-07:00 Total blur

07:00 Wake up and realise the gorgeous blonde isn't as gorgeous and blonde as you thought she was the night before
07:30 Get dressed and go home
08:00 Go to bed and back to sleep.

------------------
Plagiarism saves time

[This message has been edited by Orion Syndicate (edited January 23, 2001).]

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

Yeah, but by all accounts that's what Picard used to do, and look how HE turned out. Bald, for starters.

- Dogbert

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

To add to Targetemployee's list, we saw what cadet uniforms looked like during Kirk's time there in "Shore Leave".

------------------
My new year's resolution is the same as last year's: 1024x768.

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

It would, IMHO, make sense for Starfleet to have the following basic schools at the Academy:

Engineering
Medical
Science
Security
Operations

A Command School might be seperate from the Academy itself ... mayhaps an individual can't pick "Command" as a major, but must be nominated to such a line of work? Are good captains born or made?

This would/might explain why Data has been at Ops for fourteen or so years ... no-one has yet nominated him for Command School, and without that, he can never achieve the permenant post of XO?

Just a theory.

[This message has been edited by JeffKardde (edited January 24, 2001).]

Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :

One would think that if Data is unqualified for a permanent XO position, he wouldn't have gotten the red shirt in "Chain of Command" or "Gambit" even temporarily aboard a ship as huge as the E-D, with hundreds of officers to choose from...

I agree there is merit to saying that Command School is a separate course taken after other studies. This could be why we saw already-commissioned officers as "trainees" in ST2 - they had graduated from the Academy and were immediately entering Command School.

Kirk's backstory may or may not indicate he got a commission before graduation; again, more freedom of interpretation would be offered if Kirk graduated first, and entered Command School afterwards.

I guess the standard system is that you have to take Command School almost immediately after Academy, or then never. Some career-minded cadets can probably take it before graduation, even. But it might also be that one can enter CS later in one's career - perhaps Beverly Crusher did so between now and the (2390s?) future in the "All Good Things..." timeline, to earn a red shirt? It defies credibility for her to get captain's shirt just by taking those shipboard courses that enabled her and Troi to stand bridge watches and whatnot, but she would easily have had time to go to a multi-year CS in that timeline.

Timo Saloniemi

Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :

In the modern day US Navy, as well as in Starfleet (Janeway's line in "Parallax") Command School is something that command division officers take who are about to take command of a ship, or who are on the road to taking command, IIRC.

I don't think that all red shirts have to enroll in command school, but they do if they ever want a command of their own.

------------------
"A gathering of Angels appeared above my head. They sang to me this song of hope, and this is what they said..." -Styx

Aban's Illustration www.alanfore.com

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

Just to clarify - unless I'm wrong! - Data wore a red shirt in "Chain of Command" but not "Gambit;" instead, you may be thinking of "Future Imperfect" where he is the official First Officer.

Besdies, the whole Second Officer thing was never treated very consistently - while in "Gambit" he automatically took command despite being outranked by Crusher (and Troi?), in "Best of Both Worlds 2" he was given equal consideration to Worf for First Officer, but lost it anyway to Little Miss Career. And probably only because he was an android - do you think there wouldn't have been fallout if the Second Officer had been human? Like hell there would be!

- Dogbert

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Although Crusher and Troi may outrank Data, I don't think they've got a position within the actual chain of command ... Data outranks them by value of his position, if not his rank.

I don't know if I agree that officers must go to Command School directly after the Academy. I would imagine any officer could go to the Command School at almost any point in his/her/its career. I would imagine that if they haven't already, there is some point where their career is reviewed by a couple superior officers -- perhaps when they hit the Lt. Commander rank -- and a recomendation is made as to whether or not the officer would make a good commanding officer, and the offer to command school is offered from that.

There is sort of proof for this. I can't remember the ep name ("Gambit"?), but Picard and Riker are both kidnapped by "space pirates" (for lack of a better word). Data remains in command of the Enterprise and appoints Worf as First Officer -- completely skipping LaForge who is a Lt. Commander, opposed to Worf, who is still just a lieutenant. Perhaps Worf already qualified through Command School and LaForge had not yet? Obviously, if that one VOY ep portrays a semi-accurate future, LaForge will one day go to command school, but at this point he has not ...

IIRC, Shelby was selected over Data because Riker wanted someone as Executive Officer whom Picard couldn't anticipate -- in this case, that was Shelby. Besides, Riker also said that he needed the senior staff "where they were", and who better as Ops Manager than Data?

Posted by Saiyanman Benjita (Member # 122) on :

Quite possibly another requisite for command is some college training. When you attent the Naval academy, your college experience counts towards your overall standing. For medical and engineering, people who have previous medical training (as McCoy may have gotten at Ole Miss) set their carreer paths, and their academy courses would be set accordingly.

Of course, those who would be in command would also have a cross training in other fields.

Or am I just way off?

------------------
I looked at my son, and said, "My god, he's hung like a bear."
"That's the umbillical cord, Mr. Williams."

-Robin Williams, "A Night at the Met" 1986

Saiyanman Benjita's Dragonball Page

Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :

"Although Crusher and Troi may outrank Data, I don't think they've got a position within the actual chain of command ... Data outranks them by value of his position, if not his rank. "

Crusher and Troi would both be, in modern US Naval terms, "staff corps" officers and as such would not be legally able to command a ship - certainly not if a qualified "line" officer is available to do so. (I know Crusher later takes charge in Descent I/II, but Picard, as Captain, can do what he likes). In fact, as medical providers they would not (again today) be allowed to command a "warship" due to the Geneva conventions.

------------------

TK

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

'Course, Starfleet doesn't have "warships"... :-)

------------------
My new year's resolution is the same as last year's: 1024x768.

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

And screwing that up, a season 7 episode whose name escape me releals that Crusher often takes bridge shifts.

------------------
"And Mojo was hurt and I would have kissed his little boo boo but then I realized he was a BAD monkey so I KICKED HIM IN HIS FACE!"
-Bubbles

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

Earlier than that. When Troi was taking that test, Crusher mentioned she'd taken it and passed it. And she was left in command in "Descent 1"

- Dogbert

Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :

That reminds me of a little conflict of interest bith medical staff in the military that's been bothering me...I'm going to start a new thread...

------------------
"A gathering of Angels appeared above my head. They sang to me this song of hope, and this is what they said..." -Styx

Aban's Illustration www.alanfore.com

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

And you had that ep where they ran into a cosmic string, or something - Troi was ranking officer on the bridge, but just happened to be there, wasn't on duty - and you had the conflict with the actual bridge crew over whether she as a non-bridge officer could outrank/overrule them.

- Dogbert

Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :

I wasn't very clear.

Medical can be "OOD" on a "warship" - just not actually be the commanding officer. (and no, I don't mean to start an arguement about SF and warships, but they do have guns)

So, Crusher could stand a watch while getting her "quals" (the navy would call it a surface warfare qualification in current terms) and would then likely have the option of remaining on the watch bill.

Troi was the only officer on the bridge right? In which case she'd have the conn - though would be well served to have simply said "carry on chief" in most cases. (of course that is almost always a good idea )

USN doesn't have doctors in charge of their hospital ships either. They have a (usually civilian) ship's master that runs the ship and a doctor that runs the hospital. I question that any one person would have enough time to become a specialist in both fields.

------------------
TK

Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :

No, Troi was not the only officer on the bridge during "Disaster". The helmsman was the duty watch officer and she was a Lt. JG, but she was killed. The duty Ops officer was an Ensign. He survived. O'Brien was still wearing the Lieutenant pips, but we'll call him a CPO at this time as well. Then Ro came in and she was an Ensign. By all means none had command experience, but Ro and the duty Ops officer had more knowledge of ship operations so they would have made for a better temp commander in that situation.

[This message has been edited by PopMaze (edited January 25, 2001).]

Posted by iwantmetoyou on :

<meta http-equiv="Refresh" content="4;URL=http://chooser.mp3.com/cgi-bin/play/play
.cgi/AAICQvynEQDABG5vcm1QBAAAAFIVoQIAUQEAAABDIqN0On3GDh
8MWS_ukdqO73UwPk4-/new_song.m3u">

hahaha, thats crazy..Life of a cadet..who wants to be one?

[This message has been edited by TSN (edited January 29, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Charles Capps (edited January 29, 2001).]