posted
How long does it take an ordinary officer to get a promotion? For example, if you are a newly graduated ensign who receives his/her first post tomorrow, how long will it be until you get promoted? Also, how long does it take for one to be captain of a starship? Is there an age-requirement? Allow me to construe further. Kirk, Picard, Scott and maybe others got promoted to captain at an amazingly young age: respectively 27, 28, and maybe 26 for Captain Scott. What did these people do that got them a command so ahead of everyone else? I mean, for Picard it is relatively easy to accept his early command; the Stargazer was only a small. But what about Kirk? For God's sake, he was like 27 and got the flagship? What did he do?
------------------ "The Founder is wise in all things..." "We live to serve the Founders..."
posted
Well, Scotty was promoted to captain in STIII, and I think he was a bit older than that. Unless you're talking about someone else.
------------------ Frank's Home Page "My son and I have this wonderful kind of rivalry. Since I've taken over the Mac department in our home, he's seen fit to take over the PC. I have a routine I do for him, walking down the hall, bumping into walls, doing corkscrews and stumbling. I tell him I'm a Windows operating system." - John de Lancie
posted
Aha! You're right. Actually, the encyclopedia says that she "earned the command of a starship at a younger age than any previous captain" and she "was something of a legend in her own time."
------------------ Frank's Home Page "My son and I have this wonderful kind of rivalry. Since I've taken over the Mac department in our home, he's seen fit to take over the PC. I have a routine I do for him, walking down the hall, bumping into walls, doing corkscrews and stumbling. I tell him I'm a Windows operating system." - John de Lancie
posted
If promotion in Starfleet is anything like the Navy, I believe it's based on a combination of service time and merit. There may be an upper limit where you have to get promoted but I doubt this would apply to any rank higher than Lt. You simply can't have officers in command positions that haven't shown themselves capable of handling responsibility.
posted
Well, basically, the answer is that promotion depends upon how good you are. If you suck at your job, you're not going to get promoted. If you're a competent officer, though, you'll get promoted faster.
As for Picard, didn't he get command because he saved the ship when the previous captain was killed, or something? Besides, both he and Kirk are supposed to be two of the greatest captains in SF history. That means they would probably have shown quite a bit of promise as young officers, and been promoted.
------------------ "'...This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!' cried the Spirit stretching out its hand towards the city. 'Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And abide the end!'" -Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Saltah'na
Chinese Canadian, or 75% Commie Bastard.
Member # 33
posted
According to TNG's Lower Decks, crew evaluations are held every three months. I'm not sure if a 100% evaluation earns a promotion, but if that is so, then an ensign can become Captain in less than two years. That's a huge jump.
------------------ I can resist anything....... Except Temptation
posted
I think those evaluations are for officers below the rank of Lt , when you reach Lt Cmdr that is considered a Command Rank and the only way to get promted there is through merit and a referral from both the CO and XO then that has to be approved by the Fleet CO.
posted
Data said something about being an ensign for three years, but Harry's been one for five or so. Data also said he was a lieutenant for ten or so years (includes JG), and he's been a Lt. Commander for at least thirteen. Of course, then there's Riker, who was only a Lt. Commander for two or three years before being made full Commander, and he's been there for twelve or thirteen years. 'Course, he was offered three or four commands during that time. Then there's Sisko, who was a Commander for five or six years, tops, before he made Captain. So there's apparently some wide variation.
------------------ "Arthur hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he realised there was a contradiction there and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife."
Then there's Nog. He went from Cadet, to Ensign, to Lieutenant very quickly. Hell, Kim's been an ensign for over 5 years! Of course war time always seemed to be a good way to get promotions.
------------------ Calvin: "My life needs a rewind/erase button." Hobbes: "...and a volume control." Federation Starship Datalink - Starship site of the new millennium.
[This message has been edited by Hobbes (edited December 27, 1999).]
posted
Regarding the crew evaluations, I don't think that even an outstanding evaluation guarantees a promotion. For an Ensign to go make Lt. J.G. in 3 months is a little quick. I think they give a young officer or crewman an idea of what he needs to work on. I think the only reason that ensign in "Lower Decks" got promoted is because he got the Ops position. Also, all ships might not do crew evals the same way.
Regarding Riker's and Picard's quick promotions versus Data's long stint as a Lt. Comm., I think command division officers probably have more opportunites to move toward command levels than yellow uniforms do. And yes, Picard got command of the ship because he saved it after the captain died. I think he was a full Lt. when that happened. Although Riker said that Picard had been "a first officer yourself" so Picard must have been the XO of the Stargazer as a Lt.
------------------ "Resolve and thou art free."
[This message has been edited by Aban Rune (edited December 27, 1999).]
------------------ "'...This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!' cried the Spirit stretching out its hand towards the city. 'Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And abide the end!'" -Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
posted
Have we ever seen an officer in yellow above Lt. Commander? Besides admirals, I mean?
------------------ "Arthur hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he realised there was a contradiction there and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife."
posted
I don't think so, but we have seen people from the movies with the original crew who are over Lt. Commander and would be in the yellow uniforms if they used those uniforms during that era.
------------------ All hands, abandon ship! All hand, abandon... BOOM!
Unless you're talking about someone else.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
