Why wasnt Uhura ever given her own command?

[HAL.9000]

The one problem I have with the movies is that we see crew advance in rank but not job. The only one shown to have his own command in the films is Sulu. I would have loved to see Uhura with er own ship.

Years of putting up with Starfleet's BS and Kirk's sexual advances, not to mention that wierd love scene with Spock in the original series would have sure thickened her skin.

She would have kicked major ass as a ship's captain.

But NOOOOOO...she's always playing switchboard operator with that attenuator stuck in her ear.

A lost moment no doubt.

http://raidergirls.com/raiders_blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/uhura-sexy-spock1.jpg

 

[kythe]

Maybe she didn't actually *want* to be a captain. Not everyone aspires to leadership positions. When you consider how few positions were available for captains as opposed to everyone else, most who did aspire to captaincy didn't make it that far.

That said, Uhura's character was sadly underdeveloped. I like what they did with her in the new movie. Star Trek reboot expanded her character far more in just a couple of hours than the original series did in 3 years.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Treklit did a great job by having her rise through the ranks into Starfleet Intelligence instead, rather than starship command. In fact, she ended up as the head of SI. Enough power and prestige for ya?

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Treklit did a great job by having her rise through the ranks into Starfleet Intelligence instead, rather than starship command. In fact, she ended up as the head of SI. Enough power and prestige for ya?

(That said, the SHOW and MOVIES did not give her as much credit as they could've given her.)

 

[Nightdiamond]

Besides that weird glass ceiling for women officers-supposedly women couldn't be captains.

These were the original crew members who made it happen, and the show sort of just forgot bout their career advancement.

Except for Yeoman Rand, she made it up to 1st officer in Voyager, which was cool.

 

[Tiberius]

The one problem I have with the movies is that we see crew advance in rank but not job. The only one shown to have his own command in the films is Sulu. I would have loved to see Uhura with er own ship.

She wasn't in the command division. She was in a rather specialised section of engineering/support. She wasn't qualified for captaincy.

 

[sbk1234]

ALthough they never show it, it's possible that she had risen in rank and authority when it came to communications in Starfleet. There could have been a number of communications chiefs from other ships that reported to her for some things, she could have been involved in evaluating new technologies regarding communications, etc.

 

[Winterwind]

The one problem I have with the movies is that we see crew advance in rank but not job. The only one shown to have his own command in the films is Sulu. I would have loved to see Uhura with er own ship.

She wasn't in the command division. She was in a rather specialised section of engineering/support. She wasn't qualified for captaincy.

This pretty much sums it up. Asking why Uhura never got her own command is like asking why Scotty didn't either. Or Bones for that matter.

 

[HAL.9000]

The one problem I have with the movies is that we see crew advance in rank but not job. The only one shown to have his own command in the films is Sulu. I would have loved to see Uhura with er own ship.

She wasn't in the command division. She was in a rather specialised section of engineering/support. She wasn't qualified for captaincy.

This pretty much sums it up. Asking why Uhura never got her own command is like asking why Scotty didn't either. Or Bones for that matter.

You see, now I'm rather confused. I was under the impression that star-fleet officers are all eligible for command duty regardless of their specialty solely based on rank. If all the seniors had left a ship and Uhura was the ranking officer, guess what...she is in command.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isnt Picard an archeologist? Yet he managed to be Captain of a ship.

Based on my Air Force days I had squadron commanders that had been pilots and also commanders that had never flown. It was all based on rank and rank was given based on experience and ability. But Starfleet is more akin to the Navy so different rules may apply.

 

[Winterwind]

She wasn't in the command division. She was in a rather specialised section of engineering/support. She wasn't qualified for captaincy.

This pretty much sums it up. Asking why Uhura never got her own command is like asking why Scotty didn't either. Or Bones for that matter.

You see, now I'm rather confused. I was under the impression that star-fleet officers are all eligible for command duty regardless of their specialty solely based on rank. If all the seniors had left a ship and Uhura was the ranking officer, guess what...she is in command.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isnt Picard an archeologist? Yet he managed to be Captain of a ship.

Based on my Air Force days I had squadron commanders that had been pilots and also commanders that had never flown. It was all based on rank and rank was given based on experience and ability. But Starfleet is more akin to the Navy so different rules may apply.

No, Picard isn't an archaeologist. He's a starship captain with an interest in archaeology. It's a hobby, a personal interest of his.

And while all Starfleet officers can take command, theoretically, if they're the ranking officer, there are specific service divisions that determine your career path and options. In TOS command was gold. In the TNG era, command became red. Do you watch DS9? If so, think back to when Worf joined in Season 4 and the scene where Sisko talks to him about his options, wearing the red uniform, etc.

 

[HAL.9000]

Jean-Luc Picard was born to Maurice and Yvette Picard in La Barre, France, on July 13, 2305, and dreamed of joining Starfleet. He failed his first Starfleet Academy entrance exam, but was subsequently admitted and became the first freshman to win the Academy marathon. His academic training in archaeology is mentioned in numerous TNG episodes and he continues to pursue archaeology as a hobby; he also remarks at one point that he failed a semester of organic chemistry. -wiki

He trained in archeology while in starfleet. Command is expected of officers regardless of background specialty. Sulu is historically known as a helmsman. Does that alone qualify him for command?

 

[CoveTom]

Command is expected of officers regardless of background specialty.

Not true. In fact, that's specifically contradicted by Trek. Yes, it's true that any officer might be called upon to take command in an extraordinary circumstance -- such as when Troi had to take command in "Disaster" -- but under normal circumstances, command is but one of many career paths available to an officer, and requires a specific path of training as well. Scotty himself states that he may have been Captain by rank, but all he ever wanted to be was chief engineer, and that's all he ever was. He never commanded a ship, nor did he want to. Same with McCoy.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Uhura's a chick - only reason.

 

[HAL.9000]

Uhura's a chick - only reason.

Right, she should have stayed in the starship kitchen where she belongs.

How does that explain Janeway though? Oh right, Janeway's not a real chick...she's more of a boner shrinker. (Imagine bedroom noises with her voice...UGH!!)

BTW: For those that take these posts too seriously, i was joking about the kitchen crack. The powers that be (in the real world) missed a golden opportunity by not giving Uhura her own ship. It would have drawn fans IMO.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Jean-Luc Picard was born to Maurice and Yvette Picard in La Barre, France, on July 13, 2305, and dreamed of joining Starfleet. He failed his first Starfleet Academy entrance exam, but was subsequently admitted and became the first freshman to win the Academy marathon. His academic training in archaeology is mentioned in numerous TNG episodes and he continues to pursue archaeology as a hobby; he also remarks at one point that he failed a semester of organic chemistry. -wiki

He trained in archeology while in starfleet. Command is expected of officers regardless of background specialty. Sulu is historically known as a helmsman. Does that alone qualify him for command?

I think you're misinterpreting that phrase. It means he studied archeology at the Academy, not that it was his career path.

Being helmsman does not qualify you for command, but it is a position that most future commanders have held.

Being the senior most officer doesn't grant you command. You have to be be line officer. If the CMO is a commander and highest line officer is a lieutenant, the lieutenant get command.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

It would've been neat to see.

How would you guys have felt if we saw her, in canon, get that Director of Starfleet Intelligence position? I think there are other very powerful positions besides starship command. I'm not sure we've had a female intelligence director in the US yet...

 

[OldManDax]

I actually read that novel wherein we see Uhura as Director of Starfleet Intelligence (dont remember the name, though) some years ago. I remember being surprised - though pleasantly. Cool thing to do.

 

[Greg Cox]

It's a shame that Uhura never guest-starred in any of the latter-day TREK movies and episodes.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Uhura's a chick - only reason.

Right, she should have stayed in the starship kitchen where she belongs.

And you think there's more to the actual explanation than that.

Right.

 

[Bad Atom]

Affirmative action no longer exists in the 23rd century.

(I kid, I kid.)