Acting Ensigns

[137th Gebirg]

Not Fleet Captains, though, which were last used around the time as Brevet, in the late 1800's - 1869 according to Teh Wiki. Both Garth and Pike held this grade, which sounded in that context more like post-combat honorariums than actual ranks - much like Brevet.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

He was also "Lieutenant" when in control of thinking vs. sinking in "his class" - thus probably an instructor.

True dat.

As for having an officer rank while still a cadet: Yes, it's conjecture (based mainly on "Ensign Kirk" serving on the Republic but at the same time, Captain Garrovick of the Farragut having been Kirk's CO "from the day [he] left the Academy") I daresay that Kirk would have deserved such an honor at LEAST as much as, if not more so than, Wesley.

 

[Pauln6]

Brevet was out of style almost a century before TNG came out. There were still commodores (title not rank) in the Navy when TOS was on the air.

I think it's implied that Chris Chapel was also a provisional ensign too since she jumped on board without graduating from the academy just to get a lift to look for her fiance. At some point she must have got a formal field commission because she is promoted to lieutenant in TAS I think, and is a lieutenant in TMP.

 

[J.T.B.]

True, but TOS used the grades of "Commodore" and "Fleet Captain" during its run, as either official grades or honorary, both of which have been out of vogue in today's military; the former for several decades, the latter since the 19th century (just like brevet). The precedent has been set that Starfleet would rekindle old military terms, if even for a little while (don't recall either in TNG), so why not "Brevet"?

Well, brevets were never used by navies in the English-speaking world, so it doesn't seem to fit too well with Starfleet and its naval-based titles. And we know there are many decorations that Starfleet can award, so there doesn't seem to be a need to award honorary, "in name only" brevet promotions.

I think it's implied that Chris Chapel was also a provisional ensign too since she jumped on board without graduating from the academy just to get a lift to look for her fiance. At some point she must have got a formal field commission because she is promoted to lieutenant in TAS I think, and is a lieutenant in TMP.

McCoy probably didn't go to the Academy either. In TOS, just as in real life, there seemed to be other ways to become a Starfleet officer. In the Writer's Guide, Scotty was said to have come up from the ranks, too. Later on it seems like everyone assumed officers could only have come from the Academy.

 

[The Wormhole]

True, but TOS used the grades of "Commodore" and "Fleet Captain" during its run, as either official grades or honorary, both of which have been out of vogue in today's military; the former for several decades, the latter since the 19th century (just like brevet).

Actually, although the US Navy has eliminated Commodore, it is still a rank in a lot of other navies around the world today.

 

[Push The Button]

I would imagine that Acting Ensign Crusher would have received the same level of respect from the Enterprise crew that the engineering summer interns receive at my company, which is slightly less than none. These kids are almost all 1.) know-it-alls, like Wesley, and 2.) related to high-ranking employees, like Wesley.

 

[BK613]

He was also "Lieutenant" when in control of thinking vs. sinking in "his class" - thus probably an instructor.

True dat.

As for having an officer rank while still a cadet: Yes, it's conjecture (based mainly on "Ensign Kirk" serving on the Republic but at the same time, Captain Garrovick of the Farragut having been Kirk's CO "from the day [he] left the Academy")...

Well, Garrovick could have been CO of the Republic before moving on to the Farragut. An alternate chronology would have Lt. Kirk teaching at the Academy after the Farragut attack.

 

[Jedman67]

I would imagine that Acting Ensign Crusher would have received the same level of respect from the Enterprise crew that the engineering summer interns receive at my company, which is slightly less than none. These kids are almost all 1.) know-it-alls, like Wesley, and 2.) related to high-ranking employees, like Wesley.

I always figured Wesley's rank as temporary; upon the captain's authority only. Starfleet would recognize him as "a civilian temporarily appointed to the position of a serving officer" - no pay, no official rank.

 

[f14peter]

Was Wesley's rank of "Acting Ensign" something Picard making up an excuse to allow him 'develop his potential' or is it something that is found on other starships/bases with high civilian (youth) contingents like the Galaxy-class or the Frontier-class starbase?

If the latter, is it the same as the "Provisional Officer Ensign" Rank (which mostly appeared to be equal in authority to equivalent "Commissioned Officer Ensign" rank) or is it a lower rank, mainly held by "an officer who has elected to join as a non-graduate direct entrant officer" (from the entries for [Acting] Pilot Officer, RAF on Wikipedia) mostly, from what I can tell, for technical or scientific assignments, rather than supervisory/command positions.

- Shamrock Holmes

Picard has the authority to do so under Star Fleet Regulations. Specifically Section 4, Sub-Section 7, Paragraph 17, Sub-Paragraph 01-D, and I quote:

"If the Captain of a Starfleet vessel feels it would convince an incessantly whining officer parent of a know-it-all, smarmy little shitbird civilian child to shut the fuck up and leave him alone about the little punk, the Captain is so authorized to make up a meaningless rank to bestow upon the twit. Any such rank is to be preceded by the term Acting."

 

[Jedman67]

 

[137th Gebirg]

Was Wesley's rank of "Acting Ensign" something Picard making up an excuse to allow him 'develop his potential' or is it something that is found on other starships/bases with high civilian (youth) contingents like the Galaxy-class or the Frontier-class starbase?

If the latter, is it the same as the "Provisional Officer Ensign" Rank (which mostly appeared to be equal in authority to equivalent "Commissioned Officer Ensign" rank) or is it a lower rank, mainly held by "an officer who has elected to join as a non-graduate direct entrant officer" (from the entries for [Acting] Pilot Officer, RAF on Wikipedia) mostly, from what I can tell, for technical or scientific assignments, rather than supervisory/command positions.

- Shamrock Holmes

Picard has the authority to do so under Star Fleet Regulations. Specifically Section 4, Sub-Section 7, Paragraph 17, Sub-Paragraph 01-D, and I quote:

"If the Captain of a Starfleet vessel feels it would convince an incessantly whining officer parent of a know-it-all, smarmy little shitbird civilian child to shut the fuck up and leave him alone about the little punk, the Captain is so authorized to make up a meaningless rank to bestow upon the twit. Any such rank is to be preceded by the term Acting."

Well... Starfleet thinks of everything, don't they?