Admiral of Security?

[SilentP]

In 'The Die is Cast', we see Vice Admiral Toddman in a gold uniform (of security/engineering, but probably security in this context) wearing admiral pips. Now this seems to contradict what Eddington says in 'The Adversary' about you don't get to be Captain in the gold uniform.

Now Eddington may have been referring to becoming captain of a ship which would make sense, or if it was just an inconsistency, but it raises the point of what does Toddman actually do? He's the only Admiral we ever see wearing a gold admiral uniform, so I can't imagine that it was a wardrobe messup since I'm fairly sure its the only time we such a uniform. My best guess is that he's some form of Intelligence, or that Starfleet Security had it's own duties for Captain ranked security officers and above. Any thoughts?

 

[Bones2]

I think the explanations you offer are as good as any. I'd never noticed or given it any thought before.

 

[nx1701g]

I took it that he was the Director of Starfleet Security which meant that he wore the yellow uniform.

 

[Anwar]

Admiral Pressman and Riker mentioned the head of Starfleet Security as "Admiral Raner" in "The Pegasus" as being part of the conspiracy to recover the Pegasus, so we know there's such a thing as an Admiral of Security.

McCoy was an Admiral, and he was still a Doctor the whole time so blue officers get the Admiralty too apparently.

 

[SilentP]

McCoy was an Admiral, and he was still a Doctor the whole time so blue officers get the Admiralty too apparently.

Hmmm, I wonder what purpose would be served by having such high rank medical officers...perhaps they set medical doctrine within Starfleet? Doesn't seem completely right, but that's the only thing I can think of. An overall 'policy control' might make sense for all Starfleet Security, but Medical, not so much. Or is it just me?

 

[Theodore Jay Miller]

In the real-world Navy, the head of the Medical Corps is an admiral:
http://www.health.mil/bioDetail.aspx?ID=14

Vice Admiral Adam Robinson, a native of Louisville, Ky., is the Chief of the Navy Medical Corps.

http://wapedia.mobi/en/Bonnie_Burnham_Potter

Rear Admiral Bonnie Burnham Potter was the first female physician in the Navy Medical Corps to be selected for flag rank. She served as the commanding officer of the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland and Chief of the Navy Medical Corps.

 

[clint g]

A modern day equivalent would be the Surgeon General of the Army, who still wears the Medical Services branch insignia. Every department would need someone in charge to set agenda and policy for that department. It only makes sense that Starfleet would have an Admiral in charge of its medical service, science service, security, engineering, etc

 

[SilentP]

Very good point, I forgot some modern armed forces have such positions

 

[Timo]

Really, the lack of "colored" Admirals in aired Trek might be but a fluke. Remember that Admirals usually appear in the episodes to give commands to our heroes. An Admiral in charge of Medical matters would have little reason to order Picard or Sisko around. An Admiral in charge of Engineering would likewise seldom appear. An Admiral in charge of Astrophysics? Plausible, but not plot material. It would really just be the redshirt "Command Admirals" who would have a defensible reason to appear in a story.

Toddman could have been Security. He could also have been Intelligence, as we don't know the department color for that branch - we have never seen a person who would be of that branch, merely people who worked for that branch more or less unofficially. Security and Intelligence might have a plot reason to appear. But not that often, since as said, Intelligence often operated through various minions and used regular "Command Admirals" as their messengers. And Security should only intervene on security matters, such as handling of prisoners; perhaps those unseen superiors that Sisko argued with whenever there was a prisoner issue were clad in yellow?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Captain Fine]

I too thought it odd to have an admiral in a gold uniform. I'm comforted by the fact that there is real-world precedent for this

 

[Wally]

McCoy was an Admiral, and he was still a Doctor the whole time so blue officers get the Admiralty too apparently.

Hmmm, I wonder what purpose would be served by having such high rank medical officers...perhaps they set medical doctrine within Starfleet? Doesn't seem completely right, but that's the only thing I can think of. An overall 'policy control' might make sense for all Starfleet Security, but Medical, not so much. Or is it just me?

What's even stranger is, wasn't Dr. Crusher head of Starfleet medical during season 2 of TNG. Sounds pretty important, but she was only a Commander.

 

[Timo]

We don't know what "Head of Starfleet Medical" means. Is it command over the entire Medical Branch? Or does it mean running the big Earth hospital called Starfleet Medical? If the latter, Commander would indeed sound like a reasonable rank...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[ATW]

I always thought Starfleet Medical was part of the Academy where all those wannabe Doctors went to become eh.. Doctors in Starfleet.