Can civilians work on a starship?

[talfe'anhar]

I'm doing research for some fan fiction I want to write.

Could a civilian work on board a starship? Say, a chef or someone who runs a coffee shop or restaurant on the ship. (Hey, they should be able to get a fancy coffee on the Enterprise, right?) Or would they have to be Starfleet personnel? I searched on Memory Alpha and didn't find anything.

Thanks!

 

[T'Girl]

I figure Keiko was a civilian contractor for Starfleet, working as a botanist, that how she got on the Enterprise Dee.

The waiters/waitresses working in ten forward might be the spouses of Starfleet personel assigned to the ship, bringing in a little extra income.

 

[HIjol]

From Memory Alpha:

Although Starfleet crewmembers staffed the vital positions on board the Enterprise, civilian crewmembers were allowed to hold important jobs in the ship's science and medical departments, as well as support areas like Ten Forward and the ship's school or the Arboretum. (TNG: "Night Terrors", "Hero Worship", "Ethics") The Enterprise included children among the civilians on board, a concept which was not initially embraced by Captain Picard. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "The Bonding")

Vote T-Girl for Star Fleet Head of HR!

 

[USS Triumphant]

The waiters/waitresses working in ten forward might be the spouses of Starfleet personel assigned to the ship, bringing in a little extra income.

Don't you mean that it's just how they choose to stay busy? No money in Picard's future, remember?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

So long as the ship was large enough to carry civvies then they could do pretty much anything onboard, from working in off-duty lounges, to classrooms, possibly even some small maintenance duties (like a janitor).

During the 23rd century when they didn't have civilians onboard then ships had a 'services' department to do all those duties (in the TOS movies their colour was sky blue).

 

[1001001]

The waiter in Lower Decks was a civilian.

In a snappy outfit, too!

 

[bbjeg]

^I was going to say that. He was one of my favorite civilians.

The waiters/waitresses working in ten forward might be the spouses of Starfleet personel assigned to the ship, bringing in a little extra income.

Don't you mean that it's just how they choose to stay busy? No money in Picard's future, remember?

Just because the Federation doesn't use money, doesn't mean Guinan didn't have specialty items she sold to visitors who do use money.

 

[jmampilly]

I recall reading somewhere that the writers had dropped the idea of kids being on star ships. I believe this came from Berman during an interview about the USS Enterprise-E.

This probably came as a result of the Dominion War, when Starfleet actually served as a military. I mean, can you really imagine civilians on ships that are supposed to explore new, potentially dangerous worlds?

So, post-Nemesis, I don't think there are many civilians aboard Starfleet vessels.

 

[Alrik]

The waiter in Lower Decks was a civilian.

In a snappy outfit, too!

Ding, ding, ding. Correct.

Ben was a civilian as was Guinan. I'm also pretty sure that Mott the barber didn't have a Star Fleet commission either.

 

[Shawnster]

I'm doing research for some fan fiction I want to write.

Could a civilian work on board a starship? Say, a chef or someone who runs a coffee shop or restaurant on the ship. (Hey, they should be able to get a fancy coffee on the Enterprise, right?) Or would they have to be Starfleet personnel? I searched on Memory Alpha and didn't find anything.

Thanks!

So, you may wish to include i n your research watching various episodes of TNG. Like most all of them.

 

[Shawnster]

The waiter in Lower Decks was a civilian.

In a snappy outfit, too!

Ding, ding, ding. Correct.

Ben was a civilian as was Guinan. I'm also pretty sure that Mott the barber didn't have a Star Fleet commission either.

Someone suggested the civilians are spouses of Starfleet personnel. Ben never struck me as a spouse. In fact, doesn't he state in "Lower Decks" his reason to be on board? Likewise, Guinian wasn't a spouse of a member of Starfleet.

 

[T'Girl]

Don't you mean that it's just how they choose to stay busy?

Nope, it's how they earned money, it makes the world go 'round, that clinking clanking sound.

No money in Picard's future, remember?

No money, except when there is.

Lily: "You don't get paid?"
Picard: (ducks question, changes subject)

 

[USS Triumphant]

I'm also pretty sure that Mott the barber didn't have a Star Fleet commission either.

I'm not sure why you would think that - the present-day U.S. Navy has enlisted barbers aboard some of their ships. Maybe Mott is, instead, one of the few other enlisted personnel we can point to aside from O'Brien.

 

[PhoenixClass]

Mot never wore a uniform, was never addressed by rank and spoke casually with the senior officers. It would very odd if he was not a civilian.

 

[T'Girl]

Hard to imagine a ensign giving Picard unwanted tactical advise.

 

[WillsBabe]

Hard to imagine a ensign giving Picard unwanted tactical advise.

I dunno why, but I read that as "theatrical" advice!

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I think a lot of the civilians either have scientific research that intersects with research happening aboard the Enterprise, or they just want to explore the galaxy and the best way they can accomplish that is to offer their services to a starship.

 

[Alrik]

I'm not sure why you would think that - the present-day U.S. Navy has enlisted barbers aboard some of their ships. Maybe Mott is, instead, one of the few other enlisted personnel we can point to aside from O'Brien.

While you make a good point, Phoenix Class and T'Girl have already made a pretty good case for Mott not being Star Fleet.

 

[bbjeg]

While we're listing civilians working on starships, we should mention Voyager's Kes, Neelix, and Seven of Nine. They each held positions on Voyager, while never actually being Starfleet (regardless of how many Seven assimilated).

 

[USS Triumphant]

While we're listing civilians working on starships, we should mention Voyager's Kes, Neelix, and Seven of Nine. They each held positions on Voyager, while never actually being Starfleet (regardless of how many Seven assimilated).

Very unusual situation there, too, since they were *at least* as much Starfleet as some of the Marquis crew. If not more than some in the case of Kes and Neelix, since they at least volunteered to be there.