Musings on a Alternative Ranking System and Careers

[Shamrock Holmes]

It's becoming increasingly obvious to me that Starfleet's "paramilitary" nature is largely informed by Gene's experiences with the LAPD, as several of the cultural touchstones as much if not more police than military:

1) Rules of Engagement favouring non-lethal force and negotiation.
2) No "up and out" policy, officers can stay at the same rank/position for years or even decades if they want to.
3) Deprecated use of salutes and other formalities.
4) Resigning often takes the form of "turning in their badge"
5) Deprecated separation between senior staff and junior personnel (even "crewmen").

With this in mind, I envision a slightly modified ranking system with two potential recruitment and advancement options:

Example 1: Greg Shields, Starfleet Security Operations Manager, Kalesta Colony.

2374 - Enlists in Starfleet's Security Officer Program.
2375 - Sworn in as a Security Officer, USS Toyohashi.
2381 - Promoted to Senior Security Officer and assigned as Training Officer for a new rookie. Applies for Security Leadership School.
2486 - Completes SECLS, transfers to USS Aries at Leading Security Officer as Security Response Team Leader.
2487 - Fails his Bridge Officer qualifications, so is rejected for promotion to Bridge duty.
2492 - Transfers to Deep Space 10, Accepts promotion to Chief Security Officer and a billet as Head of Station Security.
2398 - Completes a degree in criminology, applies for a transfer to Starfleet Special Intelligence and is assigned as Probationary Agent, Minos Korva Station.
2400 - Promoted to Special Agent (cf Starfleet Lieutenant), Minos Korva Station.
2408 - Promoted to Senior Special Agent (cf Starfleet Lieutenant Commander). Transfers to Major Case Squad, USS William C. Warren.
2416 - Promoted to Special Agent in Charge (cf Starfleet Commander), Major Case Squad, USS Lestrade.
2423 - Applies for shore duty, promoted to Unit Chief (cf Starfleet Captain) for the new Starfleet Security unit on Kalesta Colony, a join Federation-Cardassian colony in the Arawath Sector.

Example 2: Captain Isaiah Bicker, Starbase 375.
2374 - Enlists in Starfleet's Engineering Officer Program.
2375 - Sworn in as an Engineering Officer, USS Shanghai.
2381 - Promoted to Senior Engineering Officer, assigned as Training Officer for a new rookie. Applies for Engineering Leadership School.
2486 - Completes ENGLS, transfers to USS Los Angeles at Leading Engineering Officer as Engineering Team Leader.
2487 - Passes his Bridge Officer qualifications, assigned as a duty operations officer on the Los Angeles.
2492 - Accepts promotion to Chief Engineering Officer and a billet as Chief of Operations, Deep Space 10. Begins studying for Command School.
2398 - Completes Command School, promoted to Lieutenant JG, applies for a billet as a duty officer in the Operations Center at Minos Korva Station.
2400 - Promoted to Lieutenant as Second Officer, Minos Korva Station.
2408 - Promoted to Lieutenant Commander, transfers to the USS William C. Warren as First Officer/Boarding Officer.
2416 - Promoted to Commander, transfers to the USS Lestrade as Commanding Officer.
2423 - Applies for shore duty, promoted to Captain, transfers to Commanding Officer, Starbase 375.

NB: Officer = LAPD POI/POII ("Crewman"), Training Officer = LAPD POIII ("Corporal"), Leading Officer = LAPD POIII+1/D1 ("Master Corporal") or SGT I/DII ("Sergeant"), Chief Officer = LAPD SGT II/III ("Staff Sergeant")

Any thoughts?

 

[Angry Fanboy]

Eh???

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

TL/DR:

Enlistment --> Attends sub-degree level training program --> Promotes through Officer, Training Officer (JPO or LCPL/CPL), Senior Officer (JPO or CPL/MCPL), Leading Officer (SPO/LPO or SGT), Chief Officer (CPO or SSGT).

Completion of full-time 4Y degree ("Direct Entry") or part-time 6-8Y degree ("OCS"/"STA") permits commissioning at between Ensign or Lieutenant JG depending on course.

Only the recommendation of a line manager and completion of the screening course is necessary to enter the latter.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Back in the 60s Roddenberry originally envisioned Starfleet to be like NASA in that they are all commissioned officers with no such thing as enlisted, though that was never officially stated and had since been dismissed.

Though I’m not a military man, I can google and extrapolate enough from online sources and apply it to what we’ve seen in Trek to make it work for when I work on stories. Most officers spend 4 years at the Academy (Doctors are there for 8 though) before beginning their careers, with their records and accomplishments warranting promotions as they go, whilst enlisted crew have a few months at basic training before being put to work learning on the job and building up their skills and knowledge as they advance.

 

[Sgt_G]

Example 2: Captain Isaiah Bicker, Starbase 375.
2374 - Enlists in Starfleet's Engineering Officer Program.

Nit-pick: Officers don't enlist, they receive a commission.

2492 - Accepts promotion to Chief Engineering Officer and a billet as Chief of Operations, Deep Space 10. Begins studying for Command School.
2398 - Completes Command School, promoted to Lieutenant JG, applies for a billet as a duty officer in the Operations Center at Minos Korva Station.

Another nit-pick: So, you're saying that he was still an Ensign for the six years he was Chief Engineer and Chief of Ops. Those are jobs for a Lieutenant Commander or full Commander, not an Ensign. It also seems odd that one person would wear both of those hats.

As Bry said, Roddenberry wanted the entire crew to be Ensigns, with no enlisted. As you can guess by my handle / user-name, I disagree with that idea. Roddenberry also made it clear he didn't want an "up or out" policy, and hinted that there was no mandatory retirement age. The problem with those two ideas is it means you pretty much have to wait for someone to die, or screw up so bad they get fired, or simply get bored and quite, to make an opening for you to get promoted.

Based on real-world USA & NATO military, this is what I put together as a reasonable chart for when one might expect to get promoted. If you don't make the rank by the Max time in service (not counting prior-enlisted time for mustangs), you're out. Ergo, you won't be an Ensign for more than four years; you'll with be a Lieutenant-junior grade or a civilian.

Grade   Rank      Years of Service at Promotion
O-1     Ensign    zero / 4-year college degree
O-2     LT-jg     Min = 1.5 / Typical = 2 / Max = 4
O-3     LT        Min = 4 / Typical = 4 / Max =6
O-4     LtCmdr    Min = 6 / Typical = 10-12 / Max = 20
O-5     CMDR      Min = 12 / Typical = 14-16 / Max = 24
O-6     Captain   Min = 16 / Typical = 18-20 / Max = 30
O-7+    Admirals  Min = 20 / Typical = 25-30 / Max = 40

In my world, there are enlisted troops. They too have an up-or-out policy. Based on real-world regs, this is the chart I came up with:

Grade/Rank  Min/Max time in service (years)
E-1 & E-2      0 / 4
E-3            0 / 6
E-4 / PO3      1 / 12
E-5 / PO2      3 / 16
E-6 / PO1      5 / 20
E-7 / CPO      8 / 25
E-8 / SCPO     11 / 30
E-9 / MCPO     14+

Back when I joined the USAF (dang, it's going to be 40 years soon), it was six months to E-2 and 12 months to E-3, although some people came in as E-2/E-3 right off. It was then another 18-months (it's longer now) automatic to E-4, but one could be selected to make it early with Below-The-Zone. Promotions to E-5 and above were/still are based on test scores and other factors.

Again, based on real-word data, I figure a typical career will be as follows: E-1/E-2 = 0-1 Year; E-3 = 1-3 years; PO3 = 3-6 years; PO2 = 6-11 years; PO1 = 11-16 years; CPO = 16-20 years; SCPO = 20-23 years; MCPO = 23+ years.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

In my world, there are enlisted troops. They too have an up-or-out policy. Based on real-world regs, this is the chart I came up with:

I agree with the first, I'm not entirely convinced on the latter, as is not consistent with what we've seen on screen nor is it common the law enforcement circles (or to an extent the British and Commonwealth military) that my system above is based on.

Nit-pick: Officers don't enlist, they receive a commission.

In order to reach the rank of Ensign requires a commission, any ranks below that would be enlisted (see below)

Enlistment --> Attends sub-degree level training program --> Promotes through [Specialism] Officer, [Specialism] Training Officer (JPO or LCPL/CPL), Senior [Specialism] Officer (JPO or CPL/MCPL), Leading [Specialism] Officer (SPO/LPO or SGT), Chief [Specialism] Officer (CPO or SSGT).

Back in the 60s Roddenberry originally envisioned Starfleet to be like NASA in that they are all commissioned officers with no such thing as enlisted, though that was never officially stated and had since been dismissed.

Agreed.

Another nit-pick: So, you're saying that he was still an Ensign for the six years he was Chief Engineer and Chief of Ops. Those are jobs for a Lieutenant Commander or full Commander, not an Ensign. It also seems odd that one person would wear both of those hats.

He ranked as Chief Engineering Officer (a top-level enlisted supervisor in the Engineering Department [equivalent of an LAPD "Watch Commander"], and holds the post of Chief of Operations, the same post occupied by Miles O'Brien on Deep Space 9), not the chain-of-command post of Chief Engineer or Operations Manager, which is indeed a senior commissioned officer post.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

Another option I've occasionally considered that fits the spirit of Gene's intentions if not the letter would be to replace Crewmen/Yeoman with Midshipman (a Commissioned Officer Candidate) and potentially Midshipman First Class (the rank that Engineering Technician Apprentice Peter Preston was "misidentified with" in TWoK) could be the first line supervisor/team leaders and Chief of X could still exist as a billet rather than a rank (mostly used on minor outposts and "small boys" that aren't large enough for a commissioned Department Head.