Ocampa at the Academy

[T'Girl]

Would it make any sense to allow a Ocampa to attend Starfleet Academy? A supposed four year academy, any Ocampa would be into their fifth year of life when they received their commission, with (statistically) less than four years of life ahead of them. Part of their last year of life would involve them being elderly and perhaps incapable of preforming their duties as a Starfleet officer.

So Starfleet would only get three plus years of service out of them, in return for Starfleet's investment of time and training.

If a individual from longer lived species were to have been placed in the Ocampan's "slot" at the academy, they could remain in Starfleet for more years than the Ocampa, maybe decades more.

But there is also the consideration that the Ocampa could bring unique abilities and perspective to Starfleet as a whole, and also to their specific duties. The example of Kes shows an intelligent, compassionate and thoughtfully people.

Ocampans would increase the overall diversity of Starfleet.

What say you?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Depends on how old they were when they began. Kes was two years old when VOY started. When she completed Academy studies, she'd be six, which is still the prime of an Ocampa life.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

She also surprised the Doctor at the rate of assimilating (and her retention) of knowledge. If that memory is a common trait they could excel through the Academy faster than the average cadet, possibly in three or maybe even two years.

Just a thought.

 

[sojourner]

Yeah, 4 years may only be how long it takes a human to assimilate all of the knowledge required to graduate. Other races may take less/more time.

 

[The Wormhole]

Kes was two years old when VOY started.

One year old. She celebrated her second birthday in the episode Twisted.

 

[Timo]

A supposed four year academy

That's a lot to suppose, given that most of our references to the duration of the studies are actually to other lengths of time!

That is, Merrick was flushed out in his fifth year; Kirk in the STXI timeline did it all in three. All others just, well, did it, without reference to how long it would or should take.

An Ocampa would probably learn in two months what Merrick would in six years, and that would be that. Graduation would be at the student's convenience - if one felt ready to take all the final exams right away, one could. And conversely, Kirk could delay his graduation until he had defeated the Kobayashi Maru scenario.

Timo Saloniemi