Starfleet Ranks?
- Thread starter James Wright
- Start date
I'm with you and Sci on this one Praetor!
James
James
I've often felt that Gene's original inspiration for the way Trek ranks were arranged was based somewhat on police ranks, given captains and lieutenants but no commanders, and that he was himself a policeman. Does anyone else know much about police ranks, or has a similar thought occurred to anyone else?
And, of course, me.
Although I'd accept a five-star Admiral rank named Grand Admiral or something like that, and turn Fleet Admiral into a position, to maintain TNG continuity...
Timo Saloniemi
Grand Admiral always makes me think of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Whom I loved dearly. Although he never seemed to be as smart as he should have been, in my opinion.
US police ranks at that time generally went sergeant -> lieutenant -> captain -> inspector and then various assistant or deputy chiefs or commissioners, with possible variations like chief inspector. State police were usually more military, with majors and colonels, and some city police were that way, also. The rank of inspector has mostly been replaced by commander today.
It is also possible, as middyseafort has speculated in earlier threads, that in the "Cage" period GR was thinking of a simplified rank structure more like the 1800-ish Royal Navy, where a ship's only commissioned officers were the captain and lieutenants, from one to eight depending on the size of the vessel. The establishment of commodores early in the first season may also harken back to the 1800s, when that was the rank held by the leaders of the small US Navy (Commodores Preble, MacDonough, Decatur, Perry and so on).
--Justin
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Well the ranks depended upon the department. Some like Baltimore of theire numerous TV seriewds showthe Lietenant to Major to Colonel to Commisioner. Meanwhile LAPD would be Lietenant to Captain to Commander to Assitant and Deputy Chiefs. San Francisco would have Inspectors for detective ranks. With no Scotland Yard and the only federal police being US Marshalls for the most of the Unions history rank systems are all over the place.
And, of course, me.
Although I'd accept a five-star Admiral rank named Grand Admiral or something like that, and turn Fleet Admiral into a position, to maintain TNG continuity...
Timo Saloniemi
Grand Admiral always makes me think of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Whom I loved dearly. Although he never seemed to be as smart as he should have been, in my opinion.
Admirals are always only as smart as the story requires. Even blue-skinned, red-eyed ones.
Thanks for that info!
After reading that, I'm more convinced that this is the case, especially since Gene said in the series bible that Kirk was a "space-age Horatio Hornblower":
Ju'Day? Judgment Day-class?
They were definitely Starfleet. They were in the DS9 major battles. They just called them "fighters" though. The Federation probably said they were "fighters of injustice" not "fighters of war".
They were definitely Starfleet. They were in the DS9 major battles. They just called them "fighters" though. The Federation probably said they were "fighters of injustice" not "fighters of war".
Justin is pretty much right about Commodore as used in today's US Navy. I personally work around a Commodore right now. He is a USN Captain, with the job title Commodore. We don't call him Captain So-n-So, we call him Commodore.
The Commodore I know is in charge of a destroyer squadron. In other word, he's the big boss of the captains of a group of USN destroyers...if that makes any sense. If you want to know more about the Commodore's job, you can read it at the DESRON 15 website http://www.desron15.navy.mil/default.aspx (Mission Statement)
The Commodore I know is in charge of a destroyer squadron. In other word, he's the big boss of the captains of a group of USN destroyers...if that makes any sense. If you want to know more about the Commodore's job, you can read it at the DESRON 15 website http://www.desron15.navy.mil/default.aspx (Mission Statement)
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