Unrestricted Line Officers

[James Wright]

Are all Starfleet Officers that serve aboard starships in the chain of command considered unrestricted line officers?
How was Doctor Crusher able to sit in the captain's chair for a bridge watch in an episode of TNG?(Can't name the episode, it had to do with Data's brother & the borg.)

JDW

 

[mada101]

Generally, no, they are not. TOS especially made a few references to doctors being outside the normal chain of command, and we've seen situations where lower-ranking officers than the CMO have assumed command when superiors are out-of-action. Crusher taking the bridge was really a case of the story being more important than the details

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Crusher and Troi, who would normally be outside the chain of command, were able to have bridge watch duty because they took a special test to do so. Crusher did it offscreen (that's how she was able to attain the rank of full Commander), and Troi did it in the episode "Thine Own Self".

 

[A beaker full of death]

JDW said:
Are all Starfleet Officers that serve aboard starships in the chain of command considered unrestricted line officers?
How was Doctor Crusher able to sit in the captain's chair for a bridge watch in an episode of TNG?(Can't name the episode, it had to do with Data's brother & the borg.)

JDW

Bad writing by hacks who didn't have a clue, that's how.

 

[M'Sharak]

JDW said:
Are all Starfleet Officers that serve aboard starships in the chain of command considered unrestricted line officers?
How was Doctor Crusher able to sit in the captain's chair for a bridge watch in an episode of TNG?(Can't name the episode, it had to do with Data's brother & the borg.)

"Descent, Part 2"

It wasn't an ordinary bridge watch. In that episode, nearly all of the ship's personnel had been transported/shuttled to the planet's surface to conduct an extensive search for Data, who had been abducted by the rogue Borg group headed by Crosis (and by Lore, as it turns out.) Dr. Crusher was the ranking officer of the skeleton crew remaining aboard ship. I honestly have no idea whether Starfleet medical officers would generally be considered Unrestricted Line Officers (or whether such a designation even exists within Starfleet,) but I think the idea here was that it was an instance of extraordinary circumstance.

This is only a guess. Anyone who has knowledge of specific and pertinent Starfleet regulations is welcome to step in here.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Like I said, the earlier episode "Thine Own Self" established how Crusher was able to pull a duty shift on the bridge. She said she had to take a special officer's test to do so. The same test Troi took in the episode itself.

 

[Timo]

The test explains how these two can act as OODs in times of relative calm, and such cross-training is a fairly realistic prospect for a starship on a multi-year mission. The ladies aren't the equivalent of Picard or Riker; they are the equivalent of the hapless young Ensigns who have to pull this tedious bridge watch duty when nothing much happens.

However, Crusher in "Thine Own Self" is unfortunately explicit that she took the test as a response to having been forced to command the ship in "Descent". So Picard's decision to leave Crusher in command in that earlier episode still remains unfounded.

One might construe a theory wherein the three uniform colors of TOS or TNG do in fact indicate whether one is unrestricted, restricted or staff, at least "primarily" so. We do hear that TNG yellowshirts (so probably TOS redshirts) don't get command jobs unless they change their colors, in the banter between Eddington and Sisko in IIRC "The Adversary".

However, while generally defensible, such a theory might fall down on too many details...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[A beaker full of death]

^ Sadly, you have just given it far more thought than Bermaga ever did.

 

[McCoy]

He always does. I always enjoy Timo's well-considered responses to questions like these. He sounds like an uber-geek, but a well-socialized one (unlike some of us).

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Timo said: We do hear that TNG yellowshirts (so probably TOS redshirts) don't get command jobs unless they change their colors, in the banter between Eddington and Sisko in IIRC "The Adversary".

However, while generally defensible, such a theory might fall down on too many details...

Yeah, like Scotty, Data, Tuvok, even Trip.

 

[Blueicus]

I thought Troi took the test during Thine Own Self because of the incident where she was pushed to take command of the bridge during the episode "Disaster". Did Crusher also say something similar?

 

[Timo]

Yeah, Troi quotes that as one of the reasons, in addition to admitting that talks with Crusher and a recent class reunion influenced the decision - apparently all these other folks had taken the test, too.

Contrary to what I remembered of the episode, this is all that the script at TrekCore tells us:

Troi: "May I ask you a personal question? What made you decide to become a commander? I mean, you didn't need the rank in order to be Chief Medical Officer... so why put yourself through all the extra work?"
Crusher: "I don't know... I never gave much thought to my rank for a long time. It seemed pretty trivial compared to being a doctor. But then, about eight years ago, I began to feel like I wanted to... stretch myself a little."

No mention of "Descent" as a catalyst, and indeed it seems Crusher was qualified for this eight years prior, that is, well in advance of the "Descent" events. She'd be quite rusty, though, as Troi thinks it a novel development or at least rare event that Crusher stands a bridge watch in "Thine Own Self".

If the aired dialogue went like this, nothing "unfortunate" about it after all. Sorry about the senior moment.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[J.T.B.]

The USN classification of "unrestricted line" descends from the old days of sailing ships, when the officer of the deck had to be constantly alert to changes in the wind and know what to do immediately in response, trimming, adding or taking in sail as necessary to keep course and make the most of the winds. Not to mention the hazards to equipment and the safety of ship itself in case of a sudden storm. Obviously, it took a lot of experience to be trusted in such a position. With modern technology the OOD job has become easier, but still requires knowledge of shiphandling and what to do in all sorts of emergencies.

Serving as OOD underway on USN warships is not limited to URL officers. Indeed, I have heard that it is now common for supply corps officers to be required to stand OOD watches on surface combatants and 'phibs, because officer manning levels have been reduced. They can still not succeed to command the vessel however.

On a Starfleet vessel, I would think that extensive experience would be even less crucial, since 90% of starship travel seems to be going in a straight line through emptiness. It doesn't seem too much of a stretch to think that someone from a completely different field, like a medical officer, could be given enough training to know what to do in the time it takes to call the captain to the bridge.

--Justin

 

[James Wright]

There should be some sort of insignia worn on the uniform of all Starfleet personnel to show whether or not they are unrestricted line officers of not, something like the command star worn by Kirk in TOS perhaps!?
If Dr. Crusher is qualified to stand a bridge watch then a red cross with the command star might be her uniform insignia?

JDW

 

[MikeH92467]

J.T.B. said:
The USN classification of "unrestricted line" descends from the old days of sailing ships, when the officer of the deck had to be constantly alert to changes in the wind and know what to do immediately in response, trimming, adding or taking in sail as necessary to keep course and make the most of the winds. Not to mention the hazards to equipment and the safety of ship itself in case of a sudden storm. Obviously, it took a lot of experience to be trusted in such a position. With modern technology the OOD job has become easier, but still requires knowledge of shiphandling and what to do in all sorts of emergencies.

Serving as OOD underway on USN warships is not limited to URL officers. Indeed, I have heard that it is now common for supply corps officers to be required to stand OOD watches on surface combatants and 'phibs, because officer manning levels have been reduced. They can still not succeed to command the vessel however.

On a Starfleet vessel, I would think that extensive experience would be even less crucial, since 90% of starship travel seems to be going in a straight line through emptiness. It doesn't seem too much of a stretch to think that someone from a completely different field, like a medical officer, could be given enough training to know what to do in the time it takes to call the captain to the bridge.

--Justin

Reminds me of an amusing, but quite true, WW II story: a pilot was rescued by a submarine in the Pacific theater at the beginning of the sub's tour. Knowing they had months ahead on patrol and with no desire to have a passenger just taking up space, the Captain put the pilot through the qualification course given to reserve officers who had not earned their dolphins.

The pilot passed the qualification course and stood OOD watches as part of the regular rotation. No doubt having an extra officer to fill the rota was a real luxury for the rest of the officers. I'm not sure if that pilot actually was officially awarded dolphin pins, but I do know that he claims to be the only AAF officer ever qualified as a sumbariner. Sorry, I don't remember the name of the sub or the pilot.

The incident just hints at the incredible authority a ship captain has at sea, when he can designate someone from another service as qualified to stand deck watches.

Of course that also happens when ships coming into an unfamiliar harbor take on a civilian pilot to guide them in.

I guess it suggests that given certain circumstances a captain can appoint just about anybody to serve as OOD. I doubt the CMO would be his first choice, but I guess it is at least conceivable that could happen under the right (wrong?) circumstances.