Warrant Officers in United Earth Starfleet

[Shamrock Holmes]

On the show itself, we encounter a variety of low-to-medium rank enlisted/NCOs in both the Starfleet and the MACOs but no senior NCOs (or even the names of such). However, the Enterprise Relaunch books identify the rank of Master Sergeant in the MACOs (borne by some Detachment/Platoon Sergeants) and Section 31: Control mentions the rank of Warrant Officer in the (R & D department) of Starfleet.

Master Sergeant may be roughly equivalent to one or both of the Chief and Senior Chief ranks held by Miles O'Brien (USAF MSgt ranks with naval CPO, USA MSG & USMC MSgt ranks with SCPO), however Warrant Officers can be either intermediate specialist officers (US Armed Forces only) or equivalent to US NCO ranks of E8 & E9.

So, my question is, which - if either - of the above is it credible that a non-prior service individual with academic credentials as a "graduate research assistant" (at least BSc, likely MSc?) could have been appointed to? Assuming that said post broadly aligned with her academics?

 

[Mysterion]

That sounds lime a four-year college education similar to the Academy - why wouldn't they just be commissioned as an Ensign after the appropriate Starfleet indoctrination/OCS-type schooling?

 

[SolarisOne]

I've actually done a good bit of research on warrant ranks and how they're used in the naval (both Navy and Marine) services. Warrant ranks are specifically for senior enlisted technical specialists, for use in billets that require the authority of an officer. One is not accessed directly into a warrant rank.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

I've actually done a good bit of research on warrant ranks and how they're used in the naval (both Navy and Marine) services. Warrant ranks are specifically for senior enlisted technical specialists, for use in billets that require the authority of an officer. One is not accessed directly into a warrant rank.

Agreed.

Therefore either it's an error, and a slightly odd one, as it's the first mention of a warrant officer specifically - Although Kosinki (plausibly) and "one black pip" and the "one black slash" on the Maquis pin (unlikely, as the later are consistently refered to as Crewman) are sometimes identified as such in background material - in which case she probably should have been an ensign (cf Hoshi) or a lieutenant, or UESF does it slightly differently than modern practice, for instance Warrant Officers might be treated similarly to RN WOs of the "Junior Wardroom Officers" (18th Century) who were specialists in their professions, which were generally literate ones as they included Purser (Supply Officer), Surgeon and Chaplin, but excluded Gunner, Boatswain and Carpenter (who ranked Petty Officers/Mates, but messed with the crew, equivalent to modern CPO?), perhaps more similar to USN Limited Duty/Restricted Line Officers?

 

[Sgt_G]

I tried, and failed, to get Steve Cole to go along with the idea that shuttle pilots could be Warrant Officers in the Star Fleet Battles universe. He does have them in his world, but they are civilians who are tapped for special mission support. Oh well.