Spoilers Who is Chief of Security Now?

[Timo]

In any case, Security and Tactical only ever got merged on two ships, the TNG and VOY hero ones, after casualities were suffered. Apparently, all other ships have separate folks for those (although they may have funny mergers of other sorts - XO/CSO, or XO/CEO, or perhaps CMO/CEO for all we know).

Shanx clearly did it all, tho. We don't learn whether he got one successor or two, since Freeman doesn't take the ship into battle quite yet...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Edison was made a captain and couldn't stay a marine when MACO was disbanded

Edison could have remained a (Starfleet) Marine, but - in my headcanon, anyway - Starfleet made him a captain of an insignificant ship like the Franklin because of his suspected ties to the Terra Prime movement, and therefore, they wanted to push him out of the way.

 

[The Wormhole]

Yes, I believe there are Starfleet Marines, deal with it. (ST VI, Colonel West. Need I say more?

Who wore an Admiral's rank insignia, which makes no sense at all. Even if we entertain the idea there are Starfleet Marines and their officer rank insignia is the same as the "naval" Starfleet, then since a Colonel is equal to a naval Captain, Colonel West should have had a Starfleet Captain's insignia instead.

Star Trek V has an assault team referenced as Marines.

Yes and no. They are referred to as Marines in behind the scenes material, but never in the actual movie.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Who wore an Admiral's rank insignia, which makes no sense at all. Even if we entertain the idea there are Starfleet Marines and their officer rank insignia is the same as the "naval" Starfleet, then since a Colonel is equal to a naval Captain, Colonel West should have had a Starfleet Captain's insignia instead.

I guess the production designers figured that it would be a waste of time designing a unique uniform for Colonel West, since that design would most likely never be used again. So they basically just grabbed a convenient Monster Maroon uniform and called it even.

 

[The Wormhole]

I guess the production designers figured that it would be a waste of time designing a unique uniform for Colonel West, since that design would most likely never be used again. So they basically just grabbed a convenient Monster Maroon uniform and called it even.

But why an Admiral's rank insignia instead of a Captain's, which would have been more appropriate? Colonel and naval Captain are the same rank, yet "Colonel" West wears an Admiral's uniform with Admiral's rank insignia. If he had to wear that particular outfit and insignia, then why wasn't he General West instead?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

But why an Admiral's rank insignia instead of a Captain's, which would have been more appropriate? Colonel and naval Captain are the same rank, yet "Colonel" West wears an Admiral's uniform with Admiral's rank insignia. If he had to wear that particular outfit and insignia, then why wasn't he General West instead?

Hardly the first time they've been inconsistent regarding insignia. Remember all those times in TOS where characters who supposedly had the rank of Lieutenant Commander, wore the stripes of a full Commander?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Since they were going for a Ollie North riff, he should have worn a Commander's insignia.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Day and night shifts

That's probably the way they'll go. So they can keep both characters on the show as the need arises.

 

[J.T.B.]

I guess the production designers figured that it would be a waste of time designing a unique uniform for Colonel West, since that design would most likely never be used again. So they basically just grabbed a convenient Monster Maroon uniform and called it even.

And then it was cut it out of the movie, so it's just as well ignored as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Tuskin38]

And then it was cut it out of the movie, so it's just as well ignored as far as I'm concerned.

It was readded though, so it can't be. It's canon.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Unless “Colonel” is West’s first name. Or Colonel-West is his full family name, making it fit sightless easier on established dialogue.

Mark

 

[Timo]

Well, Cornel West is a household name, or ought to be...

(And everybody was on a first-name or at least second-name basis in that movie anyway; ranks were generally not used in addressing people.)

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Spike730]

But why an Admiral's rank insignia instead of a Captain's, which would have been more appropriate? Colonel and naval Captain are the same rank, yet "Colonel" West wears an Admiral's uniform with Admiral's rank insignia. If he had to wear that particular outfit and insignia, then why wasn't he General West instead?

The same reason why Lt. Valeris wore Lt. Cdmr. insignia and mismatched divison colours. The costume designers for TUC didn't care enough or didn't have enough budget.

 

[Vger23]

I think bringing back Shaxs was a mistake. For a silly little cartoon, his death was pretty epic and had a good emotional punch. Bringing him back, especially in the manner they did, pretty much cheapens that entire episode (which I thought was the peak episode of the series thus far). Plus, I liked the idea of the Tamarian character.

 

[DaveyNY]

Perhaps in Star Fleet, the Captain rank is used exclusively for those who actually command a starship.
(have we ever seen a Captain who wasn't in command of a starship?)

So West could have been bumped up to Admiral while in his current 'ground duty' position at Star Fleet Command.

 

[lightspeedbear]

I feel like Kayshon was just an excuse to get a Tamarian involved for a couple of episodes, so that McMahan could reference that TNG episode he really liked. Who needs logistics or competent writing.

 

[Tuskin38]

Plus, I liked the idea of the Tamarian character.

He's still in the show, they're not kicking him off the ship. You can see him in trailer shots from episodes that haven't aired yet.

Shax also showed up in one the trailers before the reveal he was alive, but very few people seemed to notice, and the ones who did just speculated it was a flashback or something (Kayshon was in the same shot though)

Who needs logistics or competent writing.

You can criticize a show without insulting the people working on it.

 

[The Wormhole]

Unless “Colonel” is West’s first name. Or Colonel-West is his full family name, making it fit sightless easier on established dialogue.

Mark

In the novels they've established West is indeed an Admiral and "Colonel" is just a nickname.

Perhaps in Star Fleet, the Captain rank is used exclusively for those who actually command a starship.
(have we ever seen a Captain who wasn't in command of a starship?)

Lots of times. Off the top of my head, there's Spock and Scotty in the later movies. Captain Louvois from TNG The Measure of a Man was a JAG lawyer. Sisko kept his Captain's rank when he was Admiral Ross's aide in early season 6, likewise Ross's previous aide was also a Captain. In Enterprise, AG Robinson was promoted to Captain around the same time as Archer was, even though Robinson had a desk job.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I feel like Kayshon was just an excuse to get a Tamarian involved for a couple of episodes, so that McMahan could reference that TNG episode he really liked. Who needs logistics or competent writing.

Doing something you don't like doesn't equal "incompetence". Not sure how "logistics" factors in.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Perhaps in Star Fleet, the Captain rank is used exclusively for those who actually command a starship.
(have we ever seen a Captain who wasn't in command of a starship?)

In "Court Martial" we did.

Also, Commodore Stocker from "The Deadly Years" had no command experience. And, being a Commodore, he must have at one point been a Captain...