Why are there only three colors.

[Bry_Sinclair]

All Starfleet personnel, regardless of uniform colour, will know how to shoot a phaser and hit a target--some better than others.

But it did always seem weird to me that Security, Engineering and Operations shared the same colour. The latter two I can understand, there will be a lot of areas they overlap and plenty of skills from one will be transferable to the other, but Security should've been in its own colour (green or perhaps grey, something that didn't stick out like a sore thumb).

 

[The Wormhole]

I'd be more convinced if he had transferred security personnel to engineering. Handing someone a gun and telling them "guard this" is easier than handing them a wrench and telling them "fix this".

Still, Jellico didn't transfer anyone from any other departments to security, just engineering personnel. Presumably it can work the other way around, security officers can be sent to engineering on a whim if need be. Indeed, in TNG's The Most Toys when Data was believed killed Worf assumed Data's duties as Ops officer as opposed to someone from engineering. Likewise, on Enterprise Malcolm Reed took on a lot of engineering related jobs. And in TOS Mr. Leslie could often be seen working in both security and engineering. Of course that guy seemed able to do practically anything on the ship.

 

[Lance]

The idea of engineering, operations and security being interchangable because those staff are multi-skilled is one I can buy. We see Miles O'Brien performing all three tasks at various points (he was security in "Lonely Among Us" as well as his backstory as Tactical during the Cardassian war; he sometimes does Ops stuff particularly on DS9; and he was Flight Controller on his very first TNG appearance; plus his general aptitude for being Mister Fix-It and a Transporter Operator). He was a jack of all trades, and I can imagine a lot of these so-called 'red shirts' are similarly multi-skilled.

EDIT:

And in TOS Mr. Leslie could often be seen working in both security and engineering. Of course that guy seemed able to do practically anything on the ship.

Indeed. We saw him in engineering, security, helm, even in the Captain's Chair once.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The idea of engineering, operations and security being interchangable because those staff are multi-skilled is one I can buy. We see Miles O'Brien performing all three tasks at various points (he was security in "Lonely Among Us" as well as his backstory as Tactical during the Cardassian war; he sometimes does Ops stuff particularly on DS9; and he was Flight Controller on his very first TNG appearance; plus his general aptitude for being Mister Fix-It and a Transporter Operator). He was a jack of all trades, and I can imagine a lot of these so-called 'red shirts' are similarly multi-skilled.

EDIT:

And in TOS Mr. Leslie could often be seen working in both security and engineering. Of course that guy seemed able to do practically anything on the ship.

Indeed. We saw him in engineering, security, helm, even in the Captain's Chair once.

He also worked in the science division.

 

[T'Girl]

All Starfleet personnel, regardless of uniform colour, will know how to shoot a phaser and hit a target--some better than others.

Somewhat like all US Marines are riflemen first, and their particular specialty second.

But it did always seem weird to me that Security, Engineering and Operations shared the same colour.

It might be that the people who are ubiquitous to all starships, the ones who basically run it and are (almost) alway there, are in red. While those who are attached to a ship in other capacities like medical or sciences or etc. are in different colors than red.

I'd be more convinced if he had transferred security personnel to engineering. Handing someone a gun and telling them "guard this" is easier than handing them a wrench and telling them "fix this".

Cross training.

Still, Jellico didn't transfer anyone from any other departments to security, just engineering personnel.

Was it ever stated that he didn't? Did (for example) LaForge say "no one else is having their personnel transferred." Jellico might have stripped sciences also.

 

[Ethros]

I wished the TMP costume designer used Kirk's admiral uniform as the MAIN uniform but colored them in TOS style with the metal insignia style of JJ Trek. like this.

Spockboy

Just to echo, those do look awesome

 

[fireproof78]

All Starfleet personnel, regardless of uniform colour, will know how to shoot a phaser and hit a target--some better than others.

Somewhat like all US Marines are riflemen first, and their particular specialty second.

I was thinking the same thing

Also, and kind of to the larger point of cross-training, given the ubiquitous of a lot of technology the ability to actually repair, or at least service some basic issues on a starship that there is some basic training in repair processes.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

Actually, maybe I'm a bit weird, but I actually think it would make more sense (particularly if you factor in TOS-style department insignia) for Crewman, Specialists and Junior Officers to be divided into only two categories - Operations (Command, Tactical, Ships Services, Security, Communications etc) - and Staff Corps (Medical, Sciences, JAG, Supply Corps, SCE, Diplomatic Corps), with Senior Officers (Department Heads, XO, CO, Admiralty) having the option to retain their parent corps color or taking on a third color/style (cf Kirk's 'wraparound' or the 'semi-formal' TOS era dress uniforms).

Shamrock Holmes