Why do we never see Yeomans any longer?

[Amasov]

With the new Pike series announcement, I've been speculating over what characters from The Cage they could bring back. Among them, Yeoman Colt and then I started to realize that we haven't actually seen anyone in that rank since, I think, The Motion Picture? I don't recall ever hearing it on TNG or any of the other series -- not even Enterprise or Discovery, with them being prequels, I thought we would.

I'm not a military person, but, is it an outdated position or title?

 

[Nerys Myk]

With the new Pike series announcement, I've been speculating over what characters from The Cage they could bring back. Among them, Yeoman Colt and then I started to realize that we haven't actually seen anyone in that rank since, I think, The Motion Picture? I don't recall ever hearing it on TNG or any of the other series -- not even Enterprise or Discovery, with them being prequels, I thought we would.

I'm not a military person, but, is it an outdated position or title?

Still a thing.

 

[Orphalesion]

I'm not sure having a Yeoman as presented in older Trek (meaning a young woman waiting on Pike and carrying his stuff) would fly in a modern age...

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm not sure having a Yeoman as presented in older Trek (meaning a young woman waiting on Pike and carrying his stuff) would fly in a modern age...

Give him a Radar O'Reilly type.

 

[trekshark]

Then do it JAG style, they had a male yeoman.
https://ncis.fandom.com/wiki/Jason_Tiner

Edit : didn't quote correctly. I do agree with the point about current audiences reacting badly to a woman yeoman if she was basically just a coffee getter and report deliverer

 

[Tim Thomason]

Yeoman Colt was seen in Discovery. And she looked as beautiful as ever.

But, the reason I think we don't see yeomen in the TNG era (the last ones we saw were Burke and Samno - the Khitomer conspirators in Star Trek VI), is because most of the duties of a yeoman could be handled by the Computer AI. They're just basically clerks and administrative assistants that don't exist in non-US militaries today.

 

[DEWLine]

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

 

[Orphalesion]

Yeoman Colt was seen in Discovery. And she looked as beautiful as ever.

Just googled that...and while I wouldn't mind if they keep that character, I hope they'd give her different duties than the Yeomen in TOS had (which was pretty much to have another pretty woman in a short skirt on camera)
As you say in real life they are basically clerks, so not sure how good it would be to have an administrative clerk as a main character (plus if this is in line with Discovery, then the ship's computer should already make them redundant)

 

[Sgt_G]

Yeoman is not a rank, it is a rating (job description). I should know ... I'm married to one (albeit retired now).

 

[Captain Dunsel 19]

In WWII Lt. cmdr. B. Coe felt the yeoman was the only experienced officer he had. The yeoman's dad was in ship building and knew how ships were constructed.

Greatfully it all worked out for all but 25 of the 365 guys on USS ROSS DD563!!!

 

[Replica Picard]

It's not sexist. Kirk had a male Yeoman briefly, if I recall. Guy named Benjamin Sisko, or something like that.

 

[NCC-73515]

Yeoman Colt was seen in Discovery. And she looked as beautiful as ever.

If you're into cactus people XD

It's not sexist. Kirk had a male Yeoman briefly, if I recall. Guy named Benjamin Sisko, or something like that.

And he looked at him like he looked at a certain "Captain's woman" XD

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

But, the reason I think we don't see yeomen in the TNG era (the last ones we saw were Burke and Samno - the Khitomer conspirators in Star Trek VI), is because most of the duties of a yeoman could be handled by the Computer AI. They're just basically clerks and administrative assistants that don't exist in non-US militaries today.

Technically, that's true although it's more a case of other navies having ratings that merge the US YN rating with other functions:

The Royal equivalent Writer (part of the Logistics Branch) covers YN, but can also include legalman (LN), navy counselor (NC), personnel specialist (PS), and even some pastoral elements of the COB/CMC billet (though this last could be at Leading Hand (PO3/2), Petty Officer or even Chief level rather than from Day 1). The RAN rating of Personal Operations (Maritime Logistics) would seem to cover at least some of the above (potentially shared with Support Ops (MLB).

Either of these broader roles could inform a modernised Starfleet YN, particularly as LB/MLB (especially on subs) also tend to qualify as assistant medics and often relief watchstanders (esp helm).

 

[BillJ]

Give him a Radar O'Reilly type.

Should bring Keenser over from the movies.

 

[FederationHistorian]

Pre TOS (ENT) – wasn’t needed as the NX crews were really small.

Pre-TOS (DSC) – Discovery is secretly a Section 31 ship. And S31 doesn’t need yeomen unless its as a cover for a mission.

Post-TOS – because counselors on the bridge were needed more instead. And they could be compromised and involved in plots like the one in TUC.

 

[MAGolding]

According to the Wikipedia article on the rating of yeoman in the US Navy there are nine grades a yeoman can have:

• Yeoman Seaman Recruit / YNSR (E-1)
• Yeoman Seaman Apprentice / YNSA (E-2)
• Yeoman Seaman / YNSN (E-3) (See USN apprenticeships)
• Yeoman Third Class / YN3 (E-4)
• Yeoman Second Class / YN2 (E-5)
• Yeoman First Class / YN1 (E-6)
• Chief Yeoman / YNC (E-7)
• Senior Chief Yeoman / YNCS (E-8)
• Master Chief Yeoman / YNCM (E-9)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeoman_(United_States_Navy)

If the Starfleet ratings and rank structure was the same as the US Navy one, Yeoman Third Class Tina Lawton would be at the fourth level from the bottom of the Yeoman ladder. Thus she should have been promoted three times since she was a recruit.

Charles Evan was described as being 17 years old at least twice in the episode. And:

RAND: Oh, Charlie. I was looking for you. I'd like you to meet Tina Lawton, Yeoman Third Class. Charlie Evans.
TINA: Hello, Charlie.
RAND: I thought you might enjoy meeting someone your own age.

So if Tina is 17 or 18 we can can wonder how she already had three promotions.

 

[Replica Picard]

So if Tina is 17 or 18 we can can wonder how she already had three promotions.

Or, we could take it to mean that the character that spoke that line was old enough to consider older teens and people in their early 20s to be approximately the same age. Rand was 37 (or at least the actress was), so that's about right for that, from my own experience.

 

[thribs]

I wondered that as well. We never saw any pretty ladies giving things to the captain to sign. Hopefully the Pike Show has that.

 

[Henoch]

So if Tina is 17 or 18 we can can wonder how she already had three promotions.

She may have leaped the lower "seaman" grades due to her incoming education and entered Starfleet as a Yeoman Third Class. Probably like a Medical Doctor entering Starfleet as a Lieutenant rather than a seaman.

 

[Tenacity]

most of the duties of a yeoman could be handled by the Computer AI

That would go for a lot of the jobs and people aboard the ship.

One example would be the helm, Tom Paris complained that the majority of his job was doing things that require no creativity, TNG used preplanned evasive programs that the helmsperson just apparently "switched on."