Too Many Commanders?

[Farscape One]

This seems somewhat trivial, I will admit. But for a ship with about 150 crew, why are there so many Commanders?

Saru
Michael Burnham
Nhan
Jett Reno

Not to mention several Lt. Commanders, with Airiam, Hugh Culber (though I am not sure if he is back on active duty yet officially), and Paul Stamets, though he was recently promoted to that rank.

On TNG, until Troi completed the Bridge Officers test, there were only 2 commanders, Riker and Crusher.

Why so many high ranks in a such a small ship?

 

[USS Triumphant]

One might argue that the only "natural" Commanders on the ship are Saru and Burnham. Jett Reno is basically a rescue that they haven't re-homed yet. And Nhan came with Pike under irregular circumstances.

 

[Farscape One]

Perhaps, but that still is pretty top heavy. 2 commanders on a ship with under 150 crew?

The Enterprise-D had 1,000 with 2 commanders. Still a big gap.

 

[mr.peany]

Well

Perhaps, but that still is pretty top heavy. 2 commanders on a ship with under 150 crew?

The Enterprise-D had 1,000 with 2 commanders. Still a big gap.

Well only 2 that we knew of...unless there is a crew manifest that I am unaware of...

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Enterprise D had more commanders.
Commander Darren for example who was assigned as chief of astrography.

Then we had one ore more chief engineers in season 1 with that rank.

There might be more I can‘t think of right now.

 

[Noname Given]

This seems somewhat trivial, I will admit. But for a ship with about 150 crew, why are there so many Commanders?

Saru
Michael Burnham
Nhan
Jett Reno

Not to mention several Lt. Commanders, with Airiam, Hugh Culber (though I am not sure if he is back on active duty yet officially), and Paul Stamets, though he was recently promoted to that rank.

On TNG, until Troi completed the Bridge Officers test, there were only 2 commanders, Riker and Crusher.

Why so many high ranks in a such a small ship?

Burnham and Saru served on the Shenzou for 7 years prior to being ultimately assigned to the Discovery. Plus, Pike and the crew he brought over from the 1701 Enterprise were also long serving veterans. Also, Pike's assignment is ultimately temporary (current situation of him being a fugitive notwithstanding ) and he and the crew he brought over will ultimately return to complete their tour aboard Enterprise.

The current situation on Discovery is less ridiculous than the situation TNG set up post TNG S3/S4 - "The Best of Both Worlds" (the fact that William Riker PASSED UP three offers of being promoted to Captain of his own ship was ridiculous in itself before BoBW) in that Sttarfleet has lost a TON of experienced officers, so 6 months to a year later (once ships had been rebuilt) Starfleet SHOULD have been pulling a number of the experienced 1701-D Bridge crew off the ship to either Captain or train the new replacement cadets just coming out of Starfleet Academy to crew these ships...but no, EVERYBODY stayed with the ship.

 

[Farscape One]

Enterprise D had more commanders.
Commander Darren for example who was assigned as chief of astrography.

Then we had one ore more chief engineers in season 1 with that rank.

There might be more I can‘t think of right now.

Actually, each of those examples were Lt. Commanders, not full bird Commanders like Riker and Crusher.

Lt. Cmdrs. are typically called 'commander' in short. Data, Geordi, Worf, Dax, Tuvok were all referred to as 'commander' many times, and they were all Lt. Cmdrs.

 

[KennyB]

Yes I think it is trivial. You have 2 commanders assigned as permanent party crew members.

 

[Kor]

At least they don't have a plethora of captains like the Enterprise-A in the movies.

Kor

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

At least they don't have a plethora of captains like the Enterprise-A in the movies.

Kor

I think that was a Captain Morgan commercial.

 

[Jedman67]

It's because the writers of Discovery are stupid and don't know how many canon commanders there should be.....

OR

No one gives a damn.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

In practice, we know the E-A crew was an exception to the rule by virtue of being the best damn crew in the fleet and not breaking up a good thing. Thus we Kirk, Spock (who made Captain prior to TWOK), and Scotty (who was made Excelsior's "Captain of Engineering" in TSFS for some reason). You could even throw in Sulu, if you accept that he was to be promoted to Excelsior's big chair before Genesis threw everything around and he accepted a temporary reduction in rank (per the novels) to keep serving on Enterprise while he waited.

On Discovery, you COULD argue that Saru's rank is a bit of an anomaly as well, given that the majority of first officers we see in Trek are Lt. Commander by rank (notably in the TNG era, but including Spock, Chakotay, the Odyssey's XO, Sisko on the Saratoga, etc.). I'd always thought that a ship's first officer is typically a Lt. Commander, unless it's a particularly important ship where a "senior" XO is necessary given such a ship may have lots of other Lt. Commanders aboard already. Full commanders would otherwise be in charge of facilities (Starbase 79, DS9, etc.), or smaller ships (little evidence for this, aside from MAYBE the Defiant), and Captains for senior facility commanders and of course Starships.

Mark

 

[DaveyNY]

At least we now know for sure that Spock is at this time, only a Lieutenant.
He said so to Admiral Cornwell.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Yes I think it is trivial. You have 2 commanders assigned as permanent party crew members.

Exactly, Nhan is only there because of Pike and Reno will likely be reassigned as soon as they get to a Starbase. She’s basically just riding along and helping out where they need it. Then Saru may get promoted and we’ll be back to just one.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Don't forget about Gotthelf, Webb, Wilson, and the Gormagander guy. There are plenty more Commanders (or Lt. Commanders) than what we see.

 

[The Wormhole]

https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/why-are-the-ranks-so-top-heavy.298364/

 

[fireproof78]

Why so many high ranks in a such a small ship?

That's classified.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Actually, each of those examples were Lt. Commanders, not full bird Commanders like Riker and Crusher.

Lt. Cmdrs. are typically called 'commander' in short. Data, Geordi, Worf, Dax, Tuvok were all referred to as 'commander' many times, and they were all Lt. Cmdrs.

You‘re right.
Could have sworn that at least Darren was a full Commander.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

At least we now know for sure that Spock is at this time, only a Lieutenant.
He said so to Admiral Cornwell.

I thought it seemed a little funny given that everyone in Starfleet seems to know who he is. I guess that's due to the circumstances but still...

 

[Delta Vega]

There are always "too many chiefs. . . ."
Or "too many cooks. . . .etc"