Administrative Rank Question

[Yuri Nikolayev]

Hi, all…

So, I’m posting this in the TNG area because for my purposes, the question is set in the TNG-era. My question is this…

Let’s say a starship captain has lost a ship in battle, and during the period between losing the ship and getting command of another ship (let’s just say two years), that captain is assigned to a starbase (one of the gargantuan mushroom starbases), on administrative duties. Being a Captain in rank, what is technically the most senior position he/she could have on such a facility? I doubt that a lone captain could command the entire station… I’d think an Admiral would do that. But in the real military, what kinds of “shore positions” or “desk jobs” can someone with a Captain’s rank hold?

TIA.

 

[at Quark's]

Memory Alpha assumes Commander Quinteros was in command of Starbase 73 ( "11001001'' - TNG), so that would even be below the rank of captain, but I don't think there is something in that episode that actually positively confirms that - he simply may be the highest ranking officer on that Starbase they're in contact with.

Then again, when you have the Federation Flagship visiting your Starbase (and not just a mere freighter), I'd expect the Starbase Commander to handle that personally. Also, Quinteros was 'in charge of the team that put the Enterprise -D together', which I would think should exceed the Commander paygrade as well (unless perhaps it was only the mere construction work team).

 

[Yuri Nikolayev]

Oh, yeah, I completely forgot about him! And supposedly Sisko was in charge of the Utopia Planitia yards before DS9, and that would be between when he was a Lieutenant Commander and full Commander. I guess a full Captain can command one…

 

[at Quark's]

And supposedly Sisko was in charge of the Utopia Planitia yards before DS9, and that would be between when he was a Lieutenant Commander

I had forgotten about that, and frankly, that sounds even more incredible to me. A mere lt. Commander in charge of one of the most important (quite possibly the most important) Federation ship construction site(s)? I could only believe it if those yards were a lot less important than we're led to believe.

So I looked the quotes up. Emissary only talks about his posting at Planitia Utopia, and in The Defiant Sisko says:

I was in charge of the shipyard where the Defiant was built. I helped design it. I know her vulnerabilities and her weaknesses.

I think that could be interpreted to mean that he was in charge of just that specific yard, not necessarily the entirety of Utopia Planitia.

 

[oberth]

I had forgotten about that, and frankly, that sounds even more incredible to me. A mere lt. Commander in charge of one of the most important (quite possibly the most important) Federation ship construction site(s)? I could only believe it if those yards were a lot less important than we're led to believe.

So I looked the quotes up. Emissary only talks about his posting at Planitia Utopia, and in The Defiant Sisko says:

I think that could be interpreted to mean that he was in charge of just that specific yard, not necessarily the entirety of Utopia Planitia.

as to sisko: i never saw that differently - and only when the project was in the process of being shelved