boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian) (05/11/84)
I haven't checked my tape of STtMP, but if I remember correctly, when
Kirk took command of the Enterprise, he took a temporary grade redution to Cap-
tain. This seems strange, since the rank of Captain and the position of Captain
are two different things (remember that Decker Sr., in "The Doomsday Machine",
was a Commodore in rank, and yet had the position of Captain of the Constella-
tion. But I digress...
Decker Jr., in STtMP, was a Captain, but when Kirk took over, received a
temporary grade reduction to Commander when he became First Officer. When Spock
came aboard and took over the Science Officer position from Decker, it was men-
tioned that he was being re-commissioned for the duration to his previous rank
of Commander (presumably, he didn't rise any higher than that before he left the
service).
By the by, when the TV show started, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty were all
Lt. Commanders; somewhere in the middle of the first season, Spock got a promo-
tion to full Commander. One other thing --- chances are that McCoy's rank is no-
thing more than a courtesy rank given to him because of his professional posi-
tion. In general, doctors, chaplains, etc. are given commissions as a courtesy.
Not to say that this means he can't boss around those of lesser ranks, but he
really isn't suited for any kind of command position. The most he can do in
this respect is to relieve the captain of a vessel of his command for medical
reasons. Then the Exec takes over.
--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC Maynard, MA)
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