Seniority

[Thorin]

Picard graduated in 2327, and got captaincy of the Stargazer in 2333 - that's 6 years after graduating.

[Aaron]

Picard graduated in 2327, and got captaincy of the Stargazer in 2333 - that's 6 years after graduating.

Oh FFS.

[Thorin]

Riker could have got very nearly that too - he graduated in 2357, and was offered captaincy of the USS Drake in 2364 but took up the E-D's XO spot instead.

[Mark]

Is there anything cannon that says Jellico was senior to Picard? Not to doubt you, but I thought...(I could be wrong) that Picard served as Captain of USS Stargazer for 20 years before taking command of E-D. I always assumed Jellico was just assigned as a temp replacement for Picard during that Cardie action. New Frontier shows Jellico as being promoted to Admiral but that's not cannon, plus Picard has refused promotion before, so........................

I'm not entirely sure it was Jellico (hence the ?) but I recall a line ala "I got my commission 2 weeks before you" in an episode.

But honestly, 20 years as CO of Stargazer is in itself pathetic. There's good reasons why a RL Naval Captain only holds his post for two years: stagnation being one of the top ones.

Agreed. Now we know how Picard lost his hair. He yanked it out himself going stir crazy on Stargazer

[Aaron]

Riker could have got very nearly that too - he graduated in 2357, and was offered captaincy of the USS Drake in 2364 but took up the E-D's XO spot instead.

I think I'll just write that out of my personal canon. Trek has enough ridiculous garbage in it without adding that in.

[Aaron]

Agreed. Now we know how Picard lost his hair. He yanked it out himself going stir crazy on Stargazer

Either that or the stress of buggering his XO's wife.

[Thorin]

I think Picard got his comupence of being promoted to Captain so early in that he stayed there for at least 45 years

[Aaron]

I think Picard got his comupence of being promoted to Captain so early in that he stayed there for at least 45 years

Indeed.

[Sonic Glitch]

Picard graduated in 2327, and got captaincy of the Stargazer in 2333 - that's 6 years after graduating.

Oh FFS.

I don't think it's canon but I've always understood he was taking the place of the captain when the captain and 1st officer were disabled in a battle and the heirachy decided to keep him there. That's how it's set up in the Stargazer books (I know not canon) and it seems to make the most sense...

[Thorin]

They kept him there - thus he was the captain of the Stargazer. Supposedly he was given the captaincy because he performed so well when the [former] captain was killed and he (as Lt. Commander) took command.

[Aaron]

They kept him there - thus he was the captain of the Stargazer. Supposedly he was given the captaincy because he performed so well when the [former] captain was killed and he (as Lt. Commander) took command.

So he makes Lt. Commander after six years and them jumps to Captain or was he appointed as Captain and remained a Lt. Commander (as is done in many navies)?

[Thorin]

We've never heard of a Lieutenant Commander (or even Commander?) in charge of a starship, so we'd have to presume it was full captain.

[Aaron]

We've never heard of a Lieutenant Commander (or even Commander?) in charge of a starship, so we'd have to presume it was full captain.

Data and Riker in Redemption, temporary mind you.

[KuvahMagh]

According to the first book in the series he is made CO because of his actions, IIRC he saved the ship when everyone above him was killed.

We know from Equinox 1 or 2 (can't remember which) that whichever Captain is in Command of the Tactically Superior Vessel assumes Command for the action.

So help me out here. Essentially the rank of Commodore puts one in charge of a task force or battle group, or a starbase, right? I can kind of see Commodore Wesley in that position, leading his task force against Enterprise, but I'd imagine that being a one time thing, because after it was over, each ship would go back to it's origianal mission. But what was decker in charge of other than Constellation? Wouldn't assigning a Commodore to a sharship be like assigning a General to a front line infantry position leading a battalion?

Technically the term Commodore has been phased out (non-Canon) since TOS. The change was based on the US Navy which phased out the rank of Commodore in favour of a 2 step Rear Admiral (Rear Admiral Lower Half & Rear Admiral Upper Half).

The definition Seafort gave is of the traditional RN Commodore, Starfleet follows semi-modern American Navy Ranks and such, in the American Navy it was a full rank onto itself and was the lowest available Flag Rank. If Starfleet used this in the same way they Wesely would have likely been a regular Commodore, ie that being his real rank and not a one time deal.

[Mark]

I have to agree, as far as not for any length of time.

However, both Lieutenant Commanders Dax and Worf were assigned as "Captain" of USS Defiant for different missions.