How do I know Trip Had a Graduate Degree?

[Distracted]

Although it's true that we are all pretty much in agreement here that *the_abomination* should never have been written, filmed, or televised, we try to refrain from personally attacking the people who created the series we all love so much. Thanks for your input, tambo2063, but please keep that in mind- Admin

I find it interesting that in order to be a military officer above a certain level (I'm assuming in the US, tambo?) a person has to have a college degree. Can any of our members in the military confirm that? If it's true it's a major argument against Trip not having one.

[Silverbullet]

Distracted, NO a military type can be given a Battle Field commision. That person need not be a college Graduate. A
udi Murphy of WW II Fame (later a grade B Western movie star) wass offered a Battle Field commision three times. He accepted the third time. He did not have a college degree. He wanted to Attend West Point to get a degree but was turned down becuase of a war wound. At one time there wre Sergeant Pilots in the Army Air Focce in the 1930's they did not need a college degree. When WWIi started the Sergeant Pilots wre disbanded and only commisioned personel could be a Pilot and it took at least a degree to be given a commission. That was unfortunate as many of the Sergant Pilots were very good fighter pilots and sorely needed. So, in certain circumstances (wartime) a college degree is not needed or required.

SB

[WarpGirl]

But that was decades ago. Any modern examples? They may have changed the rules. That just happened in a major way.

[Silverbullet]

WG, I don't know but doubt it. The Navy and Air force do not have Battle Field Comissions by their nature. The Army and Marine Corps would. A Battle field Commision must be confirmed by higher command as soon as possible. Usualy though higher command accepts the commander on the ground judement. Battle Field Comissions are rare. The person offered one has to be a leader one who is looked up to by others and would be obeyed by others. A Battle fired Comission can only be offered by a commander to a member of his command. That person must be a member of the Army or Marine Corps. Battle Field Commissions cannot be offered to a Civilian or an Enlisted person of a foreign (alien) military. Battle Field Commision obviously can only be offered to an Enlisted person.


Brevet Comissions can be offered to a foriegn national if that person has prior military experience and intends to become a U.S. citizen and has knowledte and experience the U.S. Needs. Von Steuben (who taught the Continental Army (Revolutionary War) to drill was given a Brevet Comission as a General. He was Polish or Austrian (I Believe) John Paul Jones was given a Brevet comission as a Naval Officer he was British. Not sure if a Degree is requried for a Brevet Comission. someone with more military knowledge that I have will have to correct what I say.

SB

[WarpGirl]

I guess I don't understand what having a battlefield comission has to do with it. Trip wasn't given a battlefield comission. He joined SF and went through all the training required to be an officer, presumably this means he had a college degree. People who get battlefield comissions are the exception to the rule. Not the standard.

[Silverbullet]

The question was: does everyone who has a Comission have to hold a degree. MY answer was that in the Case of Battle Field Comissions that was not true. I gues I should have clairified it by saying that everyone else does.

Trip, since he gratuated from Starfleet Acadmy must have had a Degree. He was also commision as an Officer it follows that he had a Degree.

He probably had several come to that. He could not have been a Chief Engineer without extensive knowlledge and that would take eduucation. Can't learn Warp Drives ffixing Boat Engines.

SB

[Silverbullet]

Double Post. An Officer at any level must have a college Degree. In Wartime the requirement may be 2 years of college although I do no know that for sure.

I don't know about High School ROTC. Can a person who goes through High School ROTC receive a commision or must that person complete a college ROTC course. Also not sure about OCS. what exactly are the requirements of that.

SB

[tambo2063]

i am sorry about that slip i didn't mean to call them morons, just misguided fools, just kidding i promise not to do that ever again. About that field commision, i don't believe we were at war with any aliens for him to get a field command plus a jump from recruit to commander would be a big promotion. Military just like anything nowdays, usually the upper managment have college degrees. I know everyone has someone who worked their butts off to make it to the top but that happened years ago. Its not happening anymore. Anyone in management here, got a degree?? I should have made the first post clear I am talking about the modern military of the United States of America. I don't know about other countries so i can't say, but i am sure some great military minds never had college degrees but in modern times the ones we see do.

[WarpGirl]

Hello, and thanks for the insights. We pretty much agree that the idea Trip doesn't have a degree is bogus. But it's always good to talk stuff over with new people. I hope you like it here.

[tambo2063]

Thanks Warpgirl, i do like it here the stories are great and the people who post in the forum, seem really nice. i have be visiting here for sometime now but i usually don't post anything just love looking around and reading what you guys have to say it is really interesting you bring up good points, and yall are so smart thats what got me on this topic the book page that was used, at the beginning of this post, wow basic math is about all for me

[Distracted]

Elessar is our resident higher math genius. Most of the rest of us are in the same boat with you as far as math goes, tambo.

[WarpGirl]

Oh lord I can't even do simple adding and subtracting. I am seriously pathetic.

[Misplaced]

I am an Army wife... and while I don't know about the other branches of the US military, I do know that one can apply to go to OCS (Officer Candicacy School) without having a college degree -- at least at the level of a bachelor's (meaning lower is okay). It's very difficult to get in without the degree, but not impossible. This is not the same as a battlefield commission.

I always tend to think of Starfleet Academy being similar to the Army's West Point. When one graduates from there, one has a degree.

This line from that misguided finale: "Maybe a little. I never really thought he was my type. Didn't even graduate college, he learned about engineering working on boat engines, I think. Never cared much about languages, could barely speak English. But he did have his moments. I still find him kind of cute. Keep that to yourself." Does not preclude Trip having graduated from SF Academy. So while he may have possibly "dropped out" of formal university, he could have graduated with honors from the Academy. (And seeing how difficult it is to get into West Point, and Amanda Cole having trouble getting into SF -- I imagine that it was harder to get into SF Academy than it was to get into another school. Heck, he could have "dropped out" of college to go SF Academy.)

But more importantly: "Didn't even graduate college, he learned about engineering working on boat engines, I think." Hoshi's statement has a built in qualifier -- she doesn't know for certain, therefore I don't feel the need to take her throw-away comment seriously at all. I always thought it was tongue-in-cheek.

That is not to say that I make *the_abomination* part of my personal canon for the series.

[WarpGirl]

You know, I like that.

[Enerdhil]

I don't remember why the question of a degree was related to Trip having a field commission. But I suppose the simplest answer is that he would not be the chief engineer of Enterprise without a degree...