On Star Trek, can anybody explain why Miles O'Brien went from a commissioned rank in 'The Next Generation' to a non-commissioned rank in 'Deep Space Nine?'

McGruff

Both of these sites refer to O'Brien's transfer to Deep Space 9 as a promotion. http://www.startreklives.de/crew/miles_obrien.htm http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dreamworld/2460/crew/obrien.htm Sep 25 03, 4:43 AM

BelperJon

In 'TNG', he is seen wearing lieutenant's rank badges but in 'DS9' he has the embroidered badge of Chief of Operations. My Star Trek Encyclopaedia is a tad vague on these insignia. Elsewhere it does say he was promoted to Chief but surely a promotion would make him a lieutenant-commander. Sep 25 03, 5:28 AM

ezespinosa

He was a Chief Petty Officer or a Transporter Chief. An enlisted man. Here are the ranks... http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Starship/7273/bridgetown/Uniforms/Ranks/Starfleet_Ranks.html Wasn't there an episode, where Deanna Troi had to take command since she had the highest rank, and didn't O'brien give her a hard time, along with that Bajoran girl? Sep 26 03, 12:20 AM

BelperJon

Ezespinosa, you're thinking of the episode 'Disaster' when the Enterprise has a shipwide failure. Picard is trapped in a turbolift with four kids; Worf delivers Keiko's baby in Ten Forward; Beverley & Geordi blast some containers out of a cargo bay by opening the outer doors; Riker & Data crawl through a Jeffrey's tube and Data uses his body to interrupt an electrical field. In the meantime, Troi, O'Brien and Ro Laren are on the bridge. Troi, as a lieutenant-commander, assumes control. Ro wants to separate the saucer and get away before the containment field around the warp core collapses but Troi decides to stick with it and they all live happily ever after. Going back to my original question, O'Brien is clearly seen in the earlier episodes wearing the two 'pips' of a lieutenant on his right collar. This is when he is at the helm (very early episodes) and when he runs the transporter room. He might have been a lieutenant junior grade (i.e. with one gold pip and one black). However, all my sources say he was promoted when he went to DS9 - therefore he should be either a full lieutenant or a lieutenant-commander. Sep 26 03, 3:55 AM