Of course, I mean besides Lt. JG Picard in "Tapestry":
Is it just Hollywood bias or are we to believe that officers either get promoted, get killed, or retire if their career is not advancing?
asked Jul 27, 2015 at 19:35
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1What do you consider old? What do you consider the highest "low" rank?– TZHXCommented Jul 27, 2015 at 19:42
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1Once consideration; if you are looking at TNG, the Enterprise was pretty much a prime posting, as is mentioned by a few who join the crew at various points. So, there's a pretty good chance that competition to be a crew member helps weed out some older, lower-rank people.– K-H-WCommented Jul 27, 2015 at 19:58
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Damn. I read the headline, and came here planning to mention Lt. JG Picard. You beat me to it!– NerrolkenCommented Jul 27, 2015 at 22:41
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2I believe the US military has a rule that if you are passed over for promotion twice in succession, you must leave the service - you can't serve indefinitely without advancing. It's not unreasonable to guess that Starfleet might have something similar.– Nate EldredgeCommented Jul 28, 2015 at 0:30
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I felt my answer was pretty comprehensive. Is there anything you'd want adding before considering an acceptance?– ValorumCommented Jan 21, 2016 at 20:27
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1 Answer
Lt Jg Reg Barclay was (approx) 42 years of age when we meet him in TNG: Hollow Pursuits. That seems rather old for such a low rank.
Lt Jg Janice Rand was (approx) 51 years of age when she was promoted to her rank.
Ensign Alans was a technical specialist (a volcanologist).
When we meet him, he's (approx) 45 years of age.
Ensign Cheney's age isn't described in canon, but she doesn't look that young (mid-50's?)
Obviously it's a bit different for longer-lived species, but Ensign Chu'Lak was aged 77 when he was commissioned an Ensign.
And Ensign Tuvok was approx 85 years old when he rejoined Starfleet as an Ensign.
answered Jul 27, 2015 at 19:54
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The apocrypha puts Barclay closer to 36 at his first appearance, though that is still old for a JG. Commented Jul 27, 2015 at 20:08
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@Richard : Nice list! You might want to add transporter chief Kyle from the original Enterprise, who was later serving on the Reliant (you can see him on the bridge in The Wrath of Khan). I doubt his rank was that high, even at that point.– PraxisCommented Jul 27, 2015 at 21:34
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@Praxis - In the absence of a canon confirmation of his rank, I'm hesitant to add him.– ValorumCommented Jul 27, 2015 at 22:11
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@Richard: The Vulcans, although technically true, don't really fit the gist of the question. For one thing, they don't LOOK old (speaks to the Hollywood bias point). For another, I believe in most cases, the Vulcan have had multiple careers before joining Starfleet. I would accept the example if we knew a Vulcan who was a Lieutenant/Ensign who had served for many decades. (?) Commented Jul 29, 2015 at 0:50