Download - Royal Australian Navy

all i ever knew about naval ranks, i learnt from star trek
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Conclusion
In today’s modern navy, there is a real need to adopt a new paradigm in naval rank
structure that can easily adapt to the changes that are coming and at the same time
reduce the costs inherent in the current structure. By decoupling the rank structure
from its current situation of attempting to mirror civilian society’s changes, we gain
the freedom to explore other paradigms which may be more suited to naval needs.
The proposal I have suggested is by no means the only possible paradigm; however
it does address the issues that could become more and more important as the role of
technology becomes greater. The implementation of this proposal would hold more
than its fair share problems, but in the long run would greatly benefit the navy. In the
end, we need Officers to Command and Technicians that can fix our equipment and
even perform jury-rigged repairs akin to constructing ‘a mnemonic memory circuit
using stone knives and bear skins’ and we need to be able to afford both. 2
Notes
1
NAM Rodger, The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain, 660-1649, WW Norton &
Company, New York, 1998, p. 23.
2
‘City on the Edge of Forever’, Star Trek, 1967, television program, CBS Studios Inc., season
1, episode 28, originally aired 6 April.