JMS/Lost Tales at ComicCon

[tneva82]

My theroy and I have no real idea is the MJS was more interested in the story than a military background - probably completely wrong though!

Still you can do both - BSG being very good at it

Or you could remember we are talking about future history about 240 years ahead of us...At which time it's pretty safe bet to say military organisation is going to change ANYWAY.

Insisting on using current time organisation on scifi series is about as silly as insisting 200 year old organisation used in current day serie or current day organisation being used in movie set 200 year before

 

[captainsmirk]

Is it?

The present common rank structures have been in place (in English speaking countries at least) with few changes for the best part of 200 years.

The problem they have in B5 is mixing Naval and Army ranks together as supposedly separate positions. They must have a lot more officer rank slots than present day militaries which considering the increasing level of responsibility being place even today on NCOs seems a little strange.

We know we have in the EA Fleet Lieutenants, Lieutenant Commanders (Ivanova), Commanders (Sinclair & Ivanova), Captains (Sheridan, Lockley), Majors (Ryan), Colonels (Lochley), and Generals (Hague, Ivanova & others). Colonel is apparently senior to Captain (Lochley is promoted to it from Captain), but Major appears to be junior to Captain (based on Ryan deferring to Sheridan).

So this suggests that Major is between Captain and Commander, but why wasn't Ivanova promoted to Major rather than Commander then?

I'm just betting that JMS didn't let something as unimportant (except to insane military buffs like me that is...) as a coherent rank structure get in the way of a good story...


Nick

 

[MustEatBrains]

maybe the Major/commander thing depends on which branch the officer comes from? Infantry, fighter pilot, or something like that?

 

[greenboy]

The other weird thing is there are no Admirals only generals

 

[emperorpenguin]

The other weird thing is there are no Admirals only generals

and yet the rank of Admiral is mentioned in at least one episode.....

As to ranks changing in 200 years, I agree with Captainsmirk, most of current military ranks have barely changed in the past 200 years

Also why the different colour uniforms in Earthforce? How come you get generals in navy blue?

 

[Lorcan Nagle]

We know we have in the EA Fleet Lieutenants, Lieutenant Commanders (Ivanova), Commanders (Sinclair & Ivanova), Captains (Sheridan, Lockley), Majors (Ryan), Colonels (Lochley), and Generals (Hague, Ivanova & others). Colonel is apparently senior to Captain (Lochley is promoted to it from Captain), but Major appears to be junior to Captain (based on Ryan deferring to Sheridan).

So this suggests that Major is between Captain and Commander, but why wasn't Ivanova promoted to Major rather than Commander then?

Major seems to be below Commander. There's an episode where Ivanova orders a major to take over the watch from her.

 

[H]

don't forget, as well as mixing naval and army ranks, you could throw in some airforce ones, mixed liberally with the differing rank structures from all the countries that make up the Members of the EA, and you have a fantastic melting pot of rank and structure that is all slightly ahoo!

 

[spellscape]

I watched Lost tales - It' actually 3 1h long movies. - Its looked like pilot for new series or really like some leftover stories from B5 season5.