Midshipman Question

[Phoenix]

What do midshipman do on a ship, the only thing I can tell is the rank equates to 'on the job training' for an officer. But what tasks would one perform at this rank?

I ask because one of my player's enlisted character was recently promoted to midshipman by the PC Captain.

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by Phoenix
What do midshipman do on a ship, the only thing I can tell is the rank equates to 'on the job training' for an officer. But what tasks would one perform at this rank?

I ask because one of my player's enlisted character was recently promoted to midshipman by the PC Captain.

Well, in the old wooden British and American navies, the midshipman is just that: an officer-in-training. They commanded portions of the ship's crews, stood watch, and generally spent their day learning the duties, authority and responsibility of an officer. Think early Horatio Hornblower.

After the advent of naval academies, the midshipman became a student rank (with grades to denote class seniority). As such, the traditional midshipman as a shipboard rank disappeared.

In Starfleet, it appears that midshipman doesn't exist in any form, since Academy students are given the rank of "Cadet," instead. If you really want to use the midshipman rank in your Star Trek game, I would suggest you use the old-wooden-navy definition of the position.

[Phantom]

Ah, but Scott's Nephew intorduces himself as "Midshipman Peter Preston, Engineers mate, Sir."

So, I would say that midies are still around in the TOS and Movie eras of Trek.

[Tas II]

We use the Midshipman position as a cadet officer position so it is kind of an officer-in-training rank. Whilst not totally accurate with regard to the era of tall ships, we all like it :-)

Cheers

Tas

[Ezri's Toy]

Originally posted by Phantom
Ah, but Scott's Nephew intorduces himself as "Midshipman Peter Preston, Engineers mate, Sir."

So, I would say that midies are still around in the TOS and Movie eras of Trek.

And since the <I>Enterprise</I> was crewed by cadets on a training mission in ST:TWOK, it stands to reason that Midshipman is an Academy rank.

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by Phantom
Ah, but Scott's Nephew intorduces himself as "Midshipman Peter Preston, Engineers mate, Sir."

So, I would say that midies are still around in the TOS and Movie eras of Trek.

Yup, you're quite right...serves me right for thinking just TNG (shame on me, too ). Still, Peter is an academy midshipman on a training cruise, not a wooden-ship navy midshipman.

[redwood973]

Ashore the proper term is cadet. When at sea the proper term is midshipman.

Just Some Info.

Iowa State University NROTC Midshipman Guide

[CmdrBluejeans]

Originally posted by redwood973
Ashore the proper term is cadet. When at sea the proper term is midshipman.

Without knowing that to be the formal distinction, it's how I've pretty much run it in my games -- Cadets are 'Cadet' at the Academy, and 'Midshipman' (or, more formally, during real full-dress proceedings and courts-martial, heaven forbid, 'Cadet Midshipman') on their Cadet Cruises.


CmdrBJ

[JALU3]

Well . . . just to add my two cents . . . in AROTC third year Cadets, after their Advance Course, have the option to serve some active time with a unit.

As I understand it, they where their AROTC uniform, and where the single silver pip, designating them a Cadet Lieutenant, otherwise called a 3LT.

When their they function in a role similar to a 2LT, or shadow a 1LT.

I have talked to those who have gone to this optional course, and depending on the unit, depends on the level of actual hands on training they recieve. Furthermore I have meet Cadet LTs when I served @ BAMC. They use them like LVNs, or atleast the Nursing 3LTs that I meet.