Thoughts on an "average" Starfleet career.

[JALU3]

Was the viewership actually strong enough to keep Voyager on TV for seven years?

These are the mysteries of the cosmos...

Scary huh? I mean 1995-2001.

But back on the enlisted servicemember "usual" career . . .

Back in the day with the Utopian Roddenberry there were suppose to be no enlisted . . . everyone is an officer. Must have been a lot of over-educated under appretiated ensigns running around.

Then with the movies you start seeing enlisted crewmembers in the background. That's right, those strait up specialist, good at their job, salt of the earth, don't you call me Sir I work for a living type.
But they began to deminish in stature during TNG . . . only to be brought to the forefront with SCPO O'Brien.

So how long did it take him to make E-8?
He joined up in 2346, and ended up being assigned to SFA in 2375 . . . just short of 30 years in his last canon reference.

In 2364 he was a CPO (E-7), and somewhere between the second (2370) and fourth season (2372) he was promoted to SCPO . . . if using the USN style of his rank he would be a MMCS right?

That means it was 18 years to make CPO, and an additional 8 years until he was promoted to SCPO . . . and since he wasn't promoted to MCPO than it at least as much time to be promoted to that.

However, if it works anything like in real life there shouldn't be any automatic promotions post Crewman/Seaman (E-3) if keeping the navy tradition . . . and one can be a PO3 for 8 years from Initial Entry Date (if the present rules apply (and there once was a time when someone could be a career PO3 (OMG!!!))).

Assuming that without administrative holds, that TIS (time in service) requirements are 0 months for Crewman Recruits, 6 months for Crewman Apprentice, and 12 months for Crewman . . . without a command waiver for faster promotions . . . that means from Cn to MMC it takes 17 years to go through the Petty Officer Ranks. That's about 5 years in each petty officer rank (E-4 to E-6).

Must be a hard MOS to be promoted in. If I remember correctly promotion scores needed to reach the next rank are determined by your Rate/MOS.
Therefore you can have a younger SFC 11B than a SFC 68W.

So the breakdown from the information we have is

IET . . . Ct (Constructionman Trainie)
1/2 year . . . Ca (Constructionman Apprentiace)
1 year . . . Cn (Constuctionman)
2 years . . . MM3 (Mechanics Mate 3rd Class)
8 years . . . MM2 (Mechanics Mate 2nd Class)
13 years . . . MM1 (Mechanics Mate 1st Class)
18 years . . . MMC (Chief Mechanics Mate)
26 years . . . MMCS (Senior Chief Mechanics Mate)

This makes sense to me . . . usually most Chiefs get their either within 5-7 years before making their 20, and those who go beyond their 20 and are still moving up through the Selection Boards (which at Chief go servicewide) usually have more than 20, with MCPOs getting close to 30 or having already reached it.

There's also the politics involved once you go to the servicewide selection boards . . . that go beyond your personel file and promotion packet.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

So what rank do you think he'd be when serving as tactical officer on the Rutledge?

[JALU3]

So what rank do you think he'd be when serving as tactical officer on the Rutledge?

I forgot that he started in tactical, and his history stated that he was assigned to the USS Rutledge from post BCT/AIT (assuming he wasn't a striker and went to a C or A School (not being Navy I need some clarification on how this works)) in 2346 until at least 2347 . . . meaning he possibly was a Sa, St, and a Sn than a GM3, FC3, or MA3. . . that means he must have re-classed sometime before becoming a CPO. He probably made PO3 aboard the Rutledge . . . and was transferred when he was promoted to PO2, or went to another C School to change his rating.