Ranks in TNG...

[Sanehouse]

So, does anyone have any other examples of crew that show the incorrect rank on their collars?

[Aaron]

So, does anyone have any other examples of crew that show the incorrect rank on their collars?

Pretty sure that Tuvok was at various points a Lt. and a Lt. Cmdr. switching back and forth.

[Sanehouse]

One would think that the fans are the only ones who notice (or care about) the various inconsistencies located throughout all of the Trek series.

[Mikey]

Well...

As to O'Brien - if he was made an ensign (or other officer) on DS9, why was he still called "Chief?"

And if he wasn't, why wouldn't he have been made a Master Chief as the operations head?

[Aaron]

Well...

As to O'Brien - if he was made an ensign (or other officer) on DS9, why was he still called "Chief?"

And if he wasn't, why wouldn't he have been made a Master Chief as the operations head?

He was a Chief in rank as well as a Cheif in position, "Chief of Operations" IIRC.

However despite what ST would have you believe, rank is not determined by your CO or any of the other BS we see in the show. O'Briens rank would have been determined by a promotions board, made up of his future peers and his career manager (mangler). Further to that his position on the station would be for an individual of a certain rank, him being promoted would require him to move on and free it up for another.

[Mikey]

He was a Chief in rank as well as a Cheif in position, "Chief of Operations" IIRC.

True. I guess "chief" in TNG could have referred to "transporter chief."

Further to that his position on the station would be for an individual of a certain rank, him being promoted would require him to move on and free it up for another.

Exactly - my guess is that if he were a CPO aboard the E-D, being chief of ops on DS9 would call for a promotion.

[Sanehouse]

In "All Good Things, Part 1", when Picard is back during the initial launch of the Enterprise-D, since LaForge is still on Farpoint, he asks O'Brien to do some engineering. O'Brien's response is "Sir, I'm not an engineer", leading me to believe that he didn't know how to do what Picard was requesting, however, on DS9, a lot of what O'Brien does it related to engineering (fixing ships and station systems, etc), so... I'm a bit confused about that as well.

[Aaron]

In "All Good Things, Part 1", when Picard is back during the initial launch of the Enterprise-D, since LaForge is still on Farpoint, he asks O'Brien to do some engineering. O'Brien's response is "Sir, I'm not an engineer", leading me to believe that he didn't know how to do what Picard was requesting, however, on DS9, a lot of what O'Brien does it related to engineering (fixing ships and station systems, etc), so... I'm a bit confused about that as well.

I consider that a flub. O'Brien is established as switching to the engineering branch after the Setlik III massacre and his position on DS9 is clearly an engineering position, he spends most of his on the job time fixing shite and he tells Worf he loves it there because nothing ever broke on the E-D.

Exactly - my guess is that if he were a CPO aboard the E-D, being chief of ops on DS9 would call for a promotion.

I would think so as well, his responsibilities on DS9 where far greater than on the E-D but you'd be surprised. Being at a certain rank doesn't always make you qualified to do certain things, O'Brien could well have been transfered to DS9 and been sent on courses involving Cardie kit. Like everything in Trek, there's more than meets the eye if one cares to dig.

There's also the fact that what we saw O'Brien doing in TNG and DS9 was simply BS. A member of the military at his rank does mostly paperwork, all the actual work would have been done by those at the Cpl/Pvt level (whatever the Trek rank is).

[Mikey]

nothing ever broke on the E-D.

That, to me, screams "not an engineer."
But he was also the transporter chief for a while, which I believe is an engineering dept. post.

There's also the fact that what we saw O'Brien doing in TNG and DS9 was simply BS. A member of the military at his rank does mostly paperwork, all the actual work would have been done by those at the Cpl/Pvt level (whatever the Trek rank is).

Well, to coincide with the amazing scarcity of NCO's, we've never seen an able seaman or the like in TNG+.

[Sanehouse]

But he was also the transporter chief for a while, which I believe is an engineering dept. post.

I thought that the Transporter positions were a part of the Operations Department.

[Aaron]

I thought that the Transporter positions were a part of the Operations Department.

That doesn't mean that he was not an engineer (or rather a technican). We saw him several times helping out with issues in Engineering anyways.

[Sionnach Glic]

IIRC, Tom Paris switched ranks from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander more than a couple of times.

[Teaos]

I dont think Paris was ever Lt commander. He was Lt, then demoted to Ensign, then promoted to LT again. But it was all in canon.

[Sionnach Glic]

Oh, right.

[Mark]

Ok, in Caretaker, I thought Janeway made him a full LT. Then he got busted down to Ensign, then re-promoted to Ltjg?