Miles O'Brien

[Stephen of Borg 2]

probably

 

 

 

this just says Chief of Operations

Edited May 11, 2006 by Gamera

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Here's a pic of Miles, his rank insignia visible...

 

 

 

Now, the best I can tell, this is the insignia he's wearing...

 

 

This indicates that Miles is no Chief Petty Officer. He's a SENIOR CHIEF. Maybe in Starfleet it's different, but I know alot of Senior and Master Chiefs in the Navy who get kinda pissed if you simply call them Chief.

 

That image of Miles looks just like one I posted in another thread about him that's around here somewhere. It's funny that we used the same shot of him lol

 

I knew several 1st Sgt's in the Army and if you ever just called them "Sergeant" you'd be on the ground doing push ups before the words finished leaving your mouth lol. You can call him "Top" but not "Sgt" and you never want to call a Sergeant Major or Command Sergeant Major "Sgt" if you know what's good for you lol.

[Gary Phaserman 0]

I saw the episode not too long ago where he refered to himself as "Senior Chief Specialist", sounds like Specialist is his job. I suppose if the modern navy had a job like that, Miles would be SPCCS Miles Edward O'Brien. It's entirely possible Starfleet has an enlisted rating system similar to that of the US Navy, and perhaps a few have even carried over. Torpedoman, Fire Controlman, Quartermaster, Master At Arms, Bostwain's (Bos'un's) Mate, and Hospital Corpsman I can see easily carrying over into the 21st Century. There might even be a few new ones: Warp Propulsion Specialist (WP), Phaser Technician (PT), Transporter Technician (TT), who knows?

[Dark Reality 0]

Does anyone recall that O'Brien wasn't a character in the old TNG series? I thought they just kept using Colm Meaney as a recurring extra - the credits often referred to him as Crewman or were similarly vague. He didn't develop a solid character until later - their early handling of Colm Meaney's role(s) was/were very strange.

 

Aren't the Scottish and Irish traditional rivals? If Scotty is Scottish as I assume, and we know that O'Brien is Irish, I wonder if that would get between them at all, even considering Earth's supposedly enlightened views on race. Just a thought. On an engineering level however they would make a heck of a team.

 

On another board, someone made a bizarre claim about O'Brien. They first said that he may or may not have attended Starfleet Academy. I think that we are all in agreement that he has not, but in a couple episodes he does hint to his Academy days. But then the message went on to imply that he may or may not be Molly's father. Is that in question? It sounds stupid but I can't get it outta my mind.

Edited June 15, 2006 by Dark Reality

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I've never heard anything about him not being Molly's father at all but he did tell Julian that he "enlisted" in Starfleet which would indicate that he didn't attend tha academy.

 

This is from ST.COM:

 

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/seri...er/1112439.html

 

2345 ? Enrolled in Starfleet Academy.

 

2346 ? Enlisted as a non-commissioned officer in Starfleet.

 

2347 ? As young crewman posted to NCC-57295 U.S.S. Rutledge under Capt. Ben Maxwell, was decorated after clash with Cardassians on Setlik III and re-assigned by Maxwell as a bridge tactical officer.

 

2364 ? After serving on two more ships in the last two years, transferred to new U.S.S. Enterprise under Captain Jean-Luc Picard as relief flight control officer in command duty division and later as security in operations division.

 

2365 ? Re-assigned at chief petty officer rank to Enterprise transporter chief, usually posted in Transporter Room 3.

 

2369 ? Accepted offer as chief of operations at Deep Space Nine, onetime Cardassian mining station, under Cmdr. Ben Sisko.

 

O'Brien joined Starfleet as an impulsive act two days before he was supposed to leave for the unwanted Aldebaran Music Academy to play cello, as his father had always wished. The elder O'Brien — who'd made him practice every day and sent in his recorded audition — was furious, but calmed down and later accepted his son's choice proudly. Even so, O'Brien got to be quite good at the cello, and has kept up his public playing; one of his favorite composers is Minezaki. In later life, his mother died in 2368, and his father remarried in the spring of 2369 to a woman his son had not yet met over a year later.

[GhostofMajorHayes 10]

I recall him mentioning that he did enroll at starfleet academy. Is it possible that he was demoted to an NCO rank because of some infraction he committed while in starfleet? Perhaps his service record kept him in albeit at an enlisted rank? Its a possibility.

[Ezri T 0]

O'Brian was odd with his ranks. In a number of TNG he had the rank of Lieutenant with the rank on his uniform. But nobody called him by his rank period. Just the title of his duties. Nobody called him Lieutenant O'Brian or his NCO rank.

 

In fact, in all of star trek O'Brian was the only and I am talking about the only cast member with an active NCO rank. Always was questioning that, as everyone had a rank of Ensign or above. Look at Voyager, the NCO were just the background players and nothing more.

 

Maybe they needed a NCO and oh ya O'Brain play this part.

[GhostofMajorHayes 10]

O'Brian was odd with his ranks. In a number of TNG he had the rank of Lieutenant with the rank on his uniform. But nobody called him by his rank period. Just the title of his duties. Nobody called him Lieutenant O'Brian or his NCO rank.

 

In fact, in all of star trek O'Brian was the only and I am talking about the only cast member with an active NCO rank. Always was questioning that, as everyone had a rank of Ensign or above. Look at Voyager, the NCO were just the background players and nothing more.

 

Maybe they needed a NCO and oh ya O'Brain play this part.

 

The Doctor had no rank until he had been made a Command hologram in "Workforce", but Kes and Seven also had no rank even though Janeway could've given them each field promotions based on their knowledge.

I think you made a good point, though regarding O'Brien, Maybe he was the lone starfleet noncom and we were fortunate enough to have him play that role. :)

[Ezri T 0]

O'Brian was odd with his ranks. In a number of TNG he had the rank of Lieutenant with the rank on his uniform. But nobody called him by his rank period. Just the title of his duties. Nobody called him Lieutenant O'Brian or his NCO rank.

 

In fact, in all of star trek O'Brian was the only and I am talking about the only cast member with an active NCO rank. Always was questioning that, as everyone had a rank of Ensign or above. Look at Voyager, the NCO were just the background players and nothing more.

 

Maybe they needed a NCO and oh ya O'Brain play this part.

 

The Doctor had no rank until he had been made a Command hologram in "Workforce", but Kes and Seven also had no rank even though Janeway could've given them each field promotions based on their knowledge.

I think you made a good point, though regarding O'Brien, Maybe he was the lone starfleet noncom and we were fortunate enough to have him play that role. :)

 

Yeppers

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I recall him mentioning that he did enroll at starfleet academy. Is it possible that he was demoted to an NCO rank because of some infraction he committed while in starfleet? Perhaps his service record kept him in albeit at an enlisted rank? Its a possibility.

 

I'll have to look back and see which episode it is but in one episode he mentions that his father wanted him to go and study music but he didn't want to do that. So instead of doing that he went down and enlisted in Starfleet.

 

I don't recall him ever saying that he had enrolled at the Academy. I haven't had a lot of time to watch my DVD's for a while though so I'm a little rusty on all the details.

[TJ Phaserman 2]

i believe it was during season 5....before nog got promoted to ensign

[GhostofMajorHayes 10]

I recall him mentioning that he did enroll at starfleet academy. Is it possible that he was demoted to an NCO rank because of some infraction he committed while in starfleet? Perhaps his service record kept him in albeit at an enlisted rank? Its a possibility.

 

I'll have to look back and see which episode it is but in one episode he mentions that his father wanted him to go and study music but he didn't want to do that. So instead of doing that he went down and enlisted in Starfleet.

 

I don't recall him ever saying that he had enrolled at the Academy. I haven't had a lot of time to watch my DVD's for a while though so I'm a little rusty on all the details.

 

 

If you can find it, let me know. I vaguely remember O'Brien mentioning his academy days to Bashir and Nog. I hope that helps.

[Krissy Phaserman 0]

Here is a possibility. O'Brien entered the Academy to be an Officer, but after his first year decided for some reason that the Academy wasn't for him. Happens alot, in the real world. The Academy wasn't for him, but he still wanted to serve, so he went to a recruiting office and enlisted as a Crewman. Traditionally, Officers are generalists, who tend to focus more on being leaders than on their specialty. Enlisted personnel are specialists. O'Brien presumably was in a tactical field at first, then at some point "Cross-rated", or switched jobs, to Engineering before he was assigned to the Enterprise. Typically, as you advance, you learn more. By the time you reach the Chief ranks, you have been doing your job for many years, and as a result of the requirements of working on ships, you learn not just your own specialty, but other similar specialties. This, too, is common place. Most Navy ships have a large number of enlisted "specialists", but relatively few (maybe 1 for every ten) chiefs. Chiefs tend to serve in capacities similar to officers at that point, albiet with more technical training and more experience, which is why Miles, as a Senior Chief, could serve basically, as the chief engineer for DS9

[VaBeachGuy 12]

If you can find it, let me know. I vaguely remember O'Brien mentioning his academy days to Bashir and Nog. I hope that helps.

 

I haven't found the episode yet but it's right on the tip of my brain. Here's his profile from ST.COM

 

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/seri...er/1112439.html

 

Starfleet Career Summary

 

2345 ? Enrolled in Starfleet Academy.

 

2346 ? Enlisted as a non-commissioned officer in Starfleet.

 

 

 

O'Brien joined Starfleet as an impulsive act two days before he was supposed to leave for the unwanted Aldebaran Music Academy to play cello, as his father had always wished. The elder O'Brien — who'd made him practice every day and sent in his recorded audition — was furious, but calmed down and later accepted his son's choice proudly.

 

 

Here is a possibility. O'Brien entered the Academy to be an Officer, but after his first year decided for some reason that the Academy wasn't for him. Happens alot, in the real world. The Academy wasn't for him, but he still wanted to serve, so he went to a recruiting office and enlisted as a Crewman. Traditionally, Officers are generalists, who tend to focus more on being leaders than on their specialty. Enlisted personnel are specialists. O'Brien presumably was in a tactical field at first, then at some point "Cross-rated", or switched jobs, to Engineering before he was assigned to the Enterprise. Typically, as you advance, you learn more. By the time you reach the Chief ranks, you have been doing your job for many years, and as a result of the requirements of working on ships, you learn not just your own specialty, but other similar specialties. This, too, is common place. Most Navy ships have a large number of enlisted "specialists", but relatively few (maybe 1 for every ten) chiefs. Chiefs tend to serve in capacities similar to officers at that point, albiet with more technical training and more experience, which is why Miles, as a Senior Chief, could serve basically, as the chief engineer for DS9

 

As it says above, he enrolled in Starfleet Academy in 2345 but enlisted in 2346 and I do recall him saying something in an episode about dropping out of the Academy after a year. I just can't for the life of me remember which episode.

[GhostofMajorHayes 10]

Thank you very much for the info regarding Miles O'Brien. I believed you helped clear up much of his history for us. :)

[robjkay 0]

I was looking through my TNG cards a while back and came across this so I thought I'd upload it.

 

In all episodes of TNG Seasons 2-5, O'Brien is seen wearing the insignia of a full lieutenant while working as transporter chief; in one of them, "Where Silence Has Lease", he is also addressed as 'lieutenant'.

 

The character of Miles O’Brien, and the exact rank he held in Star Trek, has a history of its own spanning the length of the character's existence. In thirteen years of the character’s apperances, only in the last four was his rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer ever firmly established. Through various other stages of the character’s development, O’Brien was referred to as a Crewman, a Lieutenant, and various script notes indicated he was a Warrant Officer. The novelization of DS9: "Emissary" indicated O’Brien held a rank known as "Ensign Junior Grade".

 

Possible explanations for O’Brien’s various titles and insignia include:

 

*During some points of The Next Generation, O'Brien may have held a field commission as an officer, which would explain why Riker once called him a Lieutenant. His continuous wearing of two pips (which is the standard insignia of a Lieutenant) might be a type of "honorary insignia" even though he was later clearly referred to as a Chief Petty Officer.

 

*Starfleet non-commissioned officer insignia might be identical to officer insignia, with the number of pips worn by an NCO indicating level of seniority as a Chief Petty Officer. Under this system, one pip would equal a Chief Petty Officer, two a Senior Chief, and three a Master Chief. With O'Brien wearing two pips throughout The Next Generation, this would equate with his final established rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer in Deep Space Nin

Edited February 3, 2008 by robjkay

[Voyager recruit 0]

In any case-in the event someone reads this post, with it being older...Miles was a fine character, whatever his rank. And, as an above poster, ''Tina'' spoke of, it would surely have been neat, to see he and 'ol Scotty work a couple of miracles...would make a nice story. Liked his friendship with Julian.

[Sara_Paris 0]

O'Brien was a great Trek character. I thik he often doesn't get enough credit.

Edited January 28, 2009 by Sara_Paris

[xenexian 2]

I've always had a special place for Miles. How could you not like the guy? He could fix just about anything, and would even kick a computer to get it do what he wanted it to do. (See Emissary, season one). His character really took off when the writers paired him with Julian and developed that friendship with the holodeck battles and dart games and such. Who didn't feel a twinge of sadness when during the last episode we get a montage of all the fun moments in their time on the station? But the best part of his character? Four words, "Scotch Flavored Chewing Gum"!! Wriggley's? Are you listening?

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I've always had a special place for Miles. How could you not like the guy? He could fix just about anything, and would even kick a computer to get it do what he wanted it to do. (See Emissary, season one). His character really took off when the writers paired him with Julian and developed that friendship with the holodeck battles and dart games and such. Who didn't feel a twinge of sadness when during the last episode we get a montage of all the fun moments in their time on the station? But the best part of his character? Four words, "Scotch Flavored Chewing Gum"!! Wriggley's? Are you listening?

LOL The Scotch flavored gum from "Take Me Out To The Holosuite" was a classic moment.