[Samuel]

Originally Posted by Pauln6

I never really understood the logic of making tactical officer and chief of security one post. I would have thought two such vital positions would have warranted two separate officers one of whom specialised in command and starship tactics (tactical) and one who specialised in small unit tactics and internal protocols (security).

Too many actors of course. The roles had to be there so a combo post was invented. No more no less. %100 logical in Hollywood. So when it comes down to it you are right in terms of reality but wrong in terms of storytelling on TV or movies. Best not to try and make such logic arguments because Hollywood requirements always win.

[Pauln6]

I actually preferred the style of TOS where you have a few core characters, second tier characters who appear regulalrly, and third tier characters who appear when the story needs somebody qualified in that area far more than TNG, Enterprise, and Voyager's tendency so say we're surveying some caves so we'll send the chief engineer and a crewman who went caving once instead of, oh, I dunno, the ship's geologist?

Hollywood logic is what leasd to have about 25% female characters in a utopian future where the sexes are suposedly equal...

[Commodore]

Originally Posted by Pauln6

Making helm and navigation different colours in TWOk never really made sense.

The TWOK uniforms had yet a different branch color scheme from TMP:
Command: White
Operations: Gold
Sciences: Grayish-purple
Medical: Olive
Security: Green
Services: Teal
Marines: Navy Blue
Cadets/Midshipmen: Red

By the time of TWOK, communications and navigation were considered sciences. Chekov and Uhura were actually science officers from TWOK onwards. Helm was considered part of the operations division, alongside engineering.

[Pauln6]

Lol it's all very well towing the line but that doesn't explain why they did it...

It sort of makes sense to consider navigation a science posting if all the tactical elements (e.g. shields) are handled on a different console - it is mostly mathematics and astrophysics after all and Chekov was a way better scientist than he ever was command officer or security officer.

Alternatively, it makes sense to lump both helm and navigation together as bridge operations since they sit side by side and there is a lot of overlap. But it makes no logical sense to move helm from command to operations to be lumped in with engineering operations. That's just wierd.

I actually thought that communications wore a teal collar for services but I think Uhura's collar wasn't the same colour by STVI as it was in STII so who knows.

[Commodore]

Originally Posted by Pauln6

Lol it's all very well towing the line but that doesn't explain why they did it...

They did it because they could. Really, that's all there was to it.

It sort of makes sense to consider navigation a science posting if all the tactical elements (e.g. shields) are handled on a different console - it is mostly mathematics and astrophysics after all and Chekov was a way better scientist than he ever was command officer or security officer.

Alternatively, it makes sense to lump both helm and navigation together as bridge operations since they sit side by side and there is a lot of overlap. But it makes no logical sense to move helm from command to operations to be lumped in with engineering operations. That's just wierd.

Not really. Engineering and helm are basically engine and engine control, whereas navigation is more linked with the ship's sensors. A navigator could plot a course, but it's up to the helmsman to actually engage the ship's engines and steer the ship along that course. The helmsman is perhaps in continuous communication with the engine room and is generally the first to notice any problems with engine performance.

On the other hand, the navigator is generally the first to detect anything outside of the ship and more often than not alerts the science officer to get busy.

I actually thought that communications wore a teal collar for services but I think Uhura's collar wasn't the same colour by STVI as it was in STII so who knows.

Nope, Uhura wore the same undershirt color from TWOK to TUC. We actually didn't see too many personnel from the services department, and the few we did see were enlisted personnel (they wore the black-collared, burgundy jumpsuits with branch-colored shoulder tabs).

[Pauln6]

Heh - I guess her shirt must have faded in the wash!

[Commodore]

It truly is a funny kind of color because it's somewhere between a grey and a purple, and can kind of look like one or the other depending on the set lighting.

[TGElder]

Originally Posted by Commodore

They simply changed things up in TMP. The colors chosen were totally arbitrary just as they were in TOS.

With TMP, branch color was denoted by a circular patch behind the uniform insignia:
Command: white
Engineering: red
Bridge operations: yellow
Sciences: orange
Medical: green
Security/tactical: gray

Also, in TMP and the other movies that follow, the division is noted by the color of the turtleneck. Scotty had a mustard yellow, while Kirk's is white, and McCoy's is an OD green. Spock's was white in the movies, but he was training Captain of the Enterprise at the time.

[Commodore]

Originally Posted by TGElder

Also, in TMP and the other movies that follow, the division is noted by the color of the turtleneck. Scotty had a mustard yellow, while Kirk's is white, and McCoy's is an OD green. Spock's was white in the movies, but he was training Captain of the Enterprise at the time.

See post #23:

The TWOK uniforms had yet a different branch color scheme from TMP:
Command: White
Operations: Gold
Sciences: Grayish-purple
Medical: Olive
Security: Green
Services: Teal
Marines: Navy Blue
Cadets/Midshipmen: Red

By the time of TWOK, the Enterprise had apparently been reclassified as a cadet training vessel and Spock was now officially the captain. It is unclear as to what position Kirk may have held during this time, but it is plausible that he may have been Commandant of Starfleet Academy.