Promotion for CWO Harkness

Fox2! wrote:

Akira Taylor wrote (in part):
Individuals who would have been happier to cut their own throats than accept regular commissions.

So, instead of giving them a "Regular" commission, give them a "Reserve" commission. Them call them to indefinite extended active duty in their Reserve ranks.

Or would the equivalent of DOPMA (Defense Officer Personnel Modernization Act) play hob with that idea?

Late a "Career Reserve" officer of the United States.

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The other option, effectively the one chosen by the RMN, is to place those deserving individuals (like Harkness) in their assigned positions where they have "positional authority".
That is a situation frequently encountered in an engineering watch section where positional qualifications out-trump the collar or sleeve while on watch.

-- Stewart

Someone like Harkness might be willing to accept the appointment as "Colonel of Marines" like what Honor got way back after signing Grayson into the Alliance. But that's about as far as I can figure him going to accept an actual commission.

Even BuPers has realized breaking up Beauty and the Beast is a bad idea (tempting fates and such). So BuPers on it's own initiative, has already decided not to try corrupting Harkness, and moving him anywhere away from Scotty.


Pre-post edit: was about to put in a comment about him using the PMV as another "I dont want officer" argument, but realised I was crossing Fury-verse and Alicia DeVries' grandpa with Harkness. Clearly 40 hours without sleep, and crossing universes is a bad idea.

Somtaaw wrote:Someone like Harkness might be willing to accept the appointment as "Colonel of Marines" like what Honor got way back after signing Grayson into the Alliance. But that's about as far as I can figure him going to accept an actual commission.

Even BuPers has realized breaking up Beauty and the Beast is a bad idea (tempting fates and such). So BuPers on it's own initiative, has already decided not to try corrupting Harkness, and moving him anywhere away from Scotty.


Pre-post edit: was about to put in a comment about him using the PMV as another "I dont want officer" argument, but realised I was crossing Fury-verse and Alicia DeVries' grandpa with Harkness. Clearly 40 hours without sleep, and crossing universes is a bad idea.

Alfred Harrington did "pass" on a Marine commission after he won the Osterman Cross. But did accept a commission in the RMN's Medical Corps.

Fox2! wrote:

Somtaaw wrote:Someone like Harkness might be willing to accept the appointment as "Colonel of Marines" like what Honor got way back after signing Grayson into the Alliance. But that's about as far as I can figure him going to accept an actual commission.

Even BuPers has realized breaking up Beauty and the Beast is a bad idea (tempting fates and such). So BuPers on it's own initiative, has already decided not to try corrupting Harkness, and moving him anywhere away from Scotty.


Pre-post edit: was about to put in a comment about him using the PMV as another "I dont want officer" argument, but realised I was crossing Fury-verse and Alicia DeVries' grandpa with Harkness. Clearly 40 hours without sleep, and crossing universes is a bad idea.

Alfred Harrington did "pass" on a Marine commission after he won the Osterman Cross. But did accept a commission in the RMN's Medical Corps.

No he used it to get into medical school, the RMMC like the CE USMC does not have its own medical personnel it uses navy personnel.

Fox2! wrote:

But did accept a commission in the Royal Manticoran NAVY's Medical Corps.

From whence he won an assignment to Ignaz Semmelweis University's Medical School on Beowulf.

Q.E.D.

From whence he won an assignment to Ignaz Semmelweis University's Medical School on Beowulf.

Where he met and won the hand of the fair Allison.

Somtaaw wrote:
Someone like Harkness might be willing to accept the appointment as "Colonel of Marines" like what Honor got way back after signing Grayson into the Alliance. But that's about as far as I can figure him going to accept an actual commission.

The title of "Colonel of Marines" is only a mark of the Crown's favor. It conveys no actual rank or authority. It does carry a nice gratuity, at least until the Colonel makes List Flag.

In the case of a CW4 sworn never to accept a commission, that would occur sometime after the heat death of the universe.

Corrected: as below, designation as a "Colonel of Marines" is the gift of the Sovereign to a Captain of the List she can't promote to Flag rank,, but wishes to acknowledge in a particular way.

Fox2! wrote:

Somtaaw wrote:
Someone like Harkness might be willing to accept the appointment as "Colonel of Marines" like what Honor got way back after signing Grayson into the Alliance. But that's about as far as I can figure him going to accept an actual commission.

The title of "Colonel of Marines" is only a mark of the Crown's favor. It conveys no actual rank or authority. It does carry a nice gratuity, at least until the Colonel makes List.

In the case of a CW4 sworn never to accept a commission, that would occur sometime after the heat death of the universe.

Colonel of Marines is something that can only be given to and held by Captains of the List, I believe. Honor lost it as soon as she made Commodore in the RMN.

munroburton wrote:

Fox2! wrote:The title of "Colonel of Marines" is only a mark of the Crown's favor. It conveys no actual rank or authority. It does carry a nice gratuity, at least until the Colonel makes List.

In the case of a CW4 sworn never to accept a commission, that would occur sometime after the heat death of the universe.

Colonel of Marines is something that can only be given to and held by Captains of the List, I believe. Honor lost it as soon as she made Commodore in the RMN.

Field of Dishonor, Chapter 3 wrote:Honor's eyes widened in surprise as great as Henke's. Appointment as a colonel of Marines was a way for the Crown to show special approval of a captain too junior for promotion to flag rank, and very few officers ever received the honor. It wouldn't change her actual authority in any way, but she would receive a colonel's salary in addition to her regular pay, and the appointment was an unequivocal indication of royal favor.

Doesn't say whether or not it's only for Captain(List) or if Captain(JG) can receive it.

Honor was appointed Colonel of Marines as Captain(List), but she made Captain(List) at the end of:

On Basilisk Station, Chapter 32 wrote:Honor didn't mind. She looked down at the ribbon of the Manticore Cross, the Kingdom's second highest award for valor, gleaming blood-red against her space-black tunic. She had that to signify the Navy's and her Queen's opinion of her, just as she had her new ship, and she'd made list at last. Her feet were firmly on the ladder to flag rank, and no one—not Pavel Young, not the Republic of Haven, and not Countess New Kiev or Sir Edward Janacek—could ever knock her off it again.

Boldface in quotes from books is my emphasis.

Fox2! wrote:

Somtaaw wrote:
Someone like Harkness might be willing to accept the appointment as "Colonel of Marines" like what Honor got way back after signing Grayson into the Alliance. But that's about as far as I can figure him going to accept an actual commission.

The title of "Colonel of Marines" is only a mark of the Crown's favor. It conveys no actual rank or authority. It does carry a nice gratuity, at least until the Colonel makes List.

In the case of a CW4 sworn never to accept a commission, that would occur sometime after the heat death of the universe.

Well that's what I mean. Harkness doesn't want the officer responsibilities, he prefers being hands-on. It gives him a little extra pay, which isn't strictly necessary although he may have kids on the way, or already conceived (we have no textev for, or against either possibility). A little extra official pay isn't something he'd scoff at, if he does indeed have some kids, especially since Babcock wouldn't approve of him just hacking some funds available.

And one could argue that the PMV is pretty close to Crown favor, Elizabeth was pretty shocked when Honor originally tried to dodge the PMV after Cerberus and tried to convince her to accept.


Vince's quote is right about it being for captains too low for flag, I'd forgotten that little snip of it being only for Listed Captains. Possibly there's a Captain of Marines or something that we have't seen for more junior personnel who do truly outstanding efforts. Honor only managed a Monarch's Thanks from commanding the rescue operations during the Gryphon Avalanche, where she saved a young Susan Hibson, and I think also only got the MT for saving enlisted during the power room accident on HMS Manticore. Both actions were done prior to her making full Commander, and a CWO is what, loosely the same as a Lt.Commander?