Captian Lochley?

[bakana]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> I suspect that Lochley would be promoted to General, left in charge of Babylon 5 and given responsibility for some of the surrounding sectors and ships.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No. If they promote her and give her the new responsibilities you mention, they'd assign a New CO to Babylon 5.

She might decide to establish her headquarters on B5 but, lets face it, we're talking about TWO more than full time jobs.
Her new responsibilities would require someone else taking over the Old job.



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Do not ascribe your own motivations to others:
At best, it will break your heart.
At worst, it will get you dead."

 

[Quagmire]

One thing that I forgot to mention earlier. Her stay as B5's CO was likely extended by the plague. Also if Crusade changed directions like it seemed to be doing

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> she might have either been out of Earthforce or seriously hampered in promotions if she decided to support the Excalibur when it went rogue. </font></td></tr></table>



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"Crying isn't gonna get your dog back. Unless your tears smell like dog food. So you can sit here eating can after can of dog food until your tears smell like dog food or you can go out there and find your dog."-Homer in The Canine Mutiny

 

[bakana]

Dr. Gonzo, her promotion, if she was going to get one, would have been overdue by that time. She should have been getting the promotion sometime during Crusade's first year.

I suspect that the Plague situation would have prompted her to stay in Earthforce, even if she had been thinking of going into business for herself.
The Plague would have increased the need for high ranking officers in Space because so many would be Trapped on Earth.

So, I think I'll come down on the side of her getting bumped to General pretty soon. They'd need her experience dealing with the other races.



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Do not ascribe your own motivations to others:
At best, it will break your heart.
At worst, it will get you dead."

 

[A_M_Swallow]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
No. If they promote her and give her the new responsibilities you mention, they'd assign a New CO to Babylon 5.

She might decide to establish her headquarters on B5 but, lets face it, we're talking about TWO more than full time jobs.
Her new responsibilities would require someone else taking over the Old job.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Earthforce's problem is that it is not getting any replacement privates and second lieutenants. This means that after a couple of years everyone will be having to do their current job and the previous one. Particularly if the more experienced staff are allowed to retire.

In the case of General Lochley it would probably be easier to give her an aid to take over day to day running of Babylon 5. She could control her fleet whilst speaking for Earth to the aliens and Rangers.

We are limited in our options because she is referred to as Captain Lochley in the Centauri books. This does not preclude Lochley being a general, admirals commanding ships are still referred to as the captain. Doubly so since the aliens are used to Babylon 5's Captain having a very high rank.

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Andrew Swallow

 

[bakana]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> admirals commanding ships are still referred to as the captain. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, they are NOT, because Admirals Don't Command Ships.
They command Squadrons and Fleets of Many ships, not individual ships.

It works the Other Way around.
Lower ranking officers in charge of Smaller ships that don't rate more than a Lieutenant Commander are referred to as "Captain" because it is a Job as well as a Rank.

But, once an oficer has reached Flag Rank, they are no longer given single ship commands.

And, just because Earthforce can't recruit from Earth, doesn't mean they can't recruit from Other Human colonies.
Because of the Drakh plague, enlistment from colony worlds is probably through the Roof.
Not because of any love for Earth, but because the colonies would have every reason to worry about being Next on the Drakh hit parade.
Nothing helps the enlistment rate like believing someone is thinking about Killing you and all your family.

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Do not ascribe your own motivations to others:
At best, it will break your heart.
At worst, it will get you dead."

 

[A_M_Swallow]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
No, they are NOT, because Admirals Don't Command Ships.
They command Squadrons and Fleets of Many ships, not individual ships.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sometimes they do.

The Queen of England was angry to find that the new captain of the Royal ship HMS Britannia was not an admiral.

Although the last time I read about an admiral at sea was when one lead the British fleet down to the Falklands Islands.

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Andrew Swallow

 

[A_M_Swallow]

The problem with recruiting from the Earth colonies is that they have tiny populations. For instance, the planet Beta has a population of 1 million and Mars has 2 million.

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Andrew Swallow

 

[bakana]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> The Queen of England was angry to find that the new captain of the Royal ship HMS Britannia was not an admiral.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And when was the last time the Queen served in the Navy??

I'm sure someone explained it to her.
And, as you said, it was Not an Admiral.

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Do not ascribe your own motivations to others:
At best, it will break your heart.
At worst, it will get you dead."

 

[A_M_Swallow]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
And when was the last time the Queen served in the Navy??

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Since she was crowned, she is UK Commander in Chief.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
I'm sure someone explained it to her.
And, as you said, it was Not an Admiral.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Unlike his predecessor.

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Andrew Swallow