Lieutenant or Cadet Saavik?

Another widespread assumption is that Saavik was a Cadet during the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, however she is not addressed as such in the entire movie and there are other reasons to think otherwise.

The idea was again spread by the Star Trek Chronology who’s authors did assume that someone who is taking part in training at the Starfleet Academy must be a cadet. This theory is also supported by Robert Fletcher who designed the new uniforms. His notes reveal that officer candidates would wear a flame red turtleneck under their uniforms, whereas enlisted trainees would wear the same colour under their jumpsuits.

Three trainees on the Enterprise bridge in 2285.

One might think that there is no argument left, because the two evidences support the theory that Saavik is indeed a cadet. However there is something odd with her uniform: namely the fact that Saavik is wearing the insignia of a lieutenant junior grade and is also addressed as such through the entire movie.

This was explained away with assuming that Saavik did receive her commission before graduation. As precedent the authors name the fact that Kirk was a lieutenant before graduation, too (though this is wrong as well and will be addressed in another article).

Having Saavik being a commissioned lieutenant while stating she hasn’t finished her Academy curriculum is said to be possible though difficult and exceptional in the present day navy. However this solution seems to be very unlikely, because the Enterprise had three such cadets with lieutenant junior grade insignias. Everyone will agree that this cannot be the correct interpretation of the lieutenant insignia if a pre-graduation commission is exceptional. So it would indeed indicate that there must be another solution.

Three “cadets” with clearly visible lieutenant junior grade insignias.

So much for the official solution which is again highly illogical and one must look for more plausible ones: The first one I can offer is also inspired by a reallife scenario. The US Naval Academy has ranks of midshipman ensign to midshipman captain (midshipman is the more correct designation for officer candidates in the naval service, cadet is for Air Force and Army). Using that scheme would make her a senior cadet.

However there is some sort of contradiction within the movie itself: Midshipman First Class Peter Preston so to name.

It does show that the Starfleet Academy does indeed name their officer candidates midshipman and does also ‘number’ them.

It was pointed out by a member of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University that Preston might have attended a different school than Saavik to explain the midshipman grade. This is only reasonable because Saavik was training in command division while Preston was an engineer. However likewise he said that in the US “Officer”-Cadet grades may not resemble those of commissioned officers to avoid confusion.

The second option that would solve the problem is to assume all three lieutenants were indeed officers who graduated some years ago from the academy. They returned to the academy to attend advanced military training which is required in any greater military service in our time to be qualified for further promotions.

Something very similar does exist in Starfleet of the 24th century: Ensign Ro attended a special “Advanced Tactical Training” and was awarded a promotion to lieutenant in return (TNG: “Preemtive Strike”).

Saavik on the cover of “The Pandora Principle”

There is another tidbit that favours the post graduate therory: The novel “The Pandora Principle” does feature young Saavik on its cover, wearing a jumpsuit rather than the two part uniform. She does also wear an officer’s chest insignia. The novel is set several years before the events in The Wrath of Khan.

The uniform style shown here is both quite exceptional, but logical at the same time. Officer candidates are neither non-commissioned nor commissioned officers so what she wears is some interim which clearly shows she is becoming an officer (via the chest insignia).

Cadet Picard in Star Trek: Nemesis

A similar uniform was even shown in Star Trek canon: that of cadet Picard in Star Trek: Nemesis, which does show him in the jumpsuit variant rather than a uniform similar to that of Saavik. However the two uniforms are not that similar, because Picard is wearing no insignia at all and doesn’t have the flame red collar either. The uniform also lacks the coloured shoulder taps that indicate the division. However the picture does show a cadet some 60 years later – a lot could have been changed between since Saavik’s time.

Noteworthy is also the fact that a lot of reference books which were published in the 1980s and even much later assigned the jumpsuits to cadets only.

“Mr. Scott’s Guide to the Enterprise” (by Shane Johnson, 1987) refers to the uniforms in question simply as Cadet Jumpsuit, on the other hand side it doesn’t depict any enlisted ranks that were created for the movies by Robert Fletcher either.

“Star Trek: The Magazine” lists the uniform (with incorrect insignia and the belt missing) simply as Uniform Variant. Next to the picture of Saavik it does state the flame red is worn by cadets and junior officers. The “Star Trek Encyclopedia” (first edition) also says that the jumpsuit was worn by cadets.

Also in support for the post graduate idea is the scene in which the Enterprise first approaches the Reliant. Obviously Spock – as Saavik’s mentor – is highly unpleased with the fact that she tries to suggest Admiral Kirk what to do, so he reminds her she is only a lieutenant. If she was still a cadet he would have called her by that in rank in the special situation.