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The Academy

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The Academy Empty The Academy

Post by Rook Thu Jan 24, 2013 5:32 pm

Here's a question: what are the dynamics for the Space Ranger Academy. On one hand we have people like Mira who join on purpose, and then on the other hand we have people like Petra Hammerhold who are sent there like it's military school. Yet it is designed to turn out officers of the law for the galaxy.
My point from this is how old exactly do you have to be in order to sign up (or be sent off)? I imagined when Mira signed up that she was a legal adult and therefore her father could not do anything to stop her. But then we have Petra, whose father sent her off without her seeming to have a choice in the matter, which suggests she's underage.

Any thoughts?



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Post by Mod Thu Jan 24, 2013 6:48 pm

I think it could go either way, personally. People can either go by choice or are sent there by their parents, depending on circumstances. I mean, if Mira can go there by choice, and if Petra can be sent there, then that shows that people can go either way.

I also think you'd have to be at least in your late teens (18-19), or early twenties in order to sign up.
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Post by Steel Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:07 am

18/19 feels much too old to me. Seeing as Star Command is modelled after Star Trek's Starfleet, I'd assume that you're allowed to enter once you hit 15, since that's how old Worf and Wesley were when they tried out. Or maybe 16/17, since 15 does seem like a young age. In either case, it's plenty of years of rigorous training so by the time you're through you're most likely in your twenties.

I think most people go because they want to become a Space Ranger. It's prestigious, something to boast about, and you also get to see more of space and travel to other planets. (BTW, the Academy is on Capital Planet.) Petra, on the other hand, is a senator's daughter. She was probably 15 or 16 -- old enough to enter the Academy -- but due to her fraternising with someone outside of her father's control and her typical rebellious teenage attitude, he must've figured placing her in an environment that would "iron her out" was the best course to follow to make up for his bad parenting skills. Okay, so maybe I'm being too harsh on the senator, but that's not how you get a child to learn discipline!

And let's not forget Booster. He's either younger than Mira or close to her age, but when we see Booster in "The Adventure Begins" he's not at the Academy yet -- he's studying for the entrance exams, whereas Mira's already through with the Academy and now trying to apply to Star Command professionally.

Mira's actually lucky she got in. If Tangea hadn't joined the Alliance, she might have had to go through the lengthy process of getting a letter of recommendation from an active Space Ranger to apply. (She probably would've managed if she'd asked Buzz, but the likelihood of her coming into contact with him again is slim.) I don't think that's too much of a stretch given Star Command is part of the Galactic Alliance. GA citizens by default would be able to apply with no hitch, but if you weren't a citizen of the GA, the process is likely to be far more difficult. ('Sides, Buzz allowed Plasma Boy to join Petra, so if his kind isn't part of the GA, Buzz likely gave him a letter of recommendation or gave the Academy a heads-up.) Something similar happened in Star Trek when Nog, as a Ferengi, had to go to Cpt. Sisko to get a letter of recommendation to join Starfleet. I'm so sorry I keep using Trek examples, it's all Ranger's fault.

So the bottom line is that you can either join of your own free will or be sent there, and if you're a GA citizen the procedure is easier, whereas if you're not it's harder. At least that's what I think.

/stops rambling
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Post by Alexa Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:36 am

Well, in comparison to the U.S. military, the youngest age you can enlist is 17, but with parental consent. When you're 18, you can enlist without consent. Also, it's not a thing where you have to join at the minimum age, though there are age limits as you get older for if you can enlist in what branch.

So, in that vein, Mira could have been at least 18 to join, since it's clear she doesn't have parental consent. Likewise, she could have been older when joining. Booster joining after her could either be because he's younger than her, because he didn't yet have the confidence to take the entrance exam (hence why he was memorizing the full Space Ranger Mission Manuel before his test), or possibly some other reason.

As for Petra, I imagine her to be about 17 or 18. It's possible her father intended for her to join the Academy as a sort of correctional boot camp since she wasn't behaving like he thought she should. So, for that reason, she was sent there rather then actually wanting to go. Possibly, the only reason she didn't protest more about having to join was because she knew it would get her away from her father and let her have a chance to have Plasma Boy interfere and take her away somehow. So, that would have translated as her choice to join, even if she complained about it.

The thing about Star Command is that it's defined as para-military in the show. So, not only is it law enforcement, but it has some military aspects as well. And, military isn't all just soldiers fighting wars. There are clerical positions, doctors, air traffic controllers, etc. The thing is, unless you hold a civilian job in the military, you need to join basic training at the very least in order have most jobs in the military. (My brother's ex-girlfriend had intended to join the air force for a time and was going to be an air traffic controller, but she didn't make it through basic training.) So, it's possibly not necessary for everyone who joins the Academy to become a space ranger; that's just the more popular reason for joining.
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Post by Kat Eclipse Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:15 am

Ok! *cracks knuckles* Razz

My theory is this:

16 is the minimum age, because in order to transfer from a normal high school to the Academy and get a HS diploma you'd have to have at least two years of HS already under your belt, no? (in my head graduating from the Academy is a two year process, I know that seems waaaaaay to short but I figure that the rookies who aren't lucky enough to get a senior Ranger at their side/help save the Galaxy like Booster, Mira, and XR, start at traffic duty upon graduating and work their way up the ladder.)

If your younger than 18 you have to get your parents/guardians permission, oooor in Petra's case get kicked in there without a say-so for being a little-miss-sassy-pants Wink Seriously though, Petra's father's less-than-stellar parenting skills always bugged me, so she's got an attitude! What were you expecting?? SHE'S 16!!! Shipping her off to a para-military school isn't going to fix that! (unless you don't see her again until she's out of puberty. Razz)

Steel wrote:Okay, so maybe I'm being too harsh on the senator, but that's not how you get a child to learn discipline!

No I don't think your being too harsh at all, I had my brow scrunched up all though the Senator 'explanation' of why he was sending her off, and then after that crack he took at Mira, I quickly classified the dear boy as being stuck up. *nods*


*shakes self* Back to the age thing! If your 18 or up, you can enlist without parental/guardian say-so (perks of being an adult dontcha know Razz), like Mira did.

And I would imagine that there would be physical requirements and such (back to the para-military point out) in addition to the entrance exams but I would think they would be different for each cadet, depending on race 'cause (love him though I do Smile) I highly doubt Booster could fit the weight requirements for say, the Tangean division? Smile

And just because I'm on a rambler-roll here Wink This is how I think it went for our dear Rangers:

Buzz, Ty, Rocket and Warp: I see these guys signing up right after high-school; Buzz because, well he's Buzz, he has an invisible SC logo imprinted on his forehead Razz; Ty just because that's what he wanted to - he seems to have the same love for the job as Buzz, just without the uptight-ness Razz; I could see Rocket being pushed into it a bit by his family; aaand Warp because Zurg wanted a man on the inside, natch.

Mira was 18 when she signed up for the Academy, graduated after 2 years, then joined Team Lightyear in TAB.

I peg Booster for about 16 at TAB, he just got really lucky with the events of TAB + his vast knowledge *coughobsessioncough* of SC regulations and such. Smile

Aaaand XR, well, being a robot he had the training pre-programed into him.(lucky bot! Razz)

*lets out huge breath* Ok, sorry for the tangent! XD *claps duck tape over mouth*
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