Have enjoyed JAG off and on over the past few seasons, but the rank of LTC MacMcKenzie (Catherine Bell) has always bothered me.
Bell herself is only 34 and I would presume her character is within 5 years of that. How’d she make lieutenant colonel so fast?
According to the Navy’s website, JAG officers can expect the following promotions (I have noted the equivelent Marine rank as I imagine they would follow a similar time-line.)
Now, I might buy a “below-the-zone” promotion that got her from Captain to being a VERY junior Major (most the guys I know who are making Major have had at least 12 years in the service), but I am not buying that she was able to make LT Colonel in just, at most, 10yrs without having won a Medal of Honor.
Anyone know the backstory on why she is such an obviously young LT Colonel?
If I remember correctly her big promotion took when Harm was on leave from Jag, pursuing his pilot career, after his eye surgery resolved his night blindness. When he packed that in and came back to Jag, Mac had been promoted, but I don’t remember the details of that promotion. My opinion, the promotion is a plot device, role reversal type thing where the woman officer in the equation outranks the make officer. On the other hand, if you’re gonna promote someone in that office, and Harm is gone, Mac is the logical choice, been there longest, and a very capable lawyer.
In the same website Boxcar provided we have a hint – JAGs get a headstart on promotion over line.
Were she either direct appointment or student program commission, she would be credited with 3 years for rank-only purposes, enter service as an O2, and be promoted to O-3 after one year.
(Would this also apply Marines? see no reason why not)
So one year out of law school she is an O-3 (Captain-M) with “four” years “virtual” TIS (but only 1 year real TIS). So you step down that expected career path by 3 years and have her expect to be an LTC at 13-18 years TIS. Assume no civilian workforce time for her, say she went off to colege at 17, gets BA at 21, is out of Law School at 24. This means she’s commissioned a 1LT at 24, makes CPT at 25. Late 30s elegibility to LTC fits now, BUT for that usually Staff Corps does not provide as many chances for fast promotion through the middle grades as does Line. She would still be such a hotshot that she would probably have been transferred to the Commandant’s staff by now.
Call it one more of the clichés in TV/movie “military” pieces is the hot (in more ways than one) young officer who is at a rank/post totally at odds with their apparent age (physical, mental or emotional).
…Besides, didn’t you notice some of JAG does not take place in our universe?
Given that navy attorneys seldom fly and never engage in combat or spying, JAG is pretty much science fiction. Worrying about rank and promotions is the least of the problems.
Boxcar - Don’t forget, too, that this is after she not only had a promotion withheld, but almost got drummed out of the service altogether. You know, that false murder confession.
So lessee…the first time we saw her (that I remember, anyway), she was already a Major. In fact, this rank was specifically mentioned in that little preview narration that was eventually taken out. My guess is that she did something…and I don’t spread rumors, even about fictional characters…that got her an early jump, and her natural progression resumed only after making Captain.
Of course, I second Bucky’s point. C’mon, this is a woman who can do investigative work, look fantastic in a bikini, and put out a nearby goon at the same time. (Yes, this actually happened once. I won’t even mention that Jet Li number she did alongside Admiral Chegwidden.) I don’t think anyone can doubt that she’s a special person.
