TM's USN rank.

[N1095A]

I posted this over on the "Solo Flight" thread, but decided to confirm it here. When TM left the Navy he was a lieutenant. It was my understanding that when he was recalled in the bogus attempt to keep him from looking for Michelle, he was promoted to Commander. However his mother introduced him to his grandfather in "Resolutions" as LCDR Thomas Magnum. Then looking at the screen grabs from "Solo Flight" and in "Unfinished Business" his field jacket has the gold insignia of LCDR on the collar instead of the silver Commander insignia.


So in the words of Stewie Griffin, I guess my question is "What the deuce?

[Coops]

It's within navy decorum to address LCDR's as CDR's. In fact, they prefer it. Lord knows I heard enough about it while I was in. LTJG's also prefer LT, and it's easier to say.

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

I believe he is also a Commander in the Series Finale as well.

[N1095A]

In "Blood and Honor" from season 6 he wears the shoulder boards of a Commander. The three wide stripes are Commander. If the middle one were thinner it would be LT. Commander.


I suppose it could be said that the field jacket is from before he was promoted to Commander, but then it would have Lieutenant bars on the collar as he never was a Lieutenant Commander, having jumped from LT. to CDR. Also in this shot his name tag clearly says CDR T. Magnum. Not LCDR.

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

Yep, I've never seen him with Lt. Cdr shoulder boards in any episode. The Captain of my ship was a "three striper". I think most today have the four stripes of the Captain rank. There may still be some three stripe commanders on some of the Arleigh Burke class destroyers and older frigates. TM, being a SEAL, wouldn't have to worry about that though.

[burroughsmvp]

TM was a Lt Commander when he left the Navy, but was promoted to Commander in "Memories are Forever". That rank continues for the rest of the series. Perhaps he didn't get fatigues when he was promoted, just the "good stuff" like the dress whites.

[only looking]

Perhaprs he was a commander for a VERY brief time and got bumped down due to his doing something not quite acceptable from his superiors..like not following an order,etc......I could see Magnum getting bumped several times...LOL Just a thought

[Vxc961]

I wish I was on these boards 20 years ago! I'm a military buff, and magnum in his fatigues caught my attention too, as I remembered him being a full Commander, but noticed the Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) insignia on his fatigues here. I have a few observations/theories.

I don't think Magnum ever resigned his commission, rather he probably went to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) at the time the we think of him leaving the Navy. In the IRR, you can earn points toward "good years" for retirement by doing correspondence courses, going on orders, or other things. Many people go into the IRR and do nothing. I had a few friends who left the Navy as Lieutenants, did nothing for years, but then still got promoted to LCDR. I suspect Magnum was one of those guys who did nothing in the IRR, and then one day got a letter saying he was promoted to LCDR. Magnum seems to have had enough of the "taking orders" part of the military, but he obviously still proud of his service. I wouldn't put it past him to sew on a set of oak leaves onto his old fatigues as a little surge of pride snuck in, and he perhaps thought about what he could have done had he stayed in.

Adding to this theory, the military switched to Woodland camo around 1981, so Magnum was dressed in his web gear and fatigues out of nostalgia and utility; they're things he pulled out of his closet that weren't current (or authorized for wear on duty) anymore.

As far as Magnum skipping LCDR, the military has something called frocking where you're allowed to wear and serve at a higher rank but you don't get the pay. It's used when your billet job requires you to be on equal footing with other department heads or whatever, or of a higher rank than your subordinates, or it would just look bad to have the lower rank there. I suspect season six Magnum was a LCDR who promoted from Lieutenant by doing nothing (or just correspondence courses). When he was reactivated in season six, the Navy determined that it needed a full commander to do the job so they frocked him.

In the IRR, you don't get regular fitness reports, so you go before the promotion board and they see a guy who's last fitness report was ten years ago, and it's tough to promote him. After Season six, Magnum probably had at least one fitness report, and probably enough activity that he actually got the promotion.

If Magnum did in fact do courses to get "good" retirement years while he was a PI though, it would make more sense for him to come back onto active duty like he did later on in the series. I don't want to nerd out too much, but the Navy also has an up or out policy, so if Magnum was a LCDR and hit 18 years of commissioned service but only had a few "good" retirement years, he'd get kicked out. Once promoted to full CDR, the Navy would give him a few more years to get 20 retirement years (normally 24 years of commissioned service, although SEALS are often allowed to go to 28 years).