However, BP explicitly says that Captain is the point at which pilots are given squadrons. Maybe something's changed since the SSI.
Wait, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
This...would makes things awkward. In fact it would **** the entire rank system up unimaginably for Squadron Pilots if it were true. I'm fairly, fairly, sure that Lt. Commander/Commander is still the rank pilots should get Squadron Commands at. We've just by chance been presented occasions where said Squadron OC is also a CAG or someone of equivalent position.
To clear up what seems to be a misconception, CAG is is not a just a post that Squadron Commanders hold in addition to their commands as a secondary duty or something. CAG is a post by itself, and with it, the Deputy CAG (who becomes the full CAG later), of whom both are Captains. On a proper destroyer, the CAG would be a Captain who holds the position of CAG, he is not a Squadron Commander too. Being CAG is usually too much work to thrust upon a Squadron commander, especially on a destroyer. On a Frigate, however, with only one Squadron, common sense would tell you that the Squadron Commander/most senior pilot onboard becomes CAG by default.
Might work slightly differently in BP, but that's at least close to how it works IRL.
But seriously, if this were true, this would mess things up very badly for pilots. At the very least, we have to make a few of the other Officer ranks redundant and then add some up at the top to accommodate this.
Yeah, but at the end of AoA, we hear that once Sam hits Captain, he gets command of his own squadron. BP canon supercedes old FS semi-canon in that respect.
Well remember that it's an expeditionary force, and probably as close as it's going to get to Special Forces within the Fleet without explicitly going SOC. (I'm just doing some speculating here, it could all well be wrong), and as a result, Squadron Commands get bumped up a 1-2 ranks. I dunno, only way I can think of justifying it. Someone else in the know probably has the real reason.
