Last week, in an attempt to check off one of my goals for my month of freedom, I thoroughly enjoyed watching JJ Abrams' reimagination of the Star Trek franchise (I watched it in Times Square, what a trip). While most people might place Star Trek in the sci-fi genre, I walked away thinking of it as a futuristic war film encapsulating both the cadet and operational experience.

Beginning with James Tiberius Kirk's days at Starfleet Academy, we're deprived of an Iceman-Maverick type pissing contest, but the interplay between Kirk and Spock provided a more cerebral battle of alpha dogs. The storyline regarding the Kobayashi Maru presented an awesome ethical challenge, one which still makes me unsure of how I feel.

Even though he's placed on probation because of his resolution to the Kobayashi Maru, Kirk finds his way into the operational Fleet for a mission against the Romulans. Having been a cadet that trained in skydiving myself, I thought it was awesome that he was able to use his own freefall training during a mission on Vulcan.

Kirk does a great job when placed in the spotlight (facing numerous challenges), and is honored for his valor with a medal and a battlefield promotion that ends up sticking. The realist in me hopes that the military bureaucracy one day becomes a true meritocracy and a cadet can jump to O-6 in one fell swoop. That said, I don't care how logical Spock is, I'd be pissed if some snot-nosed son of a war hero jumped over me for a promotion (no matter how talented he is). But we all know that not all promotions are deserved, ain't that right Voldemort?

Speaking of Spock, I love that he eventually becomes an ambassador after his time in the Fleet. Of course, that might be because I'm partial to guys who become diplomats after their military service. George C. Marshall, Colin Powell, Morgan O'Brien--and the tradition apparently continues on into the future.

Following the diplomatic vein, it is interesting to see how the military efforts of the Starfleet are all intimately tied to diplomacy. Senior leaders within the Starfleet are all well versed in statecraft, and their mission better fits the realm of peacekeeping than that of an offensive force, resorting to engagement only after all other avenues are tried. I don't know what my point is, I guess I just wanted to point that out.

Finally, and with apologies to Gen. Michael Ryan, I wonder why it's Captain Kirk and not Colonel Kirk. I thought America's Air Force was supposed to own space...what gives? Here's hoping that one day we get an explanation. Maybe the Federation saw that supporting the Air Force was a drain on the budget.