A claim that Star Trek has little paperwork meets the reply that much of it simply happens off screen. Another argument for an engineering officer concerns dealings with personnel from other organizations, who may interpret rank differently from Starfleet. O'Brien must work with local staff as well as Federation personnel. Clarke estimates that a station run along modern military lines would need substantially more officers, NCOs, and crew. His approximate multipliers are a criticism of fictional staffing, rather than an established complement.
Notable Point · 1:40:10-1:42:06
Rank and staffing in a mixed engineering organization
Interoperability and workload complicate the idea that practical competence alone resolves O'Brien's position.