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| 4 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
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| 11 | [[quoteright:350:[[Series/{{Blackadder}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darlingbgf_0.png]]]] |
| 12 | [[caption-width-right:350:Captain Darling is behind the rest of the troops...\ |
| 13 | [[SoldiersAtTheRear about 35 miles behind them, that is]].]] |
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| 18 | ->''"Stick close to your desk and never go to sea.\ |
| 19 | And you all may be Rulers of the Queen's Navee!"'' |
| 20 | -->-- '''Sir Joseph''', ''Theatre/HMSPinafore'' |
| 21 | |
| 22 | A character in the military, police, or other action-oriented field who has been promoted to the rank of inaction or whose career path is oriented towards bureaucratic support of the boots on the ground. The character may only rarely be seen by the camera, since his or her job is BoringButPractical: to make operations in the field run smoothly, rather than engage in flashy heroics. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | The Desk Jockey may be derided by other characters or viewers as an ObstructiveBureaucrat who is [[NonActionGuy too far removed from the action]] to understand and accommodate the needs of the people he or she is supporting. They may [[UngratefulBastard catch a lot of flak]] for [[MiserAdvisor pinching pennies]] and not buying expensive, but much-needed, equipment for troops while forcing the ground-pounders to kowtow to [[VastBureaucracy Byzantine institutional regulations]]. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Commonly found [[{{Adminisphere}} "piloting desks" in the cubicle farms behind the scenes]] of ActionSeries, since a serial of any significant length can afford to introduce these characters if a LowerDeckEpisode is necessary for budgetary concerns. If they get ADayInTheLimelight, expect them to be made victim of the same kind of danger and violence that the rest of the cast face and either become the BadassUnintentional, the ActionSurvivor, or the DesignatedVictim, depending on the needs of the plot (and not necessarily their {{backstory}}; even if they're a RetiredBadass, they may be handed a DistressBall anyway). Sometimes, they may be working here because [[PostInjuryDeskJob a past injury or illness precludes them from serving at the front]]. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Differs from KickedUpstairs in that the character may actually have been a competent ActionHero in his/her youth but couldn't avoid getting promoted on considerable merit. Some heroes will do anything it takes to persuade their superiors not to promote them, as examples will show. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | Related tropes are ArmchairMilitary (for when the Desk Jockey commands others from behind the desk), DudeWheresMyRespect, VictoryIsBoring, LetsGetDangerous (the Desk Jockey is a classic candidate for this trope), FourStarBadass and FrontlineGeneral (for direct aversions), and RankScalesWithAsskicking or the more specific BadassBureaucrat (for direct inversion). |
| 31 | |
| 32 | Has nothing to do with DrivingADesk. The SoulCrushingDeskJob is the civilian equivalent. |
| 33 | |
| 34 | In RealLife [[TruthInTelevision military parlance]], a Desk Jockey might be known also as an REMF [[SoldiersAtTheRear "rear-echelon motherfucker"]], a "pogue" (etymology uncertain, though the usual story is that it comes from the Irish for "kiss my ass," but now [[FunWithAcronyms backronymed]] to Person Other than Grunt), or a [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings "fobbit"]] (someone who never leaves their Forward Operating Base). Among officers, it is common for officers to rotate between combat deployments and staff tours where they must become desk jockeys for a few years. In fact, the 1986 Goldwater Nichols Act requires any officer who wants to make General or Admiral to serve on at least one desk bound joint services staff assignment. Royal Air Force officers rotated from active flying duties to static commands on the ground ruefully describe their more sedentary role as "flying a desk". |
| 35 | |
| 36 | ---- |
| 37 | !!Examples: |
| 38 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 41 | * This is how Light Yagami spends most of his time across the arc of ''Manga/DeathNote''. He spends almost a year dealing with L, and six months dealing with Mello and Near, and in between he sits at a desk pretending to be L and misleading the Kira taskforce for ''five years''. Even when the rest of them go off to blow shit up, Light's still at his desk. VictoryIsBoring. Not counting his [[TheVamp undercover investigation]] with Takada, the first time we see him get out is the final confrontation with Near. [[spoiler:[[DeathIsDramatic It doesn't go well]].]] |
| 42 | * In the world of ''Manga/GoblinSlayer'', this is the fate of gold-ranked adventurers. Due to higher-ups seeing their skill and experience too valuable to risk them getting maimed or killed on some routine quest, they tend to be placed in non-combat roles until a situation arises that warrants their attention. There are a couple of exceptions, such as Sword Saint and Sage (on account of being in a party with a Platinum-ranked adventurer, the one rank higher than gold, and who are pretty much allowed to go where they want), and Barbarian (while the reason isn't stated, it's likely that his lack of tact and [[HairTriggerTemper volatile temper]] make him ill-suited for the trope). |
| 43 | * ''Anime/IrresponsibleCaptainTylor'': Becoming one of these was Justy Ueki Tylors initial wish when joining the military, and he actually got it by becoming a clerk for the Space Force pension department. At least until he accidently [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation (?)]] caused a big embarrassment for the space force by [[ItMakesSenseInContext saving a retired admiral]] from a couple of terrorists. Causing him to get KickedUpstairs as the captain of his own ship and [[ReassignedToAntarctica shipped]] off-world. |
| 44 | * Alex Cazerne in ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'' is a logistics officer whose talents in organisation and management made him one of the core members of the Yang Fleet, and thus one of the main characters. |
| 45 | * ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'': |
| 46 | ** Hayate and Reinforce are mostly confined to desk jobs in ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers''. It's ''safer'' that way, since they both qualify for the PersonOfMassDestruction trope (although [[AwesomeButImpractical while Hayate is the highest-ranked mage in the series, her power is only useful for bombardment and is almost useless in most fights]]). |
| 47 | ** They seem to have returned to the battlefield in ''Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce'' [[spoiler:but Hayate's first CMOA in that series went awry and she got stabbed in the process]]. |
| 48 | * The Kages in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' are [[{{Pun}} generally]] this, since they are responsible for running their villages. They do get a piece of the action every now and again, but they send others out on missions. |
| 49 | * Koenma in ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' spends most of his time as a bureaucrat for the Underworld, behind a desk. He does occasionally accompany the heroes, such as to the Dark Tournament or in the climax of the fight with Sensui, but doesn't do much himself. |
| 50 | [[/folder]] |
| 51 | |
| 52 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 53 | * In older ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' comics, Commissioner Gordon's role usually amounted to this. Since ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne'', though, it's been customary to give him a bigger slice of the fight-scenes. |
| 54 | * Salaakk of the ComicBook/GreenLantern Corps handles the day-to-day operations while the Guardians of the Universe focuses on the big stuff. However, he has shown he can fight when the situation demands it. |
| 55 | * Prowl from ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise'' and ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye''. As Springer puts it, he's high command. He's ''always'' been high command, even before there was an Optimus Prime or a Megatron or even a war. Prowl is a very negative portrayal of this trope, utterly unwilling to lift a finger to save captured troops, even famous and high-ranking ones like Kup or Fortress Maximus, but completely willing to throw men at a SuperSoldier to save classified data files (which might contain dirt on Prowl himself). He's one of the most unpopular Autobots alive, having managed to drive away or piss off anyone who'd ever give him a chance, even [[BigGood Optimus himself]], [[spoiler:not to mention the occasional life-partner]]. So far, the only beings who like him are the [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame Constructicons]]. |
| 56 | * ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: General Darnell, to whom Diana Prince acts as secretary and ComicBook/SteveTrevor answers, works from his desk and is only ever seen in the "field" once, where he was talking to other officers not participating in combat. |
| 57 | [[/folder]] |
| 58 | |
| 59 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 60 | * In ''ComicStrip/TerryAndThePirates'', Terry gets a speech from his commanding officer just after he gets his flight status which includes him stressing him treating the US Army's bureaucracy with respect. |
| 61 | [[/folder]] |
| 62 | |
| 63 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 64 | * ''Fanfic/ARESTheGodsOfWar'': {{Downplayed|Trope}} in that he's still in a field position, but due to [[Franchise/{{Halo}} John-117]] getting a promotion to Commander after joining [[VideoGame/GoddessOfVictoryNikke the Ark]], he shown to be saddled with helping the existing [[PlayerCharacter Commander Aloysha Harris]] run the Outpost, including quite a bit of paperwork. [[spoiler:Kelly]] actually ribs him over it. |
| 65 | * ''Fanfic/{{Eugenesis}}'' has Prowl, who actually likes being a desk jockey. It's all he ever wanted out of life, to crunch numbers and be a HypercompetentSidekick whoever was in charge. He regards being forced into a leadership position as being KickedUpstairs, and slowly cracks up from the pressure. [[spoiler:Eventually the situation gets bad enough that he's DrivenToSuicide.]] |
| 66 | [[/folder]] |
| 67 | |
| 68 | [[folder:Film -- Animation]] |
| 69 | * Mr. Incredible in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'' is forced into mundane work after excessive lawsuits obliges the government to set up a legal protection program for supers. He spends his free time listening to police scanners and indulging in small acts of illicit heroism until someone finally [[CallToAdventure offers him a chance to go legit]]. His family was relocated several times because he got caught and in the story he's an insurance claims adjuster (in which he also tries being heroic, [[CouldSayItBut [not]]] telling an old lady how to avoid excessive bureaucracy). |
| 70 | [[/folder]] |
| 71 | |
| 72 | [[folder:Film -- Live-Action]] |
| 73 | * Specialist Grimes in ''Film/BlackHawkDown'' asks to participate in a mission. He complains that the only reason he's a desk jockey is because he knows how to type and that he was a veteran of Desert Storm and Panama, but in those operations, all he ever did was make coffee. When he ''does'' finally see action, of course, it is when the entire operation goes pear-shaped. He proves quite capable, though he he manages to both be a member of a BadassArmy ''and'' an ActionSurvivor. It's the rare ActionSurvivor that ''starts'' the action carrying a grenade launcher. It's notable that he ''is'' an [[ElitesAreMoreGlamorous Army Ranger]], though. |
| 74 | * ''Film/DieHard'': |
| 75 | ** In the original movie, John [=McClane=] and Sergeant Al Powell have a conversation that jokingly derides desk jockey cops, up until Powell reveals why he's now a desk jockey instead of patrolling the streets: because he made the horrible mistake of [[ShootHimHeHasAWallet shooting a kid with a fake gun]]. [[LetsGetDangerous He still proves he can get the job done]] when [[TheDragon Karl]] [[DragonTheirFeet comes back from the dead for one last shot at McClane]]. |
| 76 | ** The second movie then shows that he's still in the desk job. Of course, it's better paying and safer than a beat cop job. |
| 77 | * In ''Film/FallingDown'', Detective Prendergast took a desk job because his hysterical wife was afraid that he would get killed. He's treated with condescension and contempt by his chief and co-workers because of this (one of whom calls him a desk jockey). |
| 78 | * In ''Film/FirstBlood'', Col. Trautman gives this as the reason Rambo couldn't get in touch with him at his old posting of Fort Bragg. |
| 79 | -->'''Rambo:''' "I tried to get in touch with you, but the guys at Bragg never knew where to find you." |
| 80 | -->'''Trautman:''' "Well, I haven't been spending much time there lately. They've got me down in D.C.; [[KickedUpstairs I'm shining a seat with my ass.]]" |
| 81 | * In ''Film/FlightOfTheIntruder'', the Duty Officers and the Intel Officer. |
| 82 | * ''Film/HeartbreakRidge'': In this Creator/ClintEastwood flick, the Recon Marine platoon is under the supervision of a Major Powers who is an [[MilitaryAcademy Annapolis]] grad, but spent a long time in Logistics before transferring over to the Infantry so he can check a box for qualification for command. He uses the Recon platoon as cannon fodder for the regular infantry to defeat during exercises, leaving the platoon jaded and embittered. When the platoon is deployed to Grenada for Operation Urgent Fury, Powers orders them to wait. The platoon disobeys him and actually assaults an important enemy position. When the Colonel in command of the Regiment arrives to find out what happened, he removes Powers from his command, calling him a “Clusterfuck of an Infantry Officer”. |
| 83 | * Jack Ryan in ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' is a heroic desk jockey that becomes a BadassUnintentional. |
| 84 | -->'''Jack''': ''(to himself during a turbulent helicopter flight)'' Jack, next time you get a bright idea, put it in a memo! |
| 85 | * Both Jack Spade and One Eyed Sam in ''Film/ImGonnaGitYouSucka''. Both of them have army jackets with lots of pins on them, so John Slade assumes they have combat experience. Turns out they don't; the pins are for stuff like typing, surfing, and winning a darts tournament. Slade's pretty upset about it. |
| 86 | -->'''Slade:''' Sam, hold it, man, you told me you served in 'Nam!\ |
| 87 | '''Sam:''' I did! Saigon.\ |
| 88 | '''Slade:''' Then how'd you lose your eye?\ |
| 89 | '''Sam:''' Fuckin' around in the office. We were shootin' paperclips, and one of the damn fools hit me in the eye! |
| 90 | * Allen in ''Film/TheOtherGuys'' chose the most stable and dull job he could think of in the police force, 'forensic accounting', to try to avoid the 'craziness' of [[spoiler: his old days as a pimp. It doesn't work.]] |
| 91 | * Robert Tracy in ''Film/{{Phffft}}''! spent WWII behind a desk because he was of much better use with contracts, since he's a lawyer. He happened to save the army $750, 000! |
| 92 | * ''Film/RulesOfEngagement'': After serving as a lieutenant in Vietnam and being wounded in action, Hayes Hodges stayed in the Marines and spent 28 years as a JAG officer, rising to the rank of colonel. |
| 93 | * Averted with [[ButtMonkey Corporal Upham]] in ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'' -- he was ''planning'' on staying safely behind lines doing translation and cartography... |
| 94 | -->'''Cpl Upham:''' I haven't held a weapon since basic training, sir.\ |
| 95 | '''Capt. Miller:''' Did you fire the weapon in training?\ |
| 96 | '''Upham:''' Yes, sir.\ |
| 97 | '''Miller:''' Then get your gear. |
| 98 | * ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'': Agent Eve (whose full name is revealed to be Moneypenny) eventually chooses to step down from [=MI6=] field operations after shooting Film/JamesBond by mistake and becomes M's secretary (which she's always been canonically). |
| 99 | [[/folder]] |
| 100 | |
| 101 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 102 | * In ''[[Creator/MatthewReilly Area 7]]'', Colonel Hagerty (call sign "Hotrod", but better known as "[[AssShove Ramrod]]") is an obstructionist bureaucrat, and also the commanding officer during the book. Luckily, the President was around to make him shut up and listen to the people who actually know what they're doing in a battle. |
| 103 | * ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': |
| 104 | ** Holly Short was initially going to turn down her promotion to Major because she didn't want to be taken out of the field. Just before she is about to officially turn down the position to [[DaChief Commander Root]], he preemptively tells her about when ''he'' was on the verge of being promoted to Major and tried to turn it down, to which his Commander responded "this promotion isn't for you, it's for the People". Having convinced her to accept the job, he consoles her with the fact that Majors can occasionally assign minor missions to themselves. |
| 105 | ** Root himself, of course. He does occasionally go out on missions of particular importance (such as locating a field officer captured by humans) or unofficial ones (Root was unwilling to command any of his officers to take part in a mission as repayment for Artemis), and insists on personally examining prospective recruits. |
| 106 | * Literature/CiaphasCain [[CowardlyLion would love to be one of these]]. But his inflated reputation as the '''''[[MemeticMutation HERO OF THE IMPERIUM]]''''' means he keeps being sent out to lead his troops on campaigns anyway much to his chagrin. |
| 107 | * Ivan Vorpatril is a desk pilot in ''Literature/CaptainVorpatrilsAlliance''. He points out, after tackling a goon, "But it's a ''[[ProudWarriorRace Barrayaran]]'' [[BadassBureaucrat desk]]." |
| 108 | * Creator/TomClancy enjoys taking this trope out for a drive: |
| 109 | ** In ''Literature/TheHuntForRedOctober,'' Jack Ryan is a CIA analyst forced by circumstances into a field operation. This happens again in ''Literature/TheCardinalOfTheKremlin'' and ''Literature/ClearAndPresentDanger'' ... and in ''Literature/PatriotGames,'' it's shown how an operation against ''him'' is what put him in the analyst's desk to start with. |
| 110 | ** Starting with ''Literature/RainbowSix'', John Clark bemoans his status as a desk jockey, despite acknowledging that he can't physically keep up with the special force troopers under his command (He's over fifty and literally old enough to be the father of said troopers, one of whom is his son-in-law). |
| 111 | ** Throughout the series, Robby Jackson is gradually forced into this. Introduced as a relatively young Commander fighter pilot, he has several scenes in the early books where he's in the thick of the action, but as the series goes on, he gets older and earns promotions that require him to work in staff duty and leadership positions where he'd much rather be flying planes, and the books' climactic action sequences have him instead planning operations or monitoring progress instead of doing the fighting himself. He's finally diagnosed with age-related arthritis that causes him to fail his flight status medical check shortly after he's promoted to Rear Admiral, so he spends most of his remaining career in the Pentagon's staff, though he makes friends with a new civilian service Secretary who sees things much the same way as he does, who feeds him important work whenever possible to break up the tedium. |
| 112 | ** [[AuthorAppeal The author himself]] seemed to have a preference for the military officers who are seen leading from the front. In a majority of his books, military men who work at desk jobs (typically at the Pentagon or the White House) without complaint are typically in the mold of the politically ambitious or simply out of touch with the "real" military; while those who work mightily to stay out of staffs or offices are seen as honest straight-shooters with the good of the service foremost on their minds. |
| 113 | * When Captain Vimes of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fame is promoted to Commander of The Ankh-Morpork City Watch he proceeds to spend much time and effort resisting this trope. Sgt. Colon on the other hand is usually seen at his desk. Especially when it's raining, cold or dangerous outside, which is almost always the case in Ankh-Morpork. |
| 114 | * The ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'' short story "[[https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/dooms-day-hour-one-full-story-read-now-sooz-kempner-james-goss Doom's Day: Hour One]]" features Terri, who is well aware that being the booking clerk for a MurderInc makes her the least important person in the organisation and has responded by perfecting the persona of a bored and apathetic receptionist. |
| 115 | * ''Literature/FlightOfTheIntruder'', The Intel officer, obviously, as his job doesn't involve flying, and it is pointed out that at least a few of the Duty Officers are aviators who were removed from flying status for one reason or another, temporarily or permanently as the case may be. |
| 116 | * In ''Literature/ForwardTheFoundation'', one of the Emperor's gardeners gets promoted against his will to head gardener; he feels the promotion will take him away from his beloved gardening and make a desk jockey out of him (he's right). [[spoiler:He assassinates the Emperor over it.]] |
| 117 | * ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': |
| 118 | ** [[spoiler:Honor Harrington]] is currently commanding Home Fleet, which stays home and doesn't go anywhere. If it wasnt for the ensuing Mesan surprise attack, that would take her out of the real action, which is why Henke and the Saganami group have been brought into the limelight; to take over from [[spoiler: Honor]] as the "out there wuppin ass" group from Manticore. |
| 119 | ** As of the more recent books, the closest thing Honor has to an opposite number in the Republic of Haven, Thomas Theisman, has risen to the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Secretary of War, which firmly places him in the political battlefield rather than the literal battlefield. [[spoiler: He makes an exception when he leads a fleet of Havenite warships to the Manticore system to help the Manticorans defend against a Mesan-instigated Solarian attack.]] |
| 120 | * ''Literature/KrisLongknife'': Much of the crew of the Wasp is there to avoid this trope. The captain is a retired rear admiral who didn't like being a desk pilot and got offered the job by [[TheSpymaster Admiral Crossinshield]]. The ship's cook was a full admiral and the rest of the officers are an assortment of retired captains and admirals. |
| 121 | * ''Literature/OfficialPrivilege'': In this book by former navy destroyer skipper Creator/PTDeutermann, a desk jockey Navy Commander who is awaiting a ship's captain billet to open up, is tasked with assisting an NCIS investigation into an apparent accidental death on a mothballed ship. His NCIS partner is also a desk jockey, who doesn't have any field investigation experience. The book reveals the existence of an Executive Assistant cabal - an informal network of senior officer desk jockeys, who act as "fixers" for navy admirals. |
| 122 | * This trope is pointed out in Creator/DavidDrake's ''Literature/{{RCN}}'' series. As the captain of a frigate Daniel Leary has seen more combat than most fleet admirals. |
| 123 | * ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'': |
| 124 | ** Fresh-out-of-training PC Peter Grant is dismayed to find that he is being given a desk job in the police force, however an encounter with a ghost (and ghost-hunting DCI Nightingale) gets him transferred to the police's supernatural crimes department. |
| 125 | ** Played with in that his colleague WPC Lesley May, also fresh out of training, is posted to the glamorous homicide department, and ends up doing their data entry. |
| 126 | * DoubleSubversion in Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'': One motto of the Mobile Infantry is "everybody drops, everybody fights" -- everybody has combat duty, and any support job that can be done by civilians is. In practice, this means that the officers are forced to juggle ''multiple'' desk jobs in-between drops. It is mentioned that some desk jobs are filled by people who want to serve, but are physically limited in their capabilities. For example, when Johnny goes to sign up for military service, the officer running the desk is missing an arm, a leg, and an eye. Having him in this position serves the double purpose of giving him somewhere to serve, and reminding potential recruits the dangers they're signing up for. [[spoiler:He lost them when he got hit by a car while on leave. He takes his fully functional prosthetics off to scare away potential recruits.]] |
| 127 | * The ''Literature/TortallUniverse'' has "desk knights" who hold administrative positions and have more or less retired from combat duties. The two shown in the series are extremely important- Sir Gareth the Younger of Naxen, the Prime Minister, and Sir Myles of Olau, the Realm's spymaster. Still, two young squires are shown to dread having a desk knight as their knight-master, because that would mean doing paperwork for four years instead of getting combat experience. |
| 128 | * ''Literature/TrainMan2010'': In yet another Deutermann novel, the protagonist FBIAgent Hush Hanson was involved in a shootout early in his career where he single handedly massacred a gang of armed drug dealers he was trying to arrest. [[BleedEmAndWeep Scared emotionally not by the danger he was put in, but at the violence he is capable of]], Hanson became a desk bound careerist who became a rather young Assistant Director. |
| 129 | * ''Literature/WetDesertTrackingDownATerroristOnTheColoradoRiver'': The Commissioner Roland is completely out of depth at the Hoover Dam crisis, being more used to politics and money than at crisis management. |
| 130 | * In the ''Literature/XWingSeries'', Wedge Antilles resists being promoted to General because he wants to stay a pilot rather than get stuck behind a desk. He finally relents when he finds out that his underlings have started refusing ''their'' [[LimitedAdvancementOpportunities promotions]] for the same reasons, and he doesn't want to impede their careers (or bring about the total collapse of the New Republic's rank system). Also, he has a job coming on that requires him to pull rank. Thus, he needs rank to pull! Sure enough, said promotion eventually results in him being pulled out of the cockpit. They give him a Super Star Destroyer to command instead. |
| 131 | [[/folder]] |
| 132 | |
| 133 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 134 | * In an episode of the time travel series ''Series/SevenDays1998'' the protagonist Frank's ex-wife is engaged to a decorated Naval Intelligence Officer named Mike Cleary. Frank tells his ex that her new beau Cleary is in covert ops just like Frank himself was, and therefore, she won't get to see much of him. She retorts that Cleary isn't a BloodKnight like Frank - turns out Cleary intentionally asked to be a desk jockey so that he could spend more time with Frank's ex-wife and son. |
| 135 | * ''Series/BandOfBrothers'' notes this a few times: |
| 136 | ** Pvt. Vest is seen delivering mail throughout the series. In episode 8 he requests the opportunity to join a dangerous patrol, which gives him the chance to learn truly that WarIsHell. |
| 137 | ** Capt. Winters is eventually promoted to the point where he has a desk in episode 5. Several times he is tempted to get back into the action. At one point, Winters must be given a direct order NOT to join the action by Colonel Sink. |
| 138 | ** Capt. Nixon, despite his three combat jumps, reveals in episode 9 that he had never fired his weapon in combat. For much of the series he is the intelligence officer. |
| 139 | ** Second Lieutenant Jones joins Easy Company near the end of the war and desperately wants to get some combat experience. He eventually gets to participate in a night raid just before Easy Company is pulled from the line. And is subsequently [[KickedUpstairs promoted to First Lieutenant and given a desk position in Batallion]]. |
| 140 | ** [[TheNeidermeyer Captain Sobel]] also qualifies. Although he was in charge of Easy Company and trained them for two years, he never saw combat. When Easy Company went to combat, he was given a training role, then became a supply officer. |
| 141 | ** Actually, Sobel was awarded a Combat Infantryman's Badge (given to soldiers who face enemy fire) and was wounded by an enemy machine gun in Normandy. |
| 142 | * ''Series/TheBill'' used to delight in these. Several characters would almost always be seen inside the station: |
| 143 | ** Chief Superintendent Brownlow - The officer in overall charge of the station. As DaChief he would usually be busy with bureaucracy, appraisals and management briefings. It really was a special occasion if Brownlow was involved in a police operation. |
| 144 | *** Brownlow was written out in 2000, to be replaced with a more 'modern image' Superintendent, who made his mark on the show by immediately becoming interested in on-foot policing and heavily involved in field operations |
| 145 | ** Chief Inspector Conway - The senior manager for operations. Helped put into place whatever decisions were made by Ch Supt Brownlow. Conway was sometimes involved in actual policing but very rarely. As a trained negotiator, most of the time Conway would be seen outside of the station would be if there was a hostage situation. |
| 146 | *** Conway was written out of the show in 2002 when the CrimeTimeSoap era of the show necessitated a major overhaul of the cast. The rank of Chief Inspector was never replaced as the show's writers felt that Chief Inspectors were ''too'' desk bound and didn't fit any suitable narrative role. |
| 147 | ** Inspector Monroe - The officer responsible for actual operational activities and shift manager for the station. Monroe was actually an active officer for most of his tenure on the show (1990-2002), involved in numerous operations and being heavily involved with actual policing but towards the end of his time, he became more and more of a desk jockey. The reasoning for this was because of the show's descent into a CrimeTimeSoap; as the show started to revolve around the officers' private lives more, the show's writing seemingly eliminated almost every scene where an Inspector would be involved, with Constables and Sergeants nervously working to cover their dramas and indiscretions instead of an Inspector stepping in to resolve the situation. |
| 148 | *** Monroe was eventually written out of the show at the same time as Ch Insp Conway when they DroppedABridgeOnHim. A new Inspector, Inspector Gold, was transferred in to replace him but with a very different personality to add a different dynamic to the now soap opera show. |
| 149 | ** Averted with CID; by their very nature, Detectives were investigating numerous crimes simultaneously and although Detective Chief Inspector Meadows ''did'' have a lot of office-based episodes, he was frequently seen on the streets leading his team. Even Detective Superintendents with AMIP would be doing actual police work as the Senior Investigating Officers of murder enquiries. |
| 150 | ** ''Very'' senior officers like Commanders and Deputy Assistant Commissioners rarely appeared on the show but were likewise nothing more than table props, usually of the ObstructiveBureaucrat type. |
| 151 | * Captain Darling in ''Series/{{Blackadder}} Goes Forth'' is the personal secretary of [[ArmchairMilitary General Melchett]] and also works as a logistics officer. [[SitcomArchNemesis He and Blackadder hate each others' guts]], because Darling (in getting a desk job and thus escaping the trenches) has succeeded at what Blackadder is constantly trying to do. [[spoiler:Until the final episode, where Melchett 'promotes' him to join Blackadder's unit for an attack.]] |
| 152 | * Stark from ''Series/{{Eureka}}'' is the administrator of Global Dynamics. When Henry tells him his brilliance is being wasted as a desk jockey, Stark points out that he's much more valuable where he is, being the person that makes their cutting edge research happen with as little interference as possible. Notably, when Stark is no longer in control of GD, there is a ''lot'' more interference from outside sources such as the Pentagon. |
| 153 | * An episode of ''Series/FamilyMatters'' uses the exact words. Richie and his class are visiting Carl's precinct on a field trip. Richie has talked up his cop uncle to his friends, who are less than impressed with Carl's function as an administrator (Carl had been promoted to Lieutenant by now). Carl later proves them wrong by talking down a petty thief who had grabbed a cop's gun and held him hostage. Besides getting the children and their teacher to safety, [[BallsOfSteel he doesn't even flinch.]] |
| 154 | * This is referred to by ''Series/HomicideHunter''. Although Kenda isn't this, he mentions that contrary to what TV depicts, even a detective will spend a lot of time at a desk doing paperwork--several episodes opened like this. |
| 155 | * Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden on ''Series/{{JAG}}'' is a Navy SEAL who became a lawyer and got promoted up as high as a military lawyer can get. However, that doesn't stop him from, once in a while, show what a true badass he really is. |
| 156 | ** In ''Series/{{JAG}}, the male lead Harmon Rabb is a former carrier based fighter pilot who became a military lawyer after being grounded for medical reasons. He is treated with the same derision by active carrier aviators, as they would treat any deskbound Staff Officer. However, Commander Lindsey stands out even among the JAG Corps as a desk jockey - he spent a lot of time in an administrative role shuffling papers instead of fighting cases in court. Lindsey is [[PassedOverPromotion passed over for elevation to Captain]] for this reason. |
| 157 | * In ''Series/MadamSecretary'''s pilot episode, George's suspicions about the death of preceding Secretary of State Vincent Marsh are initially dismissed as paranoia brought on by him having trouble adjusting to being stuck behind a desk after spending most of his career in fieldwork. [[spoiler:He's completely correct, and is KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade.]] |
| 158 | * ''Series/{{MASH}}'': |
| 159 | ** Father Mulcahy has a famous episode where a patient refuses to talk with him because he has no field experience since he was the camp chaplain. Mulcahy asks Col. Potter if he could spend some time on the front to fix that, but Potter refuses saying that no commander nowadays will tolerate having a soldier in the field who is forbidden by regulations to fight. Regardless, Mulcahy sneaks away anyway on an errand with Radar to the front and has a memorable experience having to perform an emergency tracheotomy under enemy fire with Hawkeye guiding him on the radio. As a result, the patient is impressed that the Padre had now just enough battle experience for any front line soldier to respect him. |
| 160 | ** Another episode has Colonel Potter becoming afraid of being shipped back home to be a desk jockey. |
| 161 | ** The job of company clerk, first held by Radar and later by Klinger, consists largely of handling paperwork and dealing with the military bureaucracy. Unlike many examples of the trope, the job is portrayed as being both difficult and absolutely vital - if the unit doesn't get supplies, they can't treat patients properly, and the clerks go to great lengths and get up to serious shenanigans to make sure they do get them. |
| 162 | * ''Series/McHalesNavy'': |
| 163 | ** Wallace Binghamton is a Navy Captain who spends most of his time at his desk trying to figure out how to bust [=McHale=] and his merry band of profiteers. |
| 164 | ** In one episode, [=McHale=] was made a temporary Desk Jockey so [[spoiler: Binghamton could show the Admiral on a surprise inspection exactly what [=McHale=]'s crew was doing (holding a party on the main base.)]] |
| 165 | * At the beginning of ''Series/TheRightStuff'' both John Glenn and Alan Shepard are about to be turned into this. They are the best test pilots in the US Armed Forces but their expertise in aircraft design makes them also invaluable in desk roles, helped design the next generation of aircraft or spacecraft. The creation of NASA and the Mercury Project saves them from that fate. |
| 166 | * In the GrandFinale of ''Series/TheShield,'' this is the core of the probation Vic is required to carry out. Much to his disgust ("I don't do desks!"). |
| 167 | * ''Series/StargateSG1'': |
| 168 | ** SGC Generals spend much of their screen time at paper-laden desks. Colonel O'Neill achieves promotion to brigadier general so his actor Richard Dean Anderson could spend less time on camera and more with his family. |
| 169 | ** On the other hand, in Teal'c's flashbacks as First Prime to Apophis, he averts this. The pattern seems to be that First Primes (like Teal'c) lead from the front, and desk work posts are filled by minor Goa'uld. |
| 170 | * ''Franchise/StarTrek'': |
| 171 | ** Starfleet admirals are almost never seen in action. When James Kirk gets promoted to admiral, he hates being confined to a desk and does his level best to get either demoted back into action or kicked out. In general, if a situation arises requiring a fleet of ships working together, an Admiral seems more likely to appoint one of the Captains to be in the on-scene commander. |
| 172 | ** Picard explicitly states that he will always refuse to be an Admiral, even though he's far more qualified than most Admirals, because he wants to avoid this. When he does eventually get promoted he becomes an ambassador, which still requires lots of travel and adventure while still fitting his role as a scholar and a diplomat. |
| 173 | ** Vice Admiral William Ross from ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' is just about the only exception to this trope, but only because he's in command of a Federation fleet during a full-blown war. Admiral Hanson is another exception, but that didn't turn out too well. At one point Ross is stuck behind a desk planning missions instead of leading them. During the Dominion's occupation of [=DS9=], he also makes Sisko his adjutant, putting Dax in command of the ''Defiant'' while Sisko sits at a desk at Starbase 375. Sisko is clearly not happy to be taken off his ship, but the desk job gives him the opportunity to plan the mission to retake [=DS9=]. |
| 174 | ** In the [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries TOS]] episode "The Deadly Years", Commodore Stocker is one of these. In fact, it's specifically mentioned he's never held a field command in his life. This causes trouble when he takes the conn and accidentally crosses the Romulan Neutral Zone. |
| 175 | ** Crewman Mortimer Harren on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' is an example of this on the other end of the rank scale -- he only joined Starfleet because he needed a year's experience in practical cosmological study to attend a specific scientific institute. Once he got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, he does everything he can to be given the least amount of work possible and refuses any sort of away mission. |
| 176 | * ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'': In "The Wall", Major Alex [=McAndrews=] agrees to risk his life and go through the [[CoolGate Gate]] because he was recently told that he was too old to be a test pilot and hated the idea of being a desk jockey. |
| 177 | [[/folder]] |
| 178 | |
| 179 | [[folder:Theater]] |
| 180 | * "When I was a lad" from Creator/GilbertAndSullivan's ''Theatre/HMSPinafore'' is all about this. How do you get to be the ruler of the Queen's navy? Kick ass at pushing paper and doing not much else! He wasn't even jockey of a navy desk - he was a lawyer who became a machine politician. The desk he rode was as a legal clerk back before he passed the bar. |
| 181 | [[/folder]] |
| 182 | |
| 183 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 184 | * ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown'': [[TheNeidermeyer Colonel McKinsey]] hopes to become one of these by hoarding all of the Spare Squadron’s accomplishments to himself, [[DirtyCoward to get as far away from the frontlines as possible]]. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope However]], it ends up backfiring on him, because according to Osea High Command, his “accomplishments” means that he’s the right man to lead the frontlines against Erusea.]] |
| 185 | * Most of the color commentators in the ''VideoGame/BackyardSports'' series, with the exception of Vinnie the Gooch and [[ReplacementScrappy Jack Fouler]], were once players but are now confined to watching. Chuck Downfield is basically retired (as he has a charlie horse), but [[spoiler:the others, with the exception of Earl Grey, are [[SecretCharacter unlockable players]].]] |
| 186 | * ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': There are a few desk jockeys in the New California Republic Army: |
| 187 | ** Major Knight is likely the first you will encounter, as he oversees the inexistent traffic through the Mojave outpost, the first NCR base you are likely to visit. If you're a male courier with the Confirmed Bachelor perk he might become your favourite NPC, as with a bit of flirting he gives you free repairs. |
| 188 | ** There's also Chief Hanlon, the aged head of the NCR {{Ranger}}s. He was quite badass in his prime, but now works at Camp Golf coordinating intelligence. |
| 189 | ** Colonel James Hsu at Camp [=McCarran=], who was sidelined for not being as aggressive as [[GeneralRipper Col. Moore]] and not having connections to President Kimball like [[GeneralFailure General Oliver]]. Of all the brass you meet in the NCR he is the most level headed, though overwhelmed by just how much work his troops have cut out for them. |
| 190 | * ''Franchise/MassEffect'': |
| 191 | ** Ex-Spectre candidate Captain David Anderson is confined to a desk job at the beginning of the game, though [[spoiler:you can make him the Human representative in the galaxy in the end]]. Which he laments in the second game. |
| 192 | ** [[PlayerCharacter Shepard him- or herself]] subverts this trope pretty well: although executive officers on ships are usually relegated to, well, executive duties (i.e. paperwork), Shepard's background as a special ops soldier means that when shit needs to hit a fan, Shepard's the one for the job. This can sometimes be true in RealLife as well: effective special ops soldiers aren't denied promotions for excelling, so that the high-ranking officers in a special ops group are the ones to watch out for. |
| 193 | ** Nyreen Kandros in the third game is an interesting (and tragic) example. She was a soldier in the regular turian military, but was a [[MindOverMatter biotic]] whose powers developed relatively late in life. In the turian armed forces, biotics are segregated into special black-ops groups called "cabals", ostensibly due to centuries-old [[FantasticRacism bad blood]] between biotic and non-biotic soldiers. However, since her biotic powers aren't strong enough to actually use in the field at the level the cabal demands, she winds up in a supporting role. Her disillusionment with the whole affair, combined with the lack of camaraderie in the cabal itself, eventually drives her to desert and light out to the Terminus Systems. |
| 194 | ** Intel analyst Maya Brooks shows up in the third game's ''Citadel'' DLC, claiming to have uncovered a plot to kill Shepard. After getting shot during the initial firefight, she acts flustered and stammers a lot. She complains that she works a desk job, and isn't used to combat. When Shepard tells her to make a template of all the forms Brooks will need to fill out, reporting her injuries to the Alliance, she says that Shepard gets shot a little too much. [[spoiler: It is all an act - Brooks is actually a disgruntled ex-Cerberus operative, who is the wire puller behind the attempt to kill Shepard.]] |
| 195 | * In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'', one character complains about having to stare at a computer screen by a checkpoint, saying that it would never happen to Samus. It should be mentioned that said character is [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor rather dead when the player encounters her]]. |
| 196 | * Ford Cruller from ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'', despite being a Psychomaster (a very high-ranking position), is relegated to being the campus' MissionControl, janitor, ranger, cook, store owner, and jack-of-all-trades. [[spoiler:This is because his duel with the powerful psychic villain Maligula [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu shattered his mind]], causing him to switch through different bumbling personalities. He can maintain his true Psychonaut persona only when he's exposed to Psitanium - and it's only temporary, with the exception of the gigantic piece of Psitanium contained in his sanctuary]]. |
| 197 | * ''VideoGame/RedAlert3'': Zigzagged with commanders Giles Price (Allies) and Oleg Vodnik (Soviets), who were promoted in between the original and the expansion (Giles is charge of the Allied occupation of Japan, while Oleg is apparently commander-in-chief of all the Soviet forces). Both of them are still on active duty despite their political promotions. |
| 198 | [[/folder]] |
| 199 | |
| 200 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 201 | * In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'' series, [[ColonelBadass Commander Nebula]] constantly expresses his frustration that his rank forces him to do more paperwork than shooting. Worse yet, he has a flying desk that forces him back on it to do his work. |
| 202 | * A Veteran's Day episode of ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' reveals that Gerald's father Martin served as one of these in Vietnam; apparently he was sick during basic training, so they only let him be a clerk.[[note]]This is very much not how it works in real life. They call it "basic" training for a reason: you have to complete it even to have a desk job in the army. Although, we're probably meant to assume that Martin didn't get sent home because it's UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar and they were short-handed.[[/note]] Gerald is disappointed at this, wishing his dad had a more exciting tour of duty, only to discover that he saved the life of a fellow soldier by administering emergency first aid while passing through a combat zone. |
| 203 | * In ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' ''Unlimited'', General Eiling feels he has been reduced to this after Project Cadmus has been shut down. |
| 204 | [[/folder]] |
| 205 | |
| 206 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 207 | * The Administrator job in the military by definition is this, whether you're working in mail, finance, human resources, supply or some combination of the bunch. From Private to a high ranked logistics officer, your job is gonna be behind the desk in some form. Though you will be told repeatedly that serving in combat is ''not'' your job if you sign up for it, militaries may still encourage admins to downplay this trope by getting some experience in the field as support for menial jobs or even pretending to be the enemy just to be familiar with what the combat arms go through. |
| 208 | * In the [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks US Military]], any combat arms officer i.e. infantry, armor, artillery, aviation, ships, submarines or special forces who wants to achieve a General or Admiral rank must spend at least two years at a desk job in a Joint Service Staff assignment. This is explicitly required by the 1986 Goldwater Nichols Act in order to curb InterServiceRivalry among the senior most officer ranks, which can adversely affect joint operations. |
| 209 | * The model for Sir Joseph in Theater/HMSPinafore was widely believed to be [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Smith_(1825-1891) William Henry Smith]] a bookseller turned [=MP=] who became First Lord of the Admiralty despite having never been to sea, with possibly a dash of his predecessor [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Childers Hugh Childers]], a widely disliked First Lord who ''also'' had no sea experience and is best known for authorizing the building of HMS ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Captain_(1869) Captain]]'' over the very loud protests of more experienced naval officers who could tell at a glance it was [[TheAllegedCar The Alleged Warship]]. |
| 210 | [[/folder]] |
| 211 | ---- |
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