History Main / CommunicationsOfficer

* In the ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' series, this role is typically filled by [[AcePilot Joker]] or [[BridgeBunnies Yeoman Chambers]].

** ''StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' brings us one of the most famous examples, Lieutenant Uhura. In the StarTrekExpandedUniverse and the [[Film/StarTrek 2009 film]] she is also a xenolinguistics expert.

* In''{{Sealab 2020}}'' and its GagDub ''WesternAnimation/{{Sealab 2021}}'', the com officer for the title installation was Lieutenant Sparks (apparently his real last name).

-->--'''Lt. Uhura''', ''StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''

* ''ExoSquad'' features team member Alec [=DeLeon=], with his specialized Communications E-Frame.
* ''{{Sealab 2020}}''. The comm officer for the title installation was Lieutenant Sparks (apparently his real last name).

* Robert RO Dixon in {{SeaPatrol}} is a very snarky Communications officer. He does go on boreding parties and is the best person with software.

* ''{{Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea}}'' (1961). The comm officer aboard the Seaview (a U.S. government vessel) was called Sparks.

* In the ''VideoGames/MassEffect'' series, this role is typically filled by [[AcePilot Joker]] or [[BridgeBunnies Yeoman Chambers]].
* In ''VideoGames/WingCommander III'', "[[EverybodyCallsHimBarkeep Radio]]" Rollins is both this in the literal sense, being the TCS ''Victory'''s communication's officer, as well as in the informal sense, considering himself as the one person on the ship who will tell you exactly what's ''really'' going on. You have the option upon first meeting him to lay down the law and get him to stop hurting ship's morale with his rumors.[[hottip:*: His rumors, that the [[TheAlliance Terran Confederation]] is on the ropes in its war with the [[MegaNeko Kilrathi]], are largely true, but it is disastrous for morale to just come out and state that openly when there is still a fighting chance for them to recover.]]

* In the ''MassEffect'' series, this role is typically filled by [[AcePilot Joker]] or [[BridgeBunnies Yeoman Chambers]].

* ''BattlestarGalactica'' originally had Commander Adama's daughter Athena in this role in the original series. In the reboot, the job was performed by Corporal (later Lieutenant) Dualla, as well as her replacement, Hoshi.
* In Series/{{MASH}}, Radar was usually called up on to operate the communications equipment

[[quoteright:358:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tos_uhura_6588.jpg]]

[[/fodler

[[folder: Film ]]

* Mrs. Packard on ''AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', although she spends most of the time chatting up her friend over the phone (which, unless she's also in the submarine, [[FridgeLogic would be quite a feat using 1914 technology]]).

* ''Sealab 2020''. The comm officer for the title installation was Lieutenant Sparks (apparently his real last name).

* ''DownPeriscope'' has Nitro, a skilled but very [[CloudCuckooLander eccentric]] electrician who manages to coerce the aging ship's radio equipment to work via various short-circuits (including several passing through [[AmusingInjuries his own body]]).

* ''WeWereSoldiers'': A number of radio operators are mixed in amongst the soldiers, with [[RedShirt several unnamed ones]] getting shot and killed during firefights. Another one, after proving himself particularly skilled by managing to tune in on radio transmissions from a battle happening on the other side of the Earth[[hottip:*: RealityIsUnrealistic. This actually happened, due to a quirk of UHF radio signals]], is assigned as Colonel Moore's personal radioman.

* ''WeWereSoldiers'': A number of radio operators are mixed in amongst the soldiers, with [[RedShirt several unnamed ones]] getting shot and killed during firefights. Another one, after proving himself particularly skilled by managing to tune in on radio transmissions from a battle happening on the other side of the Earth, is assigned as Colonel Moore's personal radioman.
** Note that tuning in on the radio transmissions from the far side of the planet is a case of TruthInTelevision, as that is in fact how that radioman came to be assigned to Colonel Moore in RealLife. This is a [[RealityIsUnrealistic quirk of UHF radios]], caused by the tendency of signals in that frequency range to bounce off of the upper atmosphere.

* Note that tuning in on the radio transmissions from the far side of the planet is a case of TruthInTelevision, as that is in fact how that radioman came to be assigned to Colonel Moore in RealLife. This is a [[RealityIsUnrealistic quirk of UHF radios]], caused by the tendency of signals in that frequency range to bounce off of the upper atmosphere.
* The movie also had a radioman whose primary responsibility was calling in fire support. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the book the film was based on]], he was actually a [[AcePilot fighter pilot]] by trade.

* ''WeWereSoldiers'': A number of radio operators are mixed in amongst the soldiers, with [[RedShirt several unnamed ones]] getting shot and killed during firefights. Another one, after proving himself particularly skilled by managing to tune in on radio transmissions from a battle happening on the other side of the Earth, is assigned as Colonel Moore's personal radioman.\\
\\
Note that tuning in on the radio transmissions from the far side of the planet is a case of TruthInTelevision, as that is in fact how that radioman came to be assigned to Colonel Moore in RealLife. This is a [[RealityIsUnrealistic quirk of UHF radios]], caused by the tendency of signals in that frequency range to bounce off of the upper atmosphere. The movie also had a radioman whose primary responsibility was calling in fire support. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the book the film was based on]], he was actually a [[AcePilot fighter pilot]] by trade.

->''Hailing frequencies open, Sir.''
-->Lt. Uhura, ''StarTrek''

!Examples:

[[AC:AnimeAndManga]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* ''FantasticVoyage'' has Charles Grant, a rare example of where the Communications Officer is also TheHero.

* ''SuperTroopers'' has [[JerkAss Farva]] given this job at the highway department as punishment after [[NoodleIncident the school bus incident]].
** Meanwhile, [[FairCop Ursula]] is tasked with the same job at the Spurbury Police Department [[StayInTheKitchen because she's a woman.]]

* ''WeWereSoldiers'' had a number of radio operators mixed in amongst the soldiers, with [[RedShirt several unnamed ones]] getting shot and killed during firefights. Another one, after proving himself particularly skilled by managing to tune in on radio transmissions from a battle happening on the other side of the Earth, is assigned as Colonel Moore's personal radioman.
** Note that tuning in on the radio transmissions from the far side of the planet is a case of TruthInTelevision, as that is in fact how that radioman came to be assigned to Colonel Moore in RealLife. This is a [[RealityIsUnrealistic quirk of UHF radios]], caused by the tendency of signals in that frequency range to bounce off of the upper atmosphere.
** The movie also had a radioman whose primary responsibility was calling in fire support. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the book the film was based on]], he was actually a [[AcePilot fighter pilot]] by trade.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* RobertHeinlein's ''{{The Number of the Beast}}''. When Hildy Burroughs is captain of the ''Gay Deceiver'', Zebadiah ("Zeb") Burroughs acts as her comm officer, especially when talking with the British colonists on Mars.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

* ''BattlestarGalactica'' originally had Commander Adama's daughter Athena in this role in the original series.
** In the reboot, the job was performed by Corporal (later Lieutenant) Dualla, as well as her replacement, Hoshi.

* ''StarTrek'' brings us one of the most famous examples, Lieutenant Uhura. In the StarTrekExpandedUniverse and the [[Film/StarTrek 2009 film]] she is also a xenolinguistics expert.
** This was the original duty for Worf on ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', perhaps owing to his [[HalfHumanHybrid bicultural background.]]
** Harry Kim on ''StarTrekVoyager'' got a battlefield promotion to chief communications officer, despite only being ([[StatusQuoIsGod perpetually]]) an ensign.
** Hoshi Sato handled communications on ''StarTrekEnterprise''. Her linguistics expertise also came into play because the UniversalTranslator was still a work-in-progress.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

----

-->''Hailing frequencies open, Sir.''

* ''Sealab 2020''. The comm officer for the title installation was Lieutenant Sparks (apparently his real last name).