Why was Picard given the Enterprise?

[Tribble]

True, but if the Stargazer had still been active when the E-D was launched, I doubt Picard would have been given a transfer. Hell, I'm not even sure if he would have wanted one. Judging from his 29+ year stint it looks as though that as far as Starfleet and Picard was concerned the Stargazer was going to stay under his command until it was either decommissioned or destroyed.

IMO the (serious) reason why Picard was given the E-D was because the Stargazer was destroyed, not in spite of it.

[Lord Revan]

it's possible but we got only speculations about that either way it's rather clear that Picard's actions during that command were a argument for to giving him the Enterprise not against it.

[Prannon]

This is an unsupported proposition, but is there any evidence that he simply refused any promotion or transfer?

[Lord Revan]

This is an unsupported proposition, but is there any evidence that he simply refused any promotion or transfer?

before the Enterprise? None that I know of.

[Tsyroc]

Wasn't there some information that there was a little maneuvering to get Picard on the Enterprise because of the alien conspiracy in the early part of TNG? I think some friend of his wanted him there as a protection against whatever was going on.

I'm actually curious how things would have gone if the Stargazer hadn't been lost. Since we don't ever really see any Constellation class ships other than the Stargazer it couldn't have been too many more years until the Stargazer was decommissioned. Where does Picard end up in the scenario? Does he take another ship? Does he take a promotion? Does he retire from Starfleet? I think all of those have been suggested as options with him during TNG.

[Prometheus Unbound]

Wasn't there some information that there was a little maneuvering to get Picard on the Enterprise because of the alien conspiracy in the early part of TNG? I think some friend of his wanted him there as a protection against whatever was going on.

No. His friend, Admiral Quinn, actually wanted him to be commandant of the academy and offered him a promotion to admiral. Picard declined.

[Prometheus Unbound]

I'm actually curious how things would have gone if the Stargazer hadn't been lost. Since we don't ever really see any Constellation class ships other than the Stargazer

Star Trek VI, The Battle, The Wounded, Peak Performance and we've seen the USS Constellation, Hathaway, Victory and Stargazer.

[Lonestar]

I'm not an expert on Navy matters, but I'm under the impression that in the Navy the most capable leaders are generally not given an obsolete ship with backwater tasks for nearly 29 years before being considered for transfer or promotion.

Gotta start somewhere. Chester Nimitz spent a chunk of his middle-rank years being CHENG of a tanker.

[Lord Revan]

CHENG?!

could please explain that acronym for those of us who don't USN lingo by heart.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Chief Engineer I think.

[Lonestar]

Chief Engineer.

[Tribble]

Ya, but was he chief engineer for over 29 years before being promoted?