Bond's military status?

frommeyerfrommeyer ChicagoPosts: 418MI6 Agent
I know he's "Commander Bond." But what does that mean? I'm from the US and not familiar with England's system. Is he considered active military? For instance, many CIA employees are former military but they're not active. They liaise with the US military on operations but that's it. It's said that MI6 is the CIA's counterpart so I'm wondering how similar those are in execution.

Comments

  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,483MI6 Agent
    edited August 2020
    He’s in the Reserves since leaving the Royal Navy as a commissioned officer. Used to be the RNVR (Royal Navy Volunteer Reserves), now the RNR (Royal Navy Reserves). He retains this status and rank in case he is called up for active duty. Although he is exempt from that duty due to the nature of his role in the Foreign Office, he can still be called up for active service should the need arise during an extreme event which I can only think would be a major emergency the likes we haven’t seen for 80 years.

    In the films Bond uses his rank and status in the Reserves as a cover, which he never does in the books until Win, Lose or Die where is promoted to Captain and officially joins the Royal Navy again.
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  • emtiememtiem SurreyPosts: 5,686MI6 Agent
    Interesting!
  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,483MI6 Agent
    It’s a simplified explanation, but in a nutshell that’s basically it.
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  • frommeyerfrommeyer ChicagoPosts: 418MI6 Agent
    That's really interesting. Two follow-ups:

    1) was it appropriate in TND for Brosnan to wear his dress blues at the airfield? My brother is an airborne ranger and officer in the army - from what I gather, the rules surrounding when one can wear dress seem kinda narrow.

    2) Now I wonder what a RNR MI6 agent's status would be if captured. Specifically under the Geneva Convention. Is he a spy or could he claim military intelligence? Two different sets of rules would apply depending on the answer.
  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,483MI6 Agent
    edited August 2020
    OK, I’ll try and answer that as best I can.

    In TND if in real life, there is no way he would have worn his uniform unless he was posing as a visiting representative of HM Royal Navy. For which I don’t see any point at all as Wade is CIA. It was just cinematic fluff to put him in uniform, as are all of the times you see him in uniform on screen.

    If he was captured, he would be treated as a spy unless he was on official active duty for the RN. Which he never is as he’s a civil servant working for the Foreign Office. Bond is a civilian now and the RNR status somewhat redundant. Unless he was using it as an official cover and back on active service working for the RN and HMAF then he can’t claim to be military. Anyone making the basic of check ups could pull his service history and status which would show he was no longer on active service. The military and our domestic and foreign intelligence services are two very separate entities. He can’t just flip from one to the other as suits. He would actively have to leave his job in SIS to go on active service with the Royal Navy. The use of his rank and RNR status is mostly inappropriately used on screen and in the non Fleming books. Except Win Lose or Die as I mentioned earlier, when he went back on active duty with the RN and was promoted to Captain. Although it was an SIS operation and he was controlled by them. He still had to go back to train for the RN and his new duties before assuming his official cover as a Captain aboard Invincible.
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  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I can appreciate the accuracy of all the military adherence to etiquette etc but I
    think to the producers and we the public. It's just nice to see Bond in uniform once
    in a while.
    Although it is very interesting to read all the formal rules regarding uniforms etc. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Bond44Bond44 Vauxhall CrossPosts: 1,581MI6 Agent
    I once saw DC’s Bond back story it used to be on the Omega website. This is the closest I have found since. I believe it helps to allow writers to use this as a handrail for their writing if they know his background.

    https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/James_Bond_(Daniel_Craig)

    Cheers :007)
    My name is Bond, Basildon Bond - I have letters after my name!
  • emtiememtiem SurreyPosts: 5,686MI6 Agent
    Bond44 wrote:
    I once saw DC’s Bond back story it used to be on the Omega website. This is the closest I have found since. I believe it helps to allow writers to use this as a handrail for their writing if they know his background.

    https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/James_Bond_(Daniel_Craig)

    Cheers :007)

    Yeah that's great: I think it all came originally from the website set up for Casino Royale's release, which was all sort of MI6 dossier-themed.
    I think his birthdate had slipped a bit in Spectre! :)
  • JTMJTM Posts: 3,027MI6 Agent
    emtiem wrote:
    Bond44 wrote:
    I once saw DC’s Bond back story it used to be on the Omega website. This is the closest I have found since. I believe it helps to allow writers to use this as a handrail for their writing if they know his background.

    https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/James_Bond_(Daniel_Craig)

    Cheers :007)

    Yeah that's great: I think it all came originally from the website set up for Casino Royale's release, which was all sort of MI6 dossier-themed.
    I think his birthdate had slipped a bit in Spectre! :)

    I’m very happy for his birthday to stay as is—it’s one cool thing I share with Bond :D
  • KladdaghKladdagh FrancePosts: 117MI6 Agent
    Thanks for thoses informations -{
    ~Never Let Them See You Bleed~
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