Senior officers are asked about what they would like to do when they reach that level and this is taken into account when selecting and assigning the permanent command posts. One big issue is lack of numbers for command positions. We simply don’t have enough regular members to warrant selecting a new command officer. So, if you’re an aspiring captain, get recruiting!
We do try to get people who can do it too. It might seem easy to captain, but when you sit in that chair, people often realise it is a lot harder then it looks. In charge of a TSN crew, and on a proper mission, things all seem to step up a level. Try running a ship alongside another and it begins to get even more challenging. Trying to lead a battle group is even harder ( just ask any of the command officers and XOs that have done it) and a coordinating multiple battlegroups and scouts… well that’s a breeze 😉
It is a lot more difficult than it seems, and with more potential command candidates it means we can pick the best. I think it important to have the best captains too, so crews get the best experience in game (we’ve all had, or heard of experiences with… inexperienced captains).
In the past, it has been difficult to select the next command candidate, and when we do, the most senior officers (those who are captaining a ship or highest ranking officers) have had lengthy discussions about it. One way not to get one btw is pestering us though! The best captains have been the best performing officers on a ship, doing their job to the highest possible standard ( and learning all others to the highest possible standard too). And that is true for all in command… including me. I trained myself in every role until I had virtually mastered it before I was happy to truely call myself captain.