14 Dumbest Things In Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
6. Kirk Is Commended, Not Court-Martialed
When the Enterprise arrives at Earth, Admiral Morrow tells Kirk and his crew they will “be receiving Starfleet’s highest commendation, and more importantly, extended shore leave.”
The crew, many of them green cadets who never expected to go into battle, probably deserve the praise and the rest. But Admiral Kirk? If he had simply followed Starfleet regulations, the Enterprise would have raised its shields before Khan first attacked, and likely avoided getting pummeled in the ensuing battle.
The consequences of Kirk’s needless flouting of procedure led to the Enterprise being trashed, the theft of the Genesis device, and the deaths of Captain Spock, Peter Preston, and who knows how many other casualties onboard the Enterprise. And, most importantly, Kirk’s negligence allowed Khan to detonate the Genesis device inside the Mutara Nebula—creating the “galactic controversy” that sets the events of Star Trek III into motion.
Kirk couldn’t even plead ignorance of the regulations. In The Wrath of Khan, Saavik reminded him of General Order Twelve with time to spare before Khan is in firing range—a reminder Kirk ignored at his own peril.
Sounds like Kirk should have been first in line for a court-martial, not a commendation.