User blog comment:A.J. two/Who do you want for squad?/@comment-15693689-20110526040231/@comment-217683-20110531181739

Tali's no.1 fan is right. You wouldn't post an Admiral in a little stealth frigate that is likely to be on the periphery of any engagement. You put an Admiral in a ship suited for commanding a fleet, and from what we've seen of the Normandy, she doesn't meet that description. You also don't put all your proverbial eggs in one basket. You don't want the Reapers to be able to take out all your most capable guys all at once. And while Shepard may be the "main factor" in the war, he/she is far from the only factor in the war. It doesn't make sense to put an aging Admiral well past his (physical) fighting prime on a stealth ship full of operatives going out and kicking butt, rather than on an Alliance flagship from which he can command his fleet, the role in which he'll likely be the biggest aid. I mean, think about it logically here: the same logic you're using, RiftJargon, can easily be applied to the first game as well.So why wasn't Hackett on the Normandy then? Because he could do more good remaining where he was.