Starfleet, while claiming to
not a be a military organization does require discipline similar if not
identical to a military organization. As a result of this ranks are
used to determine a person's place within the discipline. Starfleet
being a real meritocary one can usually depend on rank also defining
the person's competence to have the rank.
The ranks used in
Epiphany Trek after 2310 follow.
Enlisted ranks (E-0 to E-7)
All Starfleet personnel are
highly trained. Enlisted crewman no less than the officers. Enlisted
rank simply indicates the crewman does not wish to pursue a career in
Starfleet or to endure the competitive nature of the Academy. As every
Technician in the fleet is a specialist no specialist grades exist.
Recruit: Introductory rank for enlistees in Starfleet.
Below everyone.
Ranking: E-0 No indicators
Addressed as: "Recruit", introduced as "Mister".
Fleet Role: A position in the rank structure for those
that know nothing as of yet.
Technician: Trained personnel, Lowest enlisted rank.
Ranking: E-1 No indicators
Addressed as: Mister, introduced as "Mister"
Fleet Role: Ending the period of "formal" training and
starting the "on the job" training. Technicians serve as the majority
of the forces in Starfleet both on base and on ships.
Technician, First Class: Personnel
considered to be experienced in service. The second lowest enlisted
rank.
Ranking: E-2 A silver chevron worn on the collar.
Addressed as: "Mister", introduced as "Mister"
Fleet Role: Promotion and pay grade after the first year
of service. Some Recruits that show particular promise are graduated at
this rank. Technicians First Class are considered fully competent both
in their profession and in matters Starfleet.
Technician, Expert:An experienced
enlisted personnel. Ranks above other Enlisted ranks but below all NCO
ranks. Highest ranking Enlisted rank.
Ranking: E-3 Two silver chevrons worn on the collar.
Addressed as: "Mister" Introduced as: "Mister"
Fleet Role: Senior enlisted personnel. Indicates a
Technician of experience and/or above normal competence in their field.
Petty Officer, Third Class: Enlisted
personnel with a minimum of one tour. This the lowest non commissioned
officer rank. They rank above all Technicians, and below everyone else.
Ranking: E-4 Three silver chevrons worn on the collar.
Addressed as: "Mister" Introduced as: "Petty Officer".
Fleet Role: Senior enlisted personnel.
Petty Officer, Second Class: Enlisted
personnel with a minimum of one tour and a year in grade as a Petty
Officer Third Class.
Ranking: E-5 Three silver chevrons and a straight bar worn
on the collar.
Addressed as: "Mister" Introduced as: "Petty Officer".
Fleet Role: Experienced Non commissioned officers. Second
class Petty officers fill many staff positions.
Petty Officer, First Class: Enlisted
personnel with a minimum of two tours of duty.
Ranking: E-6 Three silver chevrons and two straight bars
worn on the collar.
Addressed as: "Mister" Introduced as: "Petty Officer".
Fleet Role: Experienced experts in their field. Small
ships (under 5000 tons) may have their entire officer complement except
for the CO consist of Petty Officer's, First Class.
Chief Petty Officer: Enlisted personnel
with a minimum of three tours of duty. Top enlisted rank.
Ranking: E-7 Three silver chevrons and three straight bars
worn on the collar.
Addressed as: "Chief" Introduced as: "Chief Petty Officer"
Fleet Role: Leaders of non commissioned officers. Examples
to look up to. A Chief must have at least 15 years in the fleet, and
frequently has more. Meeting the minimum standards is not enough to
make Chief under most circumstances.
Officer Ranks (O-0 to O-13)
The Officers are the heart
and soul of the Fleet. Each is highly trained and motivated to the task
to which they have sworn themselves. Officer can be divided into three
groups.
Junior officers, the
bulk of the corp.
Line officers, upon
whom the majority of command decisions rest, and
Flag officers who set
and often enforce policy within the Fleet.
Cadet: Officer Trainee. Ranks over all Technicians, but
under Petty officers unless serving as active duty officers. Cadets in
the chain of command are referred to as "Acting Ensign", and rank above
petty officers.
Ranking: O-0 Cadets wear an identifying uniform, and gold
chevrons to indicate their relative rank within the Academy structure.
Cadet rank is meaningless outside of the Academy structure. If serving
on a ship in normal service cadets wear the standard uniform with one
hollow gold pip.
Addressed as: "Mister" Introduced as: "Cadet"
Fleet Role: Position for officer trainees.
Ensign: Lowest ranking full
commissioned officer position. Out ranks all enlisted personnel, is
outranked by everyone else.
Ranking: O-1 Ensigns wear a single solid gold pip on the
collar.
Addressed as: "Ensign" Introduced as: "Ensign"
Fleet Role: A place for an officer's on the job training
to begin. The "wet behind the ears, over eager Ensign" is a standing
joke that has real incidents to back it.
Lieutenant, Junior Grade: An admission
that you have what it takes to cut it.
Ranking: O-2 Lieutenant jg wears a solid gold pip and a
hollow gold pip on the collar.
Addressed as: "Lieutenant" Introduced as: "Lieutenant JG"
Fleet Role: Rank and pay grade for officers with a minimum
of two years duty. Promotion is more often given at the end of a tour
of duty. Cadets going straight into Command School will be graduated at
this rank. Lieutenants jg and full Lieutenants form the core of the
Starfleet officer corp and account for over 80% of all officers in
Starfleet.
Lieutenant: Highest ranked non "line"
officer.
Ranking: O-3 Lieutenants wear two solid gold pips on the
collar.
Addressed as: "Lieutenant" Introduced as: "Lieutenant"
Fleet Role: Rank and pay grade for Lieutenants with at
least two years in grade as a Lieutenant jg. It is most often awarded
at the end of a tour of duty. Lieutenants form the bulk of Starfleet
officers. Many Starfleet officers will never rise above this rank and
are considered no less for it. They prefer to concentrate on the task
and not command.
Senior Lieutenants will sometimes command ships of under 10,000 tons.
Lieutenant Commander: First of the
"line" ranks. Officers trained in command.
Ranking: O-4 Lieutenant Commanders wear two solid gold
pips and a hollow gold pip on the collar.
Addressed as: "Commander" Introduced as: "Lieutenant
Commander"
Fleet Role: Lieutenant Commander is considered the minimum
rank to command any ship over 10,000 tons to 30,000. This rank is also
typically awarded to department heads on ships over 50,000 tons. It is
the highest rank anyone can achieve without command training, or
medical specialty.
Commander: Senior officer trained in
command.
Ranking: O-5 Commanders wear three solid gold pips on the
collar.
Addressed as: "Commander" Introduced as: "Commander"
Fleet Role: This rank is never awarded automatically.
"Commander" is the required rank to command ships over 30,000 tons, or
support vessels of greater tonnage, and is usually the rank of first
officers of ships over 50,000 tons. It is also the primary staff rank
for the aide-de-camp of Admirals.
Captain: This rank is considered the
pinnacle for most officers in conjunction with command of a ship.
Ranking: O-6 Captains wear four solid gold pips on the
collar.
Addressed as: "Captain" Introduced as: "Captain"
Fleet Role: Primary ship command for vessels over 50,000
tons. Minor base commanders. A captain in command of a vessel outranks
anyone else on the vessel except a Commodore or an Admiral. Even senior
Captains cannot over rule him.
Fleet Captain: Merit badge for long or
luminous service. A Fleet Captain will outrank any Captain, but not a
Commodore.
Ranking: O-7 Fleet Captains wear four solid gold pips and
a hollow one on the collar.
Addressed as: "Captain", introduced as "Fleet Captain"
Fleet Role: Reward for long or meritorious service. Fleet
Captains are in command of single ships as a rule. Fleet Captains
commanding bases would only be doing so due to some disablement that
makes then unfit for starship duty, but leaves them fit enough for base
command.
Historical Note: "Fleet Captain" was the rank given the
Captain of the Flagship in a fleet in the days of wood and sail navies.
It was a position of patronage for the Admiral of said fleet as he
could pick his own Captain under most circumstances. Most Admirals
would want the Captain with the greatest experience possible as
commanding officer of their Flagship.
Commodore: Brevet rank for Captains
commanding other Captains. It is seldom used as a permanent rank unless
in times of war. A Commodore will outrank any Captain or Fleet Captain,
they are outranked by any Admiral.
Ranking: O-8 A Commodore wears five solid pips on the
collar.
Addressed as: "Commodore", introduced as "Commodore".
Fleet Role: Making clear the chain of command in a fleet
situation. You will never see a Commodore when an Admiral is present
unless the fleet is divided into sub-fleets, and the over all command
is under a Rear Admiral. "Commodore" is a rank willingly shed by
Captains in active duty. Commodore is also the rank of a Captain in
command of a base that must give orders to Captains. In Epiphany Trek
Sisko would have been addressed as "Commodore" during the war. A
permanent rank of Commodore is rare. In times of war when more fleet
commanders are needed than are available, and the desire not to swell
the flag ranks exists Commodores will spring up. Such officers might
retain the rank after the crisis, but are treated as very senior Fleet
Captains, and within a reasonable time will get kicked to Rear Admiral.
Commodore is also used as term of respect for Captains, dead heading on
another's ship. Or for retired Captains traveling on Starfleet ships.
In these cases the "rank" confers no command authority.
Historical Note: This is consistent with usage for the
rank throughout Earth history. It is rare or absent in times of peace,
and used during times of crisis or war.
Rear Admiral: Bottom rung of the "flag
ranks".
Ranking: O-9 A Rear Admiral wears one solid gold pip
encased in a gold box on the collar.
Addressed as: "Admiral", introduced as "Rear Admiral".
Fleet Role: command of large stations or starbases and
small standing fleets. Rear Admirals are often the vice department
heads of Starfleet command.
Vice Admiral:
Ranking: O-10 A Vice Admiral wears two solid gold pips
encased in a gold box on the collar.
Addressed as: "Admiral", introduced as "Vice Admiral".
Fleet Role: Command of major bases, sub-sector command,
senior staff positions at Starfleet command.
Admiral:
Ranking: O-11 An Admiral wears three solid gold pips
encased in a gold box on the collar.
Addressed as: "Admiral", introduced as "Admiral".
Fleet Role: Command of major sectors, Department heads at
Starfleet command.
Fleet Admiral: Highest normal military
rank in Starfleet.
Ranking: O-12 A Fleet Admiral wears four solid gold pips
encased in a gold box on the collar.
Addressed as: "Admiral", introduced as "Fleet Admiral".
Fleet Role: Head of Starfleet divisions. Galaxy
Exploration command, Military Command, Colony Command etc.. Only one
Fleet Admiral per division will exist at any given time, and they with
the General of the Marines form Starfleet Command Staff. The head of
this body is the President of the Federation, and is represented by the
Secretary of Starfleet. The most senior member of this group is called
the Chief of Staff, and is the most senior Starfleet liaison with the
Federation President and Federation Council.
Admiral of Starfleet: Only seen during
prolonged crisis. The promotion must be approved by the Federation
Council.
Ranking: O-13 Admiral of Starfleet would wear five pips in
a box, if one existed. The last officer to hold this rank was Admiral
Richard Barnard during the Romulan War. His insignia was five stars in
line worn on the front of the right shoulder.
Addressed as: "Admiral" Introduced as: "Admiral of
Starfleet"
Fleet Role: Immediate decisions as required during
prolonged war. An Admiral of Starfleet steps in and takes direct
control of all Starfleet resources and allocates without advising
civilian authority. The Admiral of Starfleet is appointed by the
President of the Federation, and approved by the Federation Council.
The Federation President can replace or demote this person without
approve of the Council. Replacement does require Council approval.
All written material Copyright Garry Stahl, 2002
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