uniforms and rank?

[kalskylander]

Is anyone able to explain what the ranks are in starfleet? The uniforms all have diffrent colors and stripes. Do these mean anything. What does USS stand for? I seartched utube for a first star trek clip and found spock and a guy named chris? Can anyone tell me what that is about?

Sorry to be a pain. New to trek and starting to get hooked fast.

[Nerys Myk]

Browse through this site Spikes Star Trek Page. It should give the answers

[sbk1234]

For a quick primer on the ranks, think US navy, although the rank insignia is different.
Welcome to the world of Star Trek. It's a wierd place, you'll love it.

[The Wormhole]

kalskylander wrote:

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Is anyone able to explain what the ranks are in starfleet?

Officer ranks, from lowest to highest:
Ensign
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander
Commander
Captain
Commodore (later replaced with Rear Admiral, Lower Half)
Rear Admiral
Vice Admiral
Admiral

The uniforms all have diffrent colors and stripes. Do these mean anything.

In the 22nd and 23rd centuries Gold was for command officers, red for security officers and engineers, blue for science and medical officers. In the 24th century, red and gold switched meanings.

What does USS stand for?

United Starship

I seartched utube for a first star trek clip and found spock and a guy named chris? Can anyone tell me what that is about?

Captain Christopher Pike, Captain Kirk's predecessor as captain of the Enterprise, featured in the The Cage, the very first episode of Star Trek.

[STR]

The Wormhole wrote:

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Commodore (later replaced with Rear Admiral, Lower Half

That's never demonstrated on screen. Neither "Commodore" or "Lower Half" were used to describe any admiral in TNG or later. That's aside from the fact they only showed 2 "1-star" (both were in TNG S1, so they didn't even have pips) admirals in all of TNG+.

[C.E. Evans]

The Wormhole wrote:

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United Starship

It's also been referred to as "United Space Ship".

[sbk1234]

United Something Ship?

[The Wormhole]

STR wrote:

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That's never demonstrated on screen. Neither "Commodore" or "Lower Half" were used to describe any admiral in TNG or later. That's aside from the fact they only showed 2 "1-star" (both were in TNG S1, so they didn't even have pips) admirals in all of TNG+.

They were both referred to as "Admiral" and only having one star, they are likely Rear Admiral, Lower Half. What else would their rank be?

[kalskylander]

thanks for t he answers, There is alot to the world of trek!

[T'Girl]

The Wormhole wrote:

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they are likely Rear Admiral, Lower Half. What else would their rank be?

Rear Admiral ... yes.
Lower Half ... no.

[The Wormhole]

^^Rear Admiral, Lower Half is the actual title for a one-star Admiral in the US Navy, and Starfleet seems to mimic the US Navy with its ranks. So therefore I assume a one-star Admiral in Starfleet is Rear Admiral, Lower Half until I have reason to think otherwise.

[C.E. Evans]

It could be "Branch Admiral" perhaps--maybe a flag rank given to non-command division officers like McCoy in "Encounter At Farpoint" or someone from the sciences and engineering divisions.

Or maybe it's even the often discussed "Fleet Captain"...

[NX-01]

kalskylander wrote:

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thanks for t he answers, There is alot to the world of trek!

Yes there is. You'll get the hang of it. Well come to the crazy world of Trek....you'll love it.

[kalskylander]

Thanks! I am realy enjoying this um... trek threw star trek.

[Sci]

The Wormhole wrote:

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United Starship

Which, in all honesty, is very silly. Federation starships really ought to have the prefix F.S.S. ("Federation Starship") rather than U.S.S.. Putting U.S.S. there is just a wink and a nod to the idea of American-centrism in a show supposedly about a Federation of many different worlds.