Lt. Charlene Masters -- an explanation

[MAGolding]

Ahhh. Thank you for that.

The latter is not dispositive since it reflects a command structure more than a decade old, but the former one is.

Actually the personnel officer in "Court Martial" was herself an ensign at the time of the court martial, according to Memory Alpha.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wik...701)_operations_personnel#Personnel_officer_1

 

[Neopeius]

Actually the personnel officer in "Court Martial" was herself an ensign at the time of the court martial, according to Memory Alpha.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wik...701)_operations_personnel#Personnel_officer_1

Better than that, she is explicitly ranked "Ensign" in the episode beyond her discussing James Kirk. Thanks for prompting me to look that up.

("COMPUTER: Service rank, Ensign. Position, personnel officer. Current assignment, USS Enterprise. ")