Star Trek Other Ranks

[Purdy Bear]

I have found the Officer ranks of Star fleet, but what are the other ranks? I'v googled it and found there seems to be some confusion. Would it be the same as a Uk Navy rank:

WO1
WO2
Chief Petty Officer
Petty Officer
Leading Rate
Able Rate
Ordinary Rate

Thanks
Purdy

 

[T'Girl]

I think at some point Gene Roddenberry considered not having non-officers onboard the Enterprise. However the enlisted seem to be referred to (on TOS) as specialists and technicians, so specialist first, specialist second, specialist third. Kyle in the transporter room was a chief (might have also been an Lt.) I don't remember any mention of a warrent officer on the show. I believe all the rates in Star Fleet were referred to as Star Fleet officers the way all police (troopers, sergeants) are referred to as police officers.

 

[RyuRoots]

http://www.st-spike.org/pages/uniforms/2373-2394/ranks.htm

Although "Crewman 3rd Class" would probably be a single stripe instead of nothing, that's probably just an attempt to reconcile all the times we saw Starfleet members with no rank indicator.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Kyle in the transporter room was a chief (might have also been an Lt.)

Kyle had the actual rank of Lieutenant. 'Chief', in his case, was strictly his job description - transporter chief. Not the same as the enlisted rank of 'Chief'.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Even in TOS we had people with the rank of "crewman," so the idea that Roddenberry wanted everyone to be an officer is pretty much one of those background things that never really was implented onscreen.

Of the top of my head, I can recall the rank of "chief petty officer" being mentioned in TNG. And by the time they figured out what O'Brien's actual rank was, his insignia was actually closer to that of a "senior chief petty officer" in the U.S. Navy, IIRC...

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Also I believe that even as far back as "The Cage" there was a 'Chief Petty Officer Garrison' on the ship. (You'll notice that his rank stripe is different...)

 

[scotpens]

Even in TOS we had people with the rank of “crewman,” so the idea that Roddenberry wanted everyone to be an officer is pretty much one of those background things that never really was implemented onscreen.

From The Making of Star Trek, p.209:

Although the Enterprise is a military vessel, its organization is only semimilitary. The “enlisted men” category does not exist. Star Trek goes on the assumption that every man and woman aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise is the equivalent of a qualified astronaut, therefore an officer.

Reference is occasionally made to “the crew,” in which case it is a generalized statement meant to include everyone aboard the ship. A reference to “senior officers” would refer to a much smaller, specific group of the crew members.

IIRC, the generic term “crewman” was used only in a couple of early TOS episodes, specifically in “The Man Trap,” before the bulk of Trek canon was established.

In any case, it seems that by the time of TNG, Starfleet had gone back to a more traditional naval ranking system, with both officers’ and enlisted ranks comparable to today's navies.

 

[Sector 7]

Also I believe that even as far back as "The Cage" there was a 'Chief Petty Officer Garrison' on the ship. (You'll notice that his rank stripe is different...)

Mr. Garrison looks suspiciously like Luke Skywalker in that picture. Perhaps they were being infiltrated by spies?

 

[C.E. Evans]

Even in TOS we had people with the rank of “crewman,” so the idea that Roddenberry wanted everyone to be an officer is pretty much one of those background things that never really was implemented onscreen.

From The Making of Star Trek, p.209:

Although the Enterprise is a military vessel, its organization is only semimilitary. The “enlisted men” category does not exist. Star Trek goes on the assumption that every man and woman aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise is the equivalent of a qualified astronaut, therefore an officer.

Reference is occasionally made to “the crew,” in which case it is a generalized statement meant to include everyone aboard the ship. A reference to “senior officers” would refer to a much smaller, specific group of the crew members.

IIRC, the generic term “crewman” was used only in a couple of early TOS episodes, specifically in “The Man Trap,” before the bulk of Trek canon was established.

As I said, the idea that everyone was an officer in TOS was never used onscreen.

 

[RyuRoots]

Even in TOS we had people with the rank of “crewman,” so the idea that Roddenberry wanted everyone to be an officer is pretty much one of those background things that never really was implemented onscreen.

From The Making of Star Trek, p.209:

Although the Enterprise is a military vessel, its organization is only semimilitary. The “enlisted men” category does not exist. Star Trek goes on the assumption that every man and woman aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise is the equivalent of a qualified astronaut, therefore an officer.

Reference is occasionally made to “the crew,” in which case it is a generalized statement meant to include everyone aboard the ship. A reference to “senior officers” would refer to a much smaller, specific group of the crew members.

IIRC, the generic term “crewman” was used only in a couple of early TOS episodes, specifically in “The Man Trap,” before the bulk of Trek canon was established.

As I said, the idea that everyone was an officer in TOS was never used onscreen.

Or in TNG. Simon Tarses and Miles O'Brien were both explicitly stated to be enlisted crewmen rather than officers (again, once they figured out what they were doing with O'Brien's rank).

 

[The Wormhole]

Unfortunately, Star Trek has never been too consistent regarding enlisted ranks. O'Brien was eventually established as an enlisted, unfortunately, even on DS9 they weren't exactly true to that. Despite being enlisted, he held and officer's post and we even see Ensigns and Lieutenants reporting to him and taking orders from him.

 

[Mysterion]

Check out pages 30-33 in this document: http://www.sfi.org/docs/cq/cq103.pdf

And i don't care if Roddenberry hisself got it from a divine revelation on a mountain-top, the idea of everyone in Star Fleet being a commissioned officer is pure nonsense.

 

[J.T.B.]

As I said, the idea that everyone was an officer in TOS was never used onscreen.

Indeed, in the second episode broadcast, "Charlie X," a young crew member is introduced as "yeoman third class." In "Space Seed," Kirk commends two "technicians first class." So whatever GR's opinions on enlisted crew, in practice they were there from the start.

--Justin

 

[Mysterion]

As I said, the idea that everyone was an officer in TOS was never used onscreen.

Indeed, in the second episode broadcast, "Charlie X," a young crew member is introduced as "yeoman third class." In "Space Seed," Kirk commends two "technicians first class." So whatever GR's opinions on enlisted crew, in practice they were there from the start.

--Justin

and even earlier than that there is a character in The Cage listed as "CPO Garrison". One of the transporter technicians, IIRC.

 

[J.T.B.]

and even earlier than that there is a character in The Cage listed as "CPO Garrison". One of the transporter technicians, IIRC.

He was bridge crew handling communications, but I've never been able to find out where the "CPO" thing originated. It may be from scripts or backstage material, but it was never said onscreen and doesn't appear in the credits of "The Cage" or "The Menagerie."

--Justin

 

[Mysterion]

and even earlier than that there is a character in The Cage listed as "CPO Garrison". One of the transporter technicians, IIRC.

He was bridge crew handling communications, but I've never been able to find out where the "CPO" thing originated. It may be from scripts or backstage material, but it was never said onscreen and doesn't appear in the credits of "The Cage" or "The Menagerie."

--Justin

I stand corrected as per his position. FWIW, Memory alpha cites his rank as CPO:

Garrison was a Human Starfleet chief petty officer who served aboard the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike in 2254. Garrison served as the communications officer when the Enterprise intercepted the distress call from the SS Columbia.

 

[Nick086]

It would be interesting if their was a trek series on if one or two of the main characters are enlisted personal or NCO. On DS9 they never showed any junior officers giving Miles O'Brien any problems. The CO tells the junior officer to back off, because the NCO has the years experience the Junior officer doesn't have. They have shown crewmen few times in Next Generation such as Crewman Tarses in Drumhead. Not to change the subject, I know in the past with Trek senior officers included

 

[Chaos Descending]

and even earlier than that there is a character in The Cage listed as "CPO Garrison". One of the transporter technicians, IIRC.

He was bridge crew handling communications, but I've never been able to find out where the "CPO" thing originated. It may be from scripts or backstage material, but it was never said onscreen and doesn't appear in the credits of "The Cage" or "The Menagerie."

--Justin

I stand corrected as per his position. FWIW, Memory alpha cites his rank as CPO:

Garrison was a Human Starfleet chief petty officer who served aboard the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike in 2254. Garrison served as the communications officer when the Enterprise intercepted the distress call from the SS Columbia.

For what it's worth, anyone can edit any page on Memory Alpha, so the fact that Memory Alpha shows him to be a CPO is hardly conclusive evidence in the absence of any other corroborating source.

Check out pages 30-33 in this document: http://www.sfi.org/docs/cq/cq103.pdf

And i don't care if Roddenberry hisself got it from a divine revelation on a mountain-top, the idea of everyone in Star Fleet being a commissioned officer is pure nonsense.

That's a cool link, but all of that rank stuff is just fan made info cribbed from the US Navy that has no official canonical backing whatsoever.

 

[Timo]

...I believe the first written fan mention of Garrison's CPO status is in Allan Asherman's The Star Trek Compendium (1981), where he lists this in the credits for "The Cage" (on p.13 in my 1989 edition). I mean, it's not on the episode itself for sure, and I haven't seen it in the Concordance (1977).

As for where Asherman got it from... Any ideas?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Mysterion]

Check out pages 30-33 in this document: http://www.sfi.org/docs/cq/cq103.pdf

And i don't care if Roddenberry hisself got it from a divine revelation on a mountain-top, the idea of everyone in Star Fleet being a commissioned officer is pure nonsense.

That's a cool link, but all of that rank stuff is just fan made info cribbed from the US Navy that has no official canonical backing whatsoever.[/QUOTE]

Never claimed to be anything approaching "canonical" status. don't care iif it is or isn't, as a matter of fact. I only offer that link up as a well written, IMO, exdpnaation of how rank and position might work in Star Fleet. Your milage may vary, of course, and that's just fine.