Starfleet Line Officers

Starfleet Line Officers represent the bulk of the members of Starfleet holding officer ranks, with responsibilities ranging from the command of starship to junior staff positions on minor outposts. Line officers are subordinate to flag officers and have authority over more junior line officers and all non-commissioned officers. There are eight line officer ranks.

Fleet Captain

A section 31 agent, Luther Sloan, posed as a Fleet Captain and the Deputy Director of Internal Affairs, a position with substantial power and influence.

Fleet Captain is the highest line officer rank in Starfleet, held by senior starship captains commanding task groups or task forces as well as senior administrators or aides within the numbered fleets and at Starfleet Command. The paths leading to fleet captain vary considerably from officer to officer, as it is often a late career reward for experienced staffers, but a transitional step for starship captains on the fast track to flag ranks. Indeed, some officers are promoted directly from captain to commodore, which makes fleet captain rarer than both the ranks above and below it. The authority carried by fleet captains is highly contextual; a senior captain in command of a small task group would only have authority over their direct subordinates, while a Deputy Director of Internal Affairs might have sweeping fleet-level powers.

• 
• 
• 

Captain

In the 2360s, Tryla Scott was the youngest person ever to reach the rank of captain.

Captain, is as the name suggests, the rank assigned to those officers fortunate enough to be granted the command of a starship. While lower ranking line officers do also hold commands of some smaller starships, the rank of captain carries with it additional prestige and authority, as well as greater access to sensitive information. Starfleet captains are also empowered as ambassadors for the United Federation of Planets, with the ability to negotiate on behalf of the Federation Council. Captains also command starbases and space stations, serve as aides to flag officers, and head up departments on large stations and starships. It is possible to reach this rank without commanding a starship at all, though for an engineer or physician to reach this rank, they would have to be extremely talented and have a long and exemplary service record.

• 
• 
• 

Commander

Commander Raffi Musiker is a former Starfleet Intelligence officer and is currently instructor at Starfleet Academy.

Commander is a senior line officer rank subordinate to captain and above lieutenant commander. It is a rank often held by the commanding officers of smaller starships and space stations, as well as by executive officers and department heads. All commanders are bridge-qualified officers, and so medical officers and other officers who did not receive that certification at the time of their commissioning are required to pass the Bridge Officer's Examination for promotion to this rank.

• 
• 
• 

Midshipman

Midshipman Peter Preston in the 2280s.

Midshipman is the lowest line officer rank, which is granted to Starfleet Academy cadets and Officer Candidate School students during the practical component of their training: their midshipman cruise aboard a training vessel or an active starship. Midshipmen are subordinate to all other officers, but rank above non-commissioned officers. A key lesson for all new midshipmen is learning how to trust the wisdom and experience of these long-serving colleagues that they technically out-rank.

• 
• 
•