Changes: Commanding officer

Revision as of 21:20, 3 September 2013

A commanding officer (or CO) is a term used to describe one's rank in relation to others within the same environment.

Military units

One meaning of commanding officer is the highest-ranking officer and commander of a unit. On starships, the CO usually have the rank of captain, though sometimes a commodore or fleet captain may have also held this position. On starbases, the CO was sometimes referred to as "portmaster" and was usually a flag officer. (TOS: "Court Martial", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II", "The Deadly Years") Some bases, however, were commanded by captains or commanders. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine seasons 1-3; TNG: "11001001")

It was also possible for lower ranks to be the commanding officer aboard a starship, such as the case with Lieutenant Commander Tom Markel aboard the USS Ariel. Other examples include Starfleet Command temporarily assigning a number of officers to command vessels that blockaded the Romulan support of the House of Duras in 2368. Benjamin Sisko commanded the Defiant as a commander for nearly a year before he was promoted to captain. Lieutenant Commander Piersall commanded the USS Prometheus in 2370. (DS9: "Second Sight") Major Kira Nerys and Lieutenant Commanders Jadzia Dax and Worf commanded the USS Defiant on a number of occasions. In 2373, Major Kira commanded the Defiant to destroy a Klingon minefield near the Bajoran system. Commander Worf assisted Captain Sisko in 2372 by bringing the Defiant to Earth to help quash Admiral Leyton's attempted coup d'état. Later, Worf helped his former commanding officer, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, in the Battle of Sector 001. Commander Dax commanded the Defiant in 2374 while operating out of Starbase 375. Her mission was to destroy a Dominion sensor array hidden in the Argolis Cluster. (TAS: "The Eye of the Beholder"; TNG: "Redemption II"; DS9: "Second Sight", "Sons of Mogh", "Paradise Lost", "Behind the Lines"; Star Trek: First Contact)

On starships, it was general practice to address the commanding officer as "captain," regardless of their actual rank or position. (DS9: "Behind the Lines")

In general, commanding officers were dressed in the colors of the command division, but there were some exceptions in Starfleet uniform usage.

In rare occasions, the commanding officer needed not be a ranking officer, especially in dire circumstances. (DS9: "Valiant")

Dukat once claimed it was Cardassian tradition for the commanding officer to entertain his guests. (DS9: "Return to Grace")

Chain of command

The term "commanding officer" could also be used to refer to the officer whom one directly reported to in the chain of command or in a department. Occasionally, it simply identified an officer of higher rank in comparison to another, or the officer with the most experience if more than one officer held the highest rank at the time, although this was usually referred to as a ranking officer.

Leonard McCoy once pointed out to Spock that both of them answered to the same commanding officer, in which case he was referring to James T. Kirk. (TOS: "Amok Time")

Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge once referred to himself as the commanding officer of Lieutenant Reginald Barclay. (TNG: "Hollow Pursuits")

Commander William T. Riker was adamant about following the orders of one's commanding officer when confronting his transporter duplicate Thomas Riker. (TNG: "Second Chances")

The Romulan defector "Setal" admitted to William Riker that his commanding officer was Admiral Alidar Jarok. (TNG: "The Defector")

Worf acknowledged the fact that Riker was his commanding officer before the latter agreed to the former joining him on an "unannounced visit" to the J'naii planet. (TNG: "The Outcast")

Riker again brought up the issue of one's commanding officer when he, under threats by Arctus Baran, demanded that Data withdraw the USS Enterprise-D from their attempt to stop Baran's mercenary ship. (TNG: "Gambit, Part I")

**Ranks**
	Enlisted personnel							Commissioned officers							Flag officers
Fleet:	CRM		PO		CPO		MID CDT OC WO	ENS	LT JG	LT	LT CMDR	CMDR	CAPT	FCAPT	CDORE	RADM	VADM	ADM	FADM
Military:	PVT AMN	CPL LCP		SGT	SSGT	MSGT 1SGT	MID CDT OC WO	2nd LT	1st LT	CAPT	MAJ	LT COL	COL		BRIG	MAJ GEN	LT GEN	GEN	MARSHAL
Services:	Andorian • Bajoran • Cardassian • Ferengi • Human (CSA • Third Reich • UE MACO • USA) • Jem'Hadar • Klingon • Romulan • United Earth/Federation Starfleet • Vulcan Mirror universe: Terran Empire Starfleet • Terran Empire MACO

This chart shows only general equivalencies based on the ranks used by many governments on Earth, as well as the rest of the galaxy.

Appendices

Other references

TNG: "Aquiel"

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 == Military units ==
-One meaning of commanding [[officer]] is the highest-ranking officer and commander of a unit. On [[starship]]s, the CO usually has the rank of [[captain]], though sometimes a [[commodore]] or [[fleet captain]] may also hold this position. On [[starbase]]s, the CO is sometimes referred to as "portmaster" and was usually a [[flag officer]]. ({{TOS|Court Martial|The Menagerie, Part I|The Menagerie, Part II|The Deadly Years}})  Some bases, however, are commanded by captains or [[commander]]s.  ([[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]], {{TNG|11001001}})
+One meaning of commanding [[officer]] is the highest-ranking officer and commander of a unit. On [[starship]]s, the CO usually have the rank of [[captain]], though sometimes a [[commodore]] or [[fleet captain]] may have also held this position. On [[starbase]]s, the CO was sometimes referred to as "portmaster" and was usually a [[flag officer]]. ({{TOS|Court Martial|The Menagerie, Part I|The Menagerie, Part II|The Deadly Years}})  Some bases, however, were commanded by captains or [[commander]]s.  (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' seasons 1-3; {{TNG|11001001}})
-It is also possible for lower ranks to be the commanding officer aboard a starship, such as the case with [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Piersall]] aboard the {{USS|Prometheus|NCC-71201}} ({{DS9|Second Sight}}) and Lieutenant Commander [[Tom Markel]] aboard the [[USS Ariel]] ({{TAS|The Eye of the Beholder}}). <br />Or during the beginning of the [[Dominion War]] when [[Jadzia Dax]] was promoted to commander for a mission with the {{USS|Defiant|NX-74205}}. Another example can be found in [[2368]]. At the height of the [[Klingon history#Civil war|Klingon Civil War]], [[Starfleet Command]] temporarily assigned a number of officers to command vessels that [[blockade]]d [[Romulan Star Empire|Romulan]] support of the [[House of Duras]]. ({{TNG|Redemption II}})
+It was also possible for lower ranks to be the commanding officer aboard a starship, such as the case with [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Tom Markel]] aboard the {{USS|Ariel}}. Other examples include [[Starfleet Command]] temporarily assigning a number of officers to command vessels that [[blockade]]d the [[Romulan Star Empire|Romulan]] support of the [[House of Duras]] in [[2368]]. [[Benjamin Sisko]] commanded the ''Defiant'' as a commander for nearly a year before he was promoted to captain. Lieutenant Commander [[Piersall]] commanded the {{USS|Prometheus|NCC-71201}} in [[2370]]. ({{DS9|Second Sight}}) [[Major]] [[Kira Nerys]] and Lieutenant Commanders [[Jadzia Dax]] and [[Worf]] commanded the {{USS|Defiant|2370}} on a number of occasions. In [[2373]], Major Kira commanded the ''Defiant'' to destroy a [[Klingon]] [[minefield]] near the [[Bajoran system]]. Commander Worf assisted Captain Sisko in [[2372]] by bringing the ''Defiant'' to [[Earth]] to help quash [[Admiral]] [[Leyton]]'s attempted ''[[coup d'état]].'' Later, Worf helped his former commanding officer, Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]], in the [[Battle of Sector 001]]. Commander Dax commanded the ''Defiant'' in [[2374]] while operating out of [[Starbase 375]]. Her mission was to destroy a [[Dominion]] [[sensor array]] hidden in the [[Argolis Cluster]]. ({{TAS|The Eye of the Beholder}}; {{TNG|Redemption II}}; {{DS9|Second Sight|Sons of Mogh|Paradise Lost|Behind the Lines}}; {{film|8}})
-On starships, it is general practice to address the commanding officer as "Captain," regardless of their actual rank or position. ({{DS9|Behind the Lines}})
+On starships, it was general practice to address the commanding officer as "captain," regardless of their actual rank or position. ({{DS9|Behind the Lines}})
-In general, commanding [[officer]]s are dressed in the colors of the [[command division]], but there are some [[command division#Background|exceptions]] in [[Starfleet uniform]] usage.
+In general, commanding [[officer]]s were dressed in the colors of the [[command division]], but there were some [[command division#Background|exceptions]] in [[Starfleet uniform]] usage.
-In rare occasions, the commanding officer need not be a ranking officer, especially in dire circumstances. ({{DS9|Valiant}})
+In rare occasions, the commanding officer needed not be a ranking officer, especially in dire circumstances. ({{DS9|Valiant}})
 [[Dukat]] once claimed it was [[Cardassian]] tradition for the commanding officer to entertain his guests. ({{DS9|Return to Grace}})
 == Chain of command ==
-The term "commmanding officer" can also be used to refer to the officer whom one directly reports to in the [[chain of command]] or in a department.  Occasionally, it simply identifies an officer of higher rank in comparison to another, or the officer with the most experience if more than one officer holds the highest rank at the time, although this is usually referred to as a [[ranking officer]].
+The term "commanding officer" could also be used to refer to the officer whom one directly reported to in the [[chain of command]] or in a department.  Occasionally, it simply identified an officer of higher rank in comparison to another, or the officer with the most experience if more than one officer held the highest rank at the time, although this was usually referred to as a [[ranking officer]].
+[[Leonard McCoy]] once pointed out to [[Spock]] that both of them answered to the same commanding officer, in which case he was referring to [[James T. Kirk]]. ({{TOS|Amok Time}})
 Lieutenant Commander [[Geordi La Forge]] once referred to himself as the commanding officer of [[Lieutenant]] [[Reginald Barclay]]. ({{TNG|Hollow Pursuits}})
@@ Line 27: / Line 29: @@
 Riker again brought up the issue of one's commanding officer when he, under threats by [[Arctus Baran]], demanded that [[Data]] withdraw the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701|-D}} from their attempt to stop Baran's [[piracy|mercenary]] ship. ({{TNG|Gambit, Part I}})
+{{ranks}}
-== Other references ==
-*{{TNG|Aquiel}}"
-== See also ==
+== Appendices ==
+=== Other references ===
+*{{TNG|Aquiel}}
+=== See also ===
 * [[Master]]
-{{SFpostrank}}
-[[Category:Titles]]
 [[de:Kommandooffizier]]
+[[ja:指揮官]]
 [[nl:Commanding officer]]
+[[sr:Заповједник]]
+[[Category:Titles]]