Changes: Chief petty officer

Revision as of 03:11, 31 May 2012

Master chief petty officer (MCPO) was an enlisted naval rate, a type of military rank used by the service organizations of different cultures. As a traditional naval grade, MCPO was the most senior grade of chief petty officer, and was almost the highest non-commissioned officer grade in organizations like Starfleet and the United States Navy. In comparison to infantry ranking systems, this rate was approximately equivalent to the most senior sergeant grade, such as sergeant-major. Personnel of this grade could be addressed simply as chief (or more properly, "master chief"), and sometimes by their job title, such as "master chief specialist."

While nominally subordinate to all commissioned officers, master chiefs wielded far more influence and authority than most junior officers and acted as mentors and advisors to senior officers. Master chiefs had decades of practical experience and were an indispensable source of technical skill and leadership on Starfleet vessels.

When there were individual grades of chief petty officers, senior chief petty officer (SCPO) was subordinate to MCPO.

In 2286, when a probe projecting humpback whale signals threatened to destroy Earth, Master CPO Janice Rand was one of the officers in Admiral Cartwright's command area. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

**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

Background information

File:Tng mcpo.png

The MCPO insignia designed, but not used, for DS9

The rank of "master chief petty officer" was never referenced in dialog, but is rather derived from rank insignia.

The Star Trek movie-era rank insignia, designed by Robert Fletcher, was the first and only Trek insignia systems to feature separate pins for several realistic grades of CPOs. It is odd that Rand was in a chief uniform – while she was an enlisted chief in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, when she appeared again in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock she was wearing officer insignia before being seen with MCPO insignia in Star Trek IV. Since the character in Star Trek III was simply credited as "woman", it may not necessarily have been Rand, but a different character.

Similar confusion in Rand holding various officer ranks dates back to the Marvel TOS "Eclipse of Reason" and DC TOS volume 2 "The Dream Walkers" comics, and continues in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and VOY: "Flashback".

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{sidebar rank
-[[Image:Mov_mcpo.png|frame|right|[[2280s]] MCPO rank pin.]]
+|name      = Master chief petty officer
-'''Master chief petty officer''' ('''MCPO''') is an [[enlisted]] naval rate, a type of military [[rank]] used by the service organizations of different [[cultures]]. As a traditional naval grade, MCPO is the most senior grade of [[chief petty officer]], and is almost the highest noncommissioned officer grade in organizations like [[Starfleet]] and the [[US Navy]]. In comparison to infantry ranking systems, this rate is approximately equivalent to the most senior [[sergeant]] grade, such as Sergeant-Major. Personnel of this grade can be addressed simply as [[chief]] (or more properly, "master chief"), and sometimes by their job title, such as "master chief [[specialist]]."
+|image     = Mov mcpo.png
+|imagecap  = [[Starfleet]], [[2270s|Late 2270s]] - [[2350s]]
+|image2    = Tng chief.png
+|imagecap2 = Starfleet, [[2360s|Late 2360s]] - [[2370s|Early 2370s]]
+}}__NOTOC__
+'''Master chief petty officer''' ('''MCPO''') was an [[enlisted]] naval rate, a type of military [[rank]] used by the service organizations of different [[cultures]]. As a traditional naval grade, MCPO was the most senior grade of [[chief petty officer]], and was almost the highest non-commissioned officer grade in organizations like [[Starfleet]] and the [[United States Navy]]. In comparison to infantry ranking systems, this rate was approximately equivalent to the most senior [[sergeant]] grade, such as sergeant-major. Personnel of this grade could be addressed simply as [[chief]] (or more properly, "master chief"), and sometimes by their job title, such as "master chief [[specialist]]."
-While nominally subordinate to all [[commissioned officer]]s, Master Chiefs wield far more influence and authority than most junior officers and act as mentors and advisors to senior officers. Master Chiefs have decades of practical experience and are an indispensible source of technical skill and leadership on Starfleet vessels.
+While nominally subordinate to all [[commissioned officer]]s, master chiefs wielded far more influence and authority than most junior officers and acted as mentors and advisors to senior officers. Master chiefs had decades of practical experience and were an indispensable source of technical skill and leadership on Starfleet vessels.
-When there are individual grades of chief petty officers, [[senior chief petty officer]] (SCPO) is subordinate to MCPO.
+When there were individual grades of chief petty officers, [[senior chief petty officer]] (SCPO) was subordinate to MCPO.
-In [[2286]], when a [[Whale probe|probe]] projecting [[humpback whale]] signals threatened to destroy [[Earth]], Master CPO [[Janice Rand]] was one of the officers in [[Admiral]] [[Cartwright]]'s command area. ''({{film|4}})''
+In [[2286]], when a [[Whale Probe|probe]] projecting [[humpback whale]] signals threatened to destroy [[Earth]], Master CPO [[Janice Rand]] was one of the officers in [[Admiral]] [[Cartwright]]'s command area. ({{film|4}})
-:''The [[Star Trek Movies]]-era [[rank insignia]], designed by [[Robert Fletcher]], were the first and only ''Trek'' insignia systems to feature separate pins for several realistic grades of CPOs. It is odd that Janice was in a [[chief]] uniform -- while she was an [[enlisted]] chief in ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'', when she appeared again in ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'' she was wearing [[officer]] insignia.  Although, the character in ''Star Trek III'' was simply credited as "woman" meaning that it may not have been Rand.''
-==See also==
-* [[Starfleet ranks]]
-* [[Starfleet enlisted personnel]]
-{{SFpostrank}}
 {{ranks}}
+== Appendices ==
-[[Category:Military ranks]]
+=== See also ===
+*[[Starfleet ranks]]
+*[[Starfleet enlisted personnel]]
+=== Background information ===
+[[File:Tng mcpo.png|thumb|The MCPO insignia designed, but not used, for DS9]]
+The rank of "master chief petty officer" was never referenced in dialog, but is rather derived from [[rank insignia]].
+The [[Star Trek films|''Star Trek'' movie]]-era rank insignia, designed by [[Robert Fletcher]], was the first and only ''Trek'' insignia systems to feature separate pins for several realistic grades of CPOs. It is odd that Rand was in a [[chief]] uniform &ndash; while she was an [[enlisted]] chief in {{film|1}}, when she appeared again in {{film|3}} she was wearing [[officer]] insignia before being seen with MCPO insignia in ''Star Trek IV''. Since the character in ''Star Trek III'' was simply credited as "woman", it may not necessarily have been Rand, but a different character.
+Similar confusion in Rand holding various officer ranks dates back to the [[Marvel TOS]] "[[Eclipse of Reason]]" and [[DC TOS volume 2]] "[[The Dream Walkers]]" [[comics]], and continues in {{film|6}} and {{VOY|Flashback}}.
 [[de:Master Chief Petty Officer]]
+[[es:Maestro jefe suboficial]]
+[[ja:最上級兵曹長]]
+[[Category:Military ranks]]