General
An officer is a member of a group typically in the areas of the military, police, or some other form of authority. In a military service, an officer's typical role is to command and direct, maintain discipline and make plans and provisions for operation. Certain organizations have special criteria in order to achieve the status of officer.
Starfleet
Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise-D with the rank of captain.
In the Federation Starfleet, an officer or commissioned officer is an individual who has attended, and graduated from the four-year cadet program of Starfleet Academy. Upon graduation from the Academy, the cadet is granted a commission appointing him or her to Starfleet's most junior officer's rank: that of Ensign. With the commision comes a Bachelor's degree in his or her major field of academic study, be it the Pure Sciences, Medicine, Military Science, etc.
Commissioned officers are distinguished from non-commissioned officers and other crewmembers through the use of a rank structure.
Commissioned officer rank structure
Starfleet ranks from lowest to highest:
- Ensign
- Lieutenant junior grade
- Lieutenant
- Lieutenant commander
- Commander
- Captain
- Commodore (aka rear admiral, lower half)
- Rear admiral (upper half)
- Vice admiral
- Admiral
- Fleet admiral
Other officer terms
- Certain officer positions can be filled by non-commissioned officers and civilians if the need arises.
By rank
- Flag officer
- Line officer
- Ranking officer
- Commissioned officer
- Provisional officer
- Non-commissioned officer
By title
By command structure
By department
An engineering officer in Starfleet (2364)
- Helm officer
- Navigator
- operations officer
- Engineer
- Tactical officer
- Security officer
- Weapons officer
- Armory officer
- Intelligence officer
- Communications officer
- Medical officer
- Science officer
- Counselor