Third officer

A third officer is an officer of a starship that is fourth in line of command of the vessel after the captain, first officer, and second officer. In Starfleet, the position is generally filled by a lieutenant commander or lieutenant. The security chief, tactical officer, or chief engineer is sometimes given this position. As with the position of second officer, the third officer's main duties are as a department head.

Known third officers

• Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu
  • USS Enterprise
• Lieutenant Junior Grade Tom Paris
  • USS Voyager

Though Paris has never explicitly been named third officer in canon, in VOY: "Unimatrix Zero", Paris comments that, with Janeway and Tuvok away and Chakotay in command, he (Paris) is now Chakotay's first officer. It can be inferred from the above dialogue that he was the third officer. Additionally, in "Initiations", with Janeway, Chakotay, and Tuvok off the ship, Paris stated to a Kazon vessel that he was in command. Further evidence was seen in the episode "Before and After" when he appeared to be second officer behind Chakotay and Tuvok in an alternate future Kes was experiencing.

• Dahar master Kor
  • IKS Ch'Tang
• Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
  • Enterprise NX-01

• Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax
  • Deep Space 9 / USS Defiant

• Lieutenant Julian Bashir
  • Deep Space 9 / USS Defiant / USS Defiant II

• Lieutenant Tasha Yar
  • USS Enterprise-D

• Lieutenant Worf
  • USS Enterprise-D

Data was second officer of the Enterprise-E, but Deanna Troi had a higher rank than he and was the highest ranking bridge officer after Picard and Riker. Troi was in command of the bridge while the Enterprise-E was traveling to the Briar Patch, and when Data left the bridge to head to the Scimitar. However, La Forge left the bridge with Data, and as chief engineer, he may have been third officer.

Additionally, during the Enterprise-D's mission to Angel One, Picard was incapacitated by a virus while first officer Riker and second officer Data were both on an away mission. He left La Forge in command.

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

See also

• First officer
• Second officer