Changes: Officer

Revision as of 15:32, 22 July 2014

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.

Commission

In a military service, a commission is an order from the service's supreme authority, such as its commander-in-chief, authorizing an individual to legally hold a military rank, with all the privileges and responsibilities of said rank. A commission usually appoints an individual to hold an officer's rank.

In times of conflict, a temporary commission could appoint an officer to command rank to replace an incapacitated or killed commanding officer. Commander William T. Riker, for example, was granted a field commission promoting him to captain and given command of the USS Enterprise-D when the ship's commanding officer, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, was abducted and assimilated by the Borg during their first attempt to assimilate Earth. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds", "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II")

In situations where contact with Starfleet was not possible for very extended periods, a commanding officer had the authority to grant commissions to officers under his or her command, or revoke their existing commissions; that is, he/she had the authority to promote or demote his/her officers. Good examples of this are when Captain Kathryn Janeway, commanding officer of the USS Voyager, promoted her chief tactical officer and security chief, Lieutenant Tuvok, to the higher rank of lieutenant commander, or when she demoted her flight controller, Lieutenant Junior Grade Tom Paris, to ensign. (VOY: "Revulsion", "Thirty Days"). After a year of exemplary service, she reinstated him to his former rank. (VOY: "Unimatrix Zero")

Starfleet

Jean-Luc Picard, 2366 — Jean-Luc Picard of the USS *Enterprise*-D with the rank of captain

In the Federation Starfleet, an officer or commissioned officer was an individual who had attended and graduated from the four-year cadet program of Starfleet Academy. Upon graduation from the Academy, the cadet was granted a commission appointing him or her to Starfleet's most junior officer's rank: that of ensign. With the commission came 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 could be filled by non-commissioned officers and civilians if the need arose.

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+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 [[:Category:organizations|organizations]] have special criteria in order to achieve the status of officer.
-In a military service, a '''commission''' is an order from the service's supreme authority, such as its [[commander-in-chief]], authorizing an individual to lawfully hold a military rank, with all the privileges and responsibilities of said rank. A commission usually appoints an individual to hold an [[officer]]'s rank.
+== Commission ==
-Commissions have long been used by the supreme authorities of military services throughout history to appoint officers. In the [[United States of America|United States]] military, for example, commissions were granted by the [[President of the United States]], who was the US military's Commander-in-Chief.
+In a military service, a '''commission''' is an order from the service's supreme authority, such as its [[commander-in-chief]], authorizing an individual to legally hold a military rank, with all the privileges and responsibilities of said rank. A commission usually appoints an individual to hold an officer's rank.
+In times of conflict, a temporary commission could appoint an officer to command rank to replace an incapacitated or killed [[commanding officer]]. [[Commander]] [[William T. Riker]], for example, was granted a field commission promoting him to [[captain]] and given command of the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} when the ship's commanding officer, Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]], was abducted and [[Assimilation|assimilated]] by the [[Borg]] during their first attempt to assimilate [[Earth]]. ({{TNG|The Best of Both Worlds|The Best of Both Worlds, Part II}})
-In the [[Federation Starfleet]], commissions were granted by the [[President of the Federation]], the supreme commander of all Federation Starfleet forces.
+In situations where contact with Starfleet was not possible for very extended periods, a commanding officer had the authority to grant commissions to officers under his or her command, or revoke their existing commissions; that is, he/she had the authority to promote or demote his/her officers. Good examples of this are when Captain [[Kathryn Janeway]], commanding officer of the {{USS|Voyager}}, promoted her [[chief tactical officer]] and [[security chief]], [[Lieutenant]] [[Tuvok]], to the higher rank of [[lieutenant commander]], or when she demoted her flight controller, [[Lieutenant Junior Grade]] [[Tom Paris]], to [[ensign]]. ({{VOY|Revulsion|Thirty Days}}). After a year of exemplary service, she reinstated him to his former rank. ({{VOY|Unimatrix Zero}})
-In times of conflict, a temporary  commission could appoint an officer to  command rank to replace an incapacitated or killed [[commanding officer]]. [[Commander]] [[William T. Riker]], for example, was granted a field commission promoting him to  [[Captain]] and given command of the ''[[USS Enterprise-D]]'' when the ship's commanding officer, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, was abducted and [[Assimilation|assimilated]] by the [[Borg]] during their first attempt to assimilate [[Earth]] ({{TNG|The Best of Both Worlds}}).
+== Starfleet ==
-In situations where contact with Starfleet is not possible for very extended periods, a commanding officer has the authority to grant commissions to officers under his or her command, or revoke them.  Good examples of this are when [[Kathryn Janeway]], commanding officer of the ''[[USS Voyager]]'',  promoted her [[Chief Tactical Officer]] and [[Security Chief]], [[Lieutenant]] [[Tuvok]], to the higher rank of [[Lieutenant Commander]], or when she demoted her Flight Controller, [[Lieutenant Junior Grade]] [[Tom Paris|Thomas E. Paris]], to [[Ensign]] ({{VOY|Revulsion}}, {{VOY|Thirty Days}}).
+[[File:Jean-Luc Picard, 2366.jpg|thumb| [[Jean-Luc Picard]] of the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} with the rank of captain]]
+In the [[Federation]] [[Starfleet]], an officer or '''commissioned officer''' was an individual who had attended and graduated from the four-year [[cadet]] program of [[Starfleet Academy]].  Upon graduation from the Academy, the cadet was granted a [[commission]] appointing him or her to Starfleet's most junior officer's rank: that of ensign. With the commission came 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 [[enlisted officer|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 could be filled by non-commissioned officers and civilians if the need arose.''
+=== By rank ===
+*[[Field officer]]
+*[[Flag officer]]
+*Line officer
+*[[Ranking officer]]
+*Commissioned officer
+*[[Provisional officer]]
+*[[Non-commissioned officer]]
+=== By title ===
+*[[Senior officer]] (see also: [[senior staff]])
+*[[First officer]]
+*[[Second officer]]
+*[[Third officer]]
+=== By command structure ===
+*[[Commanding officer]]
+*[[Executive officer]]
+*[[Duty officer]]
+=== By department ===
+[[File:Argyle.jpg|thumb|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]]
+=== By function ===
+*[[Bridge officer]]
+*[[Records officer]]
+*[[Morale officer]]
+*[[Liaison officer]]
+**[[Convoy liaison officer]]
+**[[Fleet liaison officer]]
+*[[Strategic operations officer]]
+*[[Archaeology and anthropology officer]]
+*[[Personnel officer]]
+*[[Police officer]]
+[[bg:Офицер]]
+[[de:Offizier]]
+[[es:Oficial Comisionado]]
+[[fr:Officier]]
+[[ja:士官]]
+[[nl:Officier]]
+[[sr:Официр]]
+[[Category:Titles]]