What is an Officer ?

[Mike 5]

Just who are considered officers in the trek universe? Are Ensigns officers? I think so. Ensign Kim is the Operations Officer on the Bridge of Voyager. Even when Wesley Crusher was only an 'Acting Ensign' he was considered a Bridge Officer. (TNG: Hide and Q) So then, is everyone on a starship who went through academy training considered an officer? How about Troi? Or was she not an officer until she passed the Bridge Officer Exam in 'Thine Own Self'? Did Wesley have to take that test too?

[Kor37 9]

I would think Ensign on up would be an officer. As for Troi, thats a bit of a mystery. When TNG first came on, her bio listed her as a civilian working as an independant contractor. That is why she didn't have to wear a uniform. This fact seemed to have been forgotten later on in the series when she started wearing a uniform and taking the Bridge test.

[Odie 0]

Troi always had a rank of Lieutenant Commander and she did wear a uniform in the pilot episode with rank pips. The bridge officer test was there to give reason behind her promotion to the rank of Commander.

 

Even in today's Navy there is a tests to stand watch on the bridge. When I first got qualified to stand my watch on the bridge I had to go through an test and oral board. That board lasted over an hour. There is so much that the person needs to know to stand the watch. They must know international rules on the open ocean, standing orders of the captain, and how the ship functions. This can't be taken lately.

 

An officer is someone who receives commission through their government. In case of Star Trek an officer received their commission from the United Federation of Planets. Anyone who hold the rank of Ensign and above is an officer.

[Spike The Trill 0]

This brings to mind a question: how come we hardly sae any enlisted people? Othre than a crewman, or a Yeoman, I'm hard pressed to name any enlisted personel othre than Chief O'Brien, or the MU Travis on Enterprise.

[Odie 0]

Gene Rodenberry didn't want enlisted people in the the TNG. I haven't found the reason why there wasn't any enlisted in anything past TNG.

[ussacclaim 0]

Simon Tarsus, in "The Drumhead" from TNG I think was enlisted.

I wonder whatever happened to him.

 

Good episode, everyone should watch it.

[Odo 0]

Because if they are red shirts. as crewmen where in tos

they all got killed. would you want to be a crewman

on a star ship. and have the captain say report

to the transporter room. :lol:

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Aren't there commissioned and non-commisioned officers in the military? Commissioned officers start with rank of Ensign in the Navy (and Lt. in Army - excent and correct me I'm wrong - Captain if they have a professional degree Dr./Lawyer)

 

Anyway, I'm guessing the Star Trek universe operates the same way. You wouldn't necessarily see enlisted personnel and officers interacting because there's a barrier there in real life.

 

I thought Troi's promotion was to rank of Lt. Cmdr. but also - and this is as much a question as an opinion - I thought her test was also about command path versus medical.

 

Being an officer is also a status thing - remember An Officer and a Gentleman. Or read an old English novel to understand the difference between officer and enlisted.

[Gary Phaserman 0]

Aren't there commissioned and non-commisioned officers in the military?  Commissioned officers start with rank of Ensign in the Navy (and Lt. in Army - excent and correct me I'm wrong - Captain if they have a professional degree Dr./Lawyer)

 

Anyway, I'm guessing the Star Trek universe operates the same way.  You wouldn't necessarily see enlisted personnel and officers interacting because there's a barrier there in real life.

 

I thought Troi's promotion was to rank of Lt. Cmdr. but also - and this is as much a question as an opinion - I thought her test was also about command path versus medical.

 

Being an officer is also a status thing - remember An Officer and a Gentleman.  Or read an old English novel to understand the difference between officer and enlisted.

336800[/snapback]

 

Yes, there are Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Officers in the Military. Myself, being a Petty Officer 3rd Class, would be considered an NCO. as would Odie (Petty Officer 1st Class) An Officer is anyone holding the rank of Ensign or 2nd Lieutenant or above. there is also a middle ground. the Warrant Officers are Warranted as officers by the President of the United States.

[BKY1701 0]

This brings to mind a question: how come we hardly sae any enlisted people? Othre than a crewman, or a Yeoman, I'm hard pressed to name any enlisted personel othre than Chief O'Brien, or the MU Travis on Enterprise.

336388[/snapback]

 

They are in the walls… :lol:

[NordicBearskin 0]

I think we see a lot of enlisted people in DS9 and Voyager. They're just almost always in the background as extras, and only very occasionally are brought to the viewers attention. However, I can recall one episode in each series where enlisted crewmembers were major characters in the story. (I can't remember the DS9 one offhand, but the VOY episode was 'Good Shepard')

[Takara_Soong 4]

Were there two uniforms worn by the enlisted personnel? I can remember various episodes where people (usually in Engineering) were wearing this style:

 

 

This was from The Naked Now and this was the Assistant Chief Engineer but he doesn't seem to have any pips. I would think the Assistant Chief Engineer would be an officer but who knows.

 

Here's a picture of Simon Tarses from The Drumhead:

 

 

and a picture of Power Play:

 

 

In these pictures, the enlisted personnel are wearing regular uniforms with no pips.

[Odie 0]

Most likely person where a different uniform in Engineering will determine what job he or she is doing. It looks like coverall that would tell me that he does or will some duty work. It also mean the uniform could provide more protection than the other uniform.

 

Titles on the ship don’t mean that they are an officer or enlisted. I am a Quartermaster and I can stand Officer of the Deck inport and underway. Right now I am trying to get my qualifications done for Officer of the Deck inport done. When I stand these watches I will have the position of authority given to me by captain. That means I can give an order to an officer as long as I stand those watches.

[Gary Phaserman 0]

Jim used to pull those kinds of watches on Shore-duty before he went to OCS. I think his success there helped determine that he needed to become a Zero.

[BKY1701 0]

But no pips does not really mean they are crewmen, crewmen have their own rank system and pips (or more pip-bars like the admirals), so it’s likely that crewmen would all have on some type of pips.

 

As for who the non-pipped people are, I have no idea. Maybe civilian?

[Gary Phaserman 0]

Perhaps very junior enlisted? in the US Military, the lowest rank in the Military (E-1) has no insignia.

[Takara_Soong 4]

But no pips does not really mean they are crewmen, crewmen have their own rank system and pips (or more pip-bars like the admirals), so it’s likely that crewmen would all have on some type of pips.

 

As for who the non-pipped people are, I have no idea. Maybe civilian?

337038[/snapback]

 

We know for a fact that Simon Tarses was an enlisted crewman based on his conversation with Picard in The Drumhead. His uniform is "pipless" throughout the entire episode even when he's testifying.

 

As well, I don't think civilians would get Starfleet uniforms. Keiko O'Brien worked in botanical lab aboard the Enterprise as a civilian and she never wore a Starfleet uniform nor did any of the other civilians we saw (Guinan, Ten Forward serving personnel).

 

Perhaps they had to reach a certain rank to get pips which would explain why Miles O'Brien had pips but others didn't.

[Gary Phaserman 0]

it could be that the lowest enlisted ranks (EI those below Petty Officer 3rd Class) would have no insignia. the other possibility is this:

 

Crewman: No Insignia

 

Petty Officer: 1 black pip

 

Chief Petty officer: 2 Black Pips

 

However, it would not seem right that someone could serve for 20+ years and only hope to be promoted twice during that time, unless they attended an Officer School.