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Lesson 08-ST: Rank Guide

All rank levels are displayed in order of seniority and authority. The proper chain of command is as follows:

Flag Officers / Generals
Commissioned Officers
Warrant Officers
NCO & Enlisted
Cadets
Ambassadors
Civilians

FLAG OFFICERS (ADMIRALS) / GENERALS

Flag Officers in Starfleet and Generals in the Marines. In Starfleet, all Admiral ranks (i.e. Rear Admiral and above) are addressed as 'Admiral' or 'sir', not Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral, Fleet Admiral, etc.

In the Marines, all General ranks (Brigadier General to General) are addressed as 'General' or 'sir' and Field Marshal is addressed as 'Field Marshal' or 'sir.'

The rank of Commodore has not been used in Starfleet since the days of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B. Therefore the rank previously known as Commodore is now referred to as Rear Admiral (lower half).

The ranks of Fleet Admiral and Field Marshal are not used at any time and are reserved and issued exclusively under a directive by Starfleet during a time of war and only for the duration of said war. Once the rank is achieved, the rank may be kept for the duration of their active career.

STARFLEET			MARINE
RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.	RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.
Fleet Admiral		FAdm.	Field Marshal		FMar.
Admiral		Adm.	General		Gen.
Vice Admiral		VAdm.	Lieutenant General		Lt. Gen.
Rear Admiral (Upper Half)		RAdm.	Major General		MGen.
Rear Admiral (Lower Half)		RAdm.	Brigadier General		BGen.

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OFFICER:

Commissioned officer ranks. All ranks in Starfleet are addressed by the title of the rank, except Fleet Captain, Lieutenant Commander and Lieutenant (Junior Grade).

By ranks junior to the rank being addressed: Fleet Captain is addressed simply as 'Captain' or 'sir', Lieutenant Commander is addressed as 'Commander' or 'sir' and Lieutenant (jg) is addressed as 'Lieutenant' or 'sir.'

By ranks senior to the rank being address: Fleet Captain is addressedas 'Captain', Lieutenant Commander is address as 'Commander', Lieutenant (JG) and below (i.e. junior officers) are addressed either by their rank (Lt(jg) addressed as 'Lieutenant') or can be addressed as 'Mister and the officer's name'. Any rank above Lt(jg) addressed as 'Mister' could be considered or intrepreted as an insult to the officer's rank as they are being addressed as a junior officer.

All ranks in the Marines are addressed by their title, except Lieutenant Colonel, Marine Captain and 1^st and 2^nd Lieutenant. 1^st and 2^ndLieutenants are addressed simply as 'Lieutenant' and are considered to be junior officers, the Starfleet rules of addressing by senior and junior also apply here. A Marine Captain is addressed simply as 'Captain' and a Lieutenant Colonel as 'Colonel'.

All officers of any rank outrank any enlisted personnel. Common sense, however, would give younger officers prudence to listen to enlisted personnel of high rank, for example, an Ensign could take orders from a Master Chief Petty Officer.

The rank of Fleet Captain is not used at any time and is reserved and issued exclusively under a directive by Starfleet during a time of war and only for the duration of said war. Once the rank is achieved, the rank may be kept for the duration of their active career, providing no further increase of rank is awarded.

STARFLEET			MARINE
RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.	RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.
Fleet Captain of Starfleet		FCaptSF.	Colonel		Col.
Fleet Captain		FCapt.	Colonel		Col.
Captain		Capt.	Colonel		Col.
Commander		Cdr.	Lieutenant Colonel		Lt. Col.
Lieutenant Commander		Lt. Cdr.	Major		Maj.
Lieutenant		Lt.	Marine Captain		MCapt.
Lieutenant (Junior Grade)		Lt(JG).	1^st Lieutenant		1Lt.
Ensign		Ens.	2^nd Lieutenant		2Lt.

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WARRANT OFFICER:

Warrant Officers are non-commissioned officers (NCO), who have advanced through the enlisted ranks to at least Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO). Upon achieving the rank of MCPO the officer may apply to Starfleet for an Admiral's Warrant Officer commission. Upon receipt of request and after successfully passing a short test, they could be awarded a Warrant Officer commission. All warrant officers, including Chief Warrant Officers are addressed as 'Warrant Officer' or 'Warrant.'

STARFLEET			MARINE
RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.	RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.
Chief Warrant Officer 4		CWO4	Chief Warrant Officer 4		CWO4
Chief Warrant Officer 3		CWO3	Chief Warrant Officer 3		CWO3
Chief Warrant Officer 2		CWO2	Chief Warrant Officer 2		CWO2
Warrant Officer 1		WO1	Warrant Officer 1		WO1

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NCO & ENLISTED:

Non-Commissioned Officers and Enlisted Personnel are those choosing to join Starfleet in the trades and therefore not going through Starfleet Academy. These can range from an engineer to a command specialist. They spend three (3) months at the Starfleet Recruit Training center on Beta Myamid III, before entering the enlisted ranks of crewman apprentice.

Crewman Recruit is addressed as 'Recruit', Crewman Apprentice as 'Crewman.' All Petty Officers are addressed as 'Petty Officer' or 'PO.' Chief Petty Officers, Senior Chief Petty Officers and Master Chief Petty Officers (inc. MCPOSF) are addressed as 'Chief Petty Officer' or simply 'Chief.'

In the marines, Private 1^stClass is addressed as 'Private', Lance Corporal as 'Corporal' and all other ranks as their title, except Sergeant Major of Starfleet, who is addressed as 'Sergeant Major.'

STARFLEET			MARINE
RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.	RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.
Master Chief Petty Officer of Starfleet		MCPOSF	Sergeant Major of Starfleet		SMajSF.
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Starship/Starbase		MCPOV	Sergeant Major of the Unit		SMajU.
Master Chief Petty Officer		MCPO	Sergeant Major		SMaj.
Senior Chief Petty Officer		SCPO	Master Sergeant		MSgt.
Chief Petty Officer		CPO	Gunnery Sergeant		GSgt.
Petty Officer 1^st Class		PO1	Staff Sergeant		SSgt.
Petty Officer 2^nd Class		PO2	Sergeant		Sgt.
Petty Officer 3^rd Class		PO3	Corporal		Cpl.
Crewman		CM	Lance Corporal		LCpl.
Crewman Apprentice		CMA	Private 1^st Class		PFC.
Crewman Recruit		CMR	Private		Pvt.

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CADET:

Cadets are officers currently attending Starfleet Academy or on a 'CadetCruise' (i.e. assignment) aboard a Starbase or Starship. All ranks of Cadets are addressed as 'Cadet', or 'Officer Cadet.' They may be giving an 'Acting-Ensign' rank by authorization of the Commanding Officer ofthe starship/starbase they are currently assigned to for their 'Cadet Cruise,' or by the Academy Adjutant/Commandant or other senior Academy staff.

STARFLEET			MARINE
RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.	RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.
4^th Year Cadet		Cdt.	4^th Year Cadet		Cdt.
3^rd Year Cadet		Cdt.	3^rd Year Cadet		Cdt.
2^nd Year Cadet		Cdt.	2^nd Year Cadet		Cdt.
1^st Year Cadet		Cdt.	1^st Year Cadet		Cdt.

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AMBASSADOR:

Ambassadors are officers who normally have been retired from active military service or have decided to move into the area of Ambvassadorial relationships with other cultures, transferring their rank for an Ambassadorial rank. ALL Ambassadors have reached, at minimum, the rank of Starfleet Captain or Marine Colonel. All respect for that rank is to be honored.

While having no real military Chain of Command or military command authority on any starbase, ship or other property belonging to the Federation of Planets, their rank and knowledge lends credence and the ability for most Commanding Officers to follow recommended procedures or actions as suggested by the Ambassadorial Corps.

STARFLEET			MARINE
RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.	RANK	INSIGNIA	ABBR.
Ambassador General		Amb. Gen.	Ambassador General		Amb. Gen.
Senior Ambassador		Sr. Amb.	Senior Ambassador		Sr. Amb.
Ambassador 3^rd Class		Amb. 3^rd	Ambassador 3^rd Class		Amb. 3^rd
Ambassador 2^nd Class		Amb. 2^nd	Ambassador 2^nd Class		Amb. 2^nd
Ambassador 1^st Class		Amb. 1^st	Ambassador 1^st Class		Amb. 1^st

Ambassador Envoy General		Amb. Env. Gen.	Ambassador Envoy General		Amb. Env. Gen.
Ambassador Envoy		Amb. Env.	Ambassador Envoy		Amb. Env.
Ambassador Consul		Amb. Con.	Ambassador Consul		Amb. Con.
Ambassador Vice-Consul		Amb. VCon.	Ambassador Vice-Consul		Amb. VCon.
Ambassador Attache		Amb. Att.	Ambassador Attache		Amb. Att.

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COLOR CODING:

Starfleet personnel wear an undershirt of their department COLOR. This undershirt extends to the collar, where the rank insignia is attached.

Below is a list of COLORS for each department and those assigned to that department are required to wear that COLOR with their rank insignia attached.

An image of the right hand side of the collar (with rank insignia) is below.

COLOR	DEPARTMENT(s)	COLLAR (with Insignia)
Red	Flag, Command, Flight Control, Administration
Gold	Operations, Engineering, Security, Tactical, CEAR, Special Forces (non-Marine)
Teal	Medical, Counseling, Science
Grey	Intelligence
Green	Marines
Royal Blue	Starfleet Research & Development, Training
White	Diplomatic
Ambassador Blue	Ambassadorial
Purple	Judge Advocate General
Mint Green	Civilian (trim color denotes department)

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CIVILIAN STAFF COLOR CODING:

Onboard a starship or starbase as of 2377, all Starfleet employed, or contracted civilian staff are to wear an issued 'Starfleet Civilian uniform,' this includes a white or grey undershirt which extends to the collar, this collar and the uniforms trim is COLOR coded corresponding to the department or section the civilian is working in. Any civilian clothing may be worn on top of this undershirt, so long as the collaris still visible.

Non-Starfleet employed or contracted civilian staff have the option of wearing their own clothes or Starfleet issued clothing, but are still displayed in the manifest by their appropriate collar and trim.

All R & D staff are required to wear full Starfleet Duty Uniform with a white undershirt displaying the collar.

COLOR	DEPARTMENT(s)	COLLAR & TRIM
Red	Administration (Civilian)
Gold	Engineering (Civilian)
Teal	Science (Civilian), Medical (Civilian)
White	Ambassadorial (Civilian)
Orange	Education
Minty Green	Retail & Trade
Light Blue	Recreation
Royal Blue	Starfleet R & D (Civilian Staff), Training (Civilian)

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TERMS OF USAGE
ALL MARINE ENLISTED, MARINE WARRANT OFFICER, STARFLEET ENLISTED, STARFLEET OFFICER and CIVILIAN RANK PIP IMAGES were created by Fleet Admiral Etling and remain the exclusive property of the Alpha Quadrant Simulation Group and used here with his permission and throughout the AQSG family sites. Please do not copy any of the pips from this site. Instead, if you would like them, please post a request for usage of these images on our FORUMS, the AQSG Webmaster will happily pass along the files free of charge to anyone who simply takes the time to ask him for their usage and simply credits the usage of same on their website.

This concludes Lesson 08-ST. Please select from the following options:
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