1.2 Naval Officers

Line Officers are the intermediate step between Flag Officers and Starfleet's enlisted population. Ranging from ensigns to captains, these members of the fleet make up the senior staff and junior officers of every vessel, installation, and starbase in the fleet. Nearly all Federation starships are commanded by Captains, while more junior officers serve as department heads or executive officers. All officers have at least one four-year university degree, and have two years of general education in Starfleet protocols and systems.

Captain
Captains of starships, often located hundreds of light years away from and out of communications with higher authority, must be able to function autonomously and make independent command decisions affecting Federation policy and countless lives. Accordingly, few Starfleet officers ever gain the captaincy of a starship, the result of decades of sustained excellence as a Starfleet leader. The rank of captain may also be held by non-command personnel, especially on ships with a number of veteran and senior officers whose experience has warranted advancement to the rank of captain but without command of a starship.

Commander
Commander is typically held by the first officers of various cultures' starships and is also granted to the commanding officers of the smaller outposts, space stations and starbases. In Starfleet, a prerequisite to becoming a commander is by taking the Bridge Officer's Test. As commanders prove their leadership ability over time, they are considered for the difficult and highly competitive promotion to captain. Proper naval parlance says that, even if a naval vessel is commanded by an officer whose rank is commander, that officer is still able to be referred to as a captain while on the deck of their own vessel.

Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commanders normally serve as senior department heads, executive officers on smaller vessels, and in some cases as starship commanders, though this is rare. Lieutenant Commanders are the lowest-ranking senior officers, and title indicates that they are senior Lieutenants, not junior Commanders.

Lieutenant
Starfleet lieutenants are expected to be effective small-section leaders and technical experts, developing their leadership skills in preparation for promotion to senior officer ranks. Lieutenants, though not senior officers implicitly, are often department heads on Starfleet vessels of all sizes. They may also be executive officers on very small starships.

Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade, is the rank between Ensign and Lieutenant. Officers of this rank typically lead departments on smaller starships, and assist more senior officers on larger ones. This is the starting rank for doctors and counselors, on active duty, in recognition of the extra training their position requires, beyond the four year academy degree.

Ensign
Ensign is the lowest ranking officer rank, and it is granted to members of Starfleet who have just completed their academy training. An ensign's primary duty is professional growth, both as a leader and as an occupational specialist. Ensigns are mentored by more senior officers as well as their (nominally) subordinate chief petty officers as part of their development as Starfleet leaders. As ensigns prove themselves more capable, they are considered for promotion into the lieutenant tier.

On some of the larger starship classes, such as the Galaxy-class starships, it is not uncommon for veteran and seasoned enlisted personnel to have ensigns working for them as technicians, thus having the ensign "learning the ropes" of the more technical aspects of starship design, such as transporter components.