Ranks
The longer you are aboard both the USS Alan Turing as well as within STARFLEET, International, you will come across people of various ranks within the organization. While they often denote many things, the most important thing to remember is that the ranks within SFI and the ship itself hold no value outside of SFI and the USS Alan Turing. When you earn a promotion on the USS Alan Turing, you have the right to be proud of your accomplishments but do not use your rank inappropriately. The entire crew of the Alan Turing is a team and no one person is superior to another by virtue of rank. There is a difference between rank and authority.
These ranks are fictitious and do not mean that one member is superior to another and must NEVER be used to belittle or demean a member. Such things as hazing, pulling rank, and expecting exclusive privileges can get you in trouble quickly in STARFLEET, whether you are an Admiral or a Crewman. These ranks are for FUN and are used only to enhance the Star Trek feel of the organization.
Authority is sometimes confused with rank. These are two different ideas. Rank is fictitious, authority is real. The authority of the EC, the Regional Coordinators, and the Chapter Commanding Officers is given to them to enable them to perform their administrative and management jobs within STARFLEET. They must be able to make policies and guidelines for STARFLEET to function. This authority makes the FUN possible. The watchword for both rank and authority is SERVICE.
One of the ways STARFLEET recognizes effort and work on behalf of the organization is through the granting of fictional ranks. Promotion involves participation within, and contribution to, STARFLEET. What you put into your membership is what you will get out. If you participate within STARFLEET at
any level and in any capacity, you will be promoted in due course.
When you first join the ship, you will be promoted to the rank of E-1, or Crewman Recruit. There are activities that will get you promoted from this rank upwards which will be covered under the promotion lesson. Below is a chart of all the ranks in STARFLEET as well as the SFMC equivalent. One of the important things to remember is to become an officer, you must take the Officer Training School (OTS) course at STARFLEET Academy. This is a pre-requisite for becoming an officer.
FLEET ENLISTED RANKS
E-1 CREWMAN RECRUIT
E-2 CREWMAN APPRENTICE
E-3 CREWMAN
E-4 PETTY OFFICER THIRD CLASS
E-5 PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS
E-6 PETTY OFFICER FIRST CLASS
E-7 CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
E-8 SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
E-9 MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
FLEET OFFICER RANKS
0-1 ENSIGN
0-2 LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE
0-3 LIEUTENANT
0-4 LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
0-5 COMMANDER
0-6 CAPTAIN
0-7 FLEET CAPTAIN
0-8 COMMODORE
0-9 REAR ADMIRAL
0-10 VICE ADMIRAL
0-11 ADMIRAL
0-12 FLEET ADMIRAL
ENLISTED STARFLEET MARINE RANKS
E-1 PRIVATE
E-2 PRIVATE FIRST CLASS
E-3 LANCE CORPORAL
E-4 CORPORAL
E-5 SERGEANT
E-6 STAFF SERGEANT
E-7 GUNNERY SERGEANT
E-8 MASTER SERGEANT
E-9 SERGEANT MAJOR
OFFICER STARFLEET MARINE RANKS
0-1 SECOND LIEUTENANT
0-2 FIRST LIEUTENANT
0-3 CAPTAIN
0-4 MAJOR
0-5 LIEUTENANT COLONEL
0-6 COLONEL
0-7 BRIGADIER
0-8 BRIGADIER GENERAL
0-9 MAJOR GENERAL
0-10 LIEUTENANT GENERAL
0-11 GENERAL
0-12 NO EQUIVALENT
Cadet members are equally qualified for obtaining advancements in rank but these are accomplished within the Cadet ranks. These ranks are a similar structure as noted above but the rank title is prefaced by the word Cadet, such as Cadet Crewman or Cadet. The Cadet ranks will remain in effect until the Cadet reaches his 18th birthday. At that point, they will be promoted into the active duty ranking system at the lowest rank appropriate for their situation. Specifically, if they have passed Officer Training School while a Cadet, they will be granted the rank of Ensign. Otherwise, they will be ranked as a Crewman.
As a final point about rank advancement within the Alan Turing, no one is required to accept a commission as an officer if that does not meet with their persona, plans, or other goals within the ship, region, or SFI as a whole. While Officer Training School (OTS) would permit commission as an officer and promotion to the rank of Ensign, the crewmember may decline that advancement and remain an enlisted crewmember. The only effect of such refusal of
commission as an officer would be a limitation to the promotions that may be earned: they would be limited to the highest rank of Master Chief Petty Officer. If a crewmember later wishes to be promoted to Ensign, they can do that at anytime with no penalty.
Remember, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. Everyone has started at the same point and had to learn.