Ranks – USS Hiroshima

These are the ranks used on the Hiroshima and in Obsidian Fleet. Note that Marine ranks are not listed here, as the Hiroshima does not normally offer Marine positions, although these do exist in some areas of the Fleet.

Flag Officer Ranks

These ranks are those granted to senior members of Fleet Staff. In Obsidian Fleet, these ranks are bestowed by the Joint Fleet Command, for the most part.

Insignia	Title & Description
	Admiral: Admiral (abbreviated to ADM) is the highest normal rank in Starfleet. Admirals have impeccable service records and decades of service. Flag officers of Admiral rank are in command of all main divisions of Starfleet. This rank is only available to members of the Joint Fleet Command and Fleet Advisers.
	Vice-Admiral: Vice-Admiral (abbreviated to VADM) is the third highest flag officer rank, above Rear Admiral and below Admiral. Vice Admirals are flag officers with a specific mandate, such as a large area of space or a subsection of a division. They may also command task forces. Typically, this rank was only available to the Obsidian Fleet Judge Advocate-General and in certain other rare circumstances.
	Rear-Admiral: Rear-Admiral (abbreviated to RADM) is the second flag officer rank, above Commodore and below Vice Admiral. They may command task forces, major starbases, shipyards, bases on major worlds, fleet departments or other similar duties. This rank is granted to all newly appointed Obsidian Fleet Council members, save the JAG.
	Commodore: Commodore (abbreviated to CDRE) is the most junior flag officer rank. Commodores may command task groups and small fleet forces, or subsections of a division (such as the Romulan Operations Division of Starfleet Intelligence). Because many commodores remain in direct, full time command of starships, it has been said that, “Commodores are admirals who don’t want to give up their toys.” This rank is granted to some Fleet Staff members and to COs who have demonstrated exceptional merit.

Line Officer Ranks

These are the ranks of the officers that man starbases, ships and other facilities. In Obsidian Fleet, all of these are available on each sim, although restrictions apply.

Warrant Officer Ranks

Warrant officers are Starfleet personnel who derive their authority through a warrant rather than a commission. They are highly experienced non commissioned officers. All of these ranks are available to all warrant officers aboard th Hiroshima.

Insignia	Title & Description
	Master Chief Warrant Officer : Abbreviated to MCWO, this is the highest warrant officer rank. Like other warrant officers, these individuals started out as enlisted personnel, and now serve as specialized commissioned officers highly trained in one area (like engineering). Unlike regular commissioned officer who underwent training at Starfleet Academy, warrant officers gained their rank through years of service and obtained their authority through warrant from the President of the United Federation of Planets. Master Chief Warrant Officers are capable of serving in any senior officer post except Commanding Officer or Executive Officer.Master Chief Warrant Officers are at the top of the warrant officer ladder and can therefore not be promoted further although they can apply for a commission.
	Senior Chief Warrant Officer: Abbreviated to SCWO, this is the third warrant officer rank, above Chief Warrant Officer and below Master Chief Warrant Officer. Senior Chief Warrant Officers are capable of serving in any junior or senior officer post except Commanding Officer or Executive Officer.
	Chief Warrant Officer: Abbreviated to CWO, this is the second warrant officer rank, above Warrant Officer and below Senior Chief Warrant Officer. Chief Warrant Officers are capable of serving in any junior or senior officer post except Commanding Officer or Executive Officer. At this rank a Warrant Officer now is open to apply for a commission bases on their experience.
	Warrant Officer: Abbreviated to WO, this is the lowest warrant officer rank, above all enlisted rates and below Chief Warrant Officer. Warrant Officers are capable of serving in any junior officer post. Warrants have a minimum of 13 and an average of 17 years enlisted service prior to commissioning. After the promotion to Warrant Officer there is very little change in duties, due to the nature of their work.

Enlisted Ranks

Enlisted crew make up the majority of crew on the station. Enlisted crew have not attended Starfleet Academy, but instead receive basic training as a Crewman Third Class. These ranks are available to all enlisted crew aboard the Hiroshima.

Insignia	Title & Description
	Master Chief Petty Officer: Abbreviated to MCPO, this is the most senior regular non-commissioned rank used by Obsidian Fleet. Master Chief Petty Officers generally only serve as department heads, or, more commonly, as the Chief of the Boat. They have many years of service and a wealth of experience in their selected field. Chief Petty Officers serve a dual role as both technical experts and as leaders, with the emphasis being more on leadership as they progress through the CPO ranks. A recognized, collateral duty for all Chiefs is the training of Junior Officers. Master Chief Petty Officers are at the top of the Enlisted/NCO ladder and can therefore not be promoted further; although they can apply for a warrant or commission. This rank is usually only afforded to the Command Master Chief and certain other high-level NCO roles. Its granting is, however, at the CO’s discretion.
	Senior Chief Petty Officer: Abbreviated to SCPO and referred to as Senior Chief or Chief, this is a senior non-commissioned rank used by Starfleet. Senior Chief Petty Officers serve in leadership roles in their respective departments (Engineer’s Mate or Master-at-Arms, for example), or -in some cases- as the Chief of the Boat, and may also serve in any officer post – in rare cases even department head. They generally have many years of service and a wealth of experience in their selected field.
	Chief Petty Officer: Abbreviated to CPO and referred to as Chief, this is a senior non-commissioned rank used by Starfleet. Chief Petty Officers serve in leadership roles in their respective departments (Gunner’s Mate or Shuttlebay Manager, for example), and may also serve in any junior officer post. They generally have many years of service and a wealth of experience in their selected field. A promotion to Senior Chief Petty Officer after five years is common, but not required. Chief Petty Officers serve a dual role as both technical experts and as leaders, with the emphasis being more on leadership as they progress through the CPO ranks. A recognized, collateral duty for all Chiefs is the training of Junior Officers. At this rank the crewman can apply for a warrant, demonstrating their technical expertise and leadership skills, to be promoted to Warrant Officer.
	Petty Officer First Class: Abbreviated to PO1, this is a non-commissioned officer rank in Starfleet. A First Class Petty Officer is a senior enlisted person, having generally served eight years in their occupational speciality to advance to this level. First Class Petty Officers may supervise a group of junior enlisted within their same speciality, and may be addressed by rating, such as “Hospital Corpsman First Class,” “Deputy First Class,” or “Matter-Antimatter Technician First Class,” as well as by the generic Petty Officer First Class.
	Petty Officer Second Class: Abbreviated to PO2, this is a non-commissioned officer rank in Starfleet. Second Class Petty Officers have been promoted within their occupational speciality from Petty Officer Third Class. They may be addressed by their occupational title, such as “Hosptial Corpsman Second Class” or “Transporter Operator Second Class” as well as by the more generic Petty Officer Second Class.
	Petty Officer Third Class: Abbreviated to PO3, this is the lowest Starfleet non-commissioned officer rank. Petty Officers Third Class generally serve as relief personnel to another post, such as transporter operator. Petty Officers are journeyman level specialists within a field. A petty officer may be addressed by their job title, such as Hospital Corpsman Third Class, or Torpedoman’s Mate Third Class, as well as by the generic title of Petty Officer.
	Crewman First Class: Abbreviated to CN1, this is an enlisted Starfleet rank generally reserved for personnel with between two and four years of experience. Crewmen First Class generally serve as medical technicians or engineering technicians.
	Crewman 2nd Class: Abbreviated to CN2, these are enlisted personnel with typically less than two years of service. Crewmen 2nd Class generally perform menial tasks like basic maintenance or act as security officers.
	Crewman Third Class: Abbreviated to CN3, this is the most junior enlisted rank in Starfleet. Personnel at this rank are still attending the Starfleet Academy Enlisted Training School. Upon completion of that six month program, they are promoted to Crewman Second Class and posted to the fleet.

Promotions

One of the questions we are frequently asked is ‘how do I get promoted?’. The Hiroshima’s promotion system is not based on any numerical requirement, but rather on an assessment of the CO and XO of the performance of the player in question. We review characters for promotions regularly and offers of promotions (we do not force position promotions on any character, but rather ask the player if they are interested in being promoted) are based on the following factors, amongst others:

Time served on the station – we don’t issue you with a promotion within the first couple of months, disregarding exceptional circumstances;
Post quality and frequency – the former is definitely the more important of these two factors, but if you consistently exceed the posting requirements, this will also be noted;
Efforts to interact and work co-operatively with others – the Hiroshima’s leadership team believe very strongly in the values of friendship and community. If you’ve made efforts to foster friendships and work well with others, we’ll be pleased;
Your work with the storyline – how well your work allows others to participate and offers posting opportunities to others;
Keeping to the rules – all of those carrying higher rank must follow the rules and set a good example for other players;
Efforts to help others out – everyone is going to have a bad day at times. If you can assist others who may be having difficulty, we’ll recognize this.
In-character factors – sometimes you may be advanced to a department head position if the DH leaves (although this is at the discretion of the CO); similarly, we keep the ranks of other officers in the department in mind when we offer promotions.
Promotion by request – asking the CO/XO for a promotion is a faux pas. It won’t help you advance any more quickly – in fact, it might hinder your advancement. If you’re wanting advice on how to reach a point where you might be promoted, though, fire away – we’ll always help people who want to improve.
Enlisted crew to warrant officers/warrant officers to commissioned officers – if you’d like to change rank types, just let the CO and XO know and we’ll set you up to do that if your character meets the requirements. Your character may be required to sit an examination in-character to do this – don’t worry, this isn’t to test you, but is instead for good character development 😉

Insignia	Title & Description
	Captain: Captain (abbreviated to CAPT) is the most senior line officer rank. Captains most often command starships and medium to large starbases. Captains may also command planetary outposts or serve as division heads for Starfleet bases on major worlds or as adjutants to senior flag officers. Only Commanding Officers, and Executive Officers who have served for at least one year in that capacity aboard the same sim, whose sim’s CO’s rank is Captain or above, and have the approval of the TFCO for promotion may hold this rank.
	Commander: Commander (abbreviated to CDR) is the fifth line officer rank, above Lieutenant Commander and below Captain. Commanders generally serve as executive officer, but may also – under certain circumstances – serve as commanding officer of starships and starbases. This rank is available to the Commanding Officer, Executive Officer and to any Department Head (as long as they don’t outrank the Executive Officer).
	Lieutenant Commander: Lieutenant Commander (abbreviated to LCDR) is the lowest senior line officer rank, above Lieutenant and below Commander. Lieutenant Commanders generally serve as department heads on large starships and starbases. They may be the executive officer or possibly commanding officer of a ship or facility. Any officer aboard the sim may hold this rank.
	Lieutenant: Lieutenant (abbreviated to LT) is the most common commissioned officer rank. It is one rank above Lieutenant JG and below Lieutenant Commander. Lieutenants can perform almost any officer duty on a starship. In some cases lieutenants can be department heads, especially on smaller starships. This rank is available to any member of the sim.
	Lieutenant (Junior Grade): Lieutenant (Junior Grade) (abbreviated to LTJG) is a junior line officer rank – one rank above Ensign and below Lieutenant. Lieutenants (JG) may serve as assistant department heads – possibly department heads on smaller starships and facilities – or man bridge stations. Officers typically spend at least two years as a Lieutenant Junior Grade. This rank is available to any member of the sim. Generally, it is the rank with which new players will start, so as to afford promotion later, and to provide an equitable system for advancement. If a player is asked by the CO to undergo the Obsidian Fleet Cadet Academy, this is the maximum rank they may hold until they have passed the course.
	Ensign: Ensign (abbreviated to ENS) is the most junior commissioned officer rank, above all enlisted personnel and Warrant Officers and below Lieutenants (JG). Ensigns have only been out of the Academy for a short time, and as such have the least amount of responsibility of all officers. Ensigns generally serve in relief or assistant capacities in most departments. It is rare – but not unheard of – for a cadet at Starfleet Academy to be granted a temporary commission as an ensign. This, however, is only done in instances of truly outstanding grades. Officers typically spend around three years as an Ensign. This rank is available to any member of the sim, and as a starting rank on request or for very new players.