Commander

Commander is a military rank used in Earth Starfleet and Federation Starfleet, superior to lieutenant and lieutenant commander and subordinate to captain. A commander may be a department head, aide-de-camp or executive officer on a large vessel or starbase, or may be commanding officer or first officer of a smaller vessel.

Following naval tradition, the commanding officer of a vessel is addressed as "captain" while on their own vessel, regardless of rank. 

This term is also used in the Federation Starfighter Corps, the Imperial Klingon Fleet, the Klingon Defense Force and the Kellarian System Defense Forces. The equivalent in the Starfleet Starfighter Corps was wing commander. 

The rank is equivalent to the Marines rank of lieutenant colonel, and the Romulan and pre-Federation Vulcan rank of subcommander (they used "commander" to mean their equivalent of the Starfleet rank captain; Rihannsu: Riov).

La' was the Klingon term for a commander. A company of 100 warriors was commanded by a la'. HoDHom is another Klingon term for a commander. (Federation Space RPG Forum)

La' Mijanou was a Barkonian and the first officer of the IJN.

The equivalent rank in the Kai Imperium military was known as Tribune. (🇸🇹)

History
The term comes from the navies of Earth. The USN abbreviation was CDR.

On Earth, the rank of Commander originated in the 18th century Royal Navy of the United Kingdom as "master and commander". In the 19th century the rank was shortened to "commander" and continued unchanged in that form through at least the 24th.

Starfleet commanders

 * See Category:Starfleet commanders


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