Commander

Commander is a military rank, the equivalent of which is used by the service organizations of many civilizations. As a traditional naval grade, Commander is the second most senior line officer rank, falling between Captain and Lieutenant in hierarchy, usually given to executive officers and department heads, aides de camp, or the skippers of smaller vessels or leaders of other contingents of officers, such as on a Starbase. 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. Commander is equivalent to the infantry rank of Lieutenant Colonel, or the Subcommander grade used by the Romulan Star Empire and the Vulcan High Command.

This grade exists in different forms in the systems of many cultures, such as the Klingon Defense Force.

In the Romulan Empire, the term Commander refers to a higher rank than in Starfleet, a Commander is usually a shipmaster, equivalent to Starfleet captain.

In the Xindi-Reptilian military, a Commander controls a squadron and a regiment.

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.

The Commander rank also exists in the Federation Starfighter Corps and is equivalent to the Starfleet commander rank.

Insignia

 * See Starfleet ranks for Starfleet rank insignia.
 * See Rank insignia comparison for equivalent insignia.


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