A chief linguistics officer is in charge of all linguistic sciences aboard a starship. Starfleet utilized linguistic officers in unexplored or under-explored areas of space where many first contact situations may arise.
Exploring the Typhon Expanse and regions around it where many various cultures and species existed, the USS Cantabrian (NCC-24705) had a chief linguistics officer named Threk. After Threk's untimely death in 2372, Captain Noah Wrightson promoted Lieutenant junior grade Benjamin Caldwell to chief linguistics officer of the Cantabrian.
- The Cantabrian has a linguistics team in the rare opportunity the universal translator breaks down or is unable to translate a language. The Galaxy's first contact with the Lelari in 2366 would have been disastrous had it not been for Benjamin Caldwell's abilities with languages.