2266-2270 / [TOS] ERA
Divisions. Ranks and Insignia. Starfleet Emblem c.2260's. Decorations and Awards.

Scans and screenshots by Janet.  Text - adapted from section sources. Optimum page viewing.

YELLOW ALERT Insignia is taken to include rank markings/badges/pins as well as other emblems such as the United Earth logo, individual ship's insignia and the emblem adopted by all Starfleet from 2270 based on that of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701. [TOS] events, comprising a 5-year mission, occurred 2264 (conjecture - see yellow paragraph here: Uniforms, Page 1) to 2269. The end-stop date of 2270 relates to the date that Starfleet adopts the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 ship emblem as the emblem for all of Starfleet (but placed on a circle) and introduces new-style uniforms that are seen in 2271's [Star Trek: The Motion Picture]. However, in ST TNG Tech 2277 is given as the date when the USS Enterprise's ship emblem was adopted by Starfleet, so we must decide that the change-over was gradual and that 2277 was the year in which the change-over was fully completed.

DIVISIONS

Division colours:

Command, Helm, Navigation
Engineering, Communications, Security
Science, Medical
Command (wrap-around and dress uniform)

RANKS

CAPTAIN  This rank is designated by three gold baids, the middle one of which is broken. The rank insignia is always displayed on the mustard-coloured command shirts, but on the green tunics of the late 2260's it is sometimes displayed on the shoulders as a V-shaped braid. The colour coding of the green shirt provides a more prominent way of differentiating the captain.

Captain Kirk publicity shot

COMMANDER  A starship's first officer usually holds the rank of commander, but often retains the shirt colour of their specialist area e.g. Spock wears the blue shirt of science and medical rather than the mustard-yellow that indicates command. (I suggest this would explain why Tuvok, in [#41 Resolutions], when Janeway makes him permanent captain, decides to retain his gold-coloured uniform rather than don the red command one. Whatever the colour of a first officer's shirt, his position is clearly denoted by the rank insignia on his sleeve - two unbroken gold braids.

First Officer, Cmdr. Spock [TOS: Season 3: Day Of The Dove]

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER  Lieutenant Commanders often head the various departments within a starship, and in such cases wear the shirt colour of their specialist area, such as the red of engineering for the chief engineer and the blue of science/medical for the chief medical officer. Their rank is represented by two gold braids; the one closes to the hand is solid, while the other is broken.

Lt. Cmdr. Scott [TOS: Season 2: The Immunity Syndrome]

LIEUTENANT  The rank of lieutenant is marked by a single unbroken gold braid. All lieutenants wear divisional colours. In the 2260's, no distinction is made between the different grades of lieutenant. Lieutenants are the most junior officers who wear rank insignia. Ensigns and other junior crewmembers e.g. Pavel Chekov, have completely plain sleeves.

Lt. Uhura [TOS: Season 2: The Changeling]

ENSIGN  The rank of ensign has no gold braid or other marking at all so that the sleeves are completely plain. Accordingly the uniform is indistinguishable from that of other junior crewmembers. According to Gene Roddenberry the "enlisted men" category does not exist. Star Trek goes on the assumption that every man and woman aboard a ship is the equivalent of a qualified astronaut and is therefore an officer (Source: book 'The Making of Star Trek' by Stephen E. Whitfield). This works satisfactorily for [TOS] but the later films create a difficulty in that if non-commissioned officers did not exist in the 2260's Janice Rand had to be an ensign then not yeoman. [ST I: The Motion Picture] and [ST IV: The Voyager Home] show her ranked as Chief Petty Officer.

Ensign Pavel Chekov [TOS: Season 2: Journey To Babel]

Officer grades with sleeve measurements:

The drawing 'officer grades with sleeve measurements' is 93Kb.

INSIGNIA

[TOS: Court Martial]

The starship Enterprise's ship insignia is sewn onto the left breast of the shirt. The insignia depicts a free-form arrowhead pointing symbolically to the heavens, representing humanity's trek to the stars. Within the arrowhead is a different symbol depending on the department e.g. command and operations, or sciences or medical, or engineering and ship's services including the security division.

The insignia is slightly larger in size than as seen in 2265's [TOS: Where No Man Has Gone Before], but otherwise has the same gold background, black border and finished appearance. Nurse Chapel, the chief medical officer's permanent assistant, sometimes wears insignia not seen before, that of the arrowhead with a red cross within. Continuity is generally maintained throughout [TOS] as regards insignia and rank markings.

The classic Enterprise arrowhead symbol was designed in 1964 by William Ware Theiss, costume designer for [TOS] series. During the two pilot episodes for the first Star Trek, namely [The Cage] and [Where No Man Has Gone Before] (which later was an early episode in [TOS]), all Enterprise personnel wore this insignia, which was slightly smaller than the three versions later created by Theiss for the remainder of the series. Variations on Theiss's Enterprise insignia have remained in use for all of the Star Trek spin-off films and series except [Enterprise] which, as regards the Star Trek universe, pre-dates [The Cage] by close on a century.

NOTE 1

NOTE 2 Enterprise insignia - Science and Medical The symbol comprises two overlapping circles, possibly representing the twin and overlapping goals of Starfleet which The Star Trek Sticker Book explains are the spirit of exploration and the quest to understand the unknown - these are at the heart of the Federation Starfleet's mission to boldy go where no one has gone before. The book says those goals might best be personified by the personnel of the science and medical divisions. The science/medical division insignia is worn throughout [TOS] e.g. by Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy. [TOS]'s insignia are embroidered patches made with a metallic gold fabric background, and sewn onto the appropriate shirt.

NOTE 3

NOTE 4 Enterprise insignia - Medical/Nursing Introduced into [TOS] after the two pilots [The Cage] and [Where No Man Has Gone Before], this insignia is not worn by Dr. McCoy, who wears the Science/Medical insignia, but is worn by his assistant, Nurse Chapel.

Until 2270 Starfleet facilities, e.g. starships and starbases, possessed their own individual insignia. Here are details of the insignia for USS Enterprise NCC-1701 in the 2350's and 2360's.

examples of individual starship insignia

note the Exeter's symbol [TOS: Season 2: The Omega Glory]

STARFLEET EMBLEM c.2260's The Starfleet emblem is as seen in [TOS: Menagerie] and [TOS: Court Martial] being worn by the respective Commodores commanding Starbase 11. starburst emblem, the Starfleet emblem [TOS: The Menagerie] Commodore Mendez [TOS: Court Martial] Commodore Stone [TOS: Court Martial] Areel Shaw, court prosecutor note that Mendez and Stone wear different colour shirts   DECORATIONS AND AWARDS I am not sure about these designations. I am unable to verify them from Concordance, ST Compendium or The Trek Universal Index. Kirk's awards also include the Legion of Honour, Palm Leaf of the Axanar Peace Mission, Pentares Ribbon of Commendation, Silver Palm, Starfleet Command Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry, Starfleet Command Citation for Valour, Starfleet Command Decoration for Honor and Gallantry, and Starfleet Command Decoration for Valour. [TOS: Court Martial] 1: ?   2: Class of Excellence   3: ? 4: Medal of Honour   5: Class of Excellence   6: ? 7: ?   8: Cluster   9: Grankite Order of Tactics   10: ? The spelling of "Grankite", "Pentares" and "Karagite", which do not have entries in Encyclopaedia, are from the novelisation of [TOS: Court Martial] by James Blish who had access to the scripts. James T. Kirk's honours, as at 2266, in [TOS: Season 1: Court Martial], are: Commendations: Palm leaf of Axanar peace mission; Grankite order of tactics, class of excellence. Pentares ribbon of commendation, classes first and second. Awards of valour: Medal of Honour, silver palm with cluster. Three times wounded, honour roll. Galactic citation for conspicuous gallentry. Karagite Order of Heroism. It seems he has more honours but the court computer is interrupted at that point. [TOS: Season 1: This Side Of Paradise] [TOS: Season 3: The Tholian Web]   TOP   BACK   STARFLEET UNIFORMS INDEX   CHRONOLOGY   BRIDGE