Lieutenant commander

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.

Lieutenant commander insignia
Starfleet, 2250s - 2265
Starfleet, 2266 - 2270s
Starfleet, 2280s until early 24th century
Starfleet, 2350s-present
Starfleet 24th century provisional
Terran Starfleet, mirror universe

Lieutenant commander is a military rank, the equivalent of which is used by the service organizations of many civilizations.

[edit] Origins and History

A traditional naval rank, lieutenant commander was once used in the old navies of Earth, among them the United States Navy and the Royal Navy. In these organizations, a lieutenant commander was a grade between the lieutenant and commander grades with the rank equivalent to a major in the marine or ground forces.

By the 22nd century, lieutenant commander had apparently become defunct and was not used in the Earth Starfleet. A century later, in the early 2260s, Lieutenant Commander was being used by the Starfleet of the United Federation of Planets. The insignia was at first the same as that of lieutenant, but by 2266 had developed into its own design.

An issue of Star Trek: The Magazine established that the costuming department on Star Trek: Enterprise had no insignia for lieutenant commander. However, this does not mean the rank did not exist, merely that no on screen character had it and that no episode called for it. The rank was originally considered for use on the show with Malcolm Reed intended to be a lieutenant commander.

In Enterprise Season Four episode "Bound" Commander Tucker refers to his replacement "Kelby" as lieutenant dispite him wearing three pips. This could possibly indicate that the rank exists with the same insignia and full commander.

[edit] Modern usage

In the 24th century Starfleet, lieutenant commander is an active rank with its equivalent in alien militaries being the Cardassian rank of glinn and the Romulan rank of centurion. Lieutenant commanders normally serve as senior department heads, executive officers on smaller vessels, and in some cases as Starship commanders. Lieutenant Commanders Tom Markel, Jadzia Dax, and Piersall have all held commanding officer postings.

The rank of lieutenant commander is also know to have existed in parallel universes. The Terran Starfleet of the mirror universe was using this rank in 2155 (an example being T'Pol) and the rank was still being used in 2266. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly"; TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")

[edit] See also

• List of Starfleet lieutenant commanders