abstract
| - A ranking officer (also known as a superior officer) is a relative leadership position within a chain of command that one person may hold over one person or a group of people within a situational context. Starfleet utilized this system, entrusting a ranking officer with the command decisions for various circumstances, including departments aboard a starship and leads on away missions. The ranking officer normally for a military unit like a starship is usually referred to as the commanding officer. The ranking officer for a duty shift on the bridge of a starship is known as a duty officer. Also, the term is sometimes used by Starfleet personnel to refer specifically to officers of a high rank. (DS9: "Homefront") Determinants for a ranking officer in Starfleet are similar to the chain of command, which include (in no particular order): rank, seniority, Starfleet division, direct orders from a flag officer or Starfleet Command, and Starfleet regulations. Other cultures may also refer to the term as more directly related to rank. In 2375, Kashyk's status as a ranking officer enabled him to take command of Devore inspection teams. (VOY: "Counterpoint")
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