Captain Jamie Ruth Townsend is the commanding officer of the and has been since the ship's construction in 2277. Captain Townsend was born on Earth in New York City on August 6, 2156. Her father was , one of the most brilliant and successful geneticists on the planet, and her mother was Admiral Autumn Townsend, a Rear Admiral in First Fleet in command of the 22nd Assault Flotilla. Born into a relatively wealthy family, Jamie received extensive genetic modifications before her birth to make her extremely healthy and incredibly intelligent.