Captains might make up a majority of most Star Trek fans’ list of favorite characters, but these aren’t the only main roles keeping a Starfleet ship up and running. First Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) once reassured Captain Kirk (William Shatner) that a ship runs on loyalty to the captain. It was a rare emotional moment for the Vulcan (at least for The Original Series) who’d taken the time to reassure his human friend of how impossible he was to replace with a super computer – no matter how smart it was.
However, the ever-logical officer was only half right. While a ship runs more smoothly when the crew can trust their leader, it takes a village to keep everything operating efficiently. From the command chair to the belly of the ship, everyone has an important role to play. Sometimes it’s as simple as exploring new planets, and other times it’s as complex as battling space sickness or dodging space gods.
Superior Officers of the Command Division
Starfleet may not be the Star Trek equivalent of a military organization, but it sure loves its sense of hierarchy. At the top of the food chain sits the captain. They’re in charge of all systems of operation whether they’re wearing the classic gold, some variation of red and black (like Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in Star Trek: Voyager), or even blue sometimes. The captain deals directly with the first officer, chief medical officer, and chief engineer. They also work directly with other members like the communications, navigation, and helm officers of the main bridge crew, whose roles are more supportive but no less vital.
Some of the most tense scenes in Star Trek occur in meetings between the senior staff and the senior bridge crew members, in which they figure out how to handle a potentially life-threatening situation. They have to navigate their own fears and each other’s opinions, all under the weight of the crew members' lives in their hands. To say that leading a Starfleet ship is stressful would be an understatement. On the flip side, the benefits of having bigger sleeping quarters make it all seem worth it...almost, at least.
Science Division and Galactic Research
Starfleet has continued valiantly fighting various military allegations by dedicating itself to the relentless pursuit of scientific knowledge throughout Star Trek. In some ways, that makes the entire ship a science department. Technically speaking, though, only some of the crew members have the official capacity to speak as experts in its many fields.
In The Original Series, Spock and his team focused on understanding new planets, with officers like Helmsman Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) specializing in plant life. Meanwhile, Dr. McCoy and his team of medical officers focused on maintaining the crew’s health, with Dr. M’Benga (Booker Bradshaw) specializing in Vulcan anatomy.
Later, The Next Generation introduced Dr. Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) as the first full-time psychologist on a Starfleet ship. Her first mission involved using her empathetic abilities as a Betazoid to rescue the crew from the meddlesome mind games of Q (John de Lancie). Troi had her hands full between the dangers of being a Starfleet officer and dealing with the trauma of her peers. Yet, no one can deny the impact her role had within Star Trek, and how the franchise has continued making room for mental health conversations even years later.
Engineering Division and Space Technology
The engineering department has had a tumultuous history in Star Trek. There are some legends in the field, like Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (James Doohan). It's too bad that the subordinates in this department haven’t fared as well. In fact, the ill-fated term ‘redshirts’ has forever become synonymous with "extra who dies painfully on alien planet and/or in hostile situations." Star Trek: Discovery is one of the few TV shows that hasn’t killed off half of their redshirts.
The engineering team on Discovery eventually consisted of Ensign Tilly (Mary Wiseman), Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio), and Commander Reno (Tig Notaro), with Commander Stamets (Anthony Rapp) at the metaphorical helm. Still, in every show, one thing remains the same. When the crew is faced with impossible odds, the engineering officers step into their main roles of making a way out of nothing. From being yo-yo’d around a sun to using mushrooms to travel through space, they always find a way to save the day. Even the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Ensign Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) of Strange New Worlds has a way of coming in clutch whenever the situation calls for it, and she only recently joined the team.
The Underdogs of the Lower Decks
That being said, there’s one true backbone of Star Trek. They’re the underdogs. The unspoken, often-unnamed hero of any movie, TV show, comic, or novelization. When things are going well, it’s because they’re working unseen in the background. When things go sideways, they’re either working to get things back in order, or they’re dying quietly as the main heroes rush to save the day. Who are they? The crew of the lower decks.
These crew members work tirelessly in command, engineering, and science just for other officers to take the credit. Luckily, though, Star Trek: Lower Decks is finally getting them the recognition they deserve. Characters like Ensigns Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Boimler (Jack Quaid), Tendi (Noël Wells), and Rutherfod (Eugene Cordero) get into a lot of trouble on their own – but at least they’re not nameless or faceless in the process. These officers handle the details no one else wants, like maintaining the replicator or cleaning up the holosuites. It’s thankless and it’s gross, but there’s no one more qualified to do it.
The Harmony Of A Crew
Working for Starfleet on an active mission and doing so at its San Francisco headquarters are two different experiences. One entails bravely leaving behind all that is familiar for the wild unknown of greater space. The other entails handling the bureaucracy of politics and administration. While this sometimes allows admirals to buck the system like Admiral Cartwright (Brock Peters) in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, more often than not it’s just pushing paper. Likewise, officers on a Starfleet ship might have some boring days when they get stuck in a routine.
When things get exciting, however, there’s never any surefire way to guess what will happen next. It’s an unpredictable type of exhilaration. So, the most important aspect of any ship is the ones working within it. Command leads the people, scientists gain knowledge, and engineers manage the very ship itself. Star Trek reminds fans that everyone has a part to play, no matter how big or small. The main roles may shift at times, but the goal remains the same: “To explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before!”