A promotion was an honorable upgrade of a rank. In the marketing business, promotion involved the publicity of a particular product for sale in a commercial or some other advertisement.
In Starfleet, in the 24th century, the promotion ceremony involved pinning the pip of the new rank on the officer's collar by their commanding officer, or some equivalent thereof. (DS9: "The Adversary"; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Star Trek Into Darkness; TNG: "Lower Decks"; VOY: "Revulsion", "Unimatrix Zero") The Deep Space Corps Selection Board was the Starfleet entity responsible for reviewing the eligibility of in-the-zone or above-the-zone promotion of an officer. (TNG: "The Measure Of A Man", okudagram)
James T. Kirk's promotion to captain
In 2258, James T. Kirk was promoted to captain of the USS Enterprise by the Starfleet Academy Board, for saving Earth from Nero. Admiral Richard Barnett pinned a medal to Kirk's dress uniform to signify his new rank. Around the same time, Captain Christopher Pike was promoted to Rear Admiral. (Star Trek)
In 2259, Lieutenant James T. Kirk was promoted to first officer of the USS Farragut, breaking his father's record as the youngest first officer in Starfleet. However, Kirk wouldn't actually assume the position for a few more months as Kirk needed to train his replacement for Kirk's previous position first. Kirk was later given a temporary transfer to the USS Enterprise so that Kirk could shadow Lieutenant Commander Una Chin-Riley and learn more about his new duties. (SNW: "Lost in Translation", "Subspace Rhapsody")
Before a joint operation in Bannon's Nebula, Captain Christopher Pike was temporarily promoted to Fleet Captain and given command of the USS Enterprise, the USS Farragut, several other support craft and Bavali Station. (SNW: "Lost in Translation") At some point before Pike was crippled in 2266, he received a permanent promotion to this rank. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I")
That same year, Captain Marie Batel was up for a possible promotion to Commodore. However, she was passed over for it by Admiral William Geary because of "concerns." Both Batel and Pike believed that it was a form of retaliation by Admiral Pasalk for her losing Una Chin-Riley's trial. (SNW: "Among the Lotus Eaters")
In 2263, feeling that space exploration had become routine and episodic, Kirk applied for a promotion from Captain to Vice Admiral and command of Starbase Yorktown. Following the defeat of Krall, Kirk was offered the promotion by Commodore Paris for saving Yorktown. However, having regained his spirit of exploration, Kirk turned it down as Vice Admirals didn't fly starships. Instead, Kirk assumed command of the new USS Enterprise-A after the ship was completed. (Star Trek Beyond)
Shortly before his death in 2358, Ensign Phil Wallace of the USS Pegasus was seriously considered for a promotion. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")
In 2364, Captain Jean-Luc Picard turned down the promotion to commandant at Starfleet Academy, giving the reason he was not good in politics. (TNG: "Coming of Age")
In a 2367 entry in his personal log, Data mentioned that there have been four promotions aboard the USS Enterprise-D that day. (TNG: "Data's Day")
One of the reasons why Keiko O'Brien wouldn't leave Deep Space 9, though the space station did not need a botanist, was the passing opportunity for her husband of a promotion. (DS9: "A Man Alone")
Worf's elaborate ceremony
In 2371, the senior staff of the USS Enterprise-D used a ceremony incorporated into an elaborate holodeck recreation of a 19th century sailing ship, for Lieutenant Worf's promotion to lieutenant commander. Commander William T. Riker indicated that this was a tradition for Enterprise senior staff promotions. This included having the newly ranked officer trying to grab an officer's bicorne hat hanging out over a plank. Worf was the first officer to not fall into the holographic ocean. (Star Trek Generations)
Later, while meeting Picard in the Nexus, Kirk told him "don't let them promote you. Don't let them transfer you. Don't let them do anything that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you're there, you can make a difference" after learning that Picard was the captain of the Enterprise. (Star Trek Generations)
Toddman threatened to promote Sisko if he ever disobeyed orders again. (DS9: "The Die is Cast")
The same year, Commander Benjamin Sisko was promoted to captain. His son, Jake, placed the fourth pip on Ben Sisko's collar at the promotion ceremony on Deep Space 9. (DS9: "The Adversary")
In 2372, Commander Benteen was promoted to captain by Admiral Leyton, and given command of the USS Lakota. (DS9: "Paradise Lost")
In 2373, Arandis was promoted to chief facilitator of the Temtibi Lagoon on Risa. (DS9: "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
Tuvok promoted
In 2374, on stardate 51186.2, Lieutenant Tuvok was promoted to lieutenant commander on board the USS Voyager during a promotion ceremony presided over by Captain Kathryn Janeway in Voyager's mess hall. (VOY: "Revulsion")
In 2377, Tom Paris was promoted back to lieutenant junior grade following a previous demotion to ensign. The ceremony took place when he started his duty shift to find a box containing his new pip at his station. (VOY: "Unimatrix Zero")
In 2380, Beckett Mariner was promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant in a scheme by Captain Carol Freeman to get her daughter off the USS Cerritos. The scheme failed and Mariner was demoted back to Ensign after insulting a Vulcan admiral. (LD: "Moist Vessel")
Unable to stand Fletcher anymore, Mariner and Ensign Brad Boimler purposefully made him out to be the hero of the story during an encounter with the Drookmani rather than exposing the problems that Fletcher had caused so that he would be promoted and transferred away from the Cerritos. The ploy worked and Fletcher was promoted two ranks to full lieutenant and transferred to the USS Titan. However, Fletcher's promotion lasted for only six days after which Fletcher was demoted back to ensign, fired from his position aboard the Titan and sent back to Earth for dumping garbage into the warp core rather than properly disposing of it. (LD: "Terminal Provocations")
Later that same year, Boimler was promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant junior grade and reassigned to the USS Titan at the recommendation of Commander Jack Ransom. A few months later, he was demoted by Captain William T. Riker and sent back to the Cerritos after being tricked by his transporter duplicate William Boimler. (LD: "No Small Parts", "Kayshon, His Eyes Open")
In 2381, for their actions in saving the Voyager and the Cerritos, Boimler, Mariner, D'Vana Tendi and T'Lyn were all promoted to Lieutenant junior grade. Sam Rutherford rationalized his failure to be promoted due to using the cheese Neelix once made to disable Voyager. Boimler had already been put up for a possible promotion before the mission by Commander Ransom which Mariner admitted she'd suggested to Ransom. (LD: "Twovix")
Sometime later, Rutherford attempted to earn his rank and join his friends, but Lieutenant Commander Andy Billups was going to promote Ensign Livik instead. Rutherford revealed that he had previously turned down several promotions for things like saving the Cerritos from the Pakleds and the USS Rubidoux from the "space jellyfish" which Rutherford had done so that he could remain close to his friends. Tendi suggested simply accepting one of the promotions that he'd turned down right there, but Rutherford didn't believe that he could simply accept one of them at the ceremony as "they took it really seriously in engineering. You have to earn it with a scientific..." although Rutherford didn't get to finish his sentence. Tendi suggested to Billups that Rutherford get his promotion for removing the hull to save the USS Archimedes which Billups accepted, angering Livik due to his own interrupted promotion. (LD: "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee")
As the promotion aggravated untreated survivor guilt, Mariner attempted to decline the promotion and later get herself demoted, but Commander Jack Ransom realized what she was doing and refused to enable her self-destructive behavior. However, with the root cause not addressed, this resulted in Mariner's emotional stability declining, ultimately leading to a self-destructive and ultimately suicidal tantrum that lasted until Ma'ah recognized that Mariner was troubled and coaxed the cause – the death of Sito Jaxa followed by the Dominion War – out of her. Ma'ah convinced Mariner that Sito would never approve of her behavior, leading to her accepting the promotion. (LD: "Twovix", "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee", "The Inner Fight")
In 2401, following the conclusion of the Changeling and Borg plot surrounding Frontier Day, Seven of Nine expected a reprimand for her rogue actions and possibly to be kicked out of Starfleet. However, Tuvok revealed that Captain Liam Shaw had recommended Seven for a promotion and her own ship before the USS Titan-A had left for the Ryton system. Instead of punishing Seven, Tuvok promoted her to Captain of the rechristined USS Enterprise-G. (PIC: "The Last Generation")
In 3189, Commander Michael Burnham was promoted to Captain by Fleet Admiral Charles Vance and was given command of the USS Discovery. (DIS: "That Hope Is You, Part 2") Decades later, she had been promoted to four-star Admiral. (DIS: "Life, Itself")
In 3191, after returning to Starfleet, Saru was promoted to Admiral. (DIS: "Life, Itself")
When Leto came to collect his mother for Discovery's last mission in the 33rd century, he had recently been promoted to captain and was preparing to assume his first command. (DIS: "Life, Itself")
See also[]
External links[]
- Promotion at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Promotion at Wikipedia