Captain

- Captain of the ship is responsible for the safety of the ship and crew. Captain generally takes command watch during Alpha shift [0800 - 1600 hours]. Generally the captain will never lead away missions, unless demeed safe or required.

-The Captain also serves as a liaison between Starfleet Command and the ship that he or she is in command of currently. The captain has the right to withhold information, but generally doesn't, unless the information in question is restricted by a superior officer.

First Officer

-Assumes command in place of the captain if not present and takes command watch of the ship after the captain's shift [Beta - 1600 - 0000]. The first officer also spends several hours on the bridge during the captain's watch, for observational and training purposes. The first officer is directly responsible for the safety of the captain and the crew of the ship. The First Officer is generally selected to lead all away missions.

-The First Officer is responsible for overseeing personnel resource allocation and conducting personnel reviews. This includes recommend promotions after evaluations have been completed.

-The First Officer can relieve the Captain if he has ample reason and evidence to prove that the captain is unfit for duty or incapable of carrying out his responsibilities. The ship and must also be in danger from the captain's actions.

-The First Officer should generally be informed of everything that the captain is at liberty to discuss with him. Conflict sometimes arises as a result of this policy, however it is generally for the best. The Captain must insure that security issues are considered in these decisions.

Second Officer

-Assumes command in place of the Captain or First Officer, if neither are present or has been placed in command by them. The Second Officer is usually given the night shift, usually Delta Shift [0000 - 0800 hours].

-The Second Officer is responsible for special operations at the Captain's discretions, along with their normal duties. The Second Officer is also almost always a department head, besides their duties as Second Officer.

-The Second Officer always accompanies an away team mission unless otherwise needed on ship/station or is unavailable. He is assigned two task: (1) to observe the First Officer and learn from him; and (2) to help safe guard the First Officer from harm.

Factors that may effect command structure below those listed above: Rank, Command officers choice, and command structure if the Chief Officers are not present.

Chief Operations Officer

-It is the responsibility of the Operations Management Officer to coordinate such activities so that mission goals are not jeopardized. The theory is that by having a crew member in this decision-making loop, they will be able to make crucial adjustments because of the wide range of unpredictable situations with which a starship must deal with.

-The Operations Officer is responsibly for power and resource allocation. He has the ability to override whatever is currently happening with regards to resource allocation, to ensure that the bridge or whom every is needing the resources gets them based upon priority.

Operations Officer

-The Operations officer assigned to main ops control station is usually backed up by a second officer who monitors the situation from another control panel on the bridge until called upon.

Chief Flight Control Officer (Helm/Conn)

-The Flight Control console, often referred to as Conn, is responsible for the actual piloting and navigation of the spacecraft. Although these are heavily automated functions, their criticality demands a human officer to oversee these operations at all times. The Flight Control Officer receives instructions directly from the Commanding Officer. The Chief is responsible for training and maintaining the flight staff at peak efficient.

-During impulse powered space flight, Conn is responsible for monitoring relativistic effects as well as inertial damping system status.

-Warp flight operating rules require Conn to monitor subspace field geometry in parallel with the Engineering department.

Flight Control Officer (Helm/Conn)

-These officers are trained officer who enjoy flying a ship, and hope one day to get the chance to prove their stuff to a commanding officer.

Senior Intelligence Officer (if present)

-The Senior Intelligence Officer is responsible for communications with Starfleet Intelligence. He is responsible for gathering intelligence information and communicating that information with the Captain, XO and anyone deemed authorized to receive the information.

-The Senior Intelligence Officer also leads the Intellignce away teams, and is often on of the team specialists as well.

-This department works closely with Tactical, Security, and Strategic Operations to combine their talents and protect their duty assignment and the Federation from harm.

Intelligence Specialist (if present)

-These positions are filled by qualified personnel who have specialized knowledge in their fields. They range from engineers, to science officers, to medical officers, and a variety of other fields. When not on a Intel mission, Intelligence specialists work in the departs on board ship that they specialize in, i.e., an engineering specialist would work in Engineering, and be under the authority of the Chief Engineer until needed for a specific mission.

Chief Strategic Operations Officer (if present)

-The Chief Strategic Operations Officer is responsible for communications with Starfleet Intelligence. He is responsible for gathering intelligence information and communicating that information with the Captain, XO and anyone deemed authorized to receive the information.

-This department works closely with Tactical and Security, to combine their talents and protect their duty assignment and the Federation from harm.

Strategic Operations Officer (if present)

-Strategic Operations Officers provides the chief with the means to help him sort through the information and come up with possible interpretations.

Chief of Security/Tactical

-The Chief of Security/Tactical is responsible for internal ship security and more. The first tier of coverage involves a benign, low-level approach, watching over basic crew safety. The second tier activates during diplomatic and cultural missions, providing security for ambassadorial personnel or other important visitors. As an adjunct to these measures, high-level counterintelligence measures may be brought into play to negate possible sabotage or terrorist penetrations on board the Atlantis.

-The very survival of the ship will often rest in the hands of the Chief Security/Tactical Officer in the performance of operations in hazardous situations including close-in missions to energetic celestial objects, dealing with dangers posed by certain artificial constructs, and potential hostilities with Threat vessels. A wide variety of systems are available to the Tactical Officer from the Tactical station, including the ship's defensive shields, phaser banks, and quantum & photon torpedoes, all first-line devices. The Chief Tactical Officer has earned the title of chief, because he's experienced and has proven himself as a tactician in combat situations.

-This department works closely with Strategic Operations and Intelligence, to combine their talents and protect protect their duty assignment and the Federation from harm.

Security Officer

-A Security Officer's primary duty is the safety of the ship's crew.

Tactical Officer

-The Tactical Officer has proven himself at the position, but hasn't attained the needed experience or rank to be called Chief Tactical Officer. He is nonetheless very important to the continued operation of a starship. He's earned the right to be responsible for the defense of the ship.

Chief Engineering Officer

-When on the Bridge the Chief can observe what is happening both outside the ship and in engineering and is better informed so that he can make a more appropriate decision. This also allows him to respond to the commanding officer's decisions faster. However under most conditions the Chief Engineer is in main engineering where he can work on problems.

Engineering Officer

-Are officers dedicated to engineering and work with and under the guidance of the Chief Engineer.

Chief Medical Officer

-Responsible for the health and physical well being of the ship's crew. The CMO almost never assumes command, unless having passed the bridge officers exam. Even then the CMO is likely to only be given or assume command in crisis situations where there is little alternative. The CMO is also responsible for the staffing of the Medical Staff.

-The CMO can relieve the captain or anyone else of duty for medical reasons, however the result will likely be a hearing to determine the merits of such action.

-The CMO must be a doctor or equivilent.

Medical Officer

-These positions are filled by qualified personnel who have medical knowledge and are able to help patients. They range from nurses, to doctors, to technicians and a variety of other medical related fields.

Chief Ship's Counselor

-The Chief Counselor is primarily responsible for the mental wellbeing of the ships senior staff. Among the other duties assigned to the Chief, is providing comments and evaluations of contacts with other species, other ships etc. The Chief Counselor is also involved in crew evaluations and performances.

Counselor

-The Counselor is responsible for helping the crew that is assigned to them by the Chief Counselor, based upon where their training and experience can best be used.

Chief Science Officer

-The Chief Science Officer's duty is to provide oversight and direction for the science officers. This includes serving as the point man on many missions that may require a sciencitific evaluation. The Chief is also responsible for assigning shift rotations for the science labs and when needed for the bridge. Science officers are only present on the bridge during alpha and beta shifts, and during delta shift as beeded.

-The ability to provide access to sensors and interpretive software for primary mission and command intelligence requirements and to supplement Ops in providing real-time scientific data for command decision making support.

-The ability to act as a command post for coordination of activities of various science laboratories and other departments, as well as for monitoring of secondary mission status.

-The ability to reconfigure and recalibrate sensor systems at a moment's notice for specific command intelligence requirements.

Science Officer

-The science officers duties while on the bridge are tp provide real-time scientific data to command personnel, which will vary from mission to mission as the specs for the mission may change or need updating.

Marine Commander (if present)

-Commands all marines. When hostilities break out during a ground mission, he is in command of ground missions that include any Marines, unless overridden by the Commanding Officer. He oversees, disciplines, and provides support for all Marines. He is the link to the ship's Captain, Starfeet Command and the Marine Command Authority. He makes sure missions happen as best as possible with the highest kill ratio, if offensive combat is needed, as well as the least loss of life on his side. He can encompass all aspects of a Marine if needed.

Marine Specialist (if present)

-A Marine Specialist is a Special Forces Marine, most peoples worst nightmare. A Specialist encorporates all the skills of a regular Marine with a specialized ability (Sniper Scout, Intelligence/Linguistics Specialist, Heavy Weapons Specialist, Communications Specialist, etc.). They are experts in what they do.