Captain, as your exec, it's my duty to point out alternatives.Will Decker to James T. Kirk
Commander, we don't have to like each other to work well together. As a matter of fact, I'd like you to continue to keep me on my toes."
"Some might define that as the role of a first officer.William T. Riker and Elizabeth Shelby
Aboard a starship the first officer or executive officer (or XO) was the second-in-command, just below the captain.
Duties
In Starfleet, the position was usually held by an officer with the rank of commander or lieutenant commander, but exceptions do exist, such as with Sylvia Tilly in the 32nd century.
In 22nd and 23rd century Starfleet, the first officer would often accompany the captain on landing parties, depending on the situation. By the 24th century, however, it was the first officer who usually led away teams while the captain remained on the ship.
In the 22nd and 23rd centuries, the first officer served as a department head first and the executive officer second (similar to the second officer and third officer) and only took command when the captain left the bridge, as such, there was no first officer's station as there would be in the 24th century, as the XO would alternate between the command chair and their station as a department head.
Noted functions of the first officer aboard a Federation starship were:
- The primary role of the second-in-command was to carry out the decisions of the Captain. (TNG: "Gambit, Part II")
- Obey and implement the captain's orders. (TOS: "The Enterprise Incident"; TNG: "Gambit, Part II"; DS9: "Paradise Lost")
- To be informed, insomuch as to know everything the captain knew. (TNG: "Code of Honor") As well as had full security clearance to possess such knowledge. (TNG: "Samaritan Snare")
- Attending important meetings and briefings with the captain. (Star Trek Into Darkness)
- Take command of the vessel in the event of the captain's absence, incapacitation or death. (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos", "Journey to Babel"; VOY: "Before and After", "Scorpion, Part II", "Night", "Tsunkatse", "Unimatrix Zero", "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"; TNG: "The Battle", "The Best of Both Worlds", "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", "Tapestry", "Gambit, Part I")
- To point out any actions that may be mistakes by a commanding officer. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, TNG: "Chain Of Command, Part II", "The Pegasus"; DS9: "Paradise Lost", "To the Death" VOY: "Alliances", "Scorpion", "Year of Hell", "The Omega Directive", "Night", "Infinite Regress", "Equinox, Part II", "Unimatrix Zero", "Shattered")
- To safeguard the lives of the ship's crew, particularly the captain. (TNG: "In Theory" VOY: "Shattered")
- Act as the officer in charge of personnel. (VOY: "Day of Honor")
- Preparing and issuing duty rosters. (VOY: "The Gift", "Tsunkatse", "Endgame")
- Following the promotion of Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher in 2364, Captain Jean-Luc Picard told Crusher, that while he waited for his acceptance into Starfleet Academy, "you will learn this ship–every operation, every function," and that Commander William Riker would prepare a duty schedule for him, "heavy on study". (TNG: "Where No One Has Gone Before")
- According to Captain Kathryn Janeway, if a member of the crew needs to leave their post, they are required to inform the first officer. (VOY: "Human Error")
- Coordinate personnel transfers between departments. (TNG: "Lessons")
- Working with the chief medical officer or counselor on crew evaluations, (TNG: "Man Of The People", "Lower Decks") as well as crew discipline. (VOY: "Lifesigns")
- Supervise subordinates.
- When Hoshi Sato requested the help of T'Pol, Sato expressed her frustration with how frequently T'Pol was looking over her shoulder, double-checking her log entries, and translations. While T'Pol felt she was just doing her job, and explained how she held Sato to a high standard because "I know you're capable of achieving it." (ENT: "Vox Sola")
- Preparing and issuing duty rosters. (VOY: "The Gift", "Tsunkatse", "Endgame")
- Managing the ship's resources, including systems allocation. (TNG: "Lessons")
Aboard a Klingon warship, the first officer served the Captain, but stood for the crew. They also reviewed and kept the ship's record of battle. (DS9: "Soldiers of the Empire")
Noted first officers
22nd century first officers
23rd century first officers
- Pike, Christopher (USS Enterprise)
24th century first officers
25th century first officers
29th century first officers
32nd century first officers
Alternate reality
Mirror universe
List of first officers
Starfleet
- Commander Brink
- USS Brattain (2367)
- Lieutenant Maxwell Burke
- Ensign Sylvia Tilly
- USS Discovery (3189)
- Commander Steven Mullen
- Ensign/Lieutenant junior grade Beckett Mariner
- USS Cerritos (2380) (acting) ; (2382-) (provisional)
- Lieutenant junior grade Brad Boimler
- USS Cerritos (2382-) (provisional)
- Unnamed
A deleted scene from Star Trek Nemesis introduced Commander Martin Madden as the new first officer of the USS Enterprise-E
Klingon Empire
- Hon-Tihl
- IKS Toh'Kaht (2369)
- Kaz
- IKS Klothos (2269)
- Korax
- IKS Gr'oth (2267)
- IKS Devisor (2269)
- Commander Kurn
- USS Enterprise-D (2366, part of the Officer Exchange Program)
- Lieutenant Commander Worf
- IKS Rotarran (2373 – 2375)
- IKS Ch'Tang (2375)
Other
- Human – Matthew Ryan
- ECS Fortunate (2151, demoted in August to able crewman)
- Ferengi – Kazago
- Bok's Marauder (2364)
- Tellarite – Gaavrin
- Tezra (early 22nd century)
Mirror universe
- Commander Jonathan Archer
- Lieutenant Commander T'Pol
- USS Defiant (2155)
- Keyla Detmer
- ISS Shenzhou (2257)
- Commander Spock
- ISS Enterprise (2267)
- Commander Chakotay
- ISS Voyager-A (2384)
Alternate timelines
- Lieutenant Sato
- Enterprise NX-01 (2165)
- Commander Thelin
- USS Enterprise (2269)
- Commander Worf
- USS Enterprise-D (2367 – 2370)
- Commander Spock
- USS Enterprise (2258 – 2263)
- USS Franklin (2263)
- USS Enterprise-A (2260s)
- Commander James T. Kirk
- USS Enterprise (2258, 2259)
Appendices
Apocrypha
- Acting First officer Yoshi Ohara (β)
- Commander Jon Cooper
- Commander Sonya Gomez
- USS da Vinci (Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers)
- Commander Elizabeth Shelby
- Lieutenant Commander Demora Sulu (2301 – 2311)
- Commander Christine Vale
- Commander Elias Vaughn (2376 – 2379)
- Deep Space 9 (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Pocket))
- USS Defiant
- Commander Worf
- USS Enterprise-E (2380)
External link
- First officer at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- First officer at Wikipedia
- Executive officer at Wikipedia
- Second-in-command at Wikipedia