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Dougherty Timelines

Vice admiral pips on Matthew Dougherty's collar.

Vice admiral (also known as three star admiral) is a rank of flag officer in naval services and space forces, most notably Earth Starfleet and its Federation counterpart. Vice admiral is the midlevel flag officer rank, a grade higher than a rear admiral and a grade below four star admiral and other admiral grades in most rank structures. This rank is roughly equivalent with the authority of a lieutenant general of military forces. (ST reference: The Star Trek Encyclopedia)

In military parlance, is it acceptable and normal to refer to a vice admiral simply as "admiral" in most forms of address.

In the Starfleet uniform insignia introduced in the mid-24th century, a vice admiral wore a triangular rank braid with two pips underneath as their service uniform rank insignia. (TNG episode: "Conspiracy")

The correlation between this third admiral rank and the uniform insignia worn in TNG season 1 is because other admirals were shown wearing lower rank insignia, and the single braid insignia was the most basic one shown.

In a redesign of the admiral's service uniforms of 2365 and 2366, a new insignia of three gold pips enclosed in a rectangular gold border was worn by vice admirals, showing the origin of the "three star" name. This insignia continued into later uniform designs of the 2370s. (ST reference: The Star Trek Encyclopedia; TNG episode: "The Measure of a Man")

Vice admiral insignia[]

Starfleet vice admiral insignia
era general wear command division operations division sciences division
command tactical/military flight-engineering
(admin, pilot, engineer)
security special services sci-ops
(ops, sci & tac ops)
medical
Earth Starfleet ranks
Earth vadm
Federation Starfleet ranks (2160s)
(insignia for all flag grades)
Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia.
Federation Starfleet ranks (2250s)
(insignia for all flag grades)
Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder. Sleeve insignia.
Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder.
Federation Starfleet ranks (2270s)
(epaulet insignia for all admiral grades)
Uniform sleeve. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia.
Federation Starfleet ranks (2270s-2350s) Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia. Sleeve insignia.
Federation Starfleet ranks (2350s-2366) Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder.
Federation Starfleet ranks (2366-2373) Lapel insignia.
Federation Starfleet ranks (2373-2386) Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder.
Federation Starfleet ranks (2386-2400s) Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder.

Alternate vice admiral insignia[]

Starfleet alternate vice admiral insignia
era command division operations division sciences division
Federation Starfleet ranks (2250s) alt Sleeve insignia.
Federation Starfleet ranks (2386-2410) alt Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder. Uniform shoulder.

Positions and lists[]

United States Navy[]

Earth Starfleet[]

Federation Starfleet[]

Appendices[]

Connections[]

Enlisted ranks Commissioned ranks Flag ranks
Earth SF CREW PO2

PO1

CPO

SCPO


MCPO

ENS LT CMDR CAPT

FCAPT


VICE CDORE

CDORE RADM / 2ADM VADM / 3ADM 4ADM FADM / 5ADM

GADM

Starfleet & SFMC ENS JG

ENS


ENS 1C

LT JG LT LT CMDR CDR CDORE

1ADM

PVT CPL SGT

MASTER SGT

SUBLT

2ND LT

1ST LT CAPT MAJOR LT COL COL BRIG GEN

Background[]

US o-9 rank pin

US insignia.

The United States rank scheme that Starfleet was adapted from is also the origination of the insignia, background information, and alternate name for this rank. In the United States armed forces, vice admirals of the US Navy wear a pin insignia of three stars on their uniforms and hold an officer grade equivalent to a lieutenant general of other services.

In ST video game: Conquest, vice admiral is used for Starfleet commanders who have completed their rear admiral experience points in Federation gameplay, with the graphic reflecting the "three-star" rank insignia dating back to the US military forces and the Earth Starfleet. The game proceeds these characters to admiral after their vice admiral experience points are complete.

External links[]

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