Operations

Operations is responsible for the operation of all aspects of Starfleet Vessels and some Federation outposts, starships, and facilities.
The Operations Division is the corps of officers and crewmen who specialize in services and military functions on starbases and starships.

Operations (or simply "ops") includes Helm, Navigation, Communications, Shuttle Pilots, Sensors/Tractor/Deflector, Transporter, Computers, Internal systems control, Deckmasters, Administration and hardware/system/resource allocation, coordination and scheduling for an entire starship, outpost or space station.

Operations usually disseminates the Captain's and Executive Officer's orders to the various department heads and allocates any additional personnel or resources accordingly.

The Chief Operations Officer is a member of the command staff of a starship, regardless of seniority. The Chief Operations Officer is usually the highest ranking Chief Helmsman or Chief Navigator and conducts their duty as Chief Operations Officer from their post at Helm or Navigation. All operations except for Command are conducted from the Bridge are subordinate to the Chief Operations Officer, regardless of their department or rank. The Tactical Officer is usually a member of Security, but is subordinate to Operations on the bridge for coordination purposes. Likewise the Sensor Station, Science Station or Engineering Station is often manned by a member of Science or Engineering, but is subordinate to Operations while on the bridge for coordination purposes, regardless of rank. The Chief Operations Officer is often left in charge of the bridge whenever the Captain or Executive Officer is not present. Likewise, the Assistant Chief Operations Officer and Senior and Junior Operations Duty Shift Officer during their respective shift. If the Tactical, Engineering or Science Officer on the bridge is of superior rank than the Operations Chief and has passed the rigorous Bridge Officer Examinations/Rating, then they are usually given the Conn in the absence of the Captain's or Executive Officer's presence on the Bridge.

Exploration missions often require analytical operations that rely upon knowledge of science and engineering disciplines, Chief Operations Officer often had full science or engineering ratings such as Sulu who was a physicist before becoming Helmsman or Data with substantial science and engineering experience and Ensign Kim who was rated in sciences.

On space stations, the Operations Chief often commands the maintenance and engineering staff, since stations do not require the large number of propulsion engineers typically found working under the command of a chief engineer on a starship. Some ships are organized that Security is a part of Operations, like Communications, Helm and Navigation; under the command of the Operations Chief, but the Chief Security Officer is still senior staff, the same way that Communications, Helm and Navigation are senior staff. On starships with a purely military mission profile, the Operations Chief is the highest ranked seniority Helm or Security Officer. On ships that Security is part of Operations, operations cross ratings are required of security to qualify for command positions.. On starbases that engineering is part of operations, operations ratings are required of engineering to qualify for command positions.

Operations Personnel usually rise thru the ranks by the acquisition of Ratings that are tested in service. To be eligible for Promotion, one must first qualify with the requirements of the Rating, then successfully utilize them on duty and approved by the Chief of Operations and signed off by the Commanding Officer of the ship.

Enlisted Personnel usually come into service trained with Yeoman Rating and are immediately indoctrinated into Cargo Bay Deck Rating and then Shuttle Bay Deck Rating.

Once rated on Cargo Bay Deck Rating and Shuttle Bay Deck Rating, they may qualify for Quarter Deck Rating and then Shuttle Bay Pilot Rating.

After Quarter Deck Rating and Shuttle Bay Pilot Rating, they may qualify for Sensor Rating and then .

Communications, Helm and Navigation usually are reserved for Commissioned Officers with applicable ratings or Chief Petty Officers that have completed all of the prerequisite ratings.

Officers have to rate at Navigation before they can rate at Helm.

Chief Helm Officer, Chief Navigation Officer and Chief Communications Officers are Senior Staff, regardless of rank.

The Chief Operations Officer is usually the highest ranking Chief Helmsman or Chief Navigator and conducts their duty as Chief Operations Officer from their post at Helm or Navigation.

Many Operations Personnel, like Security, particularly as enlisted personnel, cross-rate between departments, being qualified to act as medics, med-techs, sciences and engineering. Operations is second only to Security as the department that most recruits its commissioned officers from the enlisted ranks.

Chief of Operations (Operations Chief) is usually a Lieutenant Commander, but can be a very qualified Lieutenant is in on duty during Alpha Shift, but is on call 24-7.
Assistant Operations Chief usually is in charge of the Beta Shift, usually a Lieutenant.
Senior Operations Duty Shift Officer is in charge of the Gamma Shift, usually a Junior Lieutenant.
Junior Operations Duty Shift Officer is in charge of the Delta Shift, usually a Junior Lieutenant.

In addition to the Duty Shift Officer, each shift has a Duty Officers and up to Four Junior Officers.

Each department has three duty shifts with a five day duty rotation. There are four shifts of officers required to fill those three shifts; Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta shifts. Delta Shift works an extra shift, tough at the bottom. During wartime or extended emergency situations, departments are reorganized with three shifts of officers to fill the three shifts, essentially working seven days per week with R&R only during some opportunities. Exploration is usually a four shift duty rotation.

Many nocturnal species prefer the night shift, plus there are sometimes more opportunities for learning and to prove yourself. Many exchange program crewmen begin in Delta Shift. Delta Shift seldom gets to work with senior staff. Unless there is an emergency during the "night", but then it will be red or yellow alert and senior shifts will also be active. This often makes Delta Shift appear as mere background, rarely seen or noticed, that strange bump in the Jeffries Tube at night, etc. Three shifts down from Senior Staff, they are often nearly anonymous. Rumors speculate that sometimes crew are assigned to this shift to keep them out of way of Senior Staff for whatever reason. Said crewmen are sometimes jokingly referred to as omega shift crewmen.

Primary officer works Day Shift Monday-Friday
Secondary officer works Day Shift Saturday, Sunday and Swing Shift Monday-Wednesday
Tertiary officer works Swing Shift Thursday-Sunday and Night Shift on Monday
Quaternary officer works "Night Shift" Tuesday-Sunday

Day - Days - Swing - "Night"
Monday - Alpha - Beta - Gamma
Tuesday - Alpha - Beta - Delta
Wednesday - Alpha - Beta - Delta
Thursday - Alpha - Gamma - Delta
Friday - Alpha - Gamma - Delta
Saturday - Beta - Gamma - Delta
Sunday - Beta - Gamma - Delta

Department Chiefs work the Alpha Shift. Assistant Department Chiefs work the Beta Shift. Senior Duty Shift Officer works the Gamma Shift. Junior Duty Shift Officer works the Delta Shift.

The Administration Yeoman, Cargo Bay and Shuttle Bay usually report to the Quarderdeck.
Quarderdeck and Transporter usually reports to Communications
Sensors usually reports to Navigation
Shuttle Pilot Chief usually report to Helm
Helm, Navigation and Communications usually report directly to the Operations Chief

Some Operations Chiefs have all Chief report directly to him/her, others have all reports filtered thru Communications or thru the Administration Yeoman to the Operations Chief or thru the Administration Yeoman to the Communications for redisemination or to the Operations Chief. The Operations Chief or the Executive Officer determines which manner shall be used.

The Duty Chief reports to the Operations Chief.
The Operations Chief reports to the Executive Officer.
The Executive Officer reports to the Captain.

Although Chief Petty Officers are subordinate to all commissioned officers, but they have far more experience and practical knowledge than ensigns and junior lieutenants, and are expected to act as mentors to them and to the junior enlisted personnel assigned to them. Chief Petty Officers serve with distinction in most Starfleet branches and specialties, but are particularly visible in engineering and other technical trades. Wise is the ensign and junior lieutenant who heeds the advice of his chief, woe betide the ensign who disregards it.

Enlisted Ranks:
E1 Crewman 3rd Class or Operations Recruit
E2 Crewman 2nd Class or Operations Apprentice
E3 Crewman 1st Class or Operations Crewman
E4 Specialist (Petty Officer) 3rd Class or Operations Ablesman
E5 Specialist (Petty Officer) 2nd Class or Operations Technician
E6 Specialist (Petty Officer) 1st Class or Operations Specialist
E7 Chief Petty Officer or Operations Chief or Operations Mate
E8 Senior Chief Petty Officer or Senior Operations Mate
E9 Master Chief Petty Officer or Master Operations Mate

Commissioned Ranks
O0 Midshipman
O1 Ensign
O2 Lieutenant Junior Grade (Or SubLieutenant)
O3 Lieutenant
O4 Lieutenant Commander
O5 Commander
O6 Captain
O7 Commodore or Fleet Captain

Operations Chief is in charge of all operations personnel and operations duties. The Operations Chief's duties range from making the duty shift roster for operations personnel, relaying the orders of Command Division, allocating personnel and resources to operating the ship's systems. In general the Operations Chief is an officer with enough experience in his or her own field of expertise and with seniority over the rest of operations. A Operations Chiefis also a member of the senior staff and accountable for the overall performance of the vessel.

Operations Officer are officers assigned to monitor and operate the starship’s various functions. Operations Officers are generally assigned tasks that include adminstrative, monitor and operate the Cargo Deck and Hangar Bay, distribution and monitoring of ship's resources, Piloting shuttles, operating sensors and transporters, operating Communications, Navigation and Helm Control. They are expected to tackle all the problems that affect the ship’s operations.

Assignments:
1 Operations Command
2 Helm
3 Navigation
4 Communications
5 Transporter
6 Sensor
7 Shuttle Pilot
8 Quarterdeck
9 Shuttle Bay Deck
10 Cargo Bay Deck
11 Steward
12 Administration

1 Operations Command:
Operations Chief, highest ranked Helm or Navigation Officer.
2 Helm Control
Chief Helm Officer - Minimum Rank: O3 Lieutenant
Assistant Chief Helm Officer - Minimum Rank: O2 Lieutenant Junior Grade
Senior Duty Shift Helm Officer - Minimum Rank: O1 Ensign
Junior Duty Shift Helm Officer - Minimum Rank: E7 Chief
3 Navigation
Chief Navigation Officer - Minimum Rank: O3 Lieutenant
Assistant Chief Navigation Officer - Minimum Rank: O2 Lieutenant Junior Grade
Senior Duty Shift Navigation Officer - Minimum Rank: O1 Ensign
Junior Duty Shift Navigation Officer - Minimum Rank: E7 Chief
4 Communications
Chief Communications Officer - Minimum Rank: O3 Lieutenant
Assistant Chief Communications Officer - Minimum Rank: O2 Lieutenant Junior Grade
Senior Duty Shift Communications Officer - Minimum Rank: O1 Ensign
Junior Duty Shift Communications Officer - Minimum Rank: E7 Chief
5 Transporter
Transporter Chief - Minimum Rank: O2 Lieutenant Junior Grade
Assistant Transporter Chief - Minimum Rank: O1 Ensign
Senior Transporter Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E7 Chief
Junior Transporter Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E6 Specialist
6 Sensora
Chief Sensor/Tractor/Deflector Officer - Minimum Rank: O1 Ensign
Assistant Chief Sensor/Tractor/Deflector Officer - Minimum Rank: E7 Chief
Senior Duty Shift Sensor/Tractor/Deflector Officer - Minimum Rank: E6 Specialist
Junior Duty Shift Sensor/Tractor/Deflector Officer - Minimum Rank: E5 Technician
7 Auxiliary Vehicles
Chief Shuttle Pilot - Minimum Rank: O1 Ensign
Assistant Chief Shuttle Pilot - Minimum Rank: E7 Chief
Senior Duty Shift Shuttle Pilot - Minimum Rank: E6 Specialist
Junior Duty Shift Shuttle Pilot - Minimum Rank: E5 Technician
8 Quarderdeck
Quartermaster - Minimum Rank: E7 Chief
Assistant Quartermaster - Minimum Rank: E6 Specialist
Senior Quarterdeck Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E5 Technician
Junior Quarterdeck Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E4 Ablesman
9 Hangar Bay
Shuttle Deck Master - Minimum Rank: E6 Specialist
Assistant Shuttle Deck Master - Minimum Rank: E5 Technician
Senior Shuttle Deck Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E4 Ablesman
Junior Shuttle Deck Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E3 Crewman
10 Cargo Bay
Cargo Deck Master - Minimum Rank: E5 Technician
Assistant Cargo Deck Master - Minimum Rank: E4 Ablesman
Senior Cargo Deck Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E3 Crewman
Junior Cargo Deck Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E2 Apprentice
11 Steward
Chief Steward - Minimum Rank: E4 Ablesman
Assistant Chief Steward - Minimum Rank: E3 Crewman
Senior Steward Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E2 Apprentice
Junior Steward Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E1 Recruit
12 Administrative Support
Chief Administrative Yeoman - Minimum Rank: E4 Ablesman
Assistant Chief Administrative Yeoman - Minimum Rank: E3 Crewman
Senior Administrative Yeoman Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E2 Apprentice
Junior Administrative Yeoman Duty Shift Officer - Minimum Rank: E1 Recruit