United Federation Starfleet

Commanding Officer Operations Manual

Original by

Lieutenant General MilesPrower Dagger

Stardate 140601

Reviewed and amended by:

Fleet Admiral Mike Calhoun

Lieutenant General MilesPrower Dagger

Last revision date 140601

Becomes Effective by

Stardate 140801

Published by

Office of United Federation Starfleet Communications

Editor

Lieutenant General MilesPrower Dagger

Fleet Admiral Mike Calhoun

Intended Audience:

All current and future members of United Federation Starfleet

Reviewing Authority

United Federation Starfleet Command

Last Revision date 140601

Revision History Page

This page will show all points that have been added and/or changed during a fiscal year. This way you can quickly see if something in this manual has been changed or updated. At the end of the fiscal year, this page will be cleaned for the next fiscal year

Revision History

First Edition : 140601

Table of Contents

Section 1 - Introduction

1.1 Shipshape

1.2. Teamwork

1.3. Humbleness

1.4. Professionalism

1.5. Commitment

Section 2 - Starship Chain of Command

Section 3 - Reporting Procedures

Section 4 - Departments

4.1 - Uniforms

4.2 - Department Chiefs

Section 5 - Core Departments

5.1 Command

5.2 Operations

5.2.1 Strategic Operations

5.2.2 Chief Operations Officer

5.3 Engineering

5.4 Security/Tactical

5.5 Medical

5.6 Science

Section 6 - Other Departments

6.1 Marines

6.2 Intelligence

6.3 Diplomatic

6.4 Civilian

6.5 Mission Specialists

Section 7 - Starbase Operations

7.1 Starbase vs. Starship

Section 8 - Starbase Chain of Command

Section 9 - Reporting Procedures

Section 10 - Departmental differences from Starships

10.1 Command

10.2 Operations

10.2.1 Strategic Operations

10.2.2 Chief Operations Officer

10.3 Engineering

10.4 Security/Tactical

10.5 Medical

10.6 Science

10.7 Marines

10.8 Intelligence

10.9 Diplomatic

10.10 Civilian

10.11 Mission Specialists

Section 11. Getting Started/ Taking the Reigns

11.1 Appointing your XO

11.2. Identity

11.3. Web Presence

11.4. Recruitment & Retention

11.5. Recruitment

11.6. Retention

Section 12. Responsibilities of the Commanding Officer

12.1.  Administrative Duties

12.1.1.  Monthly Status Report (MSR)

A. What is the MSR?

B. How, when, and to whom do I file the MSR?

12.1.2.  Crew Transfer

12.1.3. Crew Recognition

A. Promotions

B. Awards

12.1.4. Conflict Resolution

12.2. Tools of the Trade

12.2.1. UFS LCARS NETWORK (WIKI)

12.2.2. UFS Membership Database

12.2.3. UFS Subspace Network (UFS Main Forum)

12.3. Other Duties

12.3.1. Activity

12.3.2. Missions (Role Play)

A. Mission Reports

12.3.3. Star Trek On Line

12.4 Fleet Breakdown

12.4.1 Task Forces

12.4.2 Permanent Task Forces

12.4.3 Temporary Task Forces

Section 13 - Miscellaneous

Section 14. NON-COMPLIANCE OF DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Endnote

Section 1 - Introduction

“Part of being a Captain, is knowing when to smile, make the troops happy, even when it's the last thing in the universe you want to do – because they're your troops, and you have to take care of them.”  - Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko

What are the qualities that make a great commander?

Throughout history we have read and seen great commanders, those who have achieved great things in both diplomacy and battle. They have been able to turn the tide to their advantage in situations where it seemed that all was lost.

Loosely speaking, there are three types of commanders...

The first is the commander who plans in great detail. He plans to such an extent that each and every eventuality is taken care of. Planning in great detail is all very nice, but there is a drawback in such a commander, which is that they can tend to be somewhat fussy.

The second kind is the commander who has an instinctive grasp of the detail, charisma, and flair. However again, there is a drawback in this type of commander also in that they can tend to be somewhat erratic.

The third kind is the very rare kind, the kind who is a combination of the first two. A very good example was Admiral Lord Nelson of the Royal Navy. Nelson used to plan in great detail. He used to talk to his captains and plan to meet all eventualities. In almost all situations, the fleet knew what to do as the plan was comprehensive. But at the same time, Nelson had the charisma and the moral courage to tear up plans in the heat of the battle and go for any situation that presented itself

It is this combination of the two that makes for not only a great Commander but a great leader.

So back to the original question...what are the qualities that make a great commander?

Well now that you have chosen to take the first steps in that direction, we hope you will find out your own answers to that question. This handbook aims to guide you through the administrative side of the job, but being a good commander is about so much more than being good at the desk job. We wish you the very best of luck!

1.1 Shipshape

So, you’re a CO, and you’ve finally got your hands on that center seat. Well in order to do justice to the position, yourself, and most importantly your crew, then there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

1.2. Teamwork

For your Ship of the Line to reach its potential, everyone involved needs to combine their efforts. If everyone does their job well, then it increases what you as a group can accomplish. You will need to work to ensure this need is recognised by everyone and know that great things can happen if individuals master the fundamentals and work together as one unit. Everyone will have their own unique role, some more active than others, but each person's individual role must be still be recognised and appreciated.

1.3. Humbleness

Some people's attitudes tend to literally change overnight when they take command of a ship/station. It is expected from you that you continue to act the way you did before you took command. Being in charge does not mean that you are allowed to act in a manner that will belittle your crew or any other fleet member. Always remember that your Ship or Station is nothing more than a group of friends with a shared interest in Star Trek hanging out together.

1.4. Professionalism

People will decide 10 things about you within 10 seconds of meeting you based on your image, which is a combination of your appearance and behaviour.

Within UFS, you need to be constantly asking yourself, “Am I holding myself and those I am responsible for to a high enough standard?” Ultimately, your dedication, quality of work, and your personal conduct will say far more about who you are and what you stand for than any other thing you do.

1.5. Commitment

You have become a leader, are in charge of a full crew, and as a result you are expected to commit to the job. Being available to perform this job is crucial as your crew members depend on you. If you do not have the time and/or the willingness to commit, you are expected to step down and give others who can successfully perform the chance to do your job, including your XO. By holding the position of CO and not committing yourself to the job, you will not only be letting down your Ship or Station, but also letting down UFS as a whole.

Section 2 - Starship Chain of Command

The Chain of Command on a starship is very simple and direct, the top of the chain is the Captain and directly below them is the First Officer. These two make up the command team that oversees all aspects of the ship. The next in the chain is the Second Officer who is a department chief on the ship, traditionally the Chief of Operations but can be another department chief. Under the Second Officer are the department chiefs who oversee all personnel in their department and between the department chief and the average crewmember is one more link that of the Duty Officer. The Duty Officer is whoever is in charge of a section at a given time. Example Captain LaForge can not oversee Engineering 24/7 and only has one Assistant Chief Engineer. Usually on off hours such as night shifts there is an officer placed in charge of Engineering for that shift, that person is a link in the chain of command as well. In some cases when the crew compliment is large enough, such as on a Galaxy Class Starship there is another link and it sits between the Crewmember and Duty Officer, the Section Chief will oversee a group of crewmen assigned to a specific function or part of the ship and reports to the Duty Officer. Flag Officers are not usually in the Chain of Command for the ship because they are overseeing a sector or fleet and do not function in the day to day operations of the ship.

Visually the chain, from bottom to top, looks like:

Crewmember -> Section Chief -> Duty Officer -> Department Chief -> Second Officer -> First Officer -> Captain

Section 3 - Reporting Procedures

In most cases the standard Chain of Command is what is followed for reporting, however there are things that go outside the chain. All medical information is considered confidential and never leaves Doctor/Patient confidentiality without permission or if the patient could be a danger to themselves or others. The First Officer is in charge of all personnel issues aboard ship as well as officer reviews. Reporting procedures will at times vary depending on the size, compliment of the vessel and even the mindset of the Captain. For example the Defiant Class is very small with a compliment of fifty, with a crew this small the captain is usually more active in the day to day lives and operations of the ship more that the captain of a Galaxy Class ship with over a thousand crew.

Section 4 - Departments

Starfleet is divided into branches and divisions for administrative and operational purposes, starships also are divided into such a manner. These departments have changed over the years, for example in 2280’s the Constitution Class starships were the mainstay of the fleet, the ships of the line and they did not contain an operations department, nor a security department or medical department as we would recognize them in 2365 aboard the ships successor the Enterprise D, Galaxy class.

4.1 - Uniform Colors

Much like the department breakdowns over the years the uniform colors have seen changes and at times are viewed with confusion. One must always keep in mind that the divisional colors at times are shared and sometimes positions are bridged between one or more division or branch.

4.2 - Department Chiefs

The title ‘Chief” is always applied to whoever is in charge of a specific aspect of starship functions. Some ships are so small with so few crew that the department is literally a single person that person is still the “Chief X Officer” Or “Chief of X” these titles are usually interchangeable. A great example of this is again seen on the Defiant Class Starship, the ship’s doctor is the Chief Medical Officer and is often the only medical officer with the possible exception of a nurse or two depending on personnel availability.

Section 5 - Core Departments

Several departments are required to allow a starship to function even in a small function. Some do not even really have departments onboard but at least there is a dedicated individual onboard to serve its functions. Example is Dr Julian Bashier we stationed on the USS Defiant as the doctor, but there was no real medical department, just the doctor there to wounds and provide what medical attention the sickbay onboard could provide. There are branches and divisions of Starfleet that are not represented aboard a starship such as Starfleet Academy.

5.1 Command

The command department aboard a starship is made up of the commanding officer and first officer at the minimum and depending on size of the ship will include the second officer, all department heads of the ‘senior staff’, as well as smaller less known roles such as the quartermaster. The command department is charged with managing all aspects of the ship.

5.2 Operations

The operations department came into existence aboard starships with the creation of the Excelsior Class in the 2280’s, before this there was no operations department aboard starships. The operations department was created to ease the administrative strain on current departments and the management burden of command. Operations organizes all resources on the ship such as power, sensor time and divides it up as needed for each department.  No matter the rank of the chief operations officer, their position places them above all other department heads on an administrative level. The Chief of Operations is usually the second officer because of the level of responsibilities attached to the job but in some cases, such as Harry Kim on the USS Voyager, Commander Tuvok was the Second Officer. As Chief of Security Tuvok reported to Kim and could not order Kim how to divide the resources unless he was in command as second officer since only command can give operations orders.

5.2.1 Strategic Operations

Strategic Operations is a rare division of Operations that is a combination of Operations, Tactical/Security and Intelligence and performs more as an analyst and advisor for the commanding officer whereas a traditional operations officer is more of a starship manager. Strategic Operations also wears the red uniform since their functions are command oriented and not operations oriented so are rarely seen aboard a starship and more likely to be seen on a starbase.

5.2.2 Chief Operations Officer

This position often causes much confusion in people because when you see the Chief Engineer they have an Assistant Chief Engineer and a decent staff. Another title for the Chief Operations Officer that can help fix that confusion is Chief of Starship Operations. The Chief of Operations’ direct staff is the department heads that wear gold. Engineering, Tactical/Security, Communications, etc are all Operations Departments. The best example of this is seen from the USS Enterprise D, Data was the chief of operations and was thus charged to make sure all functions of the ship were carried out with peak efficiency. To do this he organized the department chiefs and prioritized their needs. Perhaps the best way to describe it is that the Operations Department is the entire ship.

5.3 Engineering

Engineering oversees all aspects of maintenance of a starship and its systems. Engineering is its own department but under the umbrella of Operations since operations would be responsible to diverting power and resources for engineering to function. In some cases the ‘work’ of an engineer is delegated to other officers who specializes in departmental systems. Like a tactical officer working on a torpedo or phaser bank or a medical technician working on biobed system.

5.4 Security/Tactical

Security and Tactical used to be a single department and while still separate divisions of Starfleet they are commonly combined aboard current Starships for convenience and ease of management. A ship will always have some of these personnel aboard ship though in numbers that might not constitute a department.

5.5 Medical

All starships have medical personnel aboard, most have a medical department but some have a medical team or contingent. As with all things aboard a starship space and need are the key factors, smaller ships require less crew which require less medical personnel. The Saber and Defiant classes have fewer personnel so do have have a full on medical department but have medical personnel to see to the medical well being of the crew.

5.6 Science

Science is just like medical, most if not all starships have science personnel but not a department. This is because not all ships have the equipment or space to support a large amount of personnel or research. Look under Section XX for more details on Departments vs Contingents.

Section 6 - Other Departments

Of course the above departments are not the only that can be found aboard a starship, simply the most common ones, there are several additional branches and divisions of Starfleet that can be deployed aboard a starship if needed or desired.

6.1 Marines

As a dedicated combat force Starfleet Marines were standard aboard starships of the United Earth Starfleet after the Xindi Crisis and during the Romulan War as MACOs. Since the incorporation of the United Federation of Planets Marines have not seen shipboard deployment except for special circumstances and were developed into a dedicated and expanded combat arm of the Federation at the behest of the Andorian and Earth governments. Since the Dominion War Marine Detachments have again started to be seen on some starships at the request of those ship captains.

6.2 Intelligence

Starships do not have Intelligence departments aboard. The duties of data analysis falls to the various department heads, the First Officer and Chief of Security would be the members of the crew who would analyze data in the same manner as an Intelligence Department. At times there are could be an Intelligence Officer assigned to a ship if needed on a special mission or if the ship is large enough to accommodate the luxury. The only ships that would by default have Intelligence Personnel aboard would be an Admiral’s Flagship and usually they would be part of the Admiral’s Staff not ships crew.

6.3 Diplomatic

There is not a Diplomatic department aboard a starship per se but since it part of a starship’s duties is to function as a representative of the Federation there are usually trained crew to help the chief diplomatic officer, the captain, perform his duties. There are sometimes specialists assigned to help on a mission that is specifically a diplomatic function but they are usually civilians and operate outside the standard chain of command.

6.4 Civilian

While not a department per se many starships host a civilian compliment and in some cases even civilians working on ship. While most people would think of civilians as bartenders or barbers there are possibilities of civilians being stationed on ships as scientists and engineers to aid with research and development in their field of expertise. While these civilians are required to operate under Starfleet rules they still exist outside the established chain of command and are usually not held to the Starfleet regulations and restrictions.

6.5 Mission Specialists

For select missions a starship, specialists will be dispatched to help. These specialists can be Starfleet or Civilian but are experts in a single function, be it atmospheric reclamation, structural engineering or warp field physics. These members, even if Starfleet exist outside the chain of command, for example is a team of engineering specialists is sent to a ship for a mission to repair a starbase, they are not required to report to the chief engineer they would typically report to the first officer.

Section 7 - Starbase Operations

7.1 Starbase vs. Starship

Starbases are stationary facilities that support starships not the other way around. Stations like Spacedock and Deep Space Nine support huge numbers of ships and personnel, smaller classes would support smaller numbers of ships and personnel.

Section 8 - Starbase Chain of Command

The Chain of Command on a starbase is very simple and direct, the top of the chain is the Captain and directly below them is the First Officer. These two make up the command team that oversees all aspects of the station. The next in the chain is the Second Officer who is a department chief on the station, traditionally the Chief of Operations but can be another department chief. Under the Second Officer are the department chiefs who oversee all personnel in their department and between the department chief and the average crewmember is one more link that of the Duty Officer. The Duty Officer is whoever is in charge of a section at a given time. Example Captain LaForge can not oversee Engineering 24/7 and only has one Assistant Chief Engineer. Usually on off hours such as night shifts there is an officer placed in charge of Engineering for that shift, that person is a link in the chain of command as well. In some cases when the crew compliment is large enough, such as on a Galaxy Class Starship there is another link and it sits between the Crewmember and Duty Officer, the Section Chief will oversee a group of crewmen assigned to a specific function or part of the ship and reports to the Duty Officer. Flag Officers are not usually in the Chain of Command for the station because they are overseeing a sector or fleet and do not function in the day to day operations of the station.

Visually the chain, from bottom to top, looks like:

Crewmember -> Section Chief -> Duty Officer -> Department Chief -> Second Officer -> First Officer -> Captain

Section 9 - Reporting Procedures

In most cases the standard Chain of Command is what is followed for reporting, however there are things that go outside the chain. All medical information is considered confidential and never leaves Doctor/Patient confidentiality without permission or if the patient could be a danger to themselves or others. The First Officer is in charge of all personnel issues aboard station as well as officer reviews.  Reporting procedures will at times vary depending on the size, compliment of the station and even the mindset of the Captain. For example the Defiant Class is very small with a compliment of fifty, with a crew this small the captain is usually more active in the day to day lives and operations of the ship more that the captain of a Galaxy Class ship with over a thousand crew.

Section 10 - Departmental differences from Starships

The largest changes that can be seen between Starbases and Starships are that Starships are independent and starbases are support facilities. Starbases are also common to see civilians aboard and interact often with Starfleet personnel.

10.1 Command

In general command of a Starbase is like running a traffic hub, there are possible thousands of people coming and going any time of the day. There is more dealing with day to day details and less surprises as compared to exploring beyond the frontiers of Federation Space. There is also the possibility of a Flag Officer being on board to manage a sector or fleet that a CO would have to deal with. Some would be good and let the CO do their jobs others would want to meddle.

10.2 Operations

The operations department differs greatly from starships aboard starbases, for one it is much larger and more demanding. Operations aboard a station has to deal with all traffic coming and going, meaning berths for ships, people coming and going as well as maintenance and supplies for ships leaving. Operations aboard a starship is often called the nervous system, aboard a starbase it also takes would be the muscles as well due to the massive workloads required of them, the level would vary depending on traffic of course, the Operations Staff at Spacedock in Sol is pry one of the most trying jobs in Starfleet.

10.2.1 Strategic Operations

As stated earlier the position of Strategic Operations is vastly different from Operations. The are most likely seen on stations, in an Admiral’s Staff however at times other key facilities will have one for its commanding officer, if it is in a location that is judged to need one.

10.2.2 Chief Operations Officer

The Chief Operations Officer on stations dose almost the same as on a starship except that they manage much more resources as have to deal with ships coming and leaving the station as well as personnel coming and going.

10.3 Engineering

Engineering on starbases perform the routine maintenance for the station but are more often required to supplement starship personnel while docked to help with repairs, upgrades, or maintenance so that the ship’s personnel can take R&R from prolonged missions.

10.4 Security/Tactical

Security forces on a Starbase are more police in nature, having to interact and over see civilian populations that have a much more forgiving set of laws than Starfleet. They are still responsible for the safety of the people aboard the station as well as the stations weapons but are less combat oriented than starships. Tactical personnel would be responsible for the weapons systems of the station. Aboard a station it is much more common to see these posts split due to the much higher workload some Security Chiefs are under.

10.5 Medical

Medical departments on stations, just like starships depend on size, enormous stations such as Spacedock and Deep Space Nine have large staffs to handle the traffic.

10.6 Science

Science departments on stations is both a blessing and a curse. They greatly increased size of some stations as well as available resources means they can do perform more detailed research. The curse is that the stations that have these capabilities usually get most new discoveries after starships on the frontier discover them and perform the first tests.

10.7 Marines

As a dedicated combat force Starfleet Marines were standard aboard starships of the United Earth Starfleet after the Xindi Crisis and during the Romulan War as MACOs. Since the incorporation of the United Federation of Planets Marines have not seen shipboard deployment except for special circumstances and were developed into a dedicated and expanded combat arm of the Federation at the behest of the Andorian and Earth governments. Since the Dominion War Marine Detachments have again started to be seen on some starships and stations at the request of those captains.

10.8 Intelligence

The same as with Starships, Intelligence personnel are usually assigned to the staff of a flag or senior officer rather than the station itself but of course there is nothing forbidding the CO from having an officer in this post if needed.

10.9 Diplomatic

There is not a Diplomatic department aboard a stations per se but since it part of a station's duties is to function as a representative of the Federation there are usually trained crew to help the chief diplomatic officer, the captain, perform his duties. There are sometimes specialists assigned to help on a mission that is specifically a diplomatic function but they are usually civilians and operate outside the standard chain of command.

10.10 Civilian

Civilians hold no spot in the chain of command but answer to the authority of Starfleet when they are in Federation Space. Aboard stations civilians are much more common for purposes such as trade and commerce and often on larger stations make a life there.

10.11 Mission Specialists

For select missions a starbase, specialists will be dispatched to help. These specialists can be Starfleet or Civilian but are experts in a single function, be it atmospheric reclamation, structural engineering or warp field physics. These members, even if Starfleet exist outside the chain of command, for example is a team of engineering specialists is sent to a ship for a mission to repair a starbase, they are not required to report to the chief engineer they would typically report to the first officer.

Section 11. Getting Started

Once you have been appointed as Commanding Officer, you have a few tasks ahead before your first mission.

11.1 Appointing your XO

This is one decision you have to get right, as so much will depend on the character of the person you choose. Your First Officer or Executive Officer (XO) will be your 'shadow' and ultimately the person who will be filling your position should you become unable to fulfill your duty (for whatever reason).

It is very important that before choosing your XO, you ask yourself the following questions:

Do I know this person enough to trust the ship/station of my command in their hands?

Will this person be able to think and act like I would?

Is this person able to commit to the same efforts I have?

Is this person able to lead the same way or better than I am?

Is this person as knowledgeable as I am?

Is this person willing to continuously learn?

Is this person willing to set the example as I do?

Obviously its not the idea that you appoint your best friend in order to get him promoted to the rank of commander.

Your requested XO needs to also be a graduate of the Command and General Staff College in order to qualify and meet the requirements for Executive Officers and UFS Command reserves the right to deny an appointment to First Officers if felt that said person is not Command material.

11.2. Identity

An identity is important to your Ship of the Line, as this will be what defines your group and what will attract new members. Identity can be centered around your Ship’s name (e.g., U.S.S. Galileo if, for example, your group is into astronomy). It can also be centered around unique things that your group does or services it offers that few others do. A Ship can get involved in the community and carve out an identity that way.

This will be how others view you and you Ship or Station It can be a focal point, as mentioned above, or it can be something as simple as friendship.

The choices are endless!

11.3. Web Presence

Your Ship or Station will benefit greatly from a presence on the Internet. Whether that be a simple web page advertising your Ship, or a specific online community for you and your crew. Maybe you will involve your Ship in social networking sites such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Trekspace.

Ownership of those pages are to be in hands of UF Starfleet Command

There are numerous options that allow for personal web space free of any cost, some of which even provide for free of charge community forums and chat rooms.

Your ship of the Line will also be provided with a WIKI page that will contain a lot of information about your ship, including its history and missions

11.4. Recruitment & Retention

As the Commanding Officer of a Ship or Station, it is your responsibility to ensure your crew members are happy and engaged. Whatever you and your crew decide as the purpose and mission of you Ship must be a group decision and on basis of that UFS Command will decide if there is need for such a ship within UFS at that time. However, after that, the crew will need activities and responsibilities to keep them engaged and actively involved. Some suggestions include Recruitment and Retention activities.

Part of the goal of UFS is to expand its membership base. When building your new Ship of the Line, it is considered inappropriate to use another Ship of the Line as a recruiting ground. It is understood people will transfer either for their own reasons or for advancement.

A few examples of what is acceptable

*Offering a member a post that advances their career in UF Starfleet such as a Department Chief or Executive Officer.

*If a member approaches you and asks about your ship and to join.

A few examples of what is unacceptable

*Going to a member and offering to have them promoted to join your ship

*Asking a member to tell other crew to leave to come to your ship

*spreading lies and rumors to make a member want to leave their ship

Other duties and responsibilities follow here:

11.5. Recruitment

It is up to you how you want to advertise your group. Perhaps you prefer word of mouth and asking your friends to join. Perhaps your workplace permits flyers. Maybe just talking around the lunchroom or local coffee shop is your preferred method. Star Trek fans are everywhere, so it’s not hard to find other fans.

Another option might include posting on Trek-related fan sites. We ask that you do not recruit directly from other established Star Trek fan groups and other UFS Ships of the Line.One of the biggest mistakes a new Commanding Officer can do is try to recruit off current ships as this will earn bad blood. Making promises of positions might gain you a few members quickly, but you have to ask yourself how loyal they will be to you and your Ship of the Line, not to mention your tainted reputation within UFS. Obviously advancement within Starfleet is a goal of a lot of people so sometimes members need to look for another ship where there are more positions open to advance their careers within the fleet

We also ask that you always mention United Federation Starfleet (UFS) in your recruitment materials.

The possibilities are endless, only limited by your own imagination. Involve your crew in coming up with ideas and recruitment drives. However, if you do require some assistance with ideas, please contact your Sector Commander,  another CO, or the UFS Chief of Staff.

11.6. Retention

Once you have a crew, it is important that they remain engaged and active. As their leader, it is your responsibility to help them grow in their roles. This is critical especially for your new recruits, as they will look to the Ship`s  Leadership for guidance. You will need to be aware of all the different sites and manuals available to the UFS Membership in general.

As a base of knowledge, the main sites include the following:

• United Federation Starfleet website (http://www.ufstarfleet.org/) - Your first stop for entry into all that UFS has to offer. You can also encourage your recruits to apply for UFS membership on this page using the “Join UFS” tab.

• United Federation Starfleet Database (www.database.ufstarfleet.org) this is your main tool as a Commanding Officer...Not only can you see who is on your own ship, but you will also able to see unassigned members looking for a ship

• UFS Forums (http://www.ufstarfleet.org/forums/) - Our open forum for all members. It contains official announcements as well as a place for your Chapter to have forum space.

• UFS Wiki (http://www.ufstarfleet.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page) - Our all-inclusive database of all that is Star Trek. It is in constant update mode, so if you have questions about something, please go through your Chain of Command to get confirmation.

• UFS Service Jackets (http://www.ufstarfleet.org/wiki/index.php?title=Service_Jacket) - Originally started in Second Life, UFS began in 2006 as a role play fan group. These Service Jackets have survived through every transition. Historically they always have been a source of pride for some members to be able to refer back to their Service Jackets when applying for a new post and for COs to help determine the eligibility of their crew for promotions and awards. Make sure your crew have  their Service Jackets up to date as they are one of the things we look at when it comes to promotions , contact the UFS Personnel office at personnel@ufstarfleet.org or fill in the appropriate form through the database.

• UFS Academy (www.ufsacademy.com) -

• UFS Marine Corps (www.ufsmc.com) - The Marines are a great addition to bring depth to your group. Not only do they bring a different flavor to your ship, they also can operate as a subgroup of your Ship  with their own specialized activities. It is every Ship`s  CO’s choice whether to bring aboard a Marine Unit.

• UFS Membership Manual (http://tinyurl.com/UFS-Membership-Manual) - A must for all UFS members to read.

As you become familiar with these materials, it might be a good idea to delegate some activities to your crew. An active and involved crew is a happy crew, and they are more likely to stay with you. Someone could be in charge of tracking classes crew members have had at the Academy, or another would be responsible for ensuring the forums are updated. Again, the choice is yours. Of course, everything is voluntary, so choose your crew roles carefully and spread the responsibilities out so no one individual is so heavily burdened that they get burned out.

Section 12. Responsibilities of the Commanding Officer

As with all leadership positions, command of a ship or station must be earned. To become a Commanding Officer an officer has two options, first they can be offered a command or they can petition for a command and if their proposal has enough merit as well as they have some a level of ability they can be granted command.

Either way, you can only receive a command if you are a Command and General Staff Development Graduate

12.1.  Administrative Duties

12.1.1.  Monthly Status Report (MSR)

All Ships of the Line AND Ships in Training are required to file a Monthly Status Report. Reports are vital in any organization. They help you see where you Ship needs the most help or guidance. They also help you recognize a job well done, so the member or members involved can be commended.

UFS Command uses reports in much the same way. The reports that you file are used to determine the status and well-being of your Ship  and the Fleet. They also tell UFS Command if there is a problem that they can help remedy before it escalates.

On the other hand, if you are doing a good job, UFS Command wants to recognize you for it. We do not want you to feel that your hard work and dedication are going unnoticed. That is why reporting is required by all Commanding Officers of our Ships of the Line.

Even if you have nothing to report, you still are obligated to file your MSR., however, a ship of the line that has nothing to report is often a first indication that there is a problem.

A. What is the MSR?

The Monthly Status Report (MSR) is one of the most important requirements needed to retain your active Ship of the Line status. These reports contain an overview of your month-to-month activities and projects. You will also be asked to provide us with a brief description of future activities. By comparing consecutive reports, UFS Command can then analyze your progress, and then offer help or guidance in needed areas.

As the name of the report says....this has to be filed every MONTH....if you're unable to file a report one month, make sure your XO does it for you. Failure to report can mean drydock for your ship

B. How, when, and to whom do I file the MSR?

These online reports are done through Google Docs and are self-explanatory and quite easy to fill out. They should only take about twenty to thirty minutes of your time each month, providing that your files are in good order.

The UF Starfleet Chief of Staff will share with you the MSR document for your Ship of the Line.

You will be required to file one report (even if there was no activity of particular note) every month. These reports must be completed  by the 15th day of the following month. For example, a report for the month of March must be filed no later than April 15th. These MSR’s are only one of your responsibilities as a Commanding Officer. Failing to file your MSR can result in your ship being drydocked or your removal as a Commanding Officer

Don't wait till the 14th to start compiling your MSR......you should work on your MSR throughout the whole reporting period, that way you aren't caught with your pants down at the end of the reporting period

1 - The name of your Ship or Station will be here.

2 - The Registry Number of your Ship or Station under UFS

3 - The Sector your Ship or Station is in

4 - The Commanding Officer of the Ship or Station

5 - The person who WROTE the report (I.E. if the CO has another officer track this)

6 - The Class of your Ship or Station

7 - The Colony you are in for 001 (N/A if not in 001)

8 - The members of your crew

*Name - The name they are registered to UFS under (Not Nickname or Display name,..)

*Rank - The members current Rank

*Status - Members current status (Active, Inactive, LOA, ect)

*Position - The members position on your ship/station

*Branch - The Branch the member is part of.

*Last Promotion Date - The last date the member received a promotion.

9 - Crew that have transferred OFF your ship since last report

10 - Crew that have transferred ON your ship since last report

11 - Elaborate on Crew’s status (I.E, LOA for X), Make special note of their extra work or activities, or note of their lack of active or communications.

12 - General space to send comments, concerns or suggestions up the chain.

13 - Area to write your missions and Activities

14 - Area for if you RP, the places and people you visit.

12.1.2.  Crew Transfer

There is one and only one way to have a member added or removed  to  or from your ship and that is the Ship of the Line Transfer Request through the UF Starfleet Database. Under Command Services -> Member Requests:

Its important to note that if a member wants to leave your ship, YOU as CO are responsible to use the crew transfer to move this member from your ship to UF Starfleet Headquarters

The following form will appear for you to fill out:

1 - Name and SCC of the Member - These are the ones they are registered with UFS under through the database, not nicknames or display names. The SCC is under the members database profile as “User ID”.

2 - Select YOUR ship from the drop down menu.

3 - Your Name - Again official name under UFS not Display or Nickname.

4 - If the member is joining or currently on your ship select your ship from the drop down menu, if the member is being removed from your ship select UF Starfleet HQ

5 - Members Branch

6 - The post the member will have on your ship (Helmsmen, Doctor, ect)

12.1.3. Crew Recognition

UFS has established systems for rewarding its members. These are through promotion in rank and the issuance of awards for specific achievements. History has shown us that these are both very emotive subjects and when handled badly, often cause much conflict.

For some members, rising through the ranks is the sole driving force for their involvement. For others, getting awards for achieving things in the group is their driver. Other members may think little of both rank and awards and have other reasons for being a part of UFS.

A. Promotions

As a Commanding Officer you are obligated to send in promotion recommendations for your crew to the Director of Promotions and Awards

Please read the Promotions manual for more information

Time in Grade, or TIG for short, means that there is a minimum amount of time one must be at their current rank before being eligible for promotion to the next rank. In rare circumstances TiG can be overridden by the Commander in Chief for exemplary service to UFS. A member can recommend another before their TiG but must prove in their recommendation that they have done so well that they warrant special attention. It does not mean an automatic promotion, only the eligibility for promotion. Other considerations must be taken into account, such as the activity level of the member, their contributions to the ship, and any work they do with other UFS departments. Of course, you wouldn’t expect as much from an Ensign as you would a Lieutenant Commander, so keep those considerations in mind, as well.

One of the basic principles when taking TIG into account is that one needs to take the activity level from one promotion to the next under consideration. For example, when looking into whether a person is active enough to be promoted from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander, you do not need to look at what that person did for your ship back as an Ensign since a prior promotion already rewarded those activities.

The basis for nominating a crewmember is at the judgment of the Commanding Officer. However, UFS hopes, and indeed suggests, that nominations are made because they are truly deserved based on activity during a specific amount of time rather than through other methods.

Nominating crewmembers does in no way mean that UFS Command will act upon your recommendation. It all depends on the activity of your crew member but also on the quality of the recommendation

The Director Promotions and Awards does their research by contacting other departments your crewmember might be active in

The TIG chart below reflects all ranks up to that of O-5.

UFS uses the entry rank of cadet when joining our organization.

The UF Starfleet Promotions Manual lists the basic requirements for each rank

For a full list of Ranks and TIG, see Appendix B of the UFS Membership Manual.

B. Awards

Awards are another way of showing appreciation for your crew’s contributions. These awards range from certificates and commendations to ribbons and plaques.

The process for recommendations is basically the same as with promotions

All awards are listed within the UFS Awards Manual

12.1.4. Conflict Resolution

While UFS cannot require you to accept or dismiss a member, such punitive actions at best maintain the “status quo” of bad feelings and often escalate. UFS recommends working with UFS Command to try and come to a more effective and cooperative solution.

Do note, however, that UFS never condones harassment or misconduct, defined as behavior by one member perpetrated upon another member that would be construed as illegal under local, county, state, provincial, federal, or international law.

If such harassment or misconduct is happening in your Ship of the Line you must contact your Sector Commander immediately and report it. This is as much for your own personal safety and liability as it is for the member(s) being affected.

Information regarding escalation procedures are outlined in the UFS Membership Manual.

12.2. Tools of the Trade

In order to maintain continuity UFS offers an abundance of different tools to keep track of its ships and members.

As a Commanding Officer you need to be familiar with all of them

12.2.1. UFS LCARS NETWORK (WIKI)

The LCARS network has a repository of missions reports from the earliest days of Starfleet listed under each ships or station. Every Commanding Officer is required to see that their mission records are stored accurately on the network for review.

Your are responsible to make sure your WIKI pages are up to date

This includes

* Main Ship wiki page

* Crew Manifest, make sure this manifest matches your crew manifest within the database

* Mission pages

12.2.2. UFS Membership Database

This is your main administrative tool as a Commanding Officer. Please familiarize yourself with all its functions. Make sure your crew manifest is always up to date, make sure your MSR matches this manifest...if there are discrepancies make sure to contact personnel@ufstarfleet right away

12.2.3. UFS Subspace Network (UFS Main Forum)

Starfleet maintains a massive network of relay stations that allow almost instantaneous contact between members of Starfleet.

Each ship has their own section within the forum. Generally it is used to put on crew logs as well as mission logs. You can use all this information to make sure your WIKI pages are up to date

Many Starfleet Personnel use this network for social communications as well as personnel logs.

Forum Mission logs are required for each mission. As a minimum, they must contain:

1) brief CO log intro to the mission,

2) list of mission participants,

3) summary of main events of the mission.

Ideally each member of the crew would write their own mission report, but it is acceptable for an appointed Mission Recording Officer to offer a summary of the mission instead of individual crew reports.

12.3. Other Duties

Being in command of a UFS Ship of the Line is of course much more than administrative duties

12.3.1. Activity

As a Commanding Officer it is your main responsibility to provide activity on your Ship of the Line. After all, thats the main reason you were selected for the Center Chair.

Many of our ships are centered around Role Play, but you can have tons of different kinds of activity on your ship as that will attract a myriad of different crew members

However, regardless of what the focus is, UFS requires a certain amount of activity to be displayed

United Federation Starfleet launches ships of the line depending on the immediate need of its members, so If your Ship is commissioned under the premise that its an RP ship, then that is what is expected of your Ship. Obviously as a Role Play ship you can also add other activities to cover the off mission times....but the main focus should always be the reason why UF Starfleet Command commissioned your ship

12.3.2. Missions (Role Play)

As a Role Play ship of the Line you are required to provide regular Role Play for your members and have them documented as missions under your ships Wiki Page

UFS Command requires at least 4 missions per month

A. Mission Reports

All Starfleet Installations and vessels are required to submit reports periodically to Starfleet Command for record keeping.

The MSR report will include the date and name of the mission and a link to the forum page where it is documented.

Mission reports are required at the completion of every mission, prioritized to tell if it needs to be reviewed for a special reason.

12.3.3. Star Trek On Line

Some of our ships of the Line are centered within the realms of Star Trek On Line. As with Role Play, we expect a certain level of activity here as well

12.3.4 Crew Environment

12.3.4.1 Provide for Crew WellBeing

The CO or a designated crew representative (usually the XO) must be available to crew and easily reachable for questions, concerns or questions about why they were not promoted, etc. It must be made clear to the crew who they can go to when they need to talk to command.

12.3.4.2 Provide RP Environment

If your Ship is designed as a Role Play Ship then the CO is responsible to assure that there is a RP environment for the crew in whatever medium their ship/station uses. In the grids, this would usually be some type of Ship/station RP set and land to put it on. However, if finances are an issue, then a Bridge razzed in a sandbox might be an adequate workaround. If the ship RPs not on a gird, then whatever "home base" is appropriate for that medium, such as a RP forum or a RP/meeting area in someone's garage.

12.3.5 Staying Current on UFS Procedures and Requirements

Because UFS is a dynamic organization, procedures or requirements may change from time to time. These are communicated on the forums, in the CO Roundtable meetings (and minutes), and often in emails to the Commanding Officer Email list. It is the CO's responsibility to stay current on the UFS procedures and requirements.

Manuals will also have a section where you will be able to see what points have been changed during the last fiscal year

12.4 Fleet Breakdown

UF Starfleet is divided into 20 Fleets, one for each Sector and they share the same number, Sector 13 has the 13th Fleet.

Each Sector also has its own Marine Division

12.4.1 Task Forces

Task forces have been set-up to easily coordinate and manage missions on a Fleet Level. While there are permanent task forces established temporary task forces can be set up to facilitate extra missions that happen on a fleet level.

Task Forces are designed so different ships can play together in the same story arc.

12.4.2 Permanent Task Forces

Permanent Task Forces do not have a Task Force Commander, all missions that are included in these Task Forces are under the advisement of the Chief of UF Starfleet Operations.  In order for a ship/station to be recorded into these Task Forces they must open communication with the Office of the Chief of UF Starfleet Operations with the proposal for the mission outline.

Permanent Task Forces correlate into one major story line and are always ongoing with no end date.

• Task Force Omega - This task force has been established to coordinate, facilitate and catalogue all missions regarding the Borg whether this be but not limited to encounters, battles, sightings or diplomacy.  This is a joint operation between the Klingons, Romulans and Federation.
• Task Force New Romulus - This task force has been established to assist the colonization and restoration projects on and around New Romulus, the capital of the Romulan Republic.
• Task Force Nakamura - This task force is established to combat the Tholian threat whether this is but not limited to, data gathering, combat or scouting.
• Task Force Dyson - This task force is jointly formed by the Federation, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Republic. its mission is to explore the Solanae Dyson Sphere in the Delta Quadrant and to deal with the Omega particle threat brought by the Voth, who are occupying parts of the Dyson Sphere.

12.4.3 Temporary Task Forces

A temporary Task Force is established when a mission spans more than a month, involves more than 1 Ship/Station and does not fall into the Permanent Task Forces Category

Temporary Task Forces have a Task Force Commander, this commander is usually the Captain of the Ship/Station that initiated the mission.

Section 13 - Miscellaneous

First Officer vs Executive Officer

There are questions over correct terminology for the position since both have been used and there are examples where a captain had a first officer and executive officer. The confusion is fair to understand since both are different titles first officer is the second in command, the first among officers to the captain and takes over if needed. Executive Officer would seem to be more of a paperwork and administrative position not having to be the next in command after the captain. For use in Starfleet the posts are one in the same, the executive and first officer are the same person and not split up and the titles mean the same thing.

First Officer in Command Division

Questions arise if the XO has to be a command division officer or like Lt. Commander Spock under Captain Kirk can remain in another division. First thing that has to be understood is that this was considered very abnormal by command at the time but since the ship ran fine they saw no reason to interfere. The next thing that has to be understood is that on a general basis, Vulcans are more efficient than humans especially at mental work, at the time first officer had to do alot of  personnel, administrative and other paperwork, much less than today. Spock was the first and at the time most likely only Vulcan in Starfleet, T’Pol was given a commission in United Earth Starfleet at the rank of commander and never had to work her way up, Spock is the first Vulcan to attend UPF Starfleet Academy and the first to be commissioned as well. The standards and regulations at the time would have been written for humans who made up most of Starfleet and since Spock could perform the duties of 2 posts as well or better than two humans he did so. Today the First Officer is expected to be a command division officer unless the ship or station had a specialized function, such as a medical ship, shipyard, ect.

Department vs Contingent

As mentioned under the Department section not all Starships or even some installations have full departments this is because of the limited space onboard. Aboard the USS Defiant Dr Bashier was the Chief Medical Officer and had space dedicated to medical operations but the Defiant did not have a Medical Department because it lacked the space for the people and equipment except to provide emergency support. Even though Dax was aboard she was on the ship she was filling an Operations position as helmsmen not science officer. The Defiant of course isn't the only class that has these limitations there are starships that are designed as clippers or border patrol ships that would have not have science personnel either. A Department would be classified as having sufficient personnel and equipment to perform various tasks, example a Medical department would be able to provide a certain amount of medical support as well as perform experiments and research and a contingent would be able to provide emergency to basic care only. If an officer is the only one in the department they are usually called a chief.

Security vs Tactical

At one time these were separate departments about most starships however with better computer systems as well as the ability to carry more personnel they are often but not always combined into the same post, especially aboard starships. Security is the department that ensures the safety of the ship and crew, to over simplify it, they are a police force. Tactical is the department charged with all the offensive and defensive systems of the ship or station, shields, phasers, torpedos and even hand weapons to make sure they are fully operational and in combat situations handle them.

Weapons Policy

On Starfleet Installations and Vessels no one is armed unless the ship is on alert or is posted to a duty that requires it.. Basically its up to the CO to decide if and when weapons are needed

Section 14. NON-COMPLIANCE OF DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

United Federation Starfleet takes pride in its Ships of the Line, its Command Staff and its members.

Therefor its of the utmost importance that all ships of the line operate within the same principles and carry themselves with distinction.

When a Command is given to someone, it's important to understand that the  name and intellectual property remains property of United Federation Starfleet.

If a CO is unable or unwilling to perform their duties, then the Office of UF Starfleet Chief of Staff will try to work with them to assist them. If they are unwilling/unable to make changes, they will be given a time period (usually 30 days) to start doing their duties. If, after that period, they are still not doing their duties one of two things will happen. Either a new CO will be appointed OR the ship/station/outpost will be  recalled to starbase–

Endnote

It is our hope that you have found this manual to be useful to your development as a Commanding Officer. Any questions should be submitted to the United Federation Starfleet Chief of Staff

We look forward to working with you in the future.