Captain

Captain is a military rank, the equivalent of which is used by the service organizations of many civilizations.

Use in Starfleet

The Starfleet rank of Captain is the most senior line officer rank and is usually only awarded to Starship Commanding Officers and senior members of the fleet. The equivalent rank in the Starfleet Marine Corp is the rank of Colonel.

The rank of Captain is one of the most prestigious ranks in Starfleet accordingly; very few Starfleet officers ever gain the captaincy of a starship, the result of years of sustained excellence as a Starfleet officer and leader. Captains are considered to be representatives of both Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets and must be able to function autonomously and make independent command decisions that can affect Federation policy and countless lives.

Advancement

Achieving the rank of Captain is the pinnacle for many Star Fleet Officers and is the one rank that many Starfleet officers aspire to. Advancement above the rank of Captain to the flag ranks of Starfleet is possible, but the flag officer positions are often very limited.

Use in Starfleet's Marine Corp

The rank of Captain is the third commissioned rank used by Starfleet's Marine Core. The rank is equivalent to the Star Fleet Rank of Lieutenant.

In the Starfleet's Marine Corp Officers with the rank of Captain Often serve as Company Commander or Platoon Commander. On some Starfleet vessels Captains serve as Marine Commanding Officers. Captains also instruct at the Marine Academy and at combat training centers that are spread across the Federation, they often serve as staff officers at the battalion level. Marine Captains also serve as Officer Selection Officers and command recruiting stations for commissioned officers.

Advancement

Captains are eligible for promotion to the Major following several years of service in the Captain grade. Due to size and nature of the Starfleet Marine Core there is often a lot of competition between officers to reach this rank.