Changes: Insignia

Latest revision as of 21:35, 9 January 2024

Insignia were marks or signs used by cultures to distinguish ranks, units, membership, affiliation, achievement, designation, or status.

For humanoids, rank insignia were generally worn on uniforms, and could be displayed by stripes (such as braid) on the sleeves or epaulet, or in the form of pins (like pips and lozenges), embroidered insignia, and patches. These, of course, differ between civilizations.

Rank insignia

Lists of rank insignia

Types

Braid or stripes

"Like it or not, professor, as commander of the starship, I'm required…"
"To show your gold braid to everyone. You love it, don't you."

– Kirk and Robert Crater, 2266 ("The Man Trap")

"A beach to walk on. A few days, no braid on my shoulder."

– Kirk lamenting the restrictions of command, 2266 ("The Naked Time")

Braid (or stripes) were bands of fabric or metallic material designed to denote rank on a uniform. Officers of Earth's United States Navy wore rank stripes on sleeves and epaulets. That system was similar to insignia used in some eras of Starfleet history. (TOS: "The Man Trap", "The Naked Time"; DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations")

The Earth Starfleet of the 22nd century used rank stripes on dress uniforms for officers and on the standard jackets of flag officers. The mirror universe's Terran Starfleet used stripes on the standard uniform epaulets for officers, and both the epaulets and sleeves for flag officers.

In the 2250s, Starfleet used stripes of braid for both officers and non-commissioned officers, on the sleeves of standard uniforms and on the epaulets of dress uniforms. By the 2260s, only officers above ensign wore sleeve rank stripes, and only on standard uniforms. The 2260s dress uniforms denoted rank by braid around the collar, again only for officers. In the 2270s, all officers wore rank stripes, either on the sleeves or epaulet, depending on the uniform.

Chevron and rocker

Chevrons and rockers were stripe insignia that were used in many of Earth's land, air, and naval forces to denote enlisted rank.

Epaulet

Epaulets were devices worn on the shoulder, quite frequently to denote rank or grade, or perhaps honor.

Lozenge

The lozenge was what was commonly referred to as a diamond. It was found in a deck of playing cards, and in the rank of a first sergeant.

Pip

Pips were the small metal pins worn to denote rank, particularly on 23rd and 24th century Starfleet uniforms. (DIS: "The Vulcan Hello", TNG: "Cause And Effect", "The Pegasus"; DS9: "The Adversary", "The Visitor", "Rules of Engagement"; VOY: "Thirty Days", "Unimatrix Zero")

Star

Stars, in the vernacular of rank insignia, were insignia, often used to denote flag officers. The United States military used groups of these insignia for generals and admirals. A similar approach was used by Starfleet, as flag officer epaulet insignia in the 2270s. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "Paradise Lost")

The Star Trek Encyclopedia (3rd ed., p. 211) refers to TNG-era flag ranks with the term "star", even though the insignia used are pips in a frame. It lists one- and two-star admiral, three-star admiral, four-star admiral, and five-star admiral as the meanings of various rank insignia, but the one- and five-star versions are never seen on screen.

External link

Rank at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
Insignia at Wikipedia

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+'''Insignia''' were marks or signs used by [[cultures]] to distinguish [[rank]]s, {{dis|unit|military}}s, [[membership]], [[flag|affiliation]], [[Medals and awards|achievement]], designation, or status.
-'''[[Rank]] insignia''' are generally used by [[races and cultures]] that wear [[uniform]]s. In [[humanoid]]s, rank can be displayed by stripes (such as braid) on the sleeves or epaulet, or in the form of pins (like pips and lozenges), embroidered insignia and [[assignment patch|patch]]es. These of course differ between civilizations.
+For [[humanoid]]s, rank insignia were generally worn on [[uniform]]s, and could be displayed by stripes (such as braid) on the [[sleeve]]s or epaulet, or in the form of pins (like pips and lozenges), embroidered insignia, and [[assignment patch|patch]]es. These, of course, differ between [[civilization]]s.
-==Lists of rank insignia==
+== Rank insignia ==
+===Lists of rank insignia===
 * [[Cardassian ranks]]
+** [[Cardassian uniform]]s
 * [[Bajoran ranks]]
+** [[Bajoran Militia uniform]]s
+* [[Ferengi ranks]]
+** [[Ferengi uniform]]s
 * [[Klingon ranks]]
+** [[Klingon Defense Force uniform]]s
 * [[MACO ranks]]
+** [[MACO uniform and equipment]]
 * [[Romulan ranks]]
-** [[Romulan uniforms]]
+** [[Romulan uniform]]s
 * [[Starfleet ranks]]
-** [[Starfleet uniforms]]
+** [[Starfleet uniform]]s
-* [[Terran Empire ranks]]
+* [[Starfleet ranks (mirror)|Terran Empire ranks]]
+** [[Starfleet uniform (mirror)|Terran Empire uniforms]]
 * [[Vulcan ranks]]
-** [[Vulcan uniforms]]
+** [[Vulcan uniform]]s
-==Types==
+===Types===
+====Braid or stripes====
+{{aquote|Like it or not, [[professor]], as [[CO|commander]] of the starship, I'm required&hellip;''"<br />"''To show your {{dis|gold|color}} braid to everyone. You love it, don't you.|Kirk''' and '''Robert Crater|2266|The Man Trap}}
+{{aquote|A beach to walk on. A few days, no braid on my shoulder.|Kirk''' lamenting the restrictions of command'''<nowiki/>|2266|The Naked Time}}
+'''Braid''' (or '''stripes''') were bands of fabric or metallic material designed to denote rank on a uniform. Officers of [[Earth]]'s [[United States Navy]] wore rank stripes on sleeves and epaulets. That system was similar to insignia used in some eras of [[Starfleet]] history. ({{TOS|The Man Trap|The Naked Time}}; {{DS9|Trials and Tribble-ations}})
+The [[Earth]] [[Starfleet]] of the [[22nd century]] used rank stripes on [[dress uniform]]s for [[officer]]s and on the standard jackets of [[flag officer]]s. The [[mirror universe]]'s [[Terran Starfleet]] used stripes on the standard uniform epaulets for officers, and both the epaulets and sleeves for flag officers.
-===Braid===
-'''Braid''' (or rank '''stripes''') are bands of fabric or metallic material designed to denote rank on a uniform. Officers of [[Earth]]'s [[United States Navy]] were known to wear rank stripes on sleeves and epaulets. That system was similar to insignia used in some eras of [[Starfleet]] history.
-The [[Earth Starfleet]] of the [[22nd century]] used rank stripes on [[dress uniforms]] for [[officer]]s and on the standard jackets of [[flag officer]]s. The [[mirror universe]]'s [[Terran Starfleet]] used stripes on the standard uniform epaulets for officers, and both the epaulets and sleeves for flag officers.
+In the [[2250s]], Starfleet used stripes of braid for both [[officer]]s and [[non-commissioned officer]]s, on the sleeves of standard uniforms and on the epaulets of [[dress uniform]]s. By the [[2260s]], only officers above [[ensign]] wore sleeve rank stripes, and only on standard uniforms. The 2260s dress uniforms denoted rank by braid around the collar, again only for officers. In the [[2270s]], all officers wore rank stripes, either on the sleeves or epaulet, depending on the uniform.
+====Chevron and rocker====
-In the [[2250s]], Starfleet used stripes of braid for both [[officer]]s and [[noncommissioned officer]]s, on the sleeves of standard uniforms and on the epaulets of [[dress uniform]]s. By the [[2260s]], only officers above [[ensign]] wore sleeve rank stripes, and only on standard uniforms. The 2260s dress uniforms denoted rank by braid around the collar, again only for officers. In the [[2270s]], all officers wore rank stripes, either on the sleeves or epaulet, depending on the uniform.
+'''Chevrons''' and '''rockers''' were stripe insignia that were used in many of Earth's land, air, and naval forces to denote enlisted rank.
-===Chevron and rocker===
+====Epaulet====
+'''Epaulets''' were devices worn on the [[shoulder]], quite frequently to denote rank or grade, or perhaps honor.
-'''Chevrons''' and '''rockers''' are stripe insignia used
-===Epaulet===
+====Lozenge====
+The '''lozenge''' was what was commonly referred to as a '''diamond'''. It was found in a deck of playing cards, and in the rank of a [[first sergeant]].
-===Lozenge===
+====Pip====
+[[File:Picard's rank pips.jpg|thumb|Captain Picard's rank pips in 2375]]
+'''Pips''' were the small metal pins worn to denote rank, particularly on [[23rd century|23rd]] and [[24th century]] [[Starfleet uniform]]s. ({{DIS|The Vulcan Hello}}, {{TNG|Cause And Effect|The Pegasus}}; {{DS9|The Adversary|The Visitor|Rules of Engagement}}; {{VOY|Thirty Days|Unimatrix Zero}})
-===Pip and lozenge===
+====Star====
+'''Stars''', in the vernacular of rank insignia, were insignia, often used to denote [[flag officer]]s. The [[United States military]] used groups of these insignia for [[general]]s and [[admiral]]s. A similar approach was used by Starfleet, as flag officer epaulet insignia in the 2270s. ({{DS9|The Search, Part I|Paradise Lost}})
-'''Pips''' are the small metal pins worn to denote rank, particularly on [[24th century]] [[Starfleet uniform]]s.
+{{bginfo|The {{ste|3|211}} refers to [[TNG]]-era flag ranks with the term "star", even though the insignia used are pips in a frame. It lists [[rear admiral|one- and two-star admiral]], [[vice admiral|three-star admiral]], [[admiral|four-star admiral]], and [[fleet admiral|five-star admiral]] as the meanings of various rank insignia, but the one- and five-star versions are never seen on screen.}}
-===Star===
-'''Stars''', in the vernacular of rank insignia, are insignia, often used to denote [[flag officers]]. The [[United States armed forces]] used groups of these insignia for [[general]]s and [[admiral]]s. A similar approach was used by Starfleet, as flag officer epaulet insignia in the 2270s.
-:''The ''[[Star Trek Encyclopedia]]'' refered to [[TNG]] era flag ranks with the term "star" even though the insignia used were pips in a frame. It listed [[rear admiral|one and two star admiral]], [[vice admiral|three star admiral]], [[admiral|four star admiral]] and [[fleet admiral|five star admiral]] as the meanings of various rank insignia, but the one and five star versions were never seen onscreen.''
+==External link==
-The US Navy also uses stars in conjunction with chevrons in their [[enlisted]] insignia, as opposed to the rockers used with chevrons in equivalent [[US armed forces]].
+*{{mbeta|Rank}}
+*{{wikipedia}}
+[[cs:Insignie]]
-==See also==
+[[fr:Insigne]]
-*[[assignment patch]]
-*[[uniform]]
+[[ja:記章]]
+[[de:Rangabzeichen]]
+[[Category:Clothing accessories]]
+[[Category:Symbols]]