rank

Ranks and Positions

Admiral

The rank of Admiral is the highest officers can obtain. They are responsible for drawing up Starfleet policy.	The rank of Admiral is not lightly bestowed upon an officer. Those so rewarded are among Starfleet’s most decorated and respected officers, such as starship captains who are judged likely to provide an even greater service to the fleet by maintaining a watchful eye over the operations throughout a sector of space.
	The role of an Admiral is highly diverse, and their duties are wide-ranging and often complex. These vary from the mundane, such as attending diplomatic functions, lecturing at Starfleet Academy, and inspecting starships prior to launch, to being forced to put the lives of Starfleet officers on the line when authorizing vessels or personnel to enter hazardous situations.
	In addition, there are many Admirals who supplement their duties by maintaining a posting as commander of a starbase, such as Admiral Marcus Holt, who commanded station Deep Space 3. Of similar note is Admiral Brand, who holds the position of Superintendent of Starfleet Academy.
	The rank of Admiral, particularly in times of peace, is primarily a desk job. The officer in question is often stationed at a Starfleet facility on Earth or elsewhere in the United Federation of Planets. For some, this can be considered a detrimental aspect of the position, as James T. Kirk discovered following his promotion.
	During Starfleet missions of a sensitive nature, or operations conducted under wartime conditions, an Admiral is often posted to a facility ‘in the field’ from where they command a fleet of vessels; during the Dominion War, Admiral William Ross handled fleet dispersal and mission tasking from Starbase 375.
Investigators	Another aspect of an Admiral’s position entails the investigation of incidents involving Starfleet officers. Among Starfleet’s most recognized and brilliant investigators are Admiral Brooks, who handled an incident in 2369 involving the death of Ferengi scientist Dr. Reyga, and Admiral Norah Satie, who was successful in dealing with the alien conspiracy uncovered by command officers of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D in 2364.
	In the event of judicial enquires or tribunal proceedings, Admirals are sometimes called upon to act as judges; for example, Starfleet Academy’s superintendent Admiral Brand fulfilled this role in 2368, during an investigation into the actions of Cadet Wesley Crusher’s Nova Squadron, while Admiral T’Lara acted in this capacity on Deep Space 9 in 2372, when LtCmdr Worf’s extradition was demanded by the Klingon Empire.
An abuse of rank	Admirals are regarded as some of the finest officers in Starfleet, but they are not infallible. Admiral Pressman’s involvement with the testing of an illegal cloaking device resulted in his arrest in 2370. Admiral Dougherty’s dealings with the Son’a cost him his life in 2375. Even more sinister was Admiral Cartwright’s collusion to sabotage the Khitomer peace talks in 2293 and embroil the Federation in war.