One star admiral

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One star admiral (or rear admiral lower half) is a rank of flag officer in naval services and space forces, such as Starfleet. One star is the most basic flag officer rank, a grade higher than a captain and a grade below rear admiral and other admiral grades in most rank structures, although some organizations will use the approximately equivalent rank of commodore, which is also used as a title for lower ranking commanders who are nominally in charge of others of the same rank. The one star rank is roughly equivalent with the authority of a brigadier of military forces. The Romulan Star Empire has two ranks, senior centurion (enarrain in the Romulan language) and commander general (khre'riov), that are analogous to a one star admiral's standing. In the Cardassian language, jagul is a Cardassian flag officer rank title which, in translation to Federation Standard, is approximately equivalent to a one star admiral.

In military parlance, is it acceptable and normal to refer to a one star admiral simply as "admiral" in most forms of address.

In the Starfleet uniform insignia used in the mid-23rd century, a one star admiral wore the same service uniform rank insignia as a commodore, a thick sleeve stripe of gold with two gold braids on the edges. (TOS comic: "A Bright Particular Star")

In the uniform insignia introduced in the mid-24th century, a one star admiral wore a triangular rank braid (with no additional pips) as their service rank insignia. (TNG episodes: "Too Short a Season", "Coming of Age", "Conspiracy")

The correlation between this lowest admiral rank and the uniform insignia worn in TNG season 1 is because other admirals were shown wearing higher rank insignia, and the single braid insignia was the most basic one shown.

In a redesign of the admiral's service uniforms of 2365 and 2366, a new insignia of one gold pip enclosed in a square or rectangular gold border was worn by one star admirals, showing the origin of the "one star" name. This insignia continued into later uniform designs of the 2370s. (ST reference: Star Trek Encyclopedia, NF comic: "Turnaround, Part I")

The Star Trek Encyclopedia shows the insignia in a square-shaped pin, while the New Frontier comic appearances depicts a rectangular pin. It is possible the insignia changed over the years between the 2360s and the 2370s when those references took place, respectively.

[edit] Positions and lists

[edit] Federation Starfleet

• Mark Jameson (prior to 2364)
• Edward Jellico (2370)
• James T. Kirk (2270)
• Gregory Quinn (prior to 2364)
• Elizabeth Shelby (2379)

[edit] Background

The United States rank scheme that Starfleet was adapted from is also the origination of the insignia, background information, and alternate name for this rank. In the United States armed forces, rear admirals lower half of the US Navy wear a pin insignia of one star on their uniforms and hold an officer grade equivalent to a brigadier or commodore of other services. This rank was never referred to as "rear admiral lower half" in any Star Trek publications. In fact, the only time it was named was in the Star Trek Encyclopedia, where the "one star" reference originates.

	Enlisted ranks				Commissioned ranks							Flag ranks
Earth SF	CREW	PO		CPO SCPO MCPO	ENS	LT		CMDR		CAPT FCAPT VICE CDORE		CDORE	RADM/2ADM	VADM/3ADM	4ADM	FADM/5ADM GADM
Starfleet & SFMC						LT JG	LT	LT CMDR	CDR			CDORE 1ADM
	PVT	CPL	SGT MASTER SGT		2ND LT	1ST LT	CAPT	MAJOR	LT COL	COL		BRIG	GEN