The term “flag officer” stems from more primitive years of Earth’s warfighting period, when ships bearing a fleet’s highest ranking officer (ostensibly a commodore or higher) would indicate this fact by flying a certain pennant or ensign. Despite such methods being outdated by 400+ years, the term persists at least into the end of the 24th century, and instead has come to denote someone of great experience and wisdom within the higher echelons of Starfleet.
That said, there’s a common theme running through much of canon Star Trek; despite their lofty positions and sizable achievements, many of the flag officers portrayed aren’t all that great. In some cases, they’re simply breathtakingly incompetent. This is exemplified best by Commodore George Stalker, who decided not only to declare himself in command of the Enterprise, but then proceeded to violate the Romulan Neutral Zone. This is especially egregious, considering he had not one iota of starship command experience under his belt, having served as an administrator all of his career.
In other, more malicious cases, flag officers have chosen to betray Federation principles and the safety of Starfleet personnel in the pursuit of, among other things, the greater good. An example of the above might be found in DS9’s “Homefront”, in which Admiral Leyton recruits the members of Starfleet Academy Red Squad to sabotage the planetary defense network of Earth during the Dominion War. Another is Admiral Mark Jameson, who violated the Prime Directive by providing weapons to a hostage-taker in return for securing their release, an decision that led to forty years of brutal civil war on the planet Mordan IV.
There’s no shortage of poor flag officers in the Federation- which one do you think is the worst? Give us your vote and let us know your reasoning in the comments section below!
Poll of the Week: Worst Flag Officer?
We are a star trek roleplaying game
We are a free, fun, and friendly community of Star Trek fans who write collaborative fiction together. It’s easy to join – we’ll teach you everything you need to know!
Latest Mission Reports

Starfleet vessels hold the line as USS Gorkon returns through temporal rift
Federation News Service
May 18, 2025
Read More »

Fourteen Crewmembers and three VIPs turned into teenagers on the USS Constitution B
Federation News Service
May 16, 2025
Read More »

USS Astraeus aids Al-Leyan truce as La Tirano threat emerges
Federation News Service
May 14, 2025
Read More »
Latest Interviews


Back in My Day – Lieutenant Commander Alora DeVeau- USS Eagle
Samantha Richards
May 6, 2025
Read More »

Latest News
OOC Activities
Looking for something fun to do? We have a whole list of fleet activities that are looking for members like yourself! Check out the Fleet Activity List today to see where you’ll fit in.