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And I doubt Starfleet really changed NCO insignia between TNG and DS9. Well after O'Brien transitions to the chevrons-and-dots insignum in his duty uniform, his dress uniform continues to sport the 1/2 pip.
I think the 1/2 pip could be a ceremonial general NCO identifier, used when there are few NCOs around and there is little or no need to know their exact rate - say, a ceremony requiring a dress uniform, or a tour of duty aboard the Federation Flagship.
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3.5 pips would fall between commander and captain. What rank could you put between those?
------------------ "They might be the infamous buzzard collectors for what we know, grabbing hapless space avians so that they don't end up as smears in the windshield." -Timo Saloniemi, 16-Aug-2000
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In "Where No One Has Gone Before", does anyone have an idea what the Travelor's companion, Mr. K-, pip meant? It was very strange. IIRC, the pip was black and white squares.
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I dont remember what Chief O'brian did to get Chief Petty Officer. Is that below and ensign? Yet an ensign can't order him around. Perhaps someone here could clarify that.
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A petty officer of any sort is below an ensign, yes, because it's a non-commissioned rank. However, O'Brien was the chief operations officer on DS9. This is why he couldn't be ordered around by any ensign who happened along. It was because of his position, not his rank.
------------------ "They might be the infamous buzzard collectors for what we know, grabbing hapless space avians so that they don't end up as smears in the windshield." -Timo Saloniemi, 16-Aug-2000
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This also explains how Kim can order lieutennants around, being of a lower rank but a higher position. When LaForge was in command in "The Arsenal of Freedom", the chief engineer technically outranked him, but LaForge had the higher authority, due to the fact that he was temporarily in the command position.
------------------ "The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
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Regarding O'Brien, his rank has been the topic of debate since the beginning. Way back when he was transporter chief on the Enterprise, he was a Lieutenant. If I am not mistaken, I believe I have seen him with two pips, one and a half, one pip, and even a single half pip at different times during the TNG run. I don't recall him ever being referred to by rank, only by the title "chief."
Concerning uniform colors, I can't discern a difference in color between the uniforms of Crusher and Troi, or Data and Worf. They appear to be the same, however the colors did become brighter when the uniform changed. The security/operations/engineering mustard drab became a brighter gold or tenne. The medical/science blue became a lighter teal. The command red didn't change as much but does appear to me to be a few shades brighter.
The references on the site I linked are purely conjectural. Most of them fit with what we've seen in the episodes. Some of it, however, does not. It's not "official." As far as I know, there are no gray uniforms for intelligence personnel (why would you want to advertise the fact that you are an agent?), and there are no Starfleet Marines, although the concept has been batted around for years. Only naval ranks have ever been used with ONE exception. Rene Auberjonois had a cameo in Undiscovered Country where he protrayed Starfleet Colonel West who was attempting to present plans for an attempt to rescue Kirk and McCoy. This was made even more difficult to reconcile because he was wearing a REAR ADMIRAL's pin on his uniform..... Still haven't figured THAT one out....
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Well, isn't it obvious? Like the Tal'Shiar on Romulus, Starfleet Intelligence is the only military branch in Starfleet that uses army-style ranks as opposed to naval ones. So as to hide the fact that a SF Intelligence operative was going to brief the President, SFI dressed Colonel West as a regular Starfleet Rear Admiral, somebody who wouldn't arouse any interest in the Romulan and Klingon moles infesting the Presidential Palace...
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