Ensign
Ensign was a commissioned rank, the equivalent of which was used by the service organizations of many civilizations, namely by Starfleet, the Orions, and the Bajoran Militia. The rank or term "ensign" itself, was unfamiliar to the Kraylor. ()

History 
As a traditional naval grade, ensign was the lowest junior officer rank, below lieutenant junior grade or lieutenant. () In Starfleet, it was usually the first rank assigned to new officers upon graduation from Starfleet Academy. (, et al.) 

Naomi Wildman believed that she would be able to rise up the ranks aboard , as it crossed the Delta Quadrant, charting her journey as, "I'll be bridge assistant for a while, then I'll be promoted to ensign. It'll be lieutenant after that, and by the time we reach the Alpha Quadrant, Captain Wildman." ()

When Lieutenant Commander Janice Rand noted Ensign Tuvok preparing a Vulcan tea especially for Captain Hikaru Sulu, she chided him, asking "Trying to make lieutenant in your first month? I wish I'd have thought of that when I was your age. Took me three years just to make ensign." Tuvok, however, assured her that he had no ulterior motives. ()

According to Lieutenant Commander Data, for one to move up the ranks, and "one proved themselves more capable, typically after three years as an ensign, they would be considered for promotion into the lieutenant tier." ()

Duties and responsibilities 
An ensign's primary duty was professional growth, both as a leader and as an occupational specialist. Ensigns were mentored by more senior officers as well as chief petty officers as part of their development as Starfleet leaders. () On some of the larger starship classes, such as the  starships, it was not uncommon for veteran and seasoned enlisted personnel to have ensigns working for them as technicians, thus having the ensign "learning the ropes" of the more technical aspects of starship design, such as transporter components. ()

Following the graduation of Marta Batanides and Jean-Luc Picard from Starfleet Academy, and prior to their respective first assignments, Batanides suggested that "Maybe these bars are just starting to feel a little heavy, ensign," after noting Picard's "hidden streak of responsibility," which Picard otherwise shrugged off as being part of "just getting older". ()

When Benjamin Sisko was an ensign, he met Curzon Dax, who, as he later explained, "took a raw young ensign under his wing and taught me to appreciate life in ways I'd never thought about before. He taught me about art and science and diplomacy. Whatever sense of honor I might have today, he nurtured." ()

According to Lieutenant Jadzia Dax, Commander Benjamin Sisko "wouldn't allow any ensign take a runabout into the Gamma Quadrant the day after she arrives." ()

Following the promotion of Ezri Dax to lieutenant junior grade in 2375, Julian Bashir told her, "I'm glad they made you a lieutenant. It would have been hard taking advice from an ensign. ()

Though junior officers, ensigns were permitted to fulfill the position of bridge officer or acting captain, and even be a member of the senior staff. (; ; )

 Experience and protocol 

During a scenario devised for the M-5 drills in 2268, Captain James T. Kirk chose the ship's chief geologist Rawlins for a member of his landing party. When the M-5 computer made a difference choice, geologist  instead, Kirk did not see it the same way, explaining that Carstairs was "an ensign, no experience. This is his first tour of duty" aboard the . M-5, however, disagreed because it knew that "Geologist Carstairs served on Merchant Marine freighters in this area. Once visited planet on geology survey for mining company." ()

When Ensign William T. Riker served aboard the  in 2358, seven months after his graduation from the Academy, he noted his inexperience was what allowed him to blindly follow the commands of Captain Erik Pressman during a mutiny. Recalling twelve years later, "I wasn't a hero and neither were you. What you did was wrong and I was wrong to support you, but I was just too young and too stupid to realize it. You were the captain. I was the ensign. I was just following orders." ()

 Notable ensigns 

Named
 Latara (Bajoran Militia)

Unnamed
 Bajoran ensign (Bajoran Militia)
 Orion ensign 

 Insignia 
The 22nd century Starfleet denoted ensigns with a single rank pin. During the 2250s and 2260s, Federation Starfleet uniforms showed no insignia for ensigns. (; )

By the 2270s, ensigns were granted the former insignia of lieutenant junior grade, the lieutenant jg rank itself having been discontinued. ()  By at least 2278, ensigns wore a single pin shaped like a stylized "v" letter. (; ; )

The late 23rd century pin insignia was used until at least the 2320s. () By the end of the 24th century, Starfleet ensigns were once again indicated by one single rank pin. ()

 See also 
 Acting ensign

 Appendices 
 Background information 
This naval rank was equivalent to the rank of second lieutenant which is found in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Star Trek has often portrayed ensigns as background characters who stand watches at bridge stations, serve as nameless security guards, or who get killed or eaten by the alien creature of the week (see "redshirt"). The characters of Wesley Crusher and Pavel Chekov were the first ensigns to be seriously explored with their duties and responsibilities mainly confined to learning and professional growth as officers. The episode  also dealt with ensigns and what their daily duties consisted of.

Starfleet ensigns were rarely seen in command of others, one exception being when Ensign Chekov leads a security detail in  or when Wesley Crusher was assigned to lead a science team in . 

In one peculiar instance, blurring the rank structure aboard , Major J. Hayes demanded that Ensign Sato contact the captain, stating, "I gave you a direct order, ensign." ()

Occasionally, older characters have been seen as ensigns, an example of which is Jana Haines, who appeared as an ensign but seems to be in her late 30s or early 40s, as well as ensigns Davies and Alans who held the rank of ensign while serving as science officers with obvious graduate level education. Several other medical and science ensigns from  (and later series) have also appeared whose age and experience indicated that they were obviously not recent Starfleet Academy graduates. This gives rise to the possibility that Starfleet, much like the United States Navy, had commissioning programs for prior enlisted personnel or for civilian doctors and scientists who wished to join Starfleet.

In the alternate reality,  came out of Starfleet Academy as a lieutenant commander. This is also a common practice by the current armed forces, i.e. to give this elevated rank to highly specialized professions (doctors, lawyers, etc.).

After his character's promotion on the show, Gene Roddenberry gave Wil Wheaton the second lieutenant bars he earned in the Army Air Corps (second lieutenant being equivalent to an ensign in the US Navy). Present at the ceremony was General , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who later became Secretary of State. (; Star Trek: The Next Generation 365, p. 159)

 Apocrypha 
Mentioned in several non-canon s and other publications is a junior rank known as "Ensign junior grade". The character of Miles O'Brien was suggested to have held this rank, specifically in the novelization of ''. In the historic United States Navy, a rank known as "Passed Midshipman" existed in the early 20th century intended for recent Naval Academy graduates who had yet to qualify for a position at sea.

External link 
 

bg:Мичман
cs:Praporčík
de:Fähnrich
es:Alférez
fr:Enseigne
it:Guardiamarina
ja:少尉
nl:Vaandrig
pt:Alferes
ru:Энсин
sr:Заставник
sv:Fänrik
Military ranks