Mr. Spock: Encyclopedia II - Mr. Spock - Starfleet

Mr. Spock - Starfleet

Nearly Spock's entire Starfleet career — he joined Starfleet against his father's wishes, as Sarek wanted his son to attend the Vulcan Science Academy — was spent serving onboard a single ship, the famous starship USS Enterprise. The non-canon young adult novel 'Crisis on Vulcan' depicts Spock's first experience with the ship. He accompanies his father on a diplomatic mission aboard the Enterprise, and while there meets his future captain, Christopher Pike, then serving as the first officer under Robert April, the first captain of the Enterprise. Spock becomes impressed at the humans, and particularly with the logical setup of the ship, which leads him to consider a career in Starfleet, which becomes a serious consideration when Pike invites him to do so.

He served for nearly eleven years under Captain Christopher Pike. Publications from the producers of the Original Series indicate that Spock's "backstory" had him assigned to the Enterprise while still a Cadet, and that he was later commissioned an Ensign and subsequently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. The first time the viewing audience saw Spock he was a full Lieutenant, serving as a junior science officer onboard the Enterprise (Star Trek: The Cage), although series creator Gene Roddenberry originally billed Spock as the ship's First Lieutenant. Some of Spock's experiences serving under Captain Pike were depicted in the non-canon comic book series Star Trek: Early Voyages.

Spock's first temporary command was in 2254 when he ordered the evacuation of the Enterprise from Talos IV, after all of the senior officers had been kidnapped by the hostile inhabitants. In the early 2260s, Spock was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and assigned a dual commission as both the Executive Officer (or First Officer) and Senior Science Officer of the Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk (Star Trek: The Original Series). By 2267, Spock had risen in rank to a full Commander. He resigned his commission in 2270 in order to return to Vulcan and undergo training for the Kolinahr discipline.

In 2271 Spock returned to active duty, reinstated as a Commander, and posted as the Senior Science Officer to the USS Enterprise. Following the V'ger crisis (chronicled in Star Trek: The Motion Picture), and the loss of Enterprise Executive Officer, Captain Willard Decker, Spock apparently resumed his dual post of First Officer and Senior Science Officer of the USS Enterprise. It is assumed that another mission of exploration followed this event, however this has yet to be established into canon.

A number of years later, the Enterprise was assigned as a training vessel under Starfleet Academy. Spock was promoted to Captain and assigned as the Commanding Officer of the USS Enterprise as Kirk had reverted to his former rank of Admiral in Starfleet Command. In 2282, Spock was temporarily relieved of command during the Genesis Crisis (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), when Admiral James T. Kirk took command of the Enterprise as per Starfleet regulations in order to investigate an emergency situation surrounding the Regula I scientific research space station, but ultimately resulting in combat with the exiled tyrannt Khan Noonien Singh. During the final battle, Spock entered a radioactive antimatter control chamber without a protective suit. He performed this heroic deed in order to return the ship's warp engines to service just barely in time to allow the Enterprise to escape the explosion of the Genesis Device. While the planet Genesis was created, Spock died.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Starfleet", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki