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Starfleet Command School

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Starfleet Command School is a division of Starfleet Academy in which cadets who wish to become future commanding officers are trained.

The Command School requires a test of character, the Kobayashi Maru scenario, a very realistic simulation of a command candidate's reaction to an overwhelming loss of command. To avoid spoiling the results of the test, the conditions involved are not described in any library or database available to members of Starfleet, meaning that those who have taken the test don't often share the details with cadets or other non-Command School personnel. (TOS novel: The Kobayashi Maru)

Command School is a graduate level establishment, meaning that the student body can include commissioned officers that have completed officer's training at Starfleet Academy. Thus, many undergoing training or taking the Kobayashi Maru test already possess rank as ensigns, lieutenant JGs, etc. (FASA RPG module: Star Fleet Officer's Manual)

Graduates of the Command School enter Starfleet as "command candidates", and are often moved between assignments with the intent of introducing the officer to a number of aspects of service as they prepare for an accelerated career track to commander's rank. Piper of Proxima Beta was due to for a duty assignment as a lieutenant in environmental engineering after completing Command School, but expected to be reassigned frequently. (TOS - Fortunes of War novel: Dreadnought!)

James T. Kirk was a noted Command School graduate, with both high accomplishments and also marks against his record. While in Command School, Ensign Kirk served a tour of duty on the training vessel USS Republic, and logged a serious error in operating controls by an instructor, Lieutenant Ben Finney. Starfleet Academy instructors and classmates alike snubbed Kirk after the incident, even though his actions had been a correct application of duty regulations. Finney was moved to the bottom of the promotion list. (TOS episode & novelization: Court Martial; TOS - My Brother's Keeper novel: Republic)

The Command School requires excellence in potential students, with an application process involving a review of previous Starfleet Academy test scores and over all performance. In the early 2280s, William Bearclaw was under consideration for Command School due to his excellent scores, but was rejected due to his behavior and attitude. In particular, Command School administrator Stephen Turner noted his stubbornness and xenophobic tendencies as factors in the record of his rejection. (ST comic: "Who's Who in Star Trek, Issue 1")

Notable attendees of the school include Hikaru Sulu, Benjamin Sisko and Kathryn Janeway. (TOS novel: The Kobayashi Maru, DS9 novel: Station Rage, VOY episode: "Parallax")