Star Trek's best engineer was Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine proved that. Originally a recurring character on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Miles O'Brien served in the Cardassian War before being assigned to the USS Enterprise. O'Brien moved from helmsman to the Enterprise's transporter chief, giving him hands-on knowledge of Starfleet's flagship. Chief O'Brien had experience with sophisticated Federation engineering and a working knowledge of Cardassian technology, making O'Brien the perfect choice to head up the Starfleet engineers on the former Cardassian station Deep Space Nine.
![Screenshots – DS9: Redefined]()
In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 15, "Honor Among Thieves", Deep Space Nine's crew are dealing with far more technical malfunctions than usual. Dr. Julian Bashir's (Alexander Siddig) infirmary technology, the fire suppression system at Quark's (Armin Shimerman) Bar, and Constable Odo's (Rene Auberjonois) security sensors are all unexpectedly glitching. Even the turbolift in Ops is being a jerk. Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) explains that this rare alignment of mechanical maladies is happening because Chief Miles O'Brien is away from DS9, on an unexpected mission to infiltrate the Orion Syndicate.
Why Star Trek’s Best Engineer Was DS9’s Chief O’Brien
O'Brien Merges Otherwise Incompatible Cardassian And Starfleet Technology
![Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) working on machinery in DS9 The Assignment]()
Chief Miles O'Brien is Star Trek's best engineer because Deep Space Nine's combination of incompatible Starfleet and Cardassian systems literally stops working without O'Brien there. Chief O'Brien inherits a station that's physically broken, with operating systems that are riddled with Cardassian booby traps, secret codes, and condescending messages from Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo). It isn't possible to simply install Starfleet software over the Cardassian architecture, so O'Brien figures out how to get the two different systems working together. Miles' ad hoc patches are so advanced that no one knows exactly how O'Brien actually makes them work—but they do work.
In later seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, O'Brien's team of engineers adds a few unexpectedly brilliant members. Rom (Max Grodenchik) is personally inspired by Chief O'Brien, and trades his exploitative job at Quark's Bar for an engineering position with the Bajoran militia after O'Brien encourages Rom to eschew Ferengi tradition and form a union. Helping O'Brien with incidental engineering tasks gives Rom's son, Nog (Aron Eisenberg), a taste of Federation values, which motivates Nog to join Starfleet. Miles' surprising ability to inspire others with his solid work ethic and undeniable skill informs O'Brien's next career move.
Chief O’Brien Taught Engineering After Star Trek: DS9 Ended
Teaching At Starfleet Academy Shaped O'Brien's Legacy For Star Trek's Future
After Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended, Miles O'Brien moved back to Earth and began teaching engineering at Starfleet Academy. While O'Brien's career pivot was ostensibly made to spend more time with his family, being an Academy professor meant Chief O'Brien's knowledge of making impossible systems work together would be passed down to future Starfleet engineers. O'Brien's everyman affability and ability to relate to everyone, no doubt made him a popular professor at Starfleet Academy. The fact that O'Brien was an enlisted member of Starfleet, rather than an officer, also proved that rank wasn't a measure of success.
According to a far-future scene in Star Trek: Lower Decks, Chief Miles O'Brien is remembered as "the most important person in Starfleet history." As the unofficial patron saint of the lower decks, it's a fitting honor for the man who kept a tacky Cardassian eyesore operating smoothly, with little more than spare parts and sheer ingenuity.
Chief O'Brien owes a lot to other Star Trek chief engineers who came before him, like Star Trek: The Original Series' famed miracle worker Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) and O'Brien's former TNG crewmate Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton). An argument could even be made for Star Trek: Enterprise's Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer), who also had to make do with few resources. Unlike the others, Miles O'Brien managed to create working solutions from incompatible technologies, far from the comfort of a Federation starship, and without a translated manual—all while experiencing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's mandatory suffering.
