Star Trek: Voyager plays by the same Starfleet rank insignia rules as the rest of the franchise, but Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and Lt. B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) have their commissions displayed differently from almost every other member of their ship's crew. This may seem like some kind of continuity error, but there's a very good explanation for why neither Chakotay nor B'Elanna wears traditional rank pips on their necks. They aren't the only members of the Star Trek: Voyager cast to deviate from the norm in this way, but they are the show's most prominent figures to do so.
Starfleet ranks in Star Trek have been the same since the franchise began in 1966. Although the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series displayed their rank insignia on their sleeves with a series of stripes, later Star Trek TV shows went on to change this. For instance, the 90s Star Trek shows all had their Starfleet characters sport pips on their collars to denote their respective ranks. That being said, pips weren't the only things worn in this position - as demonstrated by Chakotay and B'Elanna in Star Trek: Voyager.
Chakotay & B'Elanna Torres Received Provisional Ranks From Captain Janeway
Voyager's first officer and chief engineer don't wear traditional rank pips
Chakotay and B'Elanna were never supposed to be part of the ship's crew. Instead, Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) was forced to integrate the members of Chakotay's Maquis crew into her own due to the deaths at key positions in Star Trek: Voyager's pilot episode. Voyager's captain had other options in terms of replacement personnel, but she chose Chakotay as her second-in-command and B'Elanna to run engineering as a display of trust. Of course, they were both also very qualified. However, neither held a Starfleet commission, so Janeway bestowed field ranks upon both characters.
Captain Janeway never wavered in her immediate decision that Voyager would continue to operate as a Starfleet vessel for the duration of its journey home from the Delta Quadrant to Earth. So, those in senior positions needed to have appropriate ranks. Starfleet captains are permitted to carry out provisional promotions that are intended to be honored for the duration of a mission. So, Janeway took full advantage of this rule. It just so happened that the field ranks she handed out to Chakotay and B'Elanna were required to be active for far longer than would traditionally be necessary.
How Janeway's Decision Affected Voyager's Crew
Voyager's captain made a call that could easily have alienated certain Starfleet crew members
Commander Chakotay and Lt. Torres served their ship very well during its tumultuous seven-year voyage. Although their efforts should be commended, Janeway giving former Maquis crew members senior positions aboard her ship still had a knock-on impact on other characters. For example, Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ) should have been next in line to be Voyager's first officer, but Chakotay snagged the position instead. As a Vulcan, Tuvok isn't the type to hold a grudge, but it still represented a big choice for Janeway.
Similarly, Torres beat an official Starfleet candidate to the position of chief engineer. Josh Clark's Lt. Joe Carey would have been given the role by Janeway if Chakotay hadn't stepped in and pretty much insisted that B'Elanna inherited the role. Carey remained a valuable member of Voyager's engineering team, but B'Elanna more than proved her worth with a myriad of ingenious solutions to the ship's various challenges and obstacles as it tried to reach Earth. Carey was very capable, but his by-the-book Starfleet approach probably wouldn't have been quite so advantageous as what Torres continually achieved.
Chakotay & B'Elanna Both Took Full Advantage Of Their Field Promotions
Star Trek has revealed how both characters capitalized on Janeway's decision
Both characters took their new jobs very seriously after being commissioned by Janeway, but it's only after Voyager returned home that the full advantage of their situation became evident. Somewhat surprisingly, Starfleet didn't strip either Chakotay or B'Elanna of their field ranks. Instead, they were upgraded to full officer status due to their service under Janeway. For B'Elanna, this meant she could skip training at Starfleet Academy and continue doing what she loved in a far more official capacity. Star Trek: Prodigy season 1 even includes a small Easter Egg that reveals she became the USS Dauntless' chief engineer.
Chakotay's post-Voyager life was also revealed when Beltran reprised the role as part of the Star Trek: Prodigy cast. After being upgraded officially to the rank of commander, Chakotay was able to resume the same Starfleet career he had abandoned to join the Maquis. Without being stranded in the Delta Quadrant and being provisionally reinstated by Janeway, this probably wouldn't have been possible. Furthermore, Chakotay went on to be the captain of the USS Protostar years after Star Trek: Voyager ended.
