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After reading Why is Data's uniform gold and not red? in which it is clearly stated that

Gold is operations (security, science, engineering, etc.), Red is command.

Why is Kirk dressed in Gold?

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    The original series had a different colour scheme: Gold was command, blue was science and red was engineering / expendable. – Nigel Ellis Feb 26 '14 at 15:56
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    Please make an answer from that if you have any reference (wikis included) – Envite Feb 26 '14 at 15:57
  • This is just from observation, not something I can absolutely guarantee. I'm not sure if there were other colours. – Nigel Ellis Feb 26 '14 at 15:58
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    I believe Dax and Sisko made comments discussing the color changes in the episode they went back in time to "The Trouble With Tribbles". (Don't recall the episode or the exact quote, which is why this is a comment only.) – Roger Feb 26 '14 at 16:23
  • Because he's a smooth operator. Duh. – John O Feb 26 '14 at 17:41

2 Answers2

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Per the DS9 episode "Trials and Tribble-ations";

"O'BRIEN: Don't you know anything about this period in time?

BASHIR: I'm a doctor, not an historian.

SISKO: In the old days, operations officers wore red, command officers wore gold.

DAX: And women wore less.

(Dax pirouettes. The red skirt suits her legs.)

BASHIR: I think I'm going to like history.

enter image description here

For more information than anyone could ever reasonably need on Starfleet Uniforms, click here

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10

The uniform colour semantics were changed between TOS and TNG. Gold indicated command in TOS and red indicated "likely to die soon" .. err ... Operations.

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