In a military context, an assignment, also known as a position, denoted the specific duty station to which personnel were allocated. This differed significantly from rank, which indicated one's level within the established hierarchy. To illustrate, after achieving the Imperial Navy rank of captain, Thrawn received the assignment of first officer on the Arquitens-class light cruiser named Thunder Wasp. Furthermore, the term could also describe a designated mission or undertaking entrusted to an individual, a team, or a ship.