==Die Fünf-Jahres Mission==
The following years Die folgenden Jahre diente Kirk served with distinction until he was promoted to mit Auszeichnung bis zu seiner Beförderung zum Captain in 2263 and given command of the und er das Kommando über die USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) At age übernahm. Mit dem Alter von 34war Kirk der bis dahin jüngste Offizier, Kirk was the youngest officer to date to reach the rank of der den Rang eines Captainerreichte. Kirk commanded the befehligte die Enterprise for a total of twenty two yearsfür insgesamt 22 Jahre. Kirk's greatest renown came from his command of a historic fiveSeine größten Ruhm erntete er bei der historischen Fünf-Jahres-year mission of the Enterprise from Mission von 2264 to bis 2269 (''TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before[[Die Spitze des Eisberges]]"'') that made him a legend , die ihn zu einer Legende in space exploration der Raumforschung machte (''"[[Star TrekVII: GenerationsTreffen der Generationen]]"''). By 2267, Kirk had earned an impressive list of commendations from Starfleet, including the Palm leaf of axanar peace mission, the Grankite order of tactics (Class of Excellence) and the Preantares ribbon of commendation (Classes First and Second). Kirk's awards for valor included the Medal of Honor, the Silver Palm with Cluster, the Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry, and the Kragite Order of Heroism. (TOS: "Court Martial")
In 2267, Kirk became the first starship captain ever to stand trial when he was accused of causing the death of Ben Finney. Kirk's trial, held at Starbase 11, proved Kirk innocent of wrongdoing, and he was exonerated (TOS: "Court Martial"). During that original five-year mission, Kirk recorded a tape of last orders to be played by Commander Spock and Chief Medical Officer McCoy upon his death. While trapped in a spatial interphase near Tholian space, Kirk vanished with the USS Defiant and was declared dead. His last orders conveyed the hope that his two friends would work together despite their differences (TOS: "The Tholian Web"). Kirk was once split into two personalities by a transporter malfunction (TOS: "The Enemy Within"). Irgendwann wäre Kirk fast an der [[Veganische Choriomeningitis]] gestorben. (''TOS: "[[Fast unsterblich]]"'')