Matthew Decker

For other uses, see Matthew.

See Decker for other articles with titles that contain, either by relationship or by coincidence, this character's surname.

For the mirror universe counterpart, see Matthew Decker (mirror).

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow: The following content contains spoilers!

Matthew Brand Decker (also known as Brand Decker) was a dedicated Starfleet officer who served during the 23rd century. Decker was one in a line of Deckers to serve in Starfleet, and his son, Willard Decker, by Matt's wife Jane, would become one-time commander of the USS Enterprise. (TOS episode & Star Trek 3 novelization: The Doomsday Machine, TOS - Who's Who in Star Trek comic: "Issue 1", TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

This character is a member of the Decker family.

Biography

Decker's early education was at Forester Military Academy in High Point, North Carolina followed by Brunswick Academy and then Starfleet Academy.

During his days at Starfleet Academy and his early career, Decker was seen as insubordinate and not command material, although with high scores in athletic and academic classes. He dated many women, but eventually met Jane Hopkins and became a better student. (TOS - Who's Who in Star Trek comic: "Issue 1")

At one point while with the rank of lieutenant commander, Decker served aboard the USS Patton. In 2244, he commanded the Patton during the battle at Donatu V. He and Commander Jose Mendez of the USS Eisenhower were able to hold out against Klingon Captain Klaar's three ships until two Baton Rouge-class ships forced Klaar's force to withdraw. (ST reference: Federation: The First 150 Years)

In 2246, Decker was chief of security at Starbase 4.

Admiral Fitzgerald surprised many, including Decker himself, when he promoted him to the rank of captain. (TOS - The Brave and the Bold - Book One novella: The First Artifact)

In 2250, Decker taught Strategy 101 at Starfleet Academy. (TOS comic: "Starfleet Academy!")

By the early 2250s, Decker had risen to the rank of captain and assumed command of the USS Yorktown from Captain Christopher Pike, who went on to assume command of the famous USS Enterprise. After commanding the Yorktown for several years, Decker transferred to command the USS Constellation, where he would spend the rest of his career. Decker would eventually be promoted to the rank of commodore after having commanded three survey vessels. (TOS novel: Prime Directive, TOS - Who's Who in Star Trek comic: "Issue 1")

By late 2256 Decker was one of the most decorated Captains in Starfleet history. (DSC episode: "Choose Your Pain")

Decker once fought against Darok in a ground battle. Decker shot Darok in the leg, but treated it when the battle was over. Decker also signalled Darok's ship to tell them that Darok needed to be rescued. (DS9 - The Left Hand of Destiny novel: Book Two)

In 2263, while the Constellation was in the area of space known as the Taurus Reach, Decker's crew discovered what would become known to Starfleet as the Meta-genome. The Constellation was unable to investigate further due to other priorities from Starfleet Command, but Decker's report resulted in the fast-tracking of the construction of the Vanguard station in the Taurus Reach in order to secretly study the Meta-Genome. (VAN novel: Harbinger)

In 2266, Decker responded to a distress call from the Federation colony on Alpha Proxima II, along with Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise. They found civil society on the verge of collapse, due to a plague caused by one of the Malkus Artifacts of the Zalkat Union. Decker and Kirk together resolved to impose martial law on the colony. (TOS - The Brave and the Bold - Book One novella: The First Artifact)

Decker was killed in the line of duty in 2267, in combat with the alien doomsday machine that the ancient Preservers designed to combat the Borg. Wanting to not tarnish Decker's reputation, Kirk merely reported in his log that Decker had died heroically without going into detail. (TOS episode: "The Doomsday Machine"; TNG novel: Vendetta)

Appendices

Connections

USS Yorktown personnel
United Earth, Earth Starfleet	USS Yorktown (Daedalus-class)	Albertson • Fleming • Giannini • Krawczak • Mayweather • Mendez • Shosetsu
Federation, Starfleet	USS Yorktown (Constitution-class)	Akumi • All'o'polla • Amekentra • Arex Na Eth • Beaujolais • Brian • Carlos • Chapel • Conroy • Decker • D'wara • Espinoza • Fenig • Foster • Gaines • Gauvreau • Gibney • Hax • Hodgkins • von Holtzbrinck • Jarboe • Kovic • Lawford • Mahler • M'Benga • Number One • Oshiro • Pike • Pollard • Randall • Randolph • Sanchez • Sudek • Sunak • T'Ark • Thonen • Thursen • Two Rivers • Vashenka
	USS Yorktown (Excelsior-class)	Conlon • Ledbetter • Riker
	USS Yorktown (Zodiac-class)	Kentrav • Hawk • Zimmerman
	USS Yorktown (NCC-1717) (Kelvin timeline)	Isaac Garrett • 0718

Constellation personnel
United Earth, Earth Starfleet	Constellation	Monique Duvall
Federation, Starfleet	USS Constellation (NCC-1017)	Alamanzar • R. Armstrong • M. Decker • Guthrie • G. Howard • Jazayerli • Lawford • H. Litwak • G. Masada • Ponor • L. Rosenhaus • N. Shickele • Sontor • C. Soo • H. Takeshewada • E. Vascogne • I. Vellacora
	USS Constellation II	R. Cross • C. Ikeya • A. MacDougall • Raela hr'Sassish • I. Sasoaka • M. Walsh
	USS Constellation (Kelvin timeline)	Dekker • Lin
mirror universe	ISS Constellation Terran Empire, Starfleet	Matthew Decker • Ponor • Hiromi Takeshewada