Dave Bailey Lieutenant Dave Bailey was a male Human Starfleet officer who lived during the mid - 23rd century . He served in the command division aboard the under Captain James T . Kirk , during a historic five - year mission that starship undertook . In 2266 , he served as one of the ship ' s navigator s ; he was promoted to lieutenant a short time before stardate 1512 . Bailey was on duty during a star mapping mission that same year , when , on the third day , the " Enterprise " encountered a warning buoy , and later the First Federation flagship " Fesarius " . The tension of the encounter detracted from the gung - ho lieutenant ' s performance and might have ruined his career . Initially relieved of duty for a near nervous breakdown , he requested permission to return to his work even though the ship was apparently seconds from being destroyed , confirming Kirk positively assessing his character and fitness for bridge duty . At the conclusion of the encounter , when Kirk put together an away mission to visit Balok ' s pilot vessel , he offered to take Bailey , to give him " a look at the unknown . " When Balok commented how lonely he was , and suggested that even an alien would be welcome company , Kirk looked to Bailey , who eagerly volunteered . ( ) Appendices . Background information . Bailey was played by Anthony Call . Prior to Call receiving the role of Bailey , other runners - up for the part included Stewart Moss , Bruce Mars , John Gabriel , Jonathan Lippe , and George Bochman . Bailey ' s given name , Dave , was not spoken on screen , but rather , appeared in the closing credits and the script of " The Corbomite Maneuver " . In the final draft of the teleplay ( dated ) , Bailey was the communications officer , with the navigator being an ultimately unrealized character called " Ken Easton " . When Nichelle Nichols was cast as Communications Officer Uhura , however , Bailey became the navigator . Bailey didn ' t venture aboard Balok ' s pilot vessel in the final draft ; instead , his last line in the script was to state , " " We should never have come back . " " Kellam de Forest referred to Bailey as the " Enterprise " s communications officer in a series of research notes he issued about an early version of ( on ) . De Forest included the reminder about Bailey in a note concerning the fact that Alden had been referred to as the " Enterprise " s communications officer in that episode ' s early development . Bailey was also included in a revised draft of the script for , written by John D . F . Black and issued on . In a scene from that script , Bailey made a notation on " a pad " while seated at his station on the bridge . In a letter written by Robert Justman and sent to Black the day after the script was submitted , Justman half - jokingly said about Bailey , " " I don ' t think he would have a pad . Although , he might have a pad back on Earth where he takes chicks to have a good time . " " Ultimately , Bailey was excluded from " Mudd ' s Women " at the behest of Gene Roddenberry , who – in a memo to Black ( dated 19 May 1966 ) – proposed , " " Since we have no way of knowing which show will air first , it is probably best we play safe with another Navigator under another name . " " In the revised final draft of the script for " The Corbomite Maneuver " ( dated ) , Bailey was described as " " a strong - faced young man who will be sharp and competent at first impression . But we will begin to see bit by bit beneath his surface traces of uncertainty and immaturity – a young officer with a job and responsibility he is not yet seasoned enough to handle . " " The same version of the teleplay did include Bailey ' s visit to Balok ' s pilot vessel but , in an ultimately unused line of dialogue , he admitted feeling afraid before going aboard the craft . Bailey was also featured as a communications officer in , during early development of that episode , such as in a revised draft of the installment ' s teleplay . In a memo Robert Justman sent John D . F . Black in regard to that script draft ( the memo was dated ) , Justman advised , " " It might be better to give a different name to the Communications Officer . " " Apocrypha . Bailey figures heavily in " The Face of the Unknown " . He has matured from his earlier fearful state and has been the unofficial ambassador to the First Federation since leaving the " Enterprise " .