Geordi La Forge held the rank of lieutenant commander and was the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise-D and USS Enterprise-E, both under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
Geordi La Forge was born on February 16th, 2335 in the African Confederation on Earth, to parents Captain Silva La Forge and noted exozoologist Commander Edward M. La Forge. Due to a birth defect, he was born blind. When he was five years old, Geordi received his first VISOR, which allowed him to see (although not the same way the average Human does) for the first time in his life.

Sometime prior to 2340, Geordi was trapped alone in a burning building; he later remembered this as one of the scariest moments of his life.

Geordi went to Zefram Cochrane High School sometime prior to 2353. He attended Starfleet Academy from 2353 to 2357, where he excelled at engineering and idolized Zefram Cochrane.

His first deep space assignment was as an ensign aboard the USS Victory, under Captain Zimbata. In 2362, La Forge participated in the investigation of the disappearance of the Federation colony on Tarchannen III.

La Forge later transferred to the USS Hood, where he served under Captain Robert DeSoto. On the Hood La Forge knew William T. Riker, but only professionally. Riker knew La Forge the longest out of all of their shipmates aboard the Enterprise, as the two would develop a close friendship during their later years together at that assignment.

At one point in his career as a young officer, La Forge was assigned to pilot Jean-Luc Picard on an inspection tour. En route to their destination, Picard made an off-hand remark about the shuttle's engine efficiency not being what it should. In response to this, La Forge stayed up all night refitting the shuttle's fusion initiators. When Picard discovered what La Forge had done the following morning, he knew right then that he wanted La Forge with him on his next command.