Wiki Article

[FruitLoop]

This is something I helped a friend right and he sed I could allow you to use it.

Military: Starfleet
Name=Starfleet Marine Corps
Active= Since 2320
Part of=Starfleet
Government=United Federation of Planet
Role=Ground forces
Motto=Semper Fidelis
Commander in Chief=President of the United Federation of Planets
Starfleet Chief of Staff=Fleet Admiral Teval
Commandant of Marine Corps=General Hank Greenwood
Deputy Commandant of Marine Corps=Lieutenant General Duncan Blair
SgtMaj of SFMC=Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Sevan


The Starfleet Marine Corps, or SFMC, is a department of Starfleet founded in 2320, charged with being the dedicated peacekeeping, ground assault of the United Federation of Planets. The Corps represents the practical reality that, despite the vaunted ideals of the Federation which Starfleet embodies, they exist in a continuously hostile and aggressive galaxy and require a dedicated military arm to deter hostile actions and provide a dedicated force of soldiers to augment Starfleet's otherwise defensively-oriented military operations.

They are a relatively small department, and routinely detach groups of Marines to starships on an as-needed basis, depending on the mission and the commanding officer's desires.

Starfleet Marine Corps members can be distinguished by the forest green colored undershirt to the traditional Starfleet uniform and their unique rank pips.
History

MACOs

The Starfleet Marine Corps is not a department that was present at the founding of the Federation in 2161. United Earth Starfleet, the forerunner organization to the Federation's Starfleet, borrowed personnel from Military Assault Command Operations, also known as MACOs, to fulfill the ground assault role for starships and act as an extra protective force. Once folded into the Federation, the United Earth Space Probe Agency Starfleet became the United Federation of Planets Starfleet, but Military Assault Command Operations stayed separate.

For nearly a century and a half, the MACO office at West Point, New York, was an independent body, comprised of trained military personnel and Starfleet officers in brevet positions within the structure, lending tactical expertise and advanced training facilities for Starfleet Security. Officer and enlisted exchange was common between the two organizations; Starfleet Security saw that the training was valuable for keeping their personnel sharp, and the MACOs benefited from the mobility of the Starfleet organization.

Merging with Starfleet

Starfleet had been eyeing the MACO structure for quite some time, envious of the special operations structure that the MACOs had developed. In turn, the MACOs relied very heavily on Starfleet to ferry them around, and their harmonious relationship often brought up talks about their merging. Several times, there were unsuccessful efforts to have the MACO structure join Starfleet. The most worthwhile movements for this were put on hold in 2293, after the [[Klingon Empire]] and the Federation entered into the Khitomer Accords, and several MACO bases of operations were no longer needed along the Klingon border. Also, an embarrassment occurred when Colonel West, tactical advisor to the President, was discovered to be in the Cartwright conspiracy, and was killed during a botched assassination attempt of both the President and the Klingon Chancellor.

Other parts of Starfleet, the people who wanted Starfleet to continue on the science and exploration and to be less viewed as a military force, kept pushing the MACO structure away. Several Starfleet captains denied their own personnel training at West Point due to this conflict; some even were very prejudiced towards the people that had received the training, a feeling that still runs through Starfleet to this day. Considerable conventional resistance was encountered at every step of the way, with Starfleet's peaceful exploration pushing the MACO structure away. From 2295 to well into the 2310s, this was the situation.

MACO merged with Starfleet on 10 November 2320, after tensions with the Klingon Empire and the start of a Cardassian-Federation conflict stretched Starfleet Security too thin to guarantee the safety and security of the Federation. An Executive Order issued by the Federation President at the time and ratified by the Federation Council amended the charter of Starfleet to form the department known as the Starfleet Marine Corps.

2320 to the Dominion War

Almost immediately, there were challenges for the newly-minted department. Members of the Joint Chiefs of Starfleet were unhappy about having to devote resources to the new department, and the exploration arms, particularly Science, did not like the Marines in Starfleet, and wanted them removed. The President mandating their merger and creation created a lot of resentment overnight.

Regardless, the Starfleet Marine Corps was pressed into service right away, setting up bases of operations along the Cardassian border, as well as the Gorn and Tholian border regions. The Marines were also always the first ones to react to Talarian invasions during the Talarian Wars of the early to mid 24th centuries. With a technological advantage, the Marines had the upper hand in most of the conflicts, but suffered from a shortage of manpower in the beginning as the troops were deployed at first very sparsely along all the border regions, then increased as time progressed and the new department's training numbers increased exponentially.

Battle wasn't the only thing the Marines were used for. When a Federation member asked for a peacekeeping force to enter their planet, the Marine Corps was asked in to represent the Federation. Marines were first used as the first line of defense for all Federation embassies scattered around the galaxy in 2339, and, in a joint operation with [[Starfleet Security]], still make up Federation Embassy Security to this day.

Starfleet Security has always eyed the Marines with scrutiny. Several attempts during this time were made to convince the sitting Federation President to dissolve the Marine Corps into Starfleet Security's numbers, as they felt Security's usage in these situations was more optimal. This has caused a rivalry in between the Marine Corps and the rest of Starfleet, most of the time friendly but sometimes heated. However, Marine usefulness was about to be put to the ultimate test. Already a few skirmishes with the Klingons in the corridor in between the Cardassian and Klingon empires had been fought in 2372 and 2373, and when formal war broke out between the Federation and the Dominion in late 2373, the Marine Corps was ready.

Dominion War

The Dominion War started in late 2373, and the Marines were there to answer the call of battle. Being a mobile infantry corps armed with advanced weaponry, Marine bases were the only places to at least hold their lines during the first assault of Cardassian and Dominion troops on the ground along the Cardassian border.

The ground operations during the First Battle of Chin'toka was fought mainly with Marines and Klingons working side by side, representing a joint operations in mind that quelled some of the distrust of the former combatants in the brief Federation-Klingon conflicts of 2372. Further operations include three failed operations to retake Betazed in 2374 and the fourth successful push in a joint operation with Reman commandos in 2375.

Post Dominion War

After the Dominion War, the state of the Federation was quite different than before. Most of the commanders in Starfleet and politicians in the Federation were more cautious, and the usefulness of the Starfleet Marine Corps once and for all was sealed after their list of ground assault victories. They were pressed again into service, but the abundance of numbers of a Marine unit in a peacetime Federation meant that many could either retire or get trained into different departments, keeping their Marine rank while going into starship operation command. Starting in 2376, Marines were allowed to wear different colored collars instead of their traditional Marine colors when permanently assigned to a different department in Starfleet, such as Command. However, no Marine has been permitted to join Starfleet Medical or Starfleet Sciences department per mandate, but medical and science personnel can join the Marine Corps, though this practice is rare.

Organization
See Also:
* Marine Commanding Officer
* Marine Executive Officer
* First Sergeant
* Marine

The SFMC, like its predecessor, the MACOs, operates on a unit of 3 organization. A Lance Corporal or Corporal would lead 3 Privates or Privates First Class and this is what is known as a Fireteam. Fireteams are the smallest unit of the SFMC and are used for operations that require a great degree of stealth and as few people as possible. Among them may be a sniper, a scout, a demolitions expert, or an engineering expert known as a tech head. Most fireteams do not have battlefield medics, though they can be requested. Fireteams are often named Fireteam Blue 1 or Red 2, etc, depending on their Squad. There are almost always 4 people in a Fireteam.

The next unit is a Squad, led by a Sergeant of some rank, whether Sergeant or Gunnery Sergeant. These Squads are made up of 3 Fireteams, each under their own Corporal. The Sergeant hands out orders to the Corporals who then give the orders to the necessary Privates. Most Squads have at least one medic among them and are used for slightly larger problems such as away teams where Security is otherwise occupied. Squads are usually named Blue, Red, Green, etc. There are almost always 13 people in a Squad.

The next unit is a Platoon which is normally led by a Lieutenant, either first or second. They are made up of 3 Squads each and are named Alpha, Bravo and Charlie or some such depending on the preference of their company commander. There is almost always 40 people in a Platoon.

The highest unit on most starships is a Company which is usually commanded by a Marine Captain. These are made up of 3 Platoons, with the Company Commander in charge of the first platoon, the Company XO in charge of the second platoon, and one other officer in charge of the third platoon. There are around 120 people in a Company and they are given numbers such as 129th Company depending on when they were founded.

One of the units most seen on starbases and carriers such as the Akira Class, most Battalions are used for war or any battles that may come up though some are merely made up of the Companies of various starships. There are 3 Companies in a Battalion, though most Starbases have Regiments. They are normally commanded by a Major who commands the first one, and Marine Captains command the other two. Another possibility is that Battalions could act like [[Task Group]]s do for starships. There are around 360 Marines in a Battalion. These are given numbers such as the 129th Battalion depending on when they were founded.

Regiments are the highest units that are commanded by anyone lower than a General and are usually made up of 3 Battalions, and most of the time are commanded by Lieutenant Colonels or Colonels. These units are mostly used as Task Forces are used in Starfleet and do not have a real function as a whole other than for organization. There are around 1080 Marines in a Regiment and they are given numbers according to when they were founded such as the 29th Regiment.

Divisions are the highest units in the Marine Corps and are commanded by Brigadier Generals, though one can achieve Major General if one works hard enough. Unlike the other units in the Marines, Divisions are made up of six Regiments. The Division commanders answer directly to the Commandant of the SFMC and the Divisions are given names chosen by the current Commandant. There are around 6480 Marines in a Division and the headquarters for the Division is located in the sector of space closest to the center of where the Division operates. The exact number of Divisions varies from year to year.

Equipment
*Grenades
*Phasers
*Stealth Equipment
*Night Vision Glasses

[SMoss]

I would like to recommend that we edit the organization section a bit more and also add this:

Capabilities
The primary role of the Marines within the fleet is to maintain a well-armed offensive & defensive force for rapid deployment anywhere within Federation and outlying space. When assigned to a starship or starbase’s Marine detachments work with the crew in battles, board enemy ships and conduct planetary actions as well as assist in the protection of starbase's port. They also serve as a landing force to secure an area for transporter or shuttle landing.

Unlike security, Marines do not walk a patrol, investigate crime or administer the brig and, unlike tactical, Marines do not operate the ship's weaponry. Because of their mixed land and space role, Marine forces are mainly specialized in planetary assaults using Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Air/Spacecraft, and other means. They train for many combat scenarios including hostage recovery, rescue of Federation citizens caught in the midst of conflict as well as full ground based combat.

Marines also specialize in Visit, Board, Search & Seizure (VBSS) operations allowing them to assault, board and gain control of enemy vessels and stations as well as the job of sabotage. These specializations give Starfleet vessels an edge in combat.

Since the Marine Corps does not employ many unique combat arms, as a force it has the ability to rapidly deploy a combined-arms task force to almost anywhere in the Federation within days. The basic structure for all deployed units is a Marine Advance Ground-Space Task Force (MAGSTF) that integrates a ground combat element, an aviation combat element and a Logistics combat element combat component under a common Command element. While the creation of joint commands has improved inter-service coordination between the Fleet and The Corps', their ability to maintain integrated multi-element task forces under a single command provides a smoother implementation of combined-arms warfare principles.

[Penta]

Not sure it's good to use basically the same article as OF uses, guys.

Even if they don't, some issues I have with that article draft:

1. 2320 is much too late in the game - if the Federation didn't have a ground force during the years of facing off against the Klingons of all people, you've got to explain why.

2. It feels like you're trying to cut and paste the US Marines into Starfleet. Bad idea, I'd think. The USMC is designed for conventional (non-nuclear) general war, basically. Any Starfleet ground forces would spend the overwhelming majority of their time doing colonial garrison duty (kinda like Old West forts on the American frontier, protecting the settlers) and peacekeeping, simply because there's only been *one* general war since the Earth-Romulan War of 2156-2160, and that was the Dominion War. Those, and antipiracy stuff, would demand *way* different skills than a general war situation.

[FruitLoop]

It is not Obsidian Fleet. It was Pegasus Fleet, and I was the one writing most of their stuff for a while. And 2320 is just when the Marines were incorporated into Starfleet. If you read it, the MACOs were around a lot longer, since the days of the NX-class. Starfleet Marines came into being when the MACOs became part of starfleet

[SMoss]

Actually, the MACOs were around a lot longer than that if you look at everything. The Military Assault Command Organization was a different organization that was in a some way a lot like the SAS or SEALS for the Unite Earth. They didn't really have a heavy presence until the Xindi incident when Archer decided to go chasing after the people that attacked Earth.

The way I see it is that the Marine while apart of Starfleet, they are they own organization like how the USMC is umbrella with the USN. However, I don't see why there were not merged when Starfleet was formed in the aftermath of the Earth-Romulan War.

[Penta]

OK, as to the MACOs: I thought the idea was that they became the Marines?

Re this:

The way I see it is that the Marine while apart of Starfleet, they are they own organization like how the USMC is umbrella with the USN. However, I don't see why there were not merged when Starfleet was formed in the aftermath of the Earth-Romulan War.

That's what I'm asking. TOS *specifically* states Starfleet is a combined service. That is a term with meaning - it means that there aren't separate services, that Starfleet enfolds all the services in the same manner as the Israel Defense Forces are army, navy, and air force (to name but one example, there are others I can't think of as easily). You're saying that Kirk was not telling the truth, that there *is* a separate service, the Marines. If the Marines are not part of Starfleet, why would Kirk not choose a different thing to say? He could just as easily have said they're a navy (leaving out the important point, given the In-Character audience, that they're a space navy). Why they wouldn't be combined when SF is formed is a question I'm asking. What the hell would keep them from being combined in 2161?

We're going to leave aside that MACO is an incredibly dumb formal name for a military organization (I much prefer UEGF, United Earth Ground Forces), but that does enter into my thinking a tiny bit.

[Penta]

It is not Obsidian Fleet. It was Pegasus Fleet, and I was the one writing most of their stuff for a while. And 2320 is just when the Marines were incorporated into Starfleet. If you read it, the MACOs were around a lot longer, since the days of the NX-class. Starfleet Marines came into being when the MACOs became part of starfleet

I did read it. That makes no sense.

First of all: I don't care if it's Obsidian or Pegasus or Horizon. The point is, another fleet is using the content. We should develop our *own* content that doesn't steal their content, even if you originally developed it for Pegasus. As in, entirely original and doesn't just rip off what's posted, and doesn't make the Starfleet Marines a cheap copy of the USMC.

Second: Yes, the MACOs were around in the days of the NX-class. What I'm arguing is that it makes no sense for them to survive the founding of the UFP, given canon from TOS that Starfleet combines all the armed services.

[Demetri Ivanov]

Anyone that wishes to submit articles for our wiki project that is not a member of one of the departmental teams, Please submit them privately via email to Admiral Burke, DOIM or R&D as appropriate.

The forums are for Active "Talking Points" only and "Discussions". ~ Thank You.

As Such this topic has been locked.

[Kathryn Burke]

This post is now locked. This information is not Theta Fleet canon.

While I appreciate Hadren's intentions to help, there is already a group of people who are working on Starfleet Marine canon for Theta Fleet. This article did not go through proper channels before being posted to the forums. I do not blame Hadren, or anyone, for this. It was a simple misunderstanding.

Starfleet Marines are a continuation of the USMC founded in 1775. They wear BDUs, not Starfleet uniforms.

The rest will come when we get the wiki back up.

Thank you.

Admiral Kathryn Burke
Commander, Theta Fleet