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Starfleet is a Space Navy (military fleet)

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18 episodes involve a distress call/rescue/recovery
10 are diplomatic, often involving potential war
1 is shore leave
1 planetary survey and one geological survey
1 "charting space"
1 "exploring"
3 episodes checking up on science missions, that is non-Starfleet science missions.
1 war games
2-3 medical crisis
5 ship maintenance
1 chasing pirates
1officer exchange program
1 unknown
and 1 helping Okana get laid...I mean distress call

And a partridge in a pear tree
 
Random, and slightly peculiar thought, but what it Starfleet
A military is not only a military during wartime, when it's on a wartime posture. The organization is the same.

Actually, the US Coast Guard is an example of an armed force which is officially only a military during wartime, the rest of the time it is a maritime enforcement, regulatory and rescue service under a different Executive Department than the military (initially Treasury outside of the WWs, then Transport, and then DHS after 9/11). It is worth noting that it is never referred to as a paramilitary.
 
Actually, the US Coast Guard is an example of an armed force which is officially only a military during wartime, the rest of the time it is a maritime enforcement, regulatory and rescue service under a different Executive Department than the military (initially Treasury outside of the WWs, then Transport, and then DHS after 9/11). It is worth noting that it is never referred to as a paramilitary.

I think the US Coast Guard/Navy are probably the closest in structure and mission types to Starfleet.
 
It is a fun discussion and I thank everyone here for their thoughts, including folks I disagree with strongly. This board isn't the only place where the divide exists on whether or not Starfleet is the military. But this has been the most civil.

It's not civil! It's military! What was the question?
 
I looked through the first two seasons of TNG the other day to see what the stated mission in the intro is. It was quite surprising. So out of 47 or so episodes:

The first episode where the mission is "exploring" is episode 16. And it's the only one is the first season.
There is one in season two that mentions "charting." And that's it!

18 episodes involve a distress call/rescue/recovery
10 are diplomatic, often involving potential war
1 is shore leave
1 planetary survey and one geological survey
1 "charting space"
1 "exploring"
3 episodes checking up on science missions, that is non-Starfleet science missions.
1 war games
2-3 medical crisis
5 ship maintenance
1 chasing pirates
1officer exchange program
1 unknown
and 1 helping Okana get laid...I mean distress call

Diplomacy in Trek is often a contact mission of some kind, charting space is exploring, surveys are exploring, science missions are exploring, the officer exchange program is definitely exploring as it's with a different culture, Okona did his own exploring, but they answered a distress call and got two first contacts out of it.... even the ship maintenance got some exploring in. This is just from memory. Your criteria is too literal...and none have 'military' in the description, though have war games..in which episode we get explicit 'not military' dialogue.
 
There's also "The Measure Of A Man", which I'd argue is exploration of another sort. Exploring the definition of what is and isn't a sentient being under the law.
 
Just point out to me any modern naval force that would allow any of the following actions:
1) A senior officer reports for duty every day for four and a half years without every putting on a uniform
2) Officers in the same chain of command openly fraternizing and/or marrying each other
3) Resign from the service with only a verbal notification, and be reinstated just the same, no questions asked
4) Steal a shuttlecraft -- or even an entire starship -- with the intention of going AWOL without being executed for it
5) Shoot your superior officer just because he's annoying (also without being executed for it)
6) Refer to a superior officer -- particularly your commanding officer -- by first name while on duty in full view of junior officers and/or cadets
7) Get publicly shitfaced while on active duty
8) Leave your post in the middle of a crisis to rescue your son/daughter/girlfriend/mother from some random problem
9) Leave your post without authorization to murder a politician from an allied country
10) Threaten to kill your superior officer just because he calls you a coward (and then have him come and apologize for it later!)

There's "military discipline." There's "military discipline is definitely lax in this unit." And then there's fucking Starfleet.
Star Trek is a TV show, and TV shows aren't always 100% realistic. Even ones set in modern militaries have included much of what you just posted. Hell, the Stargate franchise has plenty of examples covering each one of those. And hell, point #7, getting publicly shitfaced on duty, people I know in the military claim that's a regular thing for them. Hell, there are several internet memes on the matter as well.
Starfleet also has a "Cetacean Ops". So by your standard, Starfleet could also be a future evolution of Sea World.
You do realize the only time Cetacean Ops was mentioned on screen was Yesterday's Enterprise, right? You know, the one where Starfleet definitely is intentionally military?:
 
And that show actually had serving USAF officers as technical advisors, and had two different Air Force Chiefs of Staff in cameo roles.
More than that, scripts were actually signed off by the Pentagon before they were filmed (for SG-1, anyway). Richard Dean Anderson was also named an honorary USAF Brigadier General for his portrayal of Jack O'Neill.

Fun story, General John Jumper apparently lobbied the Stargate writers almost immediately after he became Chief of Staff for a cameo on the show. On the DVD commentary for the episode he appeared in, Lost City, it is claimed Jumper's first question upon becoming Chief of Staff was "when do I get my Stargate cameo?"
 
Which involves a JAG officer in court, which I'd argue makes it sort of a military episode.



So's a duck, a Porsche and a hamster wheel.

You tried going to warp without them? Tech.
And there's many episodes featuring an Irishman in a bar, but doesn't make Trek into a comedy series. XD
 
More than that, scripts were actually signed off by the Pentagon before they were filmed (for SG-1, anyway). Richard Dean Anderson was also named an honorary USAF Brigadier General for his portrayal of Jack O'Neill.

Fun story, General John Jumper apparently lobbied the Stargate writers almost immediately after he became Chief of Staff for a cameo on the show. On the DVD commentary for the episode he appeared in, Lost City, it is claimed Jumper's first question upon becoming Chief of Staff was "when do I get my Stargate cameo?"

Weren't the bridge sets for TMP signed off by the pentagon and NASA? Or was that just Walter Koenig being funny?
 
Weren't the bridge sets for TMP signed off by the pentagon and NASA? Or was that just Walter Koenig being funny?
Don't know about that. An artist involved in the movie also did work for NASA and the Pentagon though, painting murals for them.
 
Starfleet's primary purpose is the exploration of space, not pewpewing things with phasers.
They also spend time exploring the concept called 'sense of humour'


Universe/timeline... whichever. English is my third language, so if you'll excuse the occasional imprecise translation from brain to keyboard.

As for Starfleet, simply because it engages in combat during wartime doesn't make it a military organization. A military's primary purpose is to fight wars. Even during peacetime, a military is always planning and training for war. It may have other functions, but the overriding mission of a military at all times is warfare.

Starfleet's primary mission is exploration. It has secondary functions, among them defense, but that does not ever override Starfleet's primary mission. By this benchmark Starfleet is not a military organization because it is not primarily focused on fighting wars. At best it makes Starfleet a paramilitary organization. Or, more precisely, it makes Starfleet Starfleet.

Just because it happens to hold some trappings of 20th and 21st Century military customs on the surface doesn't automatically make it the U.S. Navy in space. Starfleet officers don't salute. Starfleet officers don't go to bootcamp. Starfleet personnel don't have morning PT. Starfleet officers are not barred from fraternizing with Starfleet enlisted crew members. For every superficial similarity between Starfleet and contemporary military organizations, there are arguably far more differences between the two.

Starfleet is Starfleet. The U.S. Navy is the U.S. Navy. They are not, and should never be treated as, the same organization.

The Royal Air Force is a different organisation than the British Army however both are Armed Forces and engage in warfare (along with the Royal Navy and Marines) when necessary

Except Delta Airlines can't execute/revoke the freedom of members of its flight crews for breaking its rules. :rofl:

And no one expects Delta Airlines to defend the nation from hostile enemies

United Nations Peacekeepers.

And they consider themselves explorers as well right????
 
Diplomacy in Trek is often a contact mission of some kind, charting space is exploring, surveys are exploring, science missions are exploring, the officer exchange program is definitely exploring as it's with a different culture, Okona did his own exploring, but they answered a distress call and got two first contacts out of it.... even the ship maintenance got some exploring in. This is just from memory. Your criteria is too literal...and none have 'military' in the description, though have war games..in which episode we get explicit 'not military' dialogue.
I took those from the stated mission at the beginning of each episode.

"Captain's log.....we're answering a distress call in the _______ sector..."

"we're doing a routine maintenance..."

and so on.

I was surprised that almost half of the episodes were about a distress call of some sort.

Yes, if we include the planetary survey, and the geological survey, plus the one where the stated mission is exploring _____, then that's 3. The science episodes I mentioned were about checking up on nonstarfleet scientists, such as the terraformers who were behind schedule, or Dr. Ira Graves, who needed medical treatment.

Measure of a Man was one of the "Were at Starbase _______ for routine maintenance....or repairs....or upgrades"

I wasn't really trying to make a point with the list, I just picked a time when the Federation was at peace, Roddenberry's new vision was in full force, Picard was at the height of his Idealism, etc.

I guess it may be useful to add that all of these missions are within the domain of the military. Even exploration. The military has been at the forefront of science and exploration for ages. Most of the known world was explored by the U.S. Navy, the British Navy, and other European Navies, mostly between the 17th and 21st century.
 
My wife's response, "yes, Starfleet is the Federation's version of the military". I asked her about Picard's line, she seemed to think that he made the statement because he doesn't see himself as a soldier.

As always, everyone's mileage varies. Going around to other forums, they opinion is pretty split on the idea, just as it seems to be here.
 
I wasn't really trying to make a point with the list, I just picked a time when the Federation was at peace...

Even then, it was retconned that the Federation was at war with the Cardassians and Tzenkethi.
 
Would that be the "bloody, bloody Cardassian war?":weep:

:whistle:The Minstrel boy...to the wa...

Ahem... sorry
.. I'll see myself out...
 
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