Stretcher-bearers

[Sisko_is_my_captain]

I was just thinking that during the Dominion War, it would have been cool to see small 'stretcher-bearer' ships dashing in and out of the combat area - beaming injured crews off damaged ships and out of escape pods into transporter stasis, then jetting to the rear of the lines and beaming them onto larger hospital ships. They could have been designed as small, fast ships with nothing onboard but a cockpit, high resolution scanners, and enormously high-capacity transporter buffer hardware, crewed with only a few crew to pilot the ship and scan for survivors. Maybe even have them be unarmed noncombatants with a large caduceus marking on the hull.

I can hear the Chief telling Nog, "Those are some brave lads, cadet. D'ye know that they average less than 200 rescue trips?"
Nog: "Before they...retire?"
O'Brian, sadly: "No."

 

[kkt]

Kind of like the choppers in MASH, only with transporters added?

 

[Sisko_is_my_captain]

Kind of like the choppers in MASH, only with transporters added?

Yeah, and with more cool zooming. We would learn that Starfleet regulations mandate that these ships blast Fortunate Son over all the speakers at full volume at all times.

 

[at Quark's]

Maybe even have them be unarmed noncombatants with a large caduceus marking on the hull.

I doubt that would make any difference to Dominion combatants that got such ships in their crosshairs.

Unless a founder is present perhaps (like in the battle of Chin'toka ).

 

[Sisko_is_my_captain]

I doubt that would make any difference to Dominion combatants that got such ships in their crosshairs.

Unless a founder is present perhaps (like in the battle of Chin'toka ).

I completely agree, but the Federation would probably still insist on flying them unarmed as medical noncombatants. Did Bashir ever carry a phaser when doing combat medicine? I want to say no, but I don't remember.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

I completely agree, but the Federation would probably still insist on flying them unarmed as medical noncombatants. Did Bashir ever carry a phaser when doing combat medicine? I want to say no, but I don't remember.

Bashir does carry a phaser while performing medical duties in combat on multiple occasions, he even kills a klingon in Way of the warrior.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

As I understand it, while medical ships going unarmed can be a thing (though only dedicated hospital ships not multi-role platforms sometimes used as medical ships), field medics (and officers?) typically carry at least sidearms for defense, though rifles and heavier weapons are less common.

 

[Phaser Two]

Bashir does carry a phaser while performing medical duties in combat on multiple occasions, he even kills a klingon in Way of the warrior.

And is right in the thick of the final fight in The Siege of AR-558.