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What are your controversial Star Trek opinions?

And a science mission can easily turn into a combat mission.

Not only that, but anomalies, accidents, and any number of other things that can happen at any time.

You don't get to choose which orders to follow. When a captain orders you to do something, or NOT do something, you follow that order.

Also, it doesn't matter if Starfleet is a military or not. It's space... and it's dangerous. Any crewmember should be professional enough to understand to simply follow what a captain says because that person is responsible for everyone's lives.
Obviously not on that ship, when scientists are invested in their personal research projects.

Climate not being important in food production is the far more interesting subject.
Or you can mass breed animals to feed a population that is "On the Brink of Starvation".

Beggers can't be choosers. If there's food available, and you have the choice to eat or starve, most people will choose to eat.

Even if it's animals that aren't the ones you would usually eat.
 
Obviously not on that ship, when scientists are invested in their personal research projects.

The USS Grissom says hi.

A very military beatdown of Riker by Picard, in "The Pegasus".

Very well. He's an admiral, I'm a captain. I cannot force you to disobey his orders. Therefore I will have to remain in the dark on this mission. And I will just have to trust that you will not let Pressman put this ship at unnecessary risk. And if I find that that trust has been misplaced, then I will have to re-evaluate the command structure of this ship. Dismissed.

Or, from "Encounter at Farpoint".

DATA [OC]: The saucer module is now entering orbit with us, sir.
PICARD: Acknowledged. Commander Riker will conduct a manual docking. Picard out.
RIKER: Sir?
PICARD: You've reported in, haven't you? You are qualified?
RIKER: Yes, sir.
PICARD: Then I mean now, Commander.
 
The USS Grissom says hi.

A very military beatdown of Riker by Picard, in "The Pegasus".



Or, from "Encounter at Farpoint".
They were doing a more "Serious Military Related Task".

That's where the Command Structure matters more.

So it was followed properly at that time.

Ask the folks on AR-558 how much of a hybrid service Starfleet is. See: "The Siege of AR-558".
Yes, in the middle of a Fire Fight & a all out war, it makes sense at that moment to enforce the Command Structure.
 
Or ask the soldiers in "NOR THE BATTLE TO THE STRONG".

Or any Starfleet officer that served during the...

Talarian conflict
Cardassian War
Tzenkethi War
Dominion War

Or however many Klingon Wars the Federation had.


Or better yet, Chief O'Brien. Or Benjamin Sisko. Both officers served in multiple conflicts.
 
You seriously don't know how any of this stuff works. Command structure isn't something you can turn off and on, on a whim. It takes years of dedication by everyone involved to make it work.
It's more situational, there are times when formalitties are dropped to get things done.
 
The chain of command was also very important to Riker, in "The Best of Both Worlds".

You disagree with me, fine. You need to take it to the Captain, then fine. Through me. You do an end run around me again, I'll snap you back so hard, you'll think you're a first year cadet again.

Thanks to Chrissie's Transcripts. An invaluable resource. I remember the scenes, but not the exact wording of most.
 
Hybrid of what? It's not a fucking mule.
It kind of is to a degree.

StarFleet is a Hybrid of a:
- Military Organization
- Exploration Organization
- Scientific Research & Discovery
- Engineering Corp
- Diplomacy Service
- Whatever the UFP & StarFleet Upper Brass comes up with to assign to it's Captains.
If that means being a Diplomatic/Cargo Transport for important diplomats, so be it.
How many times have we seen a StarFleet StarShip carry diplomats from point A to B?


StarFleet isn't a pure Classic Military in the traditional sense. That's why I call it a "Hybrid Service" where it does MANY things outside of what a classical Military would do.


Jean Luc Picard says as much in TNG: "Peak Performance".


While being briefed by Kolrami in the observation lounge, Captain Picard and Riker are at first reluctant to take part in this simulation as they believe diplomacy and exploration are the more important mandates of Starfleet, and that Starfleet itself is not a military organization. However, because of the newly-discovered Borg threat, they decide it is a good idea to hone their tactical skills so as to have as many options as possible in crisis situations.
"Starfleet is not a military organization. Its purpose is exploration."

- Picard
 
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StarFleet isn't a pure Classic Military in the traditional sense.

Jean Luc Picard says as much.
I've always seen that as a bit of a conceit on Picard's part. And it's an understandable one given that when he entered Starfleet, the Federation was at peace with the Klingons, the Romulans were in seclusion and the Cardassians hadn't grown to be a major threat yet. Sure, there was the occasional conflict here and there, but for the most part the Starfleet that Jean-Luc Picard came up in would have probably focused less on military maneuvers. After Next Generation season 1, with the return of the Romulans and the coming of the Borg, the switch to a military standing becomes clear. By season 2, Starfleet is building star bases along the Romulan border in order to remind the Romulans that Starfleet is there, and they start military war games in response to the Borg threat.
 
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Well "show" vs. "tell" and all that. Star Trek has been pretty consistent over the six decades in showing us it's a military. It defends the Federation, first and foremost. There is formal combat training. Strongly adhered to hierarchy and command structure. Courts martial. And decoration for combat service.

Because one character told otherwise during the height of the obsessed with the smell of Roddenberry's farts phase doesn't change that.
 
Because one character told otherwise during the height of the obsessed with the smell of Roddenberry's farts phase doesn't change that.
:lol:
Yeah this was the weird time that apparently no one was scared of death and interpersonal conflicts didn't exist.

Obviously Starfleet was experimenting putting things in the water for a couple of years :lol:
 
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