Armed security on the bridge?

[Tallguy]

So this weekend I was watching The Doomsday Machine. I noticed two conspicuously armed security men standing guard on either side of the turbolift. They even come to attention and step forward when Kirk orders the Red Alert.

This didn't strike me as an amazing change that I'd never seen before. I know they were there (in their snazzy new armor) in TMP.

But now I'm wondering, how often were those guys there in TOS? I don't feel like compiling a list myself, so I'm looking to the internet!

 

[Myko]

Unless specifically summoned I believe they were only stationed like that in Doomsday Machine and on the ISS Enterprise in Mirror, Mirror.

Note that they are basically only there in TDM so that Montgomery can escort Decker to sickbay later in the episode.

 

[Spock's Barber]

In Dagger of the Mind, there is one redshirt security guard who stations himself next to the turbolift door after it is discovered that Van Gelder is aboard the Enterprise. He doesn't provide much security because Van Gelder klonks him on the head.

 

[GNDN18]

In "The Cage," we see a man stationed near the turbolift and another floating about the bridge acting as Pike's batman. Memory Alpha refers to them as "bridge guards" and makes much of the mysterious insignia found in the deltas of their uniforms.

Well, that looks like a "C" to me; you know, "C" as in "cadet." These characters are youngish and given to insouciant shrugs when their betters do inexplicable things, such as when Pike ignores a distress signal and leaves the bridge to sulk.

Of course, these ship's boys or middies didn't make the transition to the production version of Star Trek, but oh! the hijinks promised by these lads!

Now opinions vary as to the meaning of the insignia. On further reflection, it could well stand for "Coat-check Mate." We see the triumphant return of this rating in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

 

[PCz911]

Oh my...cabin boy .... :-0

 

[GNDN18]

Unless specifically summoned I believe they were only stationed like that in Doomsday Machine and on the ISS Enterprise in Mirror, Mirror.

Note that they are basically only there in TDM so that Montgomery can escort Decker to sickbay later in the episode.

Don't forget that one-step-forward move towards Decker when Spock beckons them with his two fingers.

It was more satisfying than "Security to the bridge."

 

[Phaser Two]

I think everyone caught all of the examples. Frankly, I always thought the bridge should have security, so having the guards there in TDM (my favorite episode) was yet another thing I liked about it. However, the weird habit of turning your back to the door you're guarding needs to be deleted from the Starfleet security manual, as seen in Dagger of the Mind (noted above) and also in Space Seed outside Khan's quarters when he escapes. Station two guys ten feet away from the door on either side and you're good no matter how shocking it is that Khan has the strength to throw open the door. Similarly, bridge security should have been facing each other on either side of the turbolift doors, not looking around the bridge, as exciting as that might have been for them.

 

[Timo]

Not sure about "Space Seed": Khan's door was locked, so the real threat to security would come from the outside. Perhaps Khan's eager groupies among Kirk's crew would try and bust out their new leader?

"Dagger of the Mind" is a different case, as clearly it doesn't take superman powers for the villain to bust through those particular doors, and indeed the impression is that the turbolift remains open to all traffic even during Red Alert. Even if a ride requires authorization, Security might need to be prepared for a villain hijacking a turbocab and coercing an authorized user into providing the ride.

On the other hand, most villains enter the bridge by means other than the turbolift - generally, they just appear in the middle of the facility. A guard situated against the wall would probably fare better than one surprised from behind by the villain.

As for those C Kids in "The Cage", my bet is paramedics standing in readiness to catch the injured Pike as he falls and escort him to Sickbay via the turbolift...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Nyotarules]

They are there to stop the crew from using the captain's chair as a toilet since the bridge does not seem to have any.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Oh my...cabin boy .... :-0

I wonder if his name was Roger

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

They were replaced by the automatic bridge defense system.

 

[Mysterion]

I don't have a list, but I will make a guess as to when we'd see them there: Probably during certain alert/readiness conditions you'd want to put a couple of security guards on the bridge as a precaution. Given how many times aliens or alien probe-thingys suddenly appear on the bridge and capture/hurt people, probably not the worst idea ever.

 

[MarsWeeps]

"Dagger of the Mind" is a different case, as clearly it doesn't take superman powers for the villain to bust through those particular doors, and indeed the impression is that the turbolift remains open to all traffic even during Red Alert.

In this case, it was computer error which mistakenly identified Van Gelder as Captain Ron Tracey, allowing him to override any Red Alert lockdown.

 

[johnnybear]

Ron Tracey, one of the most experienced captains of the Star Fleet!
JB

 

[Timewalker]

Considering that they were rarely useful, I just assumed the guards were there as part of the set decoration.