What divisions of Starfleet are missing from canon that you'd like to see?
Divisions Starfleet should have
- Thread starter Laura Cynthia Chambers
- Start date
Marines.
Actually, it's debatable whether Starfleet Marines are canon or not. There's COLONEL West in ST VI, of course.
And I believe the guys in the dark blue turtlenecks in ST V (who accompany Kirk and crew in the raid on Nimbus III) were also intended to be Marines. But you can take from that what you will.
Also I'm fairly sure that Gene Roddenberry intended for the Enterprise in TOS to carry a platoon of Marines, but for some reason we never got to see them.
Anyhoo, I find the concept of Starfleet Marines to be fascinating and I would definitely love to see them. In my headcanon, they do exist. But they are not a separate service - they may have a different uniform division color, and of course different ranks, but they are still Starfleet, and would probably take great offense at any suggestion that they are a separate service.
Actually, it's debatable whether Starfleet Marines are canon or not. There's COLONEL West in ST VI, of course.
And I believe the guys in the dark blue turtlenecks in ST V (who accompany Kirk and crew in the raid on Nimbus III) were also intended to be Marines. But you can take from that what you will.Also I'm fairly sure that Gene Roddenberry intended for the Enterprise in TOS to carry a platoon of Marines, but for some reason we never got to see them.
Anyhoo, I find the concept of Starfleet Marines to be fascinating and I would definitely love to see them. In my headcanon, they do exist. But they are not a separate service - they may have a different uniform division color, and of course different ranks, but they are still Starfleet, and would probably take great offense at any suggestion that they are a separate service.
Always found it weird regular Starfleet personnel such as Picard & some senior crew and Sisko & senior crew were sent on top secret infiltration missions. You'd think they'd have a corps (perhaps not an entire division) of highly trained specialists to do just those kind of missions.
Needs of the plot.
I suppose they're cross-trained. If a ship's already in that neck of the woods for other reasons, there's a particular person is among those who have the unique skills/expertise needed for that mission, and time is of the essence, send them. Otherwise, send the undercover experts.
Never seen anything documenting that.
Every ship has a Liam Neeson.
I did say "fairly" sure, you know.
srsly, I really did read something to that effect once, I can't remember where it was, so I'm unfortunately not able to provide a source. 
Oh and also regarding my headcanon: In TOS, the Marine division color is black; in the 24th century and later, it's light gray.
(In the Monster Maroons era, as I said, it's dark blue. You'll notice that when Kirk and his crew are wearing those gray uniforms, they still have their normal division colored turtlenecks underneath. So assuming those other guys are indeed Marines, then dark blue would be their color. If they'd been wearing normal Monster Maroons that's what we would have seen.)
You'd think they'd stand out against all the bright TOS colors.I did say "fairly" sure, you know.
Oh and also regarding my headcanon: In TOS, the Marine division color is black; in the 24th century and later, it's light gray.
(In the Monster Maroons era, as I said, it's dark blue. You'll notice that when Kirk and his crew are wearing those gray uniforms, they still have their normal division colored turtlenecks underneath. So assuming those other guys are indeed Marines, then dark blue would be their color. If they'd been wearing normal Monster Maroons that's what we would have seen.)
I imagine they'd be quite proud of that!You'd think they'd stand out against all the bright TOS colors.
Easy targets.
I kind of like the keep it simple approach with just three primary divisions.
I should have said "departments". My bad.
Having four divisions is no less simple than three.
Seems pretty clear-cut anyway...the Starfleet navy for starship crews, Starfleet Marines for ground combat. Easy peasy.
I mean, we know Starfleet HAS ground troops, we just don't know what they're called. Easy enough to do it this way!
Captain Kirk DID once say Starfleet is a "combined service", after all...
And I keep coming back to COLONEL West....
I disagree. I never had a problem with Starfleet just being its own thing, and having multiple departments under just three larger divisions.
Maybe some pollution control division.
I think there should be divisions and the sub divisions based upon specialization. I like them to similarities in various uniformed services in the US, and law enforcement having different divisions.
First would be command, and involve all the various fleet operations and components of those fleets, and starbases.
Second would be training division, and be all the components of the academies, and campuses as well as training requirements for entrance.
Third would be Engineering and ship systems, including computers. Commonly called operations.
Fourth would be sciences and research division.
Fifth would be intelligence and counterintelligence operations.
Sixth is security and defense.
Seventh would be logistics and personnel.
First would be command, and involve all the various fleet operations and components of those fleets, and starbases.
Second would be training division, and be all the components of the academies, and campuses as well as training requirements for entrance.
Third would be Engineering and ship systems, including computers. Commonly called operations.
Fourth would be sciences and research division.
Fifth would be intelligence and counterintelligence operations.
Sixth is security and defense.
Seventh would be logistics and personnel.
"Colonel West" wore an Admiral's uniform and rank insignia. If he were meant to be a Marine Colonel, and assuming new uniforms weren't an option, then he should have worn a Starfleet Captain's uniform and rank insignia (as naval Captains and Colonels are equal rank). If for whatever reason he had to wear that particular uniform and insignia, they should have called him General West.
Of course, it should be noted the character wasn't meant to be anything other than an Oliver North pastiche and I doubt any further thought was put into him and the implications of his rank
That's an urban legend, the earliest I remember it being brought up was in 2003 when the MACOs were introduced on Enterprise and the Gene's Vision crowd cried about it being against, er, well, Gene's Vision. A retort used by the other side of that argument was "don't you know Roddenberry wanted a MARDET on the Enterprise in TOS?" I've also seen some over the years assume the security officers seen in TOS were supposed to be Marines.
Finally, it is worth noting that a computer display seen on the bridge of the Dauntless from Prodigy as seen in this post does include a listing for "Marine Corps" though we never saw any Marines in Prodigy. Still, this is the closest "Starfleet Marines" have ever been to being canon in the entire history of the franchise.
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