Should the new Enterprise have MACOS onboard?

[F. King Daniel]

They used the MACOs just fine on Enterprise.

Although, one wonders where they were in "These Are the Voyages"....


In answer to the OP, redshirts using proper military tactics, or even basic common sense stuff like taking cover, would do just fine.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The Federation Starfleet is a combined service. It is both military and scientific in its mission. The MACOs were only necessary because Earth Starfleet was not military; since Federation Starfleet is military, I don't see the need for MACOs.

So I am hesitant to have any more organizations than necessary; IMHO, it'd be better to create a branch of Starfleet to do ground operations, than have a whole new organization. And since Starfleet as a whole is a navy, what is the closest ground based equivalent? Marines. (As I said, redshirts don't count, since they are intended for security operations on board ships or part of landing parties. They are not dedicated ground soldiers.)

As for color: Yes, they could use any number of colors for the TOS-era SF Marine unis. I just like the idea of black. Personal preference, nothing more.

 

[Yevetha]

I think blue would be the best color for marines.

 

[Sci]

It would makes sense, they cannot handle everything with just an away team and the MACOs futuristic look would fit nicely with the new Trek.

Saying the Federation Starfleet should use a division of the United Earth Military Assault Command Organization aboard its starships is a bit like saying the United States Navy should use a division of the Maryland Defense Force aboard its aircraft carriers. It makes no sense.

If the Federation has its own marine corps or land-based forces, they should be the ones aboard its starships, not United Earth forces. But every indication we've ever had is that Starfleet is the Federation's land-based defense force, too.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

Many people here are trying to equate Star Trek to the real world.

As I said before, my reason for not wanting MACOs is simple (and has nothing to do with how things may be done in the real world). I don't want MACOs simply because I would rather see Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov and Uhura solve problems themselves, without the use of a specialized military fighting force at their disposal.

I know it may not be realistic, but it's more fun. And TV and movies are supposed to be fun.

 

[Sindatur]

The MACOs were only brought onto the NX-01, because their mission changed from one of First Contact/Exploration, to a War Footing, where they needed actual soldiers.

Did the MACOs stay on in S4, when their mission returned to being Exploration? I don't remember for sure, but, I thought I remembered at least Major Hayes wasn't around in S4.

 

[Miss Lemon]

I thought I remembered at least Major Hayes wasn't around in S4.

They killed him off in S3.

I vaguely remember MACOs in Affliction/Divergence.

 

[The Wormhole]

Did the MACOs stay on in S4, when their mission returned to being Exploration? I don't remember for sure, but, I thought I remembered at least Major Hayes wasn't around in S4.

Yes, MACOs were still around in season 4, but most of them were background extras, and I think they only had dialogue once that season. Also, Riker was wearing a MACO uniform in TATV.

Also worth mentioning, upon being introduced the MACOs seemed to take over security on the NX-01. There was still referance to Starfleet security being on board, but most of the time the MACOs were called upon to fight or even stand guard. I think Reed was the only Starfleet security officer seen in the last two season, evenryone else was MACO.

 

[Morpheus 02]

Black uniforms look cool, IMHO.

What other color would you suggest?

Red unless they want to see the character in the next movie.

 

[Yevetha]

I dont know about red, its tthe most visible color, not good for people who want to blend in into the enviroment.

 

[USS KG5]

Fuck Section 31.

Ironically a rejected DS9 episode title.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Black uniforms look cool, IMHO.

What other color would you suggest?

Red unless they want to see the character in the next movie.

I dont know about red, its tthe most visible color, not good for people who want to blend in into the enviroment.

Red is, of course, already in use, as is blue.

Whatever color they pick for a hypothetical 'SF Marine' uniform, it will have to be one that has no chance of it being confused with any of the three SF 'navy' uniform colors - and black has obvious camouflage qualities. That's another reason I picked it.

 

[Nerys Myk]

It would makes sense, they cannot handle everything with just an away team and the MACOs futuristic look would fit nicely with the new Trek.

An away team is just the group of people they send. What they can "handle" depends on who's in the group.

He never required because they probably lacked the budget for it.

Why would the budget be a factor? Two no line no name actors playing security would cost the same as two no line no name guys playing "marines".

We could just have Kirk and MCcoy having the habit of beaming down with a MACOs and the specialist that is required at that mission.

And this is different from beaming down with security, how? A landing party made up of specialists was common in TOS, hardly a new idea.

They could take the place of rdshirts on ground missions. Besides in the 21.century i want to see bigger guns instead of phase-pistol fights.

MACOs were introduced in the middle of ENT, thats why they did not know how to use them.

Bigger guns would change things in what way? It's fiction, how they are used will depend on the plot not the size of the weapon.

They used them as cannon fodder and for a plot point or two. Same as security. The writers aren't going to use them differently just because they have a different name.

I dont know about red, its tthe most visible color, not good for people who want to blend in into the enviroment.

The Marines would want to do this on every mission? Most of the time they would be there to protect the landing party not to go all covert commando. If the mission required blending in, then everyone in the landing party would require some sort of cammo, not just the MACOs/Marines/security.

I dont know about red, its tthe most visible color, not good for people who want to blend in into the enviroment.

Unless of course the environment is red.

Whatever color they pick for a hypothetical 'SF Marine' uniform, it will have to be one that has no chance of it being confused with any of the three SF 'navy' uniform colors - and black has obvious camouflage qualities. That's another reason I picked it.

Unless you're standing in a field of white.

The best idea would be some sort of "smart cloth" that would change as needed.

 

[Morpheus 02]

Black uniforms look cool, IMHO.

What other color would you suggest?

Red unless they want to see the character in the next movie.

I dont know about red, its tthe most visible color, not good for people who want to blend in into the enviroment.

Red is, of course, already in use, as is blue.

Whatever color they pick for a hypothetical 'SF Marine' uniform, it will have to be one that has no chance of it being confused with any of the three SF 'navy' uniform colors - and black has obvious camouflage qualities. That's another reason I picked it.

No one has heard of "Red Shirts"? Ongoing Trek joke?

 

[Franklin]

It would makes sense, they cannot handle everything with just an away team and the MACOs futuristic look would fit nicely with the new Trek.

It would make sense. It would turn Kirk into a more realistic commander of forces like Washington or Patton were. But as Jackson Roykirk essentially said, these stories are about our action heroes. And the key word is "action."

It requires some suspension of disbelief. As in Spock's in the volcano suit, not a Starfleet marine. That's a very dangerous and inefficient use of a top officer, really. But would we pay money to see some specialist in a volcano suit carrying out whatever it is Spock simply ordered him to do? Or do we want to see Spock doing it?

To that end, I can't tell you how many times over the years I've watched an episode of TOS as Kirk and Spock work through a conflict and wondered, "What the hell is the rest of the crew on that ship doing?"

 

[horatio83]

The Federation Starfleet is a combined service. It is both military and scientific in its mission. The MACOs were only necessary because Earth Starfleet was not military; since Federation Starfleet is military, I don't see the need for MACOs.

Precisely. The MACOs ceased to exist (being a separate entity) when the Federation was created.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

So I guess you could say they got a MACOver.

 

[F. King Daniel]

The Federation Starfleet is a combined service. It is both military and scientific in its mission. The MACOs were only necessary because Earth Starfleet was not military; since Federation Starfleet is military, I don't see the need for MACOs.

Precisely. The MACOs ceased to exist (being a separate entity) when the Federation was created.

Is there any proof of this? It's a popular theory, but, for all we know the MACOs have simply been busy elsewhere. Maybe during the Dominion War, they were involved in all those battles that the Remans were.

 

[The Wormhole]

The Federation Starfleet is a combined service. It is both military and scientific in its mission. The MACOs were only necessary because Earth Starfleet was not military; since Federation Starfleet is military, I don't see the need for MACOs.

Precisely. The MACOs ceased to exist (being a separate entity) when the Federation was created.

Is there any proof of this? It's a popular theory, but, for all we know the MACOs have simply been busy elsewhere. Maybe during the Dominion War, they were involved in all those battles that the Remans were.

The MACOs did have the same star that command division Starfleet officers had in the 23rd century, perhaps implying they were somehow absorbed into Starfleet.

I personally like to believe that the MACOs do still exist after the Federation was founded, perhaps as the Starfleet equivelant of Navy SEALs?

 

[22 Stars]

I prefer BACOS.