Costa Rica doesn't.
Starfleet is a Space Navy (military fleet)
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Costa Rica doesn't.
Well, it is. Militaries fight wars, or alternatively prevent them by being too powerful/well trained to be beaten in one. Without war, or the threat of it, there would be no militaries. The same can't be said of Starfleet.
The grunts from "Nor the Battle to the Strong" and "The Siege of AR-558" would no doubt disagree on this point.
They wore operations yellow just like on ship security officers - no combat or infantry division has ever been depicted. In fact the evidence we have (people like O'Brien) is that people with other skills end up being used as soldiers during wartime.
/thread
Indeed. Starfleet officers attend Starfleet Academy, which is depicted more or less as a four year undergraduate university, as opposed to some form of "boot camp". Even many of the "low ranking" crewmen aboard Starfleet vessels were quite accomplished scientists. Mortimer Harren (VOY: "Good Shepherd") is a good example of this. Even though he was a "lowly" plasma relay crewman, he still held five advanced degrees in theoretical physics.
Life as a Starfleet cadet is probably not much different from that of the kids wearing blue around Colorado Springs.
"Portraying Starfleet as a military organization flew in the face of everything Star Trek stood for [....] At one point I forcefully but tactfully reminded Meyer and Harve [Bennett] that Starfleet was the philosophical descendant of NASA, not the Air Force."
Nichelle Nichols, 'Beyond Uhura', page 248
Nichelle Nichols, 'Beyond Uhura', page 248
Everything Starfleet has been shown doing -- exploration, scientific research, disaster relief, diplomacy, search and rescue, colony support, everything -- has historically been done by navies. I don't think there's any question that it's a "space navy," no matter what it calls itself.
Here's where I always point out that it was more like the Royal Navy of the 1815-1914 Pax Britannica, without major wars but with a lot of far-flung colonies and dominions to protect and surveying, exploration and policing to keep it busy.
Well, it was peacetime and that's what he was assigned to do. In 1857 Lt. Tunis A. M. Craven USN was exploring the rivers and mountains of Panama for a canal route. Seven years later he was commanding the monitor USS Tecumseh in the Battle of Mobile Bay, where he died.
Sentient being resources?
Here's where I always point out that it was more like the Royal Navy of the 1815-1914 Pax Britannica, without major wars but with a lot of far-flung colonies and dominions to protect and surveying, exploration and policing to keep it busy.
Well, it was peacetime and that's what he was assigned to do. In 1857 Lt. Tunis A. M. Craven USN was exploring the rivers and mountains of Panama for a canal route. Seven years later he was commanding the monitor USS Tecumseh in the Battle of Mobile Bay, where he died.
Sentient being resources?
To be clear right off the bat: Starfleet is a paramilitary organization. Nothing much to do about that, because your examples basically cover all the reasons why this is.
In real world terms, a "space navy" is a contradiction in terms, since a "navy" is a branch of the military that, by definition, operates in the ocean. A similar concept would be a "space police" that operates patrol ships that are basically squad cars but bigger, the "space force" which is pretty much the air force only in space, the "space marines" which, like the space navy, are just regular marines only in space. It's not a realistic rendition of what a spaceborne military force would actually look like, and considering that both the U.S. and Russian navies have completely given up on operating any sort of space assets for at lest the last 40 years, it's unlikely to change in the future; almost ALL U.S. military projects fall under the umbrella of the Air Force, so it's actually more likely that any future space military organization would be an expansion of the USAF or U.S. Space Command.
paramilitary
[par-uh-mil-i-ter-ee]
adjective
1.
noting or pertaining to an organization operating as, in place of, or as a supplement to a regular military force:
a paramilitary police unit.
noun, plural paramilitaries.
2.
Also, paramilitarist
[par-uh-mil-i-ter-ist] (Show IPA). a person employed in such a force.
As others have pointed out, "fighting wars" is not even Starfleet's primary function. Their ships are armed for the purpose of INDIVIDUAL self defense or area defense of installations in un-claimed space. So even if you could guarantee that the Federation AS A WHOLE will never be involved in another war for the rest of its existence, Starfleet's normal operations would be completely unchanged, and the design of its starships would still require defensive capabilities that allow them to deal with hostile action OTHER than warfare (e.g. pirates, thieves, terrorists, lunatics, and giant planet-eating waffle cones).
I've said it many times that 99% of the things that threaten the Federation's existence are non-military in nature; Starfleet is probably non-military by NECESSITY, because otherwise the amount of funding and resources they would need to actually deal with those unexpected threats would be very difficult to justify for an organization whose primary role is combat (most planets would probably prefer to fund non-combat organizations like the Vulcan Science Academy or something).
Well, no. A "space navy" is a television trope that imagines a spaceborne military organization by borrowing the rank structure, traditions, jargon, and even ship design (in some cases to an absurd degree) and using them as a basis for the fictional organization. This is basically a massive time saver, since trying to extrapolate how space forces of the future would really operate based on real world developments would require a degree of research and insight that would be as hard to develop as it would be to explain to a viewer/reader.
In real world terms, a "space navy" is a contradiction in terms, since a "navy" is a branch of the military that, by definition, operates in the ocean. A similar concept would be a "space police" that operates patrol ships that are basically squad cars but bigger, the "space force" which is pretty much the air force only in space, the "space marines" which, like the space navy, are just regular marines only in space. It's not a realistic rendition of what a spaceborne military force would actually look like, and considering that both the U.S. and Russian navies have completely given up on operating any sort of space assets for at lest the last 40 years, it's unlikely to change in the future; almost ALL U.S. military projects fall under the umbrella of the Air Force, so it's actually more likely that any future space military organization would be an expansion of the USAF or U.S. Space Command.
And real life paramilitaries have combat duties too.
Because it's a paramilitary organization. They borrow terms and concepts from old Earth military traditions because the reasons behind those traditions make a certain amount of sense.
Indeed
paramilitary
[par-uh-mil-i-ter-ee]
adjective
1.
noting or pertaining to an organization operating as, in place of, or as a supplement to a regular military force:
a paramilitary police unit.
noun, plural paramilitaries.
2.
Also, paramilitarist
[par-uh-mil-i-ter-ist] (Show IPA). a person employed in such a force.
As others have pointed out, "fighting wars" is not even Starfleet's primary function. Their ships are armed for the purpose of INDIVIDUAL self defense or area defense of installations in un-claimed space. So even if you could guarantee that the Federation AS A WHOLE will never be involved in another war for the rest of its existence, Starfleet's normal operations would be completely unchanged, and the design of its starships would still require defensive capabilities that allow them to deal with hostile action OTHER than warfare (e.g. pirates, thieves, terrorists, lunatics, and giant planet-eating waffle cones).
I've said it many times that 99% of the things that threaten the Federation's existence are non-military in nature; Starfleet is probably non-military by NECESSITY, because otherwise the amount of funding and resources they would need to actually deal with those unexpected threats would be very difficult to justify for an organization whose primary role is combat (most planets would probably prefer to fund non-combat organizations like the Vulcan Science Academy or something).
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STARFLEET IS NOT PARAMILITARY
TNG: "Preemptive Strike"
Starfleet considers the Maquis to be paramilitary, not itself.
TNG: "Preemptive Strike"
GUL EVEK: So you don't think the fact that some of the Maquis are former Starfleet officers has anything to do with it?
PICARD: Starfleet does not condone the Maquis' actions in the Demilitarised Zone any more than your government would condone the paramilitary actions of Cardassian civilians.
PICARD: Starfleet does not condone the Maquis' actions in the Demilitarised Zone any more than your government would condone the paramilitary actions of Cardassian civilians.
Starfleet considers the Maquis to be paramilitary, not itself.
But that took place in a alternate universe. The "nuEnterprise" is a heavily armed military ship, with a overtly military rank system, and a military command structure.
Debatable, more likely it's the exact same organization, adapting through the centuries as it's mission requirements change.
Police departments lack things we've seen in Starfleet, example courts martials. Police that commit criminal offenses stand trial in civilian courts.
Modern day naval stations have large civilian populations, they're still military. The presents of family/civilians on a starship would not in of itself render the starship "non-military."
Indicating that Picard is off in his little bubble again. As someone who supposedly knows history, Picard should be aware that militaries do a lot of exploring.
Costa Rica does have a military, although they don't use that term.
And she should know, after all Rev. Martin Luther King told her so.
That's not how organizations like this work. The Earth Starfleet cannot possibly be the same organization as the Federation Starfleet. The former just serves Earth, whereas the latter serves the entire Federation.
The founding Federation members - Earth, Vulcan, Andor and Tellar - all had their own space forces prior to the existence of the Federation. There's no indication that the use of the name "Starfleet" for the Federation's military confers any special status on Earth, or implies that the Earth Starfleet is the same as the Federation's - all they have in common is the name. It's simply a coincidence, that's all.
COURT-MARTIAL
What is a court-martial?
In other words, no matter who is on trial, even a member of paramilitary, a court-martial is a military court, administered by the legal branch of a military.
It is Starfleet JAG officers who administer its courts-martial. Therefore, Starfleet is a military organization by definition.
What is a court-martial?
Twelve categories of people are subject to courts-martial, including military personnel, members of certain quasi-military organizations (such as Public Health Service members when serving with the armed forces), military prisoners, prisoners of war, and under very limited circumstances, certain specified categories of civilians. These individuals are subject to the military justice system regardless of where the incident in question occurred.
In other words, no matter who is on trial, even a member of paramilitary, a court-martial is a military court, administered by the legal branch of a military.
It is Starfleet JAG officers who administer its courts-martial. Therefore, Starfleet is a military organization by definition.
And I'm sure there are dozens of examples of things that were outlined in the various "writer's guides" but which underwent many changes before they ever made it to the screen.
Yes, Starfleet is a space navy. Was this ever in question?SPACE NAVY
A space navy is a fleet of spacebourne military vessels (spacecraft) and its associated military installations, including bases and outposts, both space-based and surface-based. Note that in modern usage "navy" used alone always denotes a military fleet.
Keep in mind that real-life navies include non-combat duties too.
Within this context: Star = Space, Fleet = Navy.
STAR TREK ON RODDENBERRY'S WATCH
TOS: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (Written by: D.C. Fontana)
CHRISTOPHER: Must have taken quite a lot to build a ship like this.
KIRK: There are only twelve like it in the fleet.
CHRISTOPHER: I see. Did the Navy
KIRK: We're a combined service, Captain. . . .
The Navy was a clear reference to the U.S. Navy; but combined with what, NASA? That is just the kind of combined service that would make a Space Navy. Not only that but the U.S. Navy already had something called Naval Space Command, which was later merged into Naval Network Warfare Command. This, of course, would correspond to Starfleet Command.
Additionally, Starfleet Academy, first mentioned in TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", corresponds to a naval college or service academy such as the United States Naval Academy.
TOS: "Errand of Mercy" (Written by: Gene L. Coon)
KIRK: [. . .] In addition to military aid, we can send you specialists, technicians. . . .
[. . .]
KIRK: [. . .] I'm a soldier, not a diplomat. . . .
TOS: "Obession" (Written by: Art Wallace, Revised final draft by: Gene Roddenberry)
KIRK: Very commendable, Ensign. What was your impression of the battle?
GARROVICK: I don't understand, sir.
KIRK: I'm asking for your military appraisal of the techniques used against the creature.
TOS: "Space Seed" (Teleplay by: Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber, Story by: Carey Wilber, Second revised final draft teleplay by: Gene Roddenberry)
MCCOY: Very impressive. Are we expecting a fleet admiral for dinner?
Memory Alpha: Starfleet ranks
In modern U.S. Navy ranking, Fleet Admiral is a special rank that is assigned during wartime only. . . .
TOS: "The Day of the Dove" (Written by: Jerome Bixby)
MCCOY: How many more men must die before you two [Kirk and Spock] begin to act like military men instead of fools? (leaves)
TOS: "Catspaw" (Written by: Robert Bloch, Revised final draft by: Gene Roddenberry)
DESALLE: Maybe we can't break it, but I'll bet you credits to navy beans we can put a dent in it.
Wikipedia: Navy bean
It is commonly known as the "Navy Bean" due to its use as a staple of United States Navy rations in the 19th century.
TOS: "Court Martial" (Teleplay by: Don M. Mankiewicz and Steven W. Carabatsos, Story by: Don M. Mankiewicz)
Merriam-Webster: Court-martial
- a court consisting of commissioned officers and in some instances enlisted personnel for the trial of members of the armed forces or others within its jurisdiction.
. . .Wikipedia: Court-martial
- a military court : a court for people in the military who are accused of breaking military law
Most navies have a standard court-martial which convenes whenever a ship is lost.
TNG: "The Measure of a Man" (Written by: Melinda M. Snodgrass)
PHILLIPA: [. . .] A court martial is standard procedure when a ship is lost. I was doing my duty as an officer of the Judge Advocate General.
Wikipedia: Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of a military concerned with military justice and military law.
This, of course, means that Starfleet is a military organization at all times.
TNG: "Hide and Q" (Teleplay by: C.J. Holland and Gene Roddenberry, Story by: C.J. Holland)
PICARD: Why? At our first meeting you seized my vessel. . . .
[. . .]
Q: [. . .] Seized my vessel. These are the complaints of a closed mind too accustomed to military privileges. . . .
A Galaxy-class vessel has a dedicated battle bridge and phaser range. It's also armed as a warship.
POST-RODDENBERRY'S CONTROL
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
McCOY: Just a moment, Captain, sir. I'll explain what happened. Your revered Admiral Nogura invoked a little known, and seldom used, reserve activation clause, ...in simpler language, Captain, they drafted me!
Second from the left: USS Enterprise (CVN-65).
USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was a military aircraft carrier and the flagship of the U.S. Navy's Nuclear Task Force One. It can also be seen in Captain Archer's ready room in ENT.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
CHEKOV (on viewscreen): The order comes from Admiral James T. Kirk.
DAVID: I knew it! I knew it! All along the military [Starfleet] has wanted to get their han...
[. . .]
DAVID: I've tried to tell you before. Scientists have always been pawns of the military [Starfleet].
Robert Fletcher’s Costume Design – Forgotten Trek (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
'OK, if this is going to be the navy, let’s hem them look like the navy' [. . .] "It’s normal in any kind of military organization that you don’t have just one uniform. . . ."
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
AIDE-DE-CAMP: This briefing is classified. Ladies and Gentlemen, the C-in-C.
C in C: As you were. . . .
[. . .]
MILITARY AIDE: Bill, are we talking about mothballing the Starfleet?
AIDE-DE-CAMP
aide-de-camp (ād′dĭ-kămp′)
n. pl. aides-de-camp
A military officer acting as secretary and confidential assistant to a superior officer of general or flag rank.
C in C
commander in chiefMilitary aide: a military assistant.
n. pl. commanders in chief Abbr. CINC or C in C
- The supreme commander of all the armed forces of a nation.
- The officer commanding a major armed force.
Mothballed: a term for a reserve fleet.
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed". . . .
Memory Alpha: Colonel West (the VHS version)
While identified in dialogue as a "colonel", West wore the uniform of a Starfleet vice admiral [equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal].
His rank strongly indicates the presence of a Space Marine Corps within Starfleet.
Star Trek: Generations
19th century naval uniforms.
DS9: "Rapture"
WORF: That will not do. Rifkin commands a starship. Protocol requires he be given equal quarters.
ODO: But he's only a captain.
WORF: It is naval tradition.
DS9: "Behind the Lines"
DAX: Are you two ever going to be finished?
NOG: Just a few more minutes, Commander.
O'BRIEN: That's Captain. It's an old naval tradition. Whoever's in command of a ship, regardless of rank, is referred to as Captain.
TNG: "The Enemy"
PICARD: Commander [Tomalak], both our ships are ready to fight. We have two extremely powerful and destructive arsenals at our command. . . .
TNG: "Conundrum" (When the crew of the Enterprise lost memories)
WORF: I have completed a survey of our tactical systems. We are equipped with ten phaser banks, two hundred and fifty photon torpedoes, and a high capacity shield grid.
MACDUFF: We're a battleship.
WORF: It appears so.
DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice"
KASIDY: I'm a civilian. Isn't it awkward having me aboard a warship?
O'BRIEN: We've had civilians aboard before. It doesn't bother me.
TNG: "The Perfect Mate"
KAMALA: Perhaps the ambassador is right. Perhaps I should remain in my quarters.
PICARD: I have confidence in the self-control of my crew, Kamala, but there are guests and civilians on board.
In other words, Starfleet personnel are not civilians.
DS9: "Homefront"
LEYTON: Mister President, we can use the Lakota's transporters and communications system to mobilise every Starfleet officer on Earth in less than twelve hours. We've been preparing for something like this for a long time. We have stockpiles of phaser rifles, personal forcefields, photon grenades, enough to equip an entire army. I can start getting men on the streets immediately.
JARESH-INYO: What you're asking me to do is declare martial law.
DS9: "Paradise Lost"
SISKO: What you're trying to do is to seize control of Earth and place it under military rule.
LEYTON: If that's what it takes to stop the Dominion.
DS9: "The Way of the Warrior"
WORF: I have decided to resign from Starfleet.
O'BRIEN: Resign? What are you talking about?
WORF: I have made up my mind. It is for the best.
[. . .]
SISKO: I'm sorry, Mister Worf, but I can't accept your resignation at this time.
Rick Berman Talks 18 Years of Trek In Extensive Oral History
Berman notes that veterans feel Sisko is "the most believable" as a military commander of the Star Trek captains.
DS9: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"
BASHIR: Sorry to disappoint you. Admiral Ross and his staff will be discussing the exciting military issues.
[. . .]
BASHIR: How long has Koval been working for Starfleet?
ROSS: He's been providing the Federation with critical military intelligence for over a year. . . .
DS9: "Siege of AR-558"
NOG: That soldier over there. You see his necklace? Those are Ketracel white tubes.
[. . .]
SISKO: Now you listen to me, Quark, because I'm only going to say this one time. I care about Nog and every soldier under my command. Understood? Every single one.
Chief Petty Officer Burke (DS9: "Nor the Battle to the Strong")
Burke was described in the script as "a badly wounded Starfleet Lieutenant, his uniform soaked with blood - he's BURKE, a seasoned combat veteran of about forty." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion - A Series Guide and Script Library)
Memory Alpha: Chief Petty Officer
Chief petty officer (CPO) is an enlisted naval rank, a type of military rank used by the service organizations of different cultures.
VOY: "Caretaker" (a military-type operation)
PARIS: I've never seen a Federation starship that could manoeuvre through the plasma storms.
JANEWAY: You've never seen Voyager. . . .
[. . .]
PARIS: What's so important about this particular Maquis ship?
JANEWAY: My Chief of Security was on board, undercover. . . .
VOY: "The Thaw"
PARIS: This ship [Voyager] was built for combat performance, Harry, not musical performance. Nobody figured we'd be taking any long trips.
Dictionary: Warship
Memory Alpha: USS Bellerophon (NCC-74705)
"Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" writer Ronald D. Moore named the Bellerophon after the HMS Bellerophon, a British warship which served as part of a fleet commanded by Lord Nelson in the early 19th century.
BANNED WEAPONS
VOY: "The Voyager Conspiracy"
SEVEN: The Captain ordered Commander Tuvok to destroy the array. He fired two tricobalt devices. Are those weapons normally carried on Federation Starships?
CHAKOTAY: No.
SEVEN: Yet they were part of Voyager's arsenal. Why?
CHAKOTAY: I can't explain that.
SEVEN: I can. Neither phasers nor torpedoes are capable of creating a tear in subspace. A tricobalt device is. . . .
According to Star Trek: Insurrection, subspace weapons were banned by the Khitomer Accord:
DANIELS: They've detonated an isolytic burst. A subspace tear is forming.
RIKER: On screen.
PERIM: I thought subspace weapons were banned by the Khitomer Accord.
RIKER: Remind me to lodge a protest.
Additionally, Starfleet vessels come equipped with spatial charges, which act as subspatial charges when fired into subspace.
ENT: "Cold Front"
TRAVIS: Looks like the Captain's going all out.
REED: I hope he's not planning to show them the Armory.
HOSHI: Don't worry, Lieutenant. They didn't look like the types who'd go around stealing military secrets.
REED: Still, we're not familiar with these species. Tactical systems should be off-limits. . . .
Star Trek 2009
PIKE: [. . .] Enlist in Starfleet.
KIRK: Enli-- (laughs) You guys must be way down in your recruiting quota for the month.
PIKE: If you're half the man your father was Jim, Starfleet could use you. You could be an officer in four years. You could have your own ship in eight. You understand what the Federation is, don't you? It's important. It's a peacekeeping and humanitarian armada.
Enlist? According to this, it's the Federation that is an armada, not just Starfleet. Armada primarily means armed naval fleet.
CLAIMS TO THE CONTRARY
TNG: "Peak Performance" (on Roddenberry's watch)
PICARD: Starfleet is not a military organisation. Its purpose is exploration.
[. . .]
RIKER: I prefer brains over brawn as well. I think it's a waste of effort to test our combat skills. It's a minor province in the make-up of a starship captain.
Considering the overwhelming TOS and TNG evidence, on Roddenberry's watch, to the contrary—ridiculous!
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
GILLIAN: You're not one of those guys from the military, are you? Trying to teach whales to retrieve torpedoes, or some dipsh*t stuff like that?
[. . .]
GILLIAN: All right. Who are you? And don't jerk me around any more. I want to know how you know that.
KIRK: We can't tell you that. ...Please, let me finish. I can tell you that we're not in the military and that we intend no harm towards the whales.
It's quite obvious that both, Gillian and Kirk, were referring to the military of her time period.
VOY: "Living Witness"
EMH: Voyager wasn't a warship. We were explorers.
EMH malfunction?
ENT: "The Xindi"
FORREST [Shuttlepod]: (Enterprise in spacedock) Do you think you'll be comfortable with military on board?
ARCHER: I don't have a problem with non-Starfleet personnel. I'm going to need all the muscle I can get when we cross into the Expanse.
[. . .]
REED: Coming from a military family, I've seen men like Hayes all my life.
What about the ship's Armory and tactical systems, which were part of the "military secrets" two years earlier in ENT: "Cold Front"?
Star Trek: Into Darkness
SCOTT: That's what scares me. This is clearly a military operation. ls that what we are now? Because I thought we were explorers.
KIRK: Sign for the torpedoes, that's an order.
SCOTT: Right, well, you leave me no choice but to resign my duties.
KIRK: Oh, come on, Scotty.
SCOTT: You're giving me no choice, sir. I will not stand by
KIRK: You're not giving me much of a choice. Will you just make an exception and sign
SCOTT: Do you accept my resignation or not?
KIRK: I do!
KIRK: I do. You are relieved, Mister Scott.
Meanwhile, all of these torpedo tubes in the weapons bay . . . :
Star Trek: Beyond
SCOTT: The Federation, sir, Starfleet. We are not a military agency.
LOL! How can Starfleet not be a military agency with JAG and court-martial? Dictionaries and encyclopedias exist for a reason.
Kor
I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
Starfleet is the Federation's military. We've all seen it. What it is not, however, is militaristic.
Once you understand the difference, all will become clear.
Starfleet is the Federation's military. We've all seen it. What it is not, however, is militaristic.
Once you understand the difference, all will become clear.
- Status
