Not really a pro- or anti- point, but if they did exist, would they be called “marines”? After all, marines have that title that because they operate on or from the sea - I’d imagine a spaceborne unit would use a different term… (starship troopers, maybe? Cue Hot Gossip and Sarah Brightman).
One thought following on from Aramis and Caranfang’s respective analyses: when people think of “Starfleet Marines”, they tend to imagine something like the US version, a large(ish) heavily mechanised mobile assault force, intended to take and hold particular coastal objectives. For the last 80 years or so, the UK’s Royal Marines have been primarily special/raiding forces, security and support units, a very different mission. In my personal headcanon, Starfleet doesn’t need an assault force, but there’s a branch of Starfleet that already specialises in all 3 Royal Marine roles: Security.
That’s because Starfleet is modelled after the US Navy. So they believe that Starfleet has to have a huge marine corps with its own ranks and organisation structure.
[quote=“Astronut, post:62, topic:7457”]…
but there’s a branch of Starfleet that already specialises in all 3 Royal Marine roles: Security.
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I agree.
Do they really have to? I don’t think so, becaue they already have the security division which fulfills the same role the marines do in most other navies (except the US Navy).
BTW the first time we’ve got a real glimpse into the structure of Starfleet was the production notes of Wrath of Khan which made clear that Starfleet clearly differs from the US Navy in several areas: Only two classes of petty officers (instead of three), commodore as a rank and not a position (the US Navy abolished the rank in 1985 and replaced in with the lower half of all their rear admirals), no marines but a security division etc.
The U.S. Marine Corps is not a separate Branch. The Marines are part of the U.S. Navy. The Commandant is a Two Star General. Being a Corps sized element of Infantry seconded directly to the Navy.
Services transfer personnel between them and functionally become part of that unit or Branch until Orders expire. Thusly, Federation Marines become Starfleet Marines when ordered to do so. Several U.S. Army Divisions operating in the Pacific Theater were under operational control of the Marine Corps (U.S. Navy).
Do not forget Reserves, Guards, and Militias. There are hundreds of job specialties that are kept on the back burner for just in case of Full Mobilization. My prior specialty is Military Police, and the U.S. Army does in fact train and have the mission of Port Security, additionally Logistics and Transportation. Other MP duties include Rail Security, Security Guard of High Value transport, VIP security, Resettlement of displaced persons. The Transportation Corps (U.S. Army has specific Port Operations specialties in cargo handling, port management, and transhipment of material.
I think the Spanish, Italians, Chinese, Colombia, French, Indonesians, and several others would be surprised to discover they do not have Marines, though those specifically exist within their national force structure.
Why do Starfleet forces in the role of Marines look like Security? Logistics. Six flavors of phaser 3 are unnecessary and burdensome in conflict.
Does “Gene Roddenberry says” really hold up as an argument? TNG abandoned his edicts almost immediately after his death.
Your USN/USMC information is wrong, Sgt. Almost a century out of date.
The USMC Commandant is a 4 star, sits on the JCS with the other 5 branch heads. And has been since just after WW 2.
A Branch of Service is defined by DOD… Service Branches — Today's Military
Currently 6: Army, Navy, Marine, Coast Guard, Air Force, Space Force. Each of them is headed by a four star.
The two uniformed commissioned corps, PHS and NOAA, also have 4 star heads… and both have full US commissions for their commissioned corps. Same as any of the Military services, and with the same authorities.
Functionally, The NCIS is a separate service within DoN - it is fully outside the USN chain of command, at least to the Undersecretary of the Navy, and once transferred, active duty personnel are within the NCIS chain of command, not the USN one nor the USMC one. It answers to SecNav, not to the JCS. Army CID, Air Force OSI, and the CGIS answer to the military chain of command, usually at a 2 or 3 star level.
