From: aaron@serss0 (aaron)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.tech
Subject: Re: Federation Marines
Date: 2 Jan 93 06:33:42 GMT
Reply-To: aaron@fiu.edu  (StanleY!)
Organization: Florida International University, Miami
Disclaimer: all comments are solely my remarks...


	Interesting convo here.  Let's see what an old SFB player can
contribute . . .

>Shari L Brooks wrote
>
>As I recall, (correct meif I'm wrong here) the Enterprise is somewhat
>the equivalent of a Navy heavy cruiser.  [At least the original one was]
>
	I'm not sure this assumption would work even in the original
series.  The logic is thus: even in the original series, the _Constitution_
class ships were *THE* gems of StarFleet; to me, this would indicate a bit
more capability than the average ship, albeit the fact they classified the
ship in their own terms as a heavy cruiser.  I think the term *battleship*
would tend to be more appropriate (and it *CERTAINLY* would in the case of
the 1701-D . . . which, indeed, in _Yesterday's _Enterprise__ they did term
the ship as just that very thing).

>
>While there might be some Marines abord a cruiser, its function is
>*not* to carry "several thousand troops" from system to system.
>You would need a troop carrier for that.
>
	Whether we deem it a cruiser or a battleship, this point would IMO
hold true.  In the Navy we know today, a Marine contingent is indeed
present, to care for such duty as ship-board security and anti-boarding
actions.  That contingent, except for times of special occasion, is general
minimal.  I would expect the same for StarFleet ships; and, indeed, from
their training, I would say that Security personnel on board StarFleet
vessels fits this bill.
	Likewise, in times of open hostilities, I think it would not be
unusual to find these ships manned by a larger (in certain cases *MUCH*;
reference _Yesterday's _E__) contingent, with possibilities for even larger
as specific cases may decree.


>The above opinions are solely my own.
	Always a wise idea.  Same goes for me! 8-)


Regards,

StanleY!
aaron@fiu.edu

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