Schutzstaffel The Schutzstaffel , or SS , was a paramilitary organization which existed as the armed branch of the Nazi political party in Germany from the late 1920s until the collapse of Nazi Germany in 1945 . It was formed at first to be a special guard for Adolf Hitler and was known in the 1930s for its distinct black uniforms , and on both Earth and Ekos for the brutality and cruelty of their tactics , including torture . ( ) The German SS . The SS was based on a racial ideology which stated that the German people were destined to be masters of Europe . Germany was superior to all other nations , so believed the SS , and it was the duty of the SS to purge the German lands of inferior peoples and " cleanse the German blood " . To this end , the SS became the primary organization in persecuting the Jewish people which were seen as inferior and mortal enemies of Germany . ( ) During the Second World War , the SS became an elite unit , with field SS units wearing gray uniforms instead of black . Like their ' 30s counterparts however , the World War II SS was easily identified by " SS bolts " on the collars of their uniform s . The SS was not beyond committing war crime s , such as indiscriminately rounding up civilians or torturing prisoners . ( ) The Ekosian SS . A resurgence of the SS began on the planet Ekos in the 2260s under the guidance of Federation historian John Gill . In a bizarre social experiment , Gill created an equivalent of the Nazi party which soon became the governing body of Ekos . Gill also formed an SS whose officer s employed similar procedures and policies as the original organization . Gill ' s original intention was to have both the Nazi Party and the SS function as passive organizations , for the good of Ekos , but a plot by Gill ' s subordinate Melakon derailed this plan and the SS soon turned into a brutal organization which persecuted the Zeon minority on Ekos . The Ekosian SS used torture and execution and openly engaged in genocide after Nazi policies turned towards purging Ekos of all Zeons . The SS shot down Zeons in the streets of Ekosian cities , spitting on the wounded and dying , and typically executed prisoners suspected of crimes . ( ) Alternate timelines . The SS has existed in at least two alternate timeline s , the first being a world where Nazi Germany won the Second World War and conquered the entire planet Earth . This was the result of Leonard McCoy traveling back in time and stopping the death of Edith Keeler . With Keeler still living , the United States of America became a pacifist nation and did not enter World War II . The result was Germany developing atomic weapon s and " capturing the world " . ( ) In another timeline , Germany was assisted by the Na ' kuhl and invaded the east coast of the United States . The Na ' kuhl , led by Vosk , were granted membership in the SS complete with the right to wear SS uniforms and several Nazi military decorations . Vosk became the senior SS officer , granted the rank of " Obersturmbannführer " . In this version of history , the ( non - Na ' kuhl ) SS was tasked with maintaining security in occupied America with SS security squads patrolling the streets of such major cities as Washington , DC and New York City . ( ) Other versions of the SS . When the Hirogen captured the , and programmed the holodeck with a World War II scenario , several holodeck characters were portrayed as members of the SS during the years of the French occupation . The Hirogen interacted with the SS and the Hirogen leaders posed as senior SS officers . ( ) The concept of German racial superiority was seen as a falsehood by the Hirogen with Karr questioning one of the holodeck SS characters on the subject and determining that , without their weapons to back them up , the SS were just the same as their victims . The German arguments of racial superiority upset Karr , and he exclaimed to an SS - Hauptsturmfuehrer : " " You are superior to NO ONE ! " " SS uniforms and insignia . " See : SS uniforms and insignia " The SS used various uniforms , including a black uniform for parade functions and a field grey jacket for wartime service . SS members were also entitled to the same medals of Nazi Germany as the rest of the German military .