posted
I'm sure this topic has been over-debated, but then again, it keeps us off the streets..
Could it be that this Colonel (wich is a military rank, not a naval) is a Colonel of the Starfleet Marines? Or do they use naval ranks for the Marines as well?
posted
Or the ribbons on the uniform for some of the Starfleet officers like Colonel West.
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
I do believe he was wearing captain's bars, therefore that would make him a "full bird" colonel.
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posted
I'd guess that he had some part in ground forces. He WAS involved in planning to rescue planet-based captives, after all. I guess those WOULD be called Marines, who's job, after all, is to do amphibious landings...
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posted
And why pronounce it "curnel"? One of those stupid words, along with forecastle, Worchester and St. John.
Well, I thought I'd try another angle.
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posted
This of course, all goes back to the Marines/Starfleet thing. Do/Don't they exist? This scene is rockhard proof that they do ... or at least, did at one time ...
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
Um...I pronounce my name "Saint John." Simple, really. Although one year at camp, I DID have t'go by "Sinjin"....long story...
------------------ "Two parts slush...one part solid ice...one part hard-packed snow...a dash of assorted debris...sculpt into sphere, and serve at high velocity without warning." --Calvin
posted
For all you young 'uns, Colonel West was supposed to be a reference to Colonel Oliver North and all the Iran-Contra mess in the wild wild '80s. (You must remember Fawn Hall?) Oliver North was a Marine, IIRC.
I'm sure Starfleet has a Marine Corps. We were promised a Marine Corps for 500 years after Iwo Jima, but does Starfleet have an Army?
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posted
If we're asking that: would Starfleet have an air force as well?
I don't think there is an "army" that is called such.
I would imagine, rather, that a 24th Century Marine Corps could provide all the services that today's Marine Corps/Army does.
An example? =================
On Planet XYZ, a colony has been taken over by a dictator, who has begun a plan of genocide (we'll say its a colony of black/whites and white/blacks). The Federation Council decided to intervene, and a small strike force of Force Recon Marines (two or three hundred) arrives under cover of sensor-cloaking technologies. They quickly overthrow the dictator, taking him into custody, and destroying or routing most of the forces loyal to him.
Danger still exists. There are still vast numbers of XYZ troops willing to enforce the dictator's orders, and the Starfleet Marines are insufficient to stop them at their present numbers. Troop ships carrying the Marines' Regular forces arrives, and unloads several thousand Marines, who quickly begin the following missions:
peacekeeping show of force disbanding XYZ troops establishing free elections et all et all
Make sense? Sort of like today, when we send in the Marines first to hit 'em hard, then send in the Army to finish up the job and do primary peacekeeping
------------------ Jeff's Webcam *** Gore/Lieberman 2000 *** "I just came to watch the perfect Immortal die." - Methos
"I'm not..." - MacLeod
"Not what? Not the perfect Immortal? Or not going to die?" - Methos
"Forgive Us Our Tresspasses" - Highlander: The Series
posted
More accurately, he says "We are a combined service" in answer to Capt. Christopher's musings about whether the Enterprise is Navy or Air Force. The Marines are not mentioned in this context, nor does Kirk himself use the words Navy or Air Force.
One also has to remember that Kirk could be oversimplifying or outright lying, since he has much to hide from Christopher. Perhaps he speaks of UESPA just to make the Earthman feel at home, while in fact the ship belongs to Starfleet which is not a human-run show?
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