Written by Major Tinian Jeppo of Outpost 77
(Adapted, with permission, for the purposes of Education)

    One of the most overlooked aspects of Star Fleet is the need of the Federation to have a peace-keeping force which is fast-moving and hard-hitting; troops which are essentially "ground-based" and designed to handle situations that cannot be efficiently solved in any other manner.

    Starships of all types are superb for exploration and defence, but there are often times when they supply simply too much power for the job at hand. Power enough to devastate a planet is horrifyingly wonderful, but when something is needed to settle a simple planetary dispute, calling in a Starship is like burning down the barn to get rid of the rats.

    So the Federation must have a force of men and arms which can operate efficiently on a relatively small scale, in a short amount of time, and within the laws and guidelines of the Federation Articles. This group is the Starfleet Marines.

    The Marines are an integral part of the Federation forces. Acting under Starfleet Command, they work with Starships and other vessels in exploration, defence, and security. But they are also quite autonomous, as Marine exercises are often undertaken far from the nearest Starbase or command centre.

    In fact, most of their duties are those which are simply too small, on a galaxy-wide scale, to be of primary importance to Starfleet. But the Marines' operations are no less important for all that, as allowing small disputes and emergencies to get out of hand could quickly cause the collapse of the entire Federation from within.

    What then, are the duties and responsibilities of the Federation Marines? It is an open question, as the force is rather loosely organized, enabling them to meet any contingency with a maximum amount of flexibility. True, many Marines have assigned posts as security and containment forces, but such duties are outside the norm.

    The elite of the Marines are ready at any time to move in on trouble; consequently they cannot be sequestered to permanent duties. The entire idea of a quickly activated strike force is defeated if they are tied down. For most purposes, we can assume
that all Starfleet Marines are among this "ready" force, no matter where they are billeted.

    The Marines are a hand-picked group of tough fighting veterans. They hold immense pride in being Marines, and rightfully boast that it is harder to join their number than it is to get into any other Starfleet branch.

    Each member of the Marine force is chosen for outstanding qualities. Intelligence, fighting prowess, and bravery are among the primary considerations, but Marines are also chosen for their leadership abilities. Another boast of the Marines is that any one of them would be in a position of command elsewhere in Starfleet, and this is often true.

    In many instances, when a member of the fleet is accepted for Marine training (several years of deep-space experience is a prerequisite), he has already begun his rise in the ranks. In almost every case, the aspirant accepts his demotion cheerfully, as each Marine candidate goes into training as a basic crewmember, with no consideration given his previous rank or service. One can find many ex-lieutenants and ensigns proudly serving as Marine corporals and sergeants.

    Federation Marines are constructed around squads, each squad being composed of five men commanded by a lieutenant and a sergeant. Most squads are part of companies, which in turn make up divisions, and these divisions are elements of armies.  Starfleet Marine Corps consists of five armies, each comprising a personnel strength of twenty-five divisions. Divisions are divided into twenty-five companies, with each company composed of ten men. So at any given time, the Marines' total complement is roughly thirty thousand troops. Not seemingly a large number for all the space they have to cover, but because of the calibre of the men and thoroughness of their training, quite sufficient.

    As the Marines are basically a strike force called in for policing and peacekeeping action, not more than one division is usually needed for a specific job. In fact, many Marine assignments are handled by an even smaller number of troops, sometimes as few as two or three squads. Doing the job with the least amount of manpower possible is a basic tenet of Marine practice and tradition. An old Marine joke goes like this: A colony governor called the Marines for help in quelling a miners' riot on his planet. When a Federation ship arrived, the governor was aghast to see only one Marine beam down. When the governor stutteringly demanded to know why Starfleet only sent one man, the Marine answered, "There's only one riot, isn't there?"

    As you can see, the Marines pride themselves on their efficiency in peacekeeping. They hold a haughty disdain for their brothers assigned to Starship duty, referring to it as "milk runs"; and they have even less regard for regular Starship crewmembers, whom they scornfully call "space jockeys". Many a barside brawl has started when Marines and regular Starfleet troops get together, and the Starfleet hierarchy often goes to great lengths to keep them apart. As one beleaguered commodore put it, "I only wish our boys would fight the (deleted for security reasons) with as much gusto as they fight each other."

    But such brawls usually end up with the Marines and starshipmen allied against a common foe: security. "Spoilsport" is about the nicest term that has ever been hurled at security forces when they move in to break up an altercation; and this usually leads to the hurling of other objects, such as fists, bottles, and chairs. Although security troops are specifically chosen for their toughness, even they think twice about taking on a Marine deep in his cups, and ready for a good fight.

    It is not surprising, however, that a large majority of Marines transferred in from security. It makes an excellent training ground.

    Marines are constantly drilled in the use of the latest and most deadly weapons that Starfleet can devise. One of the first requirements for admission to Marine training is to qualify as an expert marksman. To do so is very difficult, as it requires pinpoint use of a phaser (both hand and rifle) at distances of up to 400m.

    One of the simpler exercises is to disintegrate a Federation one-credit coin at a hundred yards...as it is launched like a clay pigeon. Others are much harder, such as stunning one person as he runs through a crowd. This is done at a hundred feet, in twilight and under the worst possible atmospheric conditions.

    As situations do arise that require Marine action on a planet whose conditions are too severe for standard atmosphere belts, trainees must perform all exercises in full space suits before graduation. It is not uncommon for the rookie Marine to find himself in the simulated conditions of a methane-gas atmosphere with a suit that suddenly malfunctions. If he cannot repair his suit before he succumbs, he washes out and is transferred back to his old outfit...after he gets out of the hospital, that is.

    Basic weaponry carried by a Marine into action is a hand phaser Type II, a phaser rifle of the newest Mark 4 model, a vibroblade (neutron) knife, communicator, and several small-scale photon grenades. This is in addition to survival gear and rations, although not a great deal of these items are needed, Marines preferring to "live off the land" whenever possible.

    Other kits carried by Marines with specific duties includes a scouting tricorder, medical supplies, long-range communications equipment, photon mortars, laser cannonry, and limited force- field generators.

    A marine combat uniform consists of lightweight body armour (with helmet), belt and waist supply packs, atmosphere belts, and special (anti-grav) boots which compensate for gravity extremes when conditions require. A small jet-pack worn on the back allows a Marine to make short hops into the air.

    The jet packs enable the Marines to use their favourite combat manoeuvre: Half of the troops form a defensive firing line, while the remainder leapfrog over them. Once they have gained ground, they in turn become the defensive line, and the troops behind repeat the action. With this combination of constant advance coupled with the deadly accuracy of Marine weapons, most foes can be overcome before they have a chance to set up any kind of efficient counterattack.

Starfleet Marine Commissioned Ranks - Explained

Field Marshal
General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier General
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
1st Lieutenant
2nd Lieutenant
Marine Cadet 4th Year		Like Starfleet Cadets the Marine Cadets are exposed to four years of training.
Marine Cadet 3rd Year
Marine Cadet 2nd Year
Marine Cadet 1st Year

Starfleet Marine Warrant Officers - Explained

Chief Warrant Officer 3rd Class		Warrant officers hold their position by 'Warrant', and are considered to outrank all Enlisted grades. WOs are generally found heading sub-departments such as Transporter Systems or Marine Platoons.
Chief Warrant Officer 2nd Class
Chief Warrant Officer
Warrant Officers

Starfleet Marine Enlisted Ranks - Explained

Sergeant Major of Starfleet		Enlisted personnel spend less time training for their positions in Starfleet and generally have some training before enlisting. Enlistment requires Academy time of one year (compared to four years for Commissioned Officers).
Sergeant Major of Fleet
Sergeant Major
Master Sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Lance Corporal
Private First Class
Private

"The pips graphics on this page were created by Steven Marriott, for the Tango Fleet PBE-RPG. Please do not copy these images. If you wish to obtain a copy simply go to the Tango Fleet Website, and the Ranks Page. Here you will find info regarding the Pips. Steven will happily pass along the files free of charge to anyone who takes the time to ask him for their use."