View source for User:Moss/My Sandbox/Starfleet Marine Corps

{{Military/Starfleet
|color=Federation
|image=[[File:SMC7.PNG|250px]]
|name=Starfleet Marine Corps
|unit=
|active=2161
|partof=[[Starfleet]]
|government=[[United Federation of Planets]]
|branch=
|type=Marine Combined Arms
|role=Ground forces 
|garrison=
|flagship=
|nickname=
|motto=''Semper Fidelis''
|battles=
|decorations=
|cincsf=President of the United Federation of Planets
|cmdtsfmc=[[Alan Taylor|Lt. General Alan Taylor]]
|dcmdtsfmc=
|sgtmajsfmc= 
}}
The '''Starfleet Marine Corps''', or ''SFMC'', is a department of [[Starfleet]] founded in 2161, charged with being the dedicated peacekeeping, ground assault of the [[United Federation of Planets]]. The Corps represents the practical reality that, despite the vaunted ideals of the Federation which Starfleet embodies, they exist in a continuously hostile and aggressive galaxy and require a dedicated military arm to deter hostile actions and provide a dedicated force of soldiers to augment Starfleet's otherwise defensively-oriented military operations.

They are a relatively small department, and routinely detach groups of Marines to starships on an as-needed basis, depending on the mission and the commanding officer's desires.

Starfleet Marine Corps members can be distinguished by the forest green colored undershirt to the traditional Starfleet uniform and their unique rank pips.

== History ==
=== MACOs ===
During the formation of the Federation, it was decided that in the wake of the Earth-Romulan War that a ground presence was need since Starfleet Security was low on manpower and equipment. At the time of it formation, it was not known as the Starfleet Marine Corps, it would remain known as [[memoryalpha:Military Assault Command Operations|Military Assault Command Operations]], also known as MACOs. The MACOs were used to fulfill the ground assault role for starships and act as an extra protective force.

For nearly a century and a half, the MACO office at West Point, New York, was an independent body, comprised of trained military personnel and Starfleet officers in brevet positions within the structure, lending tactical expertise and advanced training facilities for Starfleet Security. Officer and enlisted exchange was common between the two organizations; [[Starfleet Security]] saw that the training was valuable for keeping their personnel sharp, and the MACOs benefited from the mobility of the Starfleet organization.

Several senior high ranking officers inside of Starfleet was not happy with the MACOs retaining their own command authoity an having to seek approval to use them. They were envious of the special operations structure that the MACOs had developed. In turn, the MACOs relied very heavily on Starfleet to ferry them around, and their harmonious relationship often brought up talks about their merging. There were several attempts to bring the MACO structure under the control of Starfleet. The most worthwhile movements for this were put on hold in 2293, after the [[Klingon Empire]] and the Federation entered into the [[memoryalpha:Khitomer Accords|Khitomer Accords]], and several MACO bases of operations were no longer needed along the Klingon border. It was also during this time that an embarrassment occurred when Colonel Patrick West, tactical adviser to the President, was discovered to be in the Cartwright conspiracy, and was killed during a botched assassination attempt of both the President and the Klingon Chancellor.

Other parts of Starfleet, the people who wanted Starfleet to continue on the science and exploration and to be less viewed as a military force, kept pushing the MACO structure away. Several Starfleet captains denied their own personnel training at West Point due to this conflict; some even were very prejudiced towards the people that had received the training, a feeling that still runs through Starfleet to this day. Considerable conventional resistance was encountered at every step of the way, with Starfleet's peaceful exploration pushing the MACO structure away. From 2295 to well into the 2310s, this was the situation.

MACO fully merged with Starfleet on 10 November 2320, after tensions with the Klingon Empire and the start of a [[Cardassian Union|Cardassian]]-Federation conflict stretched [[Starfleet Security]] too thin to guarantee the safety and security of the Federation. An Executive Order issued by the [[Federation#Executive Branch|Federation President]] at the time and ratified by the Federation Council amended the charter of Starfleet to form the department known as the Starfleet Marine Corps.

=== 2320 to the Dominion War ===
Almost instantaneously, there were challenges for the newly minted department. There were members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Starfleet who were unhappy with having to dedicate resources to the new department. The Director of Starfleet Science whom was a member of the exploration arms, did not like the Marines in Starfleet, and wanted them removed. However, since the POUFP had a mandate that handled their merger and creation this created a great deal resentment overnight.

Nevertheless, the Starfleet Marine Corps was pressed into service right away, setting up bases of operations along the Cardassian border, as well as the Gorn and Tholian border regions. 

It should be noted that the Marines were not only used for battle. When a Federation member asked for a peacekeeping force to enter their planet, the Marine Corps was asked in to represent the Federation. Marines were first used as the first line of defense for all Federation embassies scattered around the galaxy in 2339, and, in a joint operation with [[Starfleet Security]], still make up Federation Embassy Security to this day.

During the [[memoryalpha:Federation-Cardassian|Federation-Cardassian War]] the Commandant of the Marine Corps at the time, ordered that five division be mobilized to the border for enhanced defenses. However, since the Corps was dependent upon Starfleet there were a lack of deployment cruisers, once set on a planet it was difficult and time consuming to move the divisions, as a result the Marine were not as able to defend the colonies as they should have been.

Following the end of the Federation-Cardassian War in a surprising vote, the Federation Council ordered that the Starfleet Marine Corps be downsized to a at peace forces. This call recalled nearly all Marines back to Sol III and virtually disbanded the Marine Corp. With no force able to challenge Starfleet, and the Marines having not been a decisive force since before the [[memoryalpha:Organian Peace Treaty|Organian Peace Treaty]] the Marine Corp was reduced to ten divisions which were strategically places at Core Worlds. As a result if this action, General Wolf Lemon would resign as the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

In 2367, the Federation and Starfleet would see and event that had never been foreseen as the [[memoryalpha:Battle of Wolf 359|Battle of Wolf 359]]. It was during this battle that Starfleet saw a major loss outside of a declared war, where they faced an enemy that had never been seen before. The [[/First Marine Division|1st Marine Division]] and the [[/Second Marine Division|2nd Marine Division]]s were forced to watch helpless from their headquarters on Luna and Titan as over eleven thousand Starfleet personnel either killed or assimilated. 

Following this battle, the Federation Council voted for the rearmament of the Marine Corp since it was shown that Starfleet was not equipped to handle an opponent. The Marine Corps was expanded at the time for a Division to every fleet.

=== Dominion War ===

The [[memoryalpha:Dominion War|Dominion War]] started in late 2373, and the Marines were there to answer the call of battle. Being a mobile infantry corps armed with advanced weaponry, Marine bases were the only places to at least hold their lines during the first assault of Cardassian and Dominion troops on the ground along the Cardassian border.

The ground operations during the [[memoryalpha:First Battle of Chin'toka|First Battle of Chin'toka]] was fought mainly with Marines and Klingons working side by side, representing a joint operations in mind that quelled some of the distrust of the former combatants in the brief Federation-Klingon conflicts of 2372. Further operations include three failed operations to retake Betazed in 2374 and the fourth successful push in a joint operation with [[Reman]] commandos in 2375.

== Capabilities ==
The primary role of the Marines within the fleet is to maintain a well-armed offensive & defensive force for rapid deployment anywhere within Federation and outlying space. When assigned to a starship or starbase’s Marine detachments work with the crew in battles, board enemy ships and conduct planetary actions as well as assist in the protection of starbase's port. They also serve as a landing force to secure an area for transporter or shuttle landing. 

Unlike security, Marines do not walk a patrol, investigate crime or administer the brig and, unlike tactical, Marines do not operate the ship's weaponry. Because of their mixed land and space role, Marine forces are mainly specialized in planetary assaults using Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Air/Spacecraft, and other means. They train for many combat scenarios including hostage recovery, rescue of Federation citizens caught in the midst of conflict as well as full ground based combat.

Marines also specialize in Visit, Board, Search & Seizure (VBSS) operations allowing them to assault, board and gain control of enemy vessels and stations as well as the job of sabotage. These specializations give Starfleet vessels an edge in combat.

Since the Marine Corps does not employ many unique combat arms, as a force it has the ability to rapidly deploy a combined-arms task force to almost anywhere in the Federation within days. The basic structure for all deployed units is a Marine Advance Ground-Space Task Force (MAGSTF) that integrates a ground combat element, an aviation combat element and a Logistics combat element combat component under a common Command element. While the creation of joint commands has improved inter-service coordination between the Fleet and The Corps', their ability to maintain integrated multi-element task forces under a single command provides a smoother implementation of combined-arms warfare principles.

== Organization ==
{{main|/Organization of the Starfleet Marine Corps|l1=Organization of the Starfleet Marine Corps}}
The senior most Marine in the Marine Corps is the [[Starfleet Marine Corps Commandant]]; this individual is responsible for setting mandates for the Corps and for overseeing the training and operations of the Corps. They are assisted by the [[Starfleet Marine Corps Assistant Commandant]], both hold the rank of General. They also serve as the point of contact between the Corps and the [[Federation Council]] as well as between the Corps and the Fleet. 

=== Space-ground task forces ===

=== Marine Corps camops ===
The Marine Corps operates many major camps, several of which host operating forces, several support and training installations, as well as satellite facilities. Marine Corps' bases are concentrated around the locations of the [[Marine Expeditionary Force]]s, though reserve units are scattered throughout the Federation.

Other important camps include air stations, recruit depots, logistics bases, and training commands. Marines operate detachments at many installations owned by Starfleet and Federation member worlds to better share resources, such as specialty schools. Marines are also present at, and operate many, forward camps during expeditionary operations.

== Personnel ==

=== Leadership ===
As stated above, the [[Commandant of the Marine Corps]] is the highest-ranking officer of the Marine Corps; though s/he may not be the senior officer by time in grade and/or position of office. S/he is both the symbolic and functional head of the Corps, and holds a position of very high esteem among Marines. The Commandant has the responsibility to man, train, and equip the Marine Corps. S/he does not serve as a direct battlefield commander. The Commandant is a member of the [[Chiefs of Staff of Starfleet]], and reports to the [[Commander, Starfleet]].

The [[Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps]] acts as a deputy to the Commandant. The [[Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps]] is the senior enlisted Marine, and acts as an adviser to the Commandant. [[Headquarters Marine Corps]] comprises the rest of the Commandant's counsel and staff, with deputy Commandants that oversee various aspects of the Corps assets and capabilities.

=== Rank structure ===
{{Main|Marine Rank}}

As in the rest of [[Starfleet]], Marine Corps ranks fall into one of three categories: commissioned officer, warrant officer (, and enlisted, in decreasing order of authority. To standardize compensation, each rank is assigned a [[pay grade]].

=== Initial training ===

{{Branches of Starfleet}}