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Marines aren't just used for invasion. They'd be good for defending enemy troops landing, or boarding attacing enemy ships.

I'd say Starfleet would be more prone to using "standard" security forces for that purpose.

idk. we're not sending Cix and his security officers onto the BC over in the Daystrom RP are we.

No, and that's exactly my point. Why would you house "amphibious" or assault troops on an immobile station?

Mikey wrote:No, and that's exactly my point. Why would you house "amphibious" or assault troops on an immobile station?

The answer: most people have absolutely no clue that "Marine" means more than a guy on a ship with a gun and just assume that any soldier on a naval vessel or installation is a "Marine".

to attack incoming ships, I think that Marines, who would be trained to move into enemy installations, such as ships or planetary bases, as a part of their "amphibious" training would be ideal for beaming aboard enemy ships over Starfleet Security, who are usually just there to defend against raiding parties and suppress bar fights.

also in the Daystrom RP, we've got marines on the starbase. 3rd Batallion (Auxiliry Batallion) and 4th Batallion Alpha Company stays on the station (admittedly they are the HQ Company)

no Kendall, I realize that Marines are usually amphibious assult troops, however they are used for differnt operations as well.

It's just that this class of outpost has one purpose, to detect and defend against incusions of hostile powers. Why would we WANT to board an attacking ship? If we're getting attacked, that means it's an act of war, and we're just gonna kill the enemy with extreme predjudice.

ah, i see your point now.

Exactly what I was trying to say. Boarding a ship is an offensive tactic, not a defensive one; and as such, would really have no place in the role of a static facility.

Lt. Staplic wrote:Marines aren't just used for invasion. They'd be good for defending enemy troops landing, or boarding attacing enemy ships.

is that what you meant to say

Well, only if the Marines were REALLY mad at us.

Lt. Staplic wrote:Marines aren't just used for invasion. They'd be good for defending against enemy troops, or landing on/boarding attacking enemy ships.

that's what I ment to say.

The strength of a Marine unit is not defensive, however. You might as well not invent non-existent branches of service, and use security forces. Or, to keep up the analogy with modern RL militaries - Marines take, armies hold.

Mikey wrote:...Marines take, armies hold.

Exactly. My friend in the Corps said himself: Marines are not for defense. They're for attacking enemy positions, and flattening anything that gets in their way. They make lousy garrisons, which is where the Army comes in.

Except of course in the case of USMC embassy duties. My father-in-law, retired jarhead tanker that he is, has always been fond of telling me the story of the first man he killed in the service - embassy duty in Lebanon in the '50's, and he wasn't allowed to use a firearm, etc.