Chapter 3: Star Fleet

Star Fleet is the armed peace-keeping force of the United Federation of Planets. Its mission is two-fold. The priciple role of the Star Fleet is to maintain interplanetary peace and security. However, Star Fleet is also charged with instructing its members in all fields of science and technology so that, when not engaged in military operations, its ships may undertaken scientific exploration and investigation of the Treaty Exploration Territory. Most ASR players portray characters in the United Federation of Planets Star Fleet Navy and Marine Corps. These organizations combine the traditional military defense role with diplomatic and exploration missions. Star Fleet also employs a number of civilians aboard bases and non-military units.

3.1 SF Careers

Star Fleet personnel come from every concievable background and races from more than 250 different worlds and their colonies. The Star Fleet offers individuals a wide range of experiences. The mission of Star Fleet includes such diverse missions as cultural attache, science attache, and ambassadorial aide, Star Fleet Academy Instructor, and officers serving on starships and starbases.  Federation citizens may pursue careers in the Star Fleet Navy or Star Fleet Marine Corps as officers or enlisted persons.

In ASR, most players portray Star Fleet officers. Star Fleet Officers have a greater level of shared experiences than many other persons within the Star Fleet organization. Nearly all Star Fleet officers are graduates of the Star Fleet Academy, located on Earth. They are the elite of the elite, the most talented of all of the citizens of the Federation. (See Chapter 4 for more information about Star Fleet Academy.)

Officers in the Star Fleet Navy are line officers, staff corps officers, or limited duty officers.  Line officers are officers eligible for an operational command, that is a command in space.  Restricted line officers are those who have entered service as line officers through a non-traditional route and whose promotion is limited, usually to lieutenant commander (O-4).  Staff corps officers are those assigned to the support of the operational commands and are not eligible for command.  The staff corps include the Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Nurse Corps, Supply Corps, Chaplain Corps, Counselor Corps, and the Judge Advocate General Corps.  Limited duty officers are commissioned warrant officers who hold the authority of a line officer within their limited area of expertise.

3.2 SF Ranks
 

3.3 Forms of Address (Game Standard and variations)

The game standard is that of Her Majesty's Navy (British Royal Navy). It is relatively simple and nearly reflects that of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It implies:

• Flag officers: All flag officers are called 'Admiral,' in direct address, regardless of grade. A Commodore is called 'Commodore.'

• The Captain is called 'Captain' in direct address, regardless of grade. Some smaller ships have captains which are not Captains (O-6); however, while on their vessels they are addressed as 'Captain.'

• A Lieutenant Commander is usually addressed as simply 'Commander,' unless the setting is formal, such as a Board of inquiry and the like.  Likewise, a Lieutenant, Junior Grade (O-2) is addressed simply as 'Lieutenant' unless the situation warrants otherwise.

• Any other officer is called either by rank or 'Mister.'

• Warrant Officers are properly addressed as 'Mr. McGuinn,' etc. They are not to be called 'Chief' in the Navy. They very definitely rate 'Sir,' from enlisted crewmen and NCOs.

• NCOs are addressed solely by their rank. Chief Petty Officers are called 'Chief,' 'Senior Chief,' 'Master Chief,' though it is permissible to address a master or senior chief as 'Chief' informally. Enlisted crewman are typically called by last names, *without* 'Mister' attached or as 'Crewman.'

• Marines are addressed by their rank. They are not called 'Mister.' Predictably, in direct address, LTM and LCOL's are called 'Major' and 'Colonel' respectively.  Likewise, all 'Corporals' and 'Sergeants' are called such, regardless of their grades. A 'Sergeant-Major' is called such, without exception.

• 'Mister' is an appropriate form of address both for superiors and subordinates. You may call a superior up to the rank of O-4 'Mister' without giving offense. Courtesy dictates calling the XO 'Commander,' regardless of whether he is an O-4 or O-5.

Ways to Report

There are two 'accepted' ways to report:

• "Smith, John, *Master Chief Petty Officer* reporting for orders, Sir." (preferred by hard core old liners and NCOs AND marines.)

• "Ensign John Smith reporting for orders, Sir." (preferred by most junior officers.)

3.4 Billet Descriptions

This section describes the basic billets open to player characters in ASR.  Some units and fleets define positions slightly differently or include additional billets.  This manual attempts to list the common billets and a general definition of the duties of that billet.

Command Billets

Command billets are filled by experienced members of the club who have demonstrated leadership potential and dedication to ASR.  These billets are not available to new players.

The Commanding Officer

The commanding officer (CO) is the officer actually in command of a vessel. He is a line officer, and in case of his absence or death he is succeeded by the line officer next in rank. Whatever his rank may be, the commanding officer is always called "the Captain."

The captain represents the ship; he speaks for it. He is accountable for it. He is responsible for all members of his crew and all their acts. He does not make excuses or pass blame to others. Since he is accountable for all that the ship does, for the quality of training aboard, and for the conduct of the crew at all times, he is likewise given full power to enforce Star Fleet Regulations aboard the ship and to insure that the crew behaves accordingly. In short, since his responsibility is complete, his authority must also be complete.

Though all authority, command, direction, and responsibility ultimately rests with the captain, in practice the captain delegates the duties necessary for carrying out the functions of the ship to the executive officer, to the heads of the departments, to the officer of the deck, and through them to the crew.

In non-role playing terms, the CO is responsible to the Fleet Commander for the day-to-day running of the ship.  He may, in accordance with the policy of his fleet commander, promote officers to ranks no greater than two grades junior to his own rank.  For instance a CO with the rank of captain (O-6) may promote crew to the rank of lieutenant commander (O-4), while a CO with the rank commander (O-5) may only promote to the rank of lieutenant (O-3).  Some fleet commanders will ask to be consulted on all promotion, others will do so only for promotions above the two-grade point.  The CO is responsible for providing any information that the club administration requires which may include rosters, crew personnel files, web pages, and status reports.  These duties may be delegated to volunteers from the crew.

The Executive Officer (or First Officer)

The executive officer (XO; First Officer, FO) is the line officer next in rank to the captain. Under the direction of the captain he has entire charge of all matters relating to the personnel, routine, and discipline of the ship. All orders issued by him are considered as coming from the captain. In case of the absence or disability of the captain, the executive officer assumes command. He is, by virtue of his position, senior to all staff officers on board.

In non-role play terms, the XO is responsible for backing up the commanding officer.  As the second senior member of the command team, he is expected to help the captain motivate the story line.  If the captain is absent for any reason, the XO is responsible to take over the day-to-day operations of the CO until such time as the captain resumes normal activity.  The XO will usually maintain the personnel files.

The Operations Officer

Often third in command of the ship, the operations officer is the head of the operations department.  He is responsible for collecting, evaluating, and disseminating combat and operational information.   He also allocates ship's resources and coordinates interdepartmental projects, including those which involve engineering or sciences.

The Combat Information Center (CIC) Officer  (sometimes called Strategic Operations Officer, SOO)

The Combat Information Department works closely with the Operations Department.  The primary functions of department is to collect, evaluate, and disseminate information for the Commanding Officer to fight the ship or protect national interests throughout the world.  All of these tasks are accomplished in the confines of the Combat Information Center(CIC) using various electronic gear and sensor systems. CIC is considered the "Nerve Center" of  the unit where this information is compiled and displayed for possible engagement. An easy way to explain the job of the CIC is, "Find the good guy's, find the bad guy's."

Chief master-at-arms/Chief Security Officer  

The chief master-at-arms (if the person is enlisted) or the chief security officer (is a warrant officer or officer) and the men assigned to him are responsible for the internal discipline of the crew. Ship's security is not, technically, a department. However, when the chief of security is a junior officer, he is often included in staff meetings for exposure to the departmental level job that he may one day hold. Ship's security is generally a small group of enlisted persons except when a ship lacks a marine contingent. The CMAA/CSO works closely with the Marine Officer, if one is present, to insure the security of the ship and away missions.

Ship's security is not, technically, a department. However, when the chief of security is a junior officer, he is often included in staff meetings for exposure to the departmental level job that he may one day hold. Most security personnel are cross trained in tactical operations and may be used to supplement the combat systems department.

Department Head Billets

Each department of a ship is under a department head who is responsible for all matters pertaining to the department, such as: organization, training, safety, security, material conditions, maintenance, cleanliness, and the conduct of assigned officers and men.  Most characters in ASR are the department head of one of the major ship board departments.

The navigator (NAV; sometimes flight control officer, FCO) is responsible, under the commanding officer, for the safe navigation and piloting of the ship.  Most of the actual handling of the ship is done by a quartermaster, an enlisted person with a rating in starship handling, though the naigator can take the helm at any time.  He is also tasked with maintaining the ship's navigational charts and other navigation aides.

The tactical officer (TAC) is in charge of the combat systems department.  This department is in charge of the defence of the ship from external threats. It is responsible for all general maintenance and handling of the weapons sys tems, fire control computers, targeting systems, electronic countermeasures, and other combat systems aboard ship.

The combat systems department is also responsible for the training of personnel who man the local fire control stations for all weapon, electronic counter measures (ECM), electronic counter-counter measures (ECCM), and point defence systems.

Note: While much of the fire control is normally handled remotely, ship's weapons systems are capable of operating under local control. This allows the ship to continue to fight even if links between the bridge and weapons stations are severed. Local control is not as efficient or effective as centralized control, especially in the case of ECM and point defence systems, but it can be the difference between life and death if the bridge is hit.)

The chief engineering officer (ENG; sometimes, CEO) leads the engineering department.  He is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all propulsion and auxiliary machinery, the control of damage, the maintenance of shuttlecraft systems, the repair of the hull and its fixtures, and all repairs beyond the capacity of other departments.  The chief engineering officer has several other commissioned or limited duty officers who report to him.  These officers are in charge of various engineering subsystems or responsibilities including main propulsion and damage control.

The chief science officer (SCI; sometimes CSciO) is the senior bridge-qualified science officer.  This person is generally a line officer with some knowledge of science and qualified as a science adminsitrator and is not necessarily the most senior or accomplished science officer aboard the ship.  The science officer is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the bridge science terminals and scientific sensor arrays. He is also responsible for respource allocation within the subdepartments (astrophysics, xenobiology, botany, etc.) which make up the science department.

The chief medical officer (MED; sometimes, CMO) is the senior officer of the Medical Corps serving on the ship and is, thereforce, in command of the medical department.  He is responsible for maintaining the health of the officers and crew; the treatment and care of the sick and wounded; the sanitation and hygiene of the ship and its company; the inspection of the ship, food, and water insofar as the health of the crew may be affected; and for training and directing personnel assigned to the medical department.

The counselor (COU or CNS) sees to the mental health of the crew. The counselor coordinates with the Administrative Department to assist in career counseling and personnel evaluations. The counselor is also responsible for research of alien psychology during first contact and other applicable situations.  Additionally, the counselor serves as the ship's protocol officer should one not be assigned.

Other Billets

The Marine commanding officer (MCO) is in command of the ship's Marine detachment, although not a department head, occupies a somewhat similar position with respect to the administration of the Marines aboard in matters pertaining strictly to the Marine Corps. He is one of the division officers of the combat systems department inasmuch as the Marine detachment is a regular part of the ship's company.

Note: In practice, the Marine officer usually reports to the ship's executive officer. When his men are detached for duty with other shipboard departments, they answer to the autority of the departmental officers. The Marine officer is almost always included in senior staff meetings.

Marine officers are not qualified to command a starship and, hence, like medical officers, not eligibility for starship command.

The Marine detachment commander is responsible to the ship's captain for the efficiency of his detachment and for the phases of ship's internal administration that are applicable to the detachment. He is responsible to the tactical officer for training conducted under his supervision, and for the care, preservation, and operation of such equipment, supplies, and spaces as are assigned to the Marine detachment by the department head.

Marines serve as ceremonial and security guards in space or in part. Marines may be detached for other duties in space, such as communications, staff, liason, and flight duty.

The functions of a Marine detachment detailed for duty aboard a ship are:

• To provide a unit organized, trained, and equipped for operations in dock or as part of the ship's landing party.

• To provide gun crews.

• To provide internal security for the ship.

The flight operations officer (FOPS) is generally found only on starbases.  This officer is responsible for the oversight of the flight operations department which is tasked with the care of all craft docked at the base and the operations of all docking and repair facilities.

The protocol officer (PRO) is usually only seen in association with sensitive diplomatic missions where attention to fine detail may be critical to sensitive negotiations.

3.5 Chain of Command

There are two chains of command in ASR which often, but not always coincide.  The military chain of command operates within a ship for role playing.  Each department head has officers and enlisted men which report to him.  In turn, the department head reports to the executive officer.  The executive officer reports to the commanding officer.  The commanding officer reports to the task force commander who reports, in turn, to the fleet commander.  The fleet commander reports to the Chief of Star Fleet Operations (CSFO).  The CSFO reports to the Commander in Chief Star Fleet (CINCSF).  When reporting aboard a ship or base, a character should report to the commanding officer and present his orders.

The second chain of command deals with players rather than the characters.  The out-of-character, or non-role play (NRP), chain of command is present to respond to manage the flow of the story and to respond to any player questions or concerns.  Often this chain of command involves the same people who play the characters behind the positions in the military chain of command.  Sometimes, however, a commanding officer will be assisted by a senior player on the ship and in the club who is playing a junior character in the military chain of command.  Players should first ask questions or attempt to settle problems with other players in the unit.  If there is a difficulty that cannot be resolved, the dispute should be taken to the XO, then to the CO.  Should no satisfactory response to the question or concern be found, the process continues according to the military chain of command above passing to task force command, fleet commander, CSFO, and, finally, to the CINCSF.

The last chain of command involves the branch services.  The ASR Branches provide background support material for the shared universe.  The branch commanders report to the Commander Star Fleet Logistics (COMLOG) who reports to the CINCSF.  The branch commanders are available to assist all players in ASR and to answer questions about the ASR universe.  They are also responsible for maintaining continuity of the official background story material in ASR.

3.6 Civilian Personnel

On many starships and starbases, there are also civilian personnel.  In general, civilians are only present in large numbers on starships or starbases operating in relatively secure regions of space and not likely to be serving in combat.  However, deep space exploration vessels will often carry the families of Star Fleet crew members or civilian specialists.  This allows the crew to continue their home and family life and helps provide specialized skills for the ship.

In ASR, most players choose to play commissioned officers in the Star Fleet Navy.  However, it is also possible to play a civilian character.  These characters are handled on a case-by-case basis.  If you are interested in playing a civilian character, please contact your fleet commander or the CSFO for additional information.

3.7 Promotion and Advancement

There are few hard and fast rules for promotion in ASR.  Promotions are generally decided in consultation between the fleet commander and unit commanding officer.  They are based on the player's time of service, demonstrated writing ability, reliability, and interactions with the crew.  A player who puts sincere effort into his writing, establishes a good working relationship with his fellow writers, and who posts regularly is a generally a good candidate for promotion.

Although individual fleet commanders are free to establish their own guidelines and captain's should consult with their fleet commander for details regarding the promotion of crew members, it is normal for a commanding officer to be able to promote crew members up to a rank two grades below his own.  That is, a commanding officer who is a captain (O-6) may promote officers to the rank of lieutenant commander (O-4) while a commanding officer who is only a lieutenant commander (O-4) could only promote officer to lieutenant, junior grade, (O-2) on his authority.  The executive officer is often only one grade junior to the captain.  This promotion is almost invariably made directly by the fleet commander.  It is possible to have officers of only one grade junior to the captain; however, these promotions are almost always made with the direct approval of the fleet commander.

3.8 Uniforms

The United Federation of Planets Star Fleet Naval uniform is black and grey.  Officer's service uniform consists of a black, waste-length tunic with charcoal grey across the collar-bone and shoulders.  The tunic is low-collared and sealed up the middle with an invisible closure.  The blouse is a turtleneck in division or corps color (command and operations red, support mustard, staff officer blue, etc.).  Trousers are straight cut and fit tightly over low-topped, black space boots.  Tunic and trousers are untrimmed.

Rank insignia are work on the right collar of the blouse.  The Star Fleet insignia/communications badge is worn on the left brest of the tunic.  In the Star Fleet Navy, but not in the Star Fleet Marine Corps, cuff stripes of gold braid also serve to indicate rank.
 

The Star Fleet Naval cuff stripes are headed by the line insignia or one of the corps insignia.  These devices as well as division and corps colors are presented in appendix H.  The graphical version of this table can be found in appendix I.  Collar insignia with division colored background, warrant officer, and enlisted insignia are pictured in appendix O.

Dress uniforms are a more elaborate version of the basic service uniform and is made of more elegant and less utilitarian fabric.  The tunic entirely black and is more heavily tailored.  The dress tunic has a high, "Prussian" collar.  The dress trousers are straight cut and fit tightly over space boots.  The tunic is trimmed with division-colored piping along the collar-bone line.  The trousers are trimmed in division color piping up the outer seam.  Medal ribbons, qualification, and service badges are worn on the right breast of the tunic.

The mess dress is similar in tailoring to the dress uniform; however, it is of a more formal design.  Flag officers and commanding officers wear a white blouse under a formal white jacket, piped in the color of their division, and corresponding stripes around the cuffs of the sleeves (flag officers have 2 stripes; all other officers have a single stripe); other officers wear a teal blouse under a white jacket, piped and striped in similar fashion.  Warrant officers have a white jacket with teal shoulders over a teal blouse with a gold-piped collar.  Trousers for all officers are black, with a single stripe in the division color down the leg. 

The enlisted service uniform is similar in appearance to the officer's uniform.  The colors on the tunic are reversed.  The body of the tunic is grey and the shoulder area is black. 

The enlisted dress uniform is simpler than the officer dress uniform.  It is made of finer material than the service uniform, but is otherwise similar in appearance.  The dress tunic for enlisted men is entirely black.

The enlisted mess dress uniform consists of a teal jacket, piped and striped in the division color, over a teal blouse with white piping around the collar.  As with the officers, the pants are black with a single stripe denoting division down the side.

Working uniforms for both officers and enlisted personnel are jumpsuits similar in general appearance to the two-piece service uniform, but made of more durable fabrics.

Marine shipboard duty uniforms are similar to their naval counterparts.  The wrists of the officer's tunic have a single 2 cm green band, regardless of rank, rather than the gold cuff rings of the navy. Marine officer dress uniforms have navy blue pants. Accents on the uniform are in red. The marine enlisted dress uniform is identical to the naval enlisted dress uniform.  The marine dress mess uniform, instead of having a white or teal jacket, consists of a navy blue jacket over a white blouse and black trousers.  However, officer jackets are piped with gold (flag officers having two cuff stripes; other officers having one), while the enlisted personnel jackets are piped in silver.

When on surface duty, the marines normally wear combat dress which consists of ablative armor plates over a flexible mesh base.  The plates affixed to the mesh cover arms, torso, and legs.  Joints are covered by plates which are flexibly attached to the other armored plates.  The groin is covered by a flexible armored skirt.  Combat dress has a reactive camoflage system.  A low-power system alters the pattern of the camoflage to blend with the current background.  When the power unit is off, the combat dress appears to be a dull, dark grey-green.

When serving as part of work crews, both officers and enlisted personnel are permitted to wear coveralls.  Coveralls are a black, one-piece jump suit with grey shoulders.  They have an invisible closure from the waste to the neck.

The list of medals which may be awarded is included in section 5.5.  The detailed description and ribbon graphics for the above awards are included as appendix D of this manual.  Mess dress uniforms are presented in appendix J.  Dress uniforms are presented in appendix K.  Service uniforms are presented in appendix L.

3.9 Regulations and General Orders

In order to remain as consistent in possible in implementing the policies of the United Federation of Planets in the field, Star Fleet has established a series of general orders, regulations, directives, and guidelines to govern the behaviour of Star Fleet personnel.  Violations of these policies are punishable in accorance with the Uniform Code of Justice.  Cases involving the UCJ are overseen by the Star Fleet Judge Advocate General Corps.  See appendix Q for more information on the JAG Corps.

General orders are the highest level of regulation governing the actions of Star Fleet personnel.  Any violation of a general order is automatically investigated by the Judge Advocate General Corps, though not all investigations result in charges.  Regulations relate to the specific duties aboard ship and are generally enforced be department heads or the commanding officer.  Guidelines are, simply, general rules of operations that should be followed under normal circulstances.  They are intended to insure the safety of Star Fleet personnel.  Directives are standard operating procedures established by fleet command.

Examples of some of the most important general orders and regulations follow.

• General Order 1- As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.

• General Order 2- No Starfleet personnel shall unnecessarily use force, either collectively or individually, against members of the United Federation of Planets, their duly authorized representatives, spokespersons, or designated leaders, or members of any sentient non-member race, for any reason whatsoever.

• General Order 3- The sovereignty of each Federation member being respected in all things, Starfleet personnel shall observe any and all statutes, laws, ordinances, and rules of governance currently in effect within the jurisdiction of a member planet. Violators of such ordinances will be subject to such punishments or corrections as shall be determined by local governmental bodies.

• General Order 4- If contact is made with hitherto undiscovered intelligent life-forms, under no circumstance shall Starfleet personnel, either by word or deed, inform said life-forms that worlds other than their own or intelligent life-forms other than their own exist outside the confines of their own space.

• General Order 5- In cases of extreme emergency, Federation special representatives are empowered to assume emergency powers to deal with a condition or circumstance that is deemed hazardous to the welfare of Federation citizenry. Within the scope of these emergency powers, duly authorized civilian personnel may assume temporary command of Starfleet vessels and/or personnel to deal with the emergency. Starfleet personnel must submit to their authority for the duration of the crisis.

• General Order 6- The request for emergency assistance from Federation citizenry demands unconditional priority from Starfleet personnel. Such personnel shall immediately respond to said request, postponing all other activities.

• General Order 7- No Starfleet vessel shall visit the planet Talos IV under any circumstances, emergency or otherwise. This order supersedes all other General Orders. Any transgression of this general order shall be punishable by death.

• General Order 8- Upon sighting a warship within Federation space and identifying it as belonging to a foreign power, the commander of the Starfleet vessel shall determine the reason(s) for that craft's presence in the vicinity. If there is conclusive evidence that the vessel has hostile intentions, the Federation vessel may take appropriate action to safeguard the lives and property of Federation members. In such cases, the commander may use his discretion in deciding whether to use force to disable the hostile vessel. However, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary loss of sentient life.

• General Order 9- No commander of a Starfleet vessel, military or auxiliary, may grant political asylum to any individual without first being given express permission to do so by a representative of the Federation government.

• General Order 10- If there exists eyewitness testimony by senior officers or similar verifiable evidence that an individual has violated the Prime Directive, said individual may be relieved of duty by a duly sworn representative of the Federation government and placed under immediate arrest. The governmental representative shall then take such action as he deems necessary to minimize the results of the violation.

• General Order 11- Starfleet officers with the rank of captain or higher are granted full authority to negotiate conditions of agreement and/or treaties with legal representatives of non-Federation planets. In such circumstances, the acting officer carries de facto powers of a Federation Special Ambassador. Any and all agreements arranged in this manner are subject to approval by the Chief of Starfleet Operations and the Secretary of Starfleet.

• General Order 12- Federation officers may violate Neutral Zone areas as designated by treaty only if such action is required to save the lives of Federation citizens under conditions of extreme emergency.

• General Order 13- Except when direct orders state to the contrary, Starfleet personnel will respect the territorial integrity of independent planetary systems and governments, and will not violate territorial space belonging to such worlds.

• General Order 14- Starfleet personnel may intervene in local planetary affairs to restore general order and to secure the lives and property of Federation citizens only upon receiving a direct order to do so from a civilian official with the title of governor or higher.

• General Order 15- No officer of flag rank shall travel into a potentially hazardous area without suitable armed escort.

• General Order 16- Starfleet personnel may extend technological, medical, or other scientific assistance to a member of a previously unrecognized sentient species only if such assistance in no way compromises the Prime Directive or the security of the Federation or Starfleet.

• General Order 17- Starfleet vessel captains are to consider the lives of their crew members as sacred. In any potentially hostile situation, the captain will place the lives of his crew above the fate of his ship.

• General Order 18- Upon being accused of treason against the Federation, Starfleet personnel may demand a trial conducted by the Federation judiciary, foregoing a Courts-Martial. Starfleet may choose to prosecute, or may forego prosecution in favor of a Federation judiciary prosecutor.  If the individual is acquitted, Starfleet Command shall have no further legal recourse against the accused in said matter.

• General Order 19- Except in times of declared emergency, Starfleet personnel may under no circumstances convey personnel or material between planets or planetary systems when there is reason to believe that said personnel or material may be used to conduct aggression. This order applies to independent worlds within Federation territory as well as to Federation members.

• General Order 20- Officers and personnel of Starfleet Command may employ whatever means necessary to prevent the possession, transportation, sale, or commercial exchange of sentient beings held against their wishes within the boundaries of Federation space.

• General Order 21- No Starfleet personnel, either officer or enlisted, may offer his services to an independent foreign government without the express authorization of the Federation Assembly except in cases of an emergency.  Starship captains and Starfleet Flag officers unable to contact the Federation Assembly are considered to be acting representatives of the Federation Assembly, but can be called to account for actions taken in this capacity by the Federation judiciary and the Federation Assembly.

• General Order 22- As the rights of individual expression and free discourse are considered sacred, Starfleet personnel may debate the policies and decisions of their governmental representatives privately at any time, to the extent that such discussions do not violate their command oath or specific duties to the Federation per these General Orders or Starfleet regulations.

• General Order 23- When verifiable proof is presented to the senior commanding officer of a Starfleet vessel or post that a Federation representative may currently be acting or have acted in the past to violate the Prime Directive, the officer may relieve said representative of office, then assume the full powers of that office pending a full investigation by governmental officials.

• General Order 24- If a commanding officer deems that an individual or group of individuals pose a threat to Starfleet personnel or Federation civilians, he may take any action deemed necessary (including force) to secure the safety of those threatened.

• General Order 25- Civilian and military personnel taken into custody by Starfleet personnel during times of extreme emergency shall be accorded proper treatment consistent with their rank or station, insofar as such treatment does not compromise the security of the Federation or Starfleet.

• General Order 26- No member of a ship's complement or other ground-based installation can be held directly accountable for the actions of their superiors. Similarly, no member of a ship's company or other Starfleet personnel will share in disciplinary measures taken against the commanding officer(s) if said individuals were not directly involved in the actions leading to disciplinary measures. This order extends to conditions involving proven violations of the Prime Directive, where proof of such violations exist.

• General Order 27- No member of Starfleet shall be required by the assignment of standard duties and responsibilities to undergo extended separation from his family if family members can be reasonably provided for aboard ship or as a part of an existing Starfleet installation.

• General Order 28- No officer of command rank shall be removed from command status unless such action has the complete and unqualified agreement of at least three senior officers present. Whenever possible, such officers shall include the ship's First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Counselor, and one junior officer of command station.

• General Order 29- The primary responsibility of the commander of any Starfleet vessel or installation is the welfare and safety of his crew, including any civilian members. No action may be taken that creates an unwarranted threat to the safety of those individuals under the officer's charge, except in the line of duty and when otherwise unavoidable.

• General Order 30- Starfleet Command recognizes the right of each ship commander to interpret the specifications of the Prime Directive as he sees fit, consistent with the conditions of other existing general orders in effect, and based upon circumstances that may arise in dealing with newly discovered sentient races.

• General Order 31- The conditions and specifications of the Prime Directive shall henceforth apply to all sentient life-forms discovered, whether they are of natural or artificial origin.

• Order 104, Section B deals with the Chain of Command.

• Regulation 46A states that, if transmissions are being monitored during battle, no uncoded messages should be sent on an open channel.

• Regulation 42/15 is an engineering procedure relating to the impulse engines.  It is titled "Pressure Variances in the Impulse Reaction Chamber Tank Storage," and was written by Montgomery Scott.

• Regulation 157, Section III, Paragraph 18- which deals with time travel- states that all Starfleet officers are tot ake all necessary precautions to minimize any participation in historic events.

• One Away Team guideline forbids the transport of unknown infectious diseases onto a starship without first establishing containment and eradication protocols.

• Directive 101 assures that any individual accused of a crime has the right to remain silent.

• Starfleet's Temporal Displacement Policy prohibits time-traveling personnel from interfering in past timelines.

• Starfleet's General Engineering Code states that all mission-critical components must have a secondary backup should the primary backup fail.
  

3.10 Mission Types

Starfleet currently boasts a ship strength into the tens of thousands of varying sizes and classes, ranging from big warships like battleships and cruisers to support and auxilliary vessels such as warp tugs and freighters.  As such, these vessels routinely carry out missions of varying types, depending nearly as much on current fleet needs as on their design parameters.

• Exploration- As Federation boundaries grow, so does the amount of uncharted space both on the frontiers of her borders and inside.  As a result, though Starfleet has grown immensely since the days of Captain Kirk and the original 12 CONSTITUTION-Class heavy cruisers, exploration is still a major function- if not THE major function- of the fleet.  However, as any exploration of the unknown is by its very nature, such missions tend to be dangerous- and the ships that carry out these missions are specifically designed to handle the military and scientific burdens of said missions.  As a result, these missions are commonly carried out by explorers (about the size of a heavy cruiser) or multi-mission cruisers of a light cruiser size and strength.

• Patrol- Though Starfleet may not view itself as a purely military organization, it is required to handle such tasks; one of those tasks happens to be patrol.  Patrols are generally assigned to areas of high risk (such as the Romulan Neutral Zone or the border of any other hostile or potentially hostile neighbor), high traffic (such as major shipping lanes), or high value (such as the area of any major Starfleet or Federation installation).  As the military demands of such missions far outweigh the scientific potential, ships carrying out these missions tend to have "sharp teeth"- high-powered, heavily-shielded and brimming with weapons, such as command cruisers or battlecruisers.

• Escort- Whenever possible, Starfleet seeks to keep the risk to its assets to a minimum.  This is the guiding principle behind escorts, and, as such, come in a variety of flavors:

  • Task Force/Tactical Squadron Escort: In such an arrangement, one would find a ring of smaller ships, usually light cruisers and destroyers, centered around a larger ship, such as the command battlecruisers.  In such a capacity, the escorts protect the command  ship from fire or danger and support her in any other scientific or military endeavor.  In fact, sometimes they are often dispatched on their own, often on something for which the command ship is either not suited for or unable to respond to.

  • Diplomatic Escort: Starfleet vessels have also been employed to escort unarmed Ambassador ships through or into dangerous territory.  In such a case, Starfleet assigns an escort commensurate with the risk involved- in a particularly high-risk area, Starfleet may assign a battlecruiser or even an entire Tactical Squadron to escort an Ambassador; in lower-risk areas where risk is still tangible, Starfleet might assign a light cruiser as escort.

  • Attached Ships- A third kind of escort assignment would be as a ship permanently "attached" to a space station or starbase; most often, such ships are attached to Deep Space stations because of their remote locations.  Because such vessels are tethered to the station, attached ships tend to have limited range but capable of handling themselves in a fight, such as the HOOD-Class light cruiser and the potent THUNDERBOLT-Class destroyer.

• Defense- Starfleet vessels assigned to this type of mission have a straightforward job- protect whatever it is they are assigned to protect.  However, a mission of defense differs from a mission of patrol in one important way: on patrol, a starship moves over a large corridor of space- it is constantly moving; however, a defense mission implies a largely stationary force, ready to defend in an emergency.  These ships tend to be either smaller and faster, or starships of older classes nearing the end of their service lives, and are usually asked to defend critical interior assets.

• Emergency Services- This mission type is a "catch-all" grouping that covers medical services, ranging from evacuation to triage to disaster relief; rescue operations; and other services not generally covered by other mission types.  Such starships tend to have minimal armament, and large, spacious medical and scientific facilities.
  

3.11 Operation Modes and Procedures

Starfleet vessels operate under a few different phases of operation, usually called "cycles," depending on their current status within the fleet.  Most vessels have three operational phases--primary training, intermediate training, and operational. This mirrors USN practice,
though the distinctions have been simplified for our purposes.

• Primary Training Cycle: During the primary training cycle, the focus is on training crew, professional development of personnel (certifications, bridge watch officers qualifications, space warfare officer exams, etc). During this phase, the ship reports to what is called the "Type Command," which is behind the scenes in ASR (yet it is assumed to exist).  Typically, type command would be a station/spacedock commander. The Type Command is responsible for seeing that software upgrades, hardware maintenance, etc. also happen during the primary training cycle.

• Intermediate Training Cycle: An intermediate training cycle follows the primary one. This often may be rather short, compared to months spent in a primary training cycle. This generally involves regrouping with the task force or tactical squadron for group exercises.  The ship moves from under the purview of the Type Command back to the Theater Command, usually the fleet or expeditionary force commander

• Operational Phase: During the operational phase, the starship and the other ships in her force have mission orders and are under the direct supervision of the fleet or expeditionary force commander and the officer-in-tactical command (the highest-ranking officer on board the ship or in the squadron- usually the ship's commanding officer) of a given mission.

Disclaimer

This material was developed for use in ASR and is not intended to apply anywhere outside ASR. You are welcome to bookmark our pages and view them repeatedly without being a player in ASR.  No other use of the material contained within the ASR Manual- including copying or altering any of the pages within for one's own use- is permitted.  For further information about joining ASR, please click here.