If they are civilian in the common sense, why then do they wear military style uniforms, have a military hierarchical command and military rank structures; have a Starfleet Command and a Starfleet Academy if they aren't a military organization?
We keep hearing a touchy/feely description of Starfleet as a bunch of explorers out poking around the galaxy wanting to help people and be friends. As Guinan told Picard in TNG 3x15 'Yesterday's Enterprise', "This is a ship of peace, not a ship of war".
In the alternate timeline (2009) Star Trek movie though, Capt. Pike bluntly told pre-Starfleet Academy civilian J.T. Kirk that Starfleet was actually a 'humanitarian and peace-keeping armada'. Starfleet is obviously 'government' but is it military or civilian?
Answer
TL;DR, Starfleet isn't a military organisation, according to every relevant source both in-universe and out-of-universe.
To start with, I shall quote Captain Picard (from TNG : Peak Performance)
PICARD : Starfleet is not a military organization. Our purpose is exploration.
Lieutenant Scott from Star Trek: Beyond
SCOTT: The Federation. Starfleet. We're not a military agency.
Captain Pike from Star Trek (2009)
PIKE: ...Starfleet could use you... It's a peacekeeping and humanitarian armada...
As described in the excellent Starfleet Technical Manual, Starfleet is neither wholly civilian, nor a military in the conventional sense. They are in fact best described as a "peace keeping force". They report directly to the Federation's Military Council but their Commander-in-Chief is the (civilian) Federation President who represents the elected representatives of the various Federation worlds.
The description of Starfleet in the factbook The Star Trek Book offers this advice to those who might conclude, through honest error, that Starfleet is a military organisation.
With its powerful armada of starships and naval rank structure. Starfleet could be mistaken for a primarily military organization. In fact, it has adopted the commitment to new technology and self-discipline that characterized Earth's martial past and directed those qualities toward a new end: peaceful, methodical exploration
The unknown factors facing each mission mean that Starfleet ships must stand ready to defend themselves, however, and with no standing army, it is logical that the Federation sees this highly mobile, widely spread fleet as its first line of defense in the event of attack. This means that Star fleet personnel must be as well versed in combat as they are in science and diplomacy.
Gene Roddenberry, in the series' original Writer/Director's Guide (the "bible") was very specific on the subject;
Starfleet is not a military organisation. It is a scientific research and diplomatic body.
Although the duties of the Enterprise may include some military responsibilities, the primary purpose of the Enterprise — as with all Starfleet vessels is to expand the body of human knowledge.
In practice this means that our armaments and militarism have been de-emphasized over the previous series and very much de-emphasized over the movies. We will not see saluting. We may hear the word "sir", but it is extended as the same kind of courtesy used by junior and senior officers on civilian airliners. It is traditional, however, to use ship's ranks on the bridge, an acknowledgment of the naval heritage of Starfleet.
As you can see, Starfleet's primary mandates are to keep the peace, to provide sufficient defence to Federation worlds and to conduct scientific research by studying and surveying the space within Federation territory.
None of those tasks would prevent them having a military structure, indeed our own present-day peacekeepers are drawn from military backgrounds and wear uniforms, etc.
Comments
Post a Comment