Starships... The backbone of the United Federation of Planets'
exploration and defense fleet. Beautiful, awe-inspiring vessels that
glide effortlessly from star system to star system. Every officer and
enlisted crewmember in the Fleet is justifiably proud to serve on any
starship. But, there's more...
The most overlooked aspect of the Federation's defense is the vital
need for specially trained ground forces to operate on a planet -
instead of from orbit. The mighty ships of Starfleet have the power to
devastate a planet, but are incapable of quelling a riot. They can
level entire cities with phaser energy, but can't stop a civil war.
They can take on twice their number of adversaries, but can't destroy
a specific enemy entrenchment. Starships have incredible capabilities,
but there are simply some things they will never be able to do.
Fortunately, the Starfleet Marines can!
The Starfleet Marines. Just the name sends chills down the collective
spine of hostile commanders throughout the galaxy. The enemies of the
Federation know that an attack on the Federation or on any of her
people will not go unnoticed or unanswered. While the ships of
Starfleet battle them in space, the Starfleet Marines will pound them
on the surface.
Marines are specially trained for planetary operations of every kind -
from covert landings to full-scale defensive warfare. The Marines are
the Federation's best weapon against an enemy presence on a member
world, are the only hope for removing any enemy that manages to gain a
foothold.
