From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos
From Address: dxmm{at}albury.nospam.net.au
Subject: Re: The alt.tv.star-trek.tos FAQ

Note: I composed this reply about 10-15 mins after posting my (meaning 
of U.S.S.??) post, but then my 3G link died, so I've stored this reply 
until I next get on-line .... probably had heaps of shooting my last 
post down posts!!

Graeme wrote:
> I just added two new questions to the FAQ.  #43 was inspired by the
U.S.S. Controversy from this thread.  Might as well head this question off
before it's asked.  #43 is inspired by #42.
>
>
> 42. TO WHOM DOES KIRK REPORT?
>   For most of the series, the Enterprise serves the United Federation
of Planets, whose military wing is known as Starfleet (or Starfleet
Command). However, early in the first season, things were looser. In
Tomorrow is Yesterday, Kirk tells Captain Christopher that their authority
is from the United Earth Space Probe Agency (this body is also mentioned in
Charlie X, when one of Kirk's log entries mentions making a report to UESPA
Headquarters). A few other names are tossed out in this early period. In
Miri, Kirk mentions contacting "Space Central", which could be
regarded as an unofficial (if incredibly 1950's sounding) nickname for
Starfleet Command. At the end of Tomorrow is Yesterday, Starfleet
identifies itself as "Starfleet Control", which is probably just
the name of the specific office at Starfleet that Kirk was talking to at
the moment. In A Taste of Armageddon, Fox mentions representing the United
Federation of Planets, but says he'll be making his report to the
"Federation
 Central". In a bureaucracy there's never just one name for anything.
>
> The "Federation" is first mentioned in Arena. The United
Federation of Planets is first mentioned in A Taste of Armageddon.
Starfleet Command is first mentioned in Court-Martial.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>   43. IS STARFLEET A MILITARY ORGANIZATION?
>   This question is a perfect illustration of the word
"retcon" in action. Yes, within TOS and the first 6 movies,
Starfleet is an explicitly military organization.

(..... and having now read this, I realise my last post (the meaning of 
U.S.S.) is unnecessary)

But, anyway, I thought U.S.S. Enterprise's five year mission was to seek 
out new life, etc. Diplomacy!! Sure they had fire-power to protect 
themselves with, but not to go and blast them away.

 > Kirk calls himself a soldier in Errand of Mercy. Officers have 
military ranks. Starships are named after famous military vessels 
(Enterprise, Yorktown, Hood, Potemkin, et cetera). When the Federation 
is under threat of invasion (Alternative Factor, Errand of Mercy, Arena, 
et cetera, Starfleet is called in to deal with the situation. The 
Enterprise engages in decidedly military activities, like war games 
exercises (The Ultimate Computer) military espionage (The Enterprise 
Incident) and hostage rescue missions (The Final Frontier). Starfleet is 
an overtly military organization, although they also have a strong 
exploratory function. Roddenberry was said to be influenced by C.S. 
Forester's Horatio Hornblower series, and Hornblower, like Sir Francis 
Drake, was a military explorer. In Tomorrow is Yesterday, Kirk states 
that they're part of a combined service, when Captain Christopher asks 
if the Navy built the Enterprise.
>
> However, by the 1980's, when the military began to be less politically
correct among the circles Roddenberry frequented, he regretted the decision
and began to float the story (in Star Trek: The Next Generation and
elsewhere) that Starfleet was NOT a military organization. Never was.
They're pure explorers, similar to Jacque's Cousteau or some equally
politically correct figure. Explorers who conduct military operations and
carry around enough firepower to level an entire planet perhaps, but only
in a non-military way. So, in the retroactive continuity of TNG and beyond,
the Enterprise is not a military vessel, and never was, and if you know of
anything which might contradict that fact, you are requested to keep it to
yourself.
>
Daniel
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