Starfleet security personnel are suited to shipboard duties, while sustained ground operations require different preparation. Enterprise's MACOs provide a fictional example of soldiers supporting the ship's security crew. Deep Space Nine's ground fighting prompts a proposal for a separate Federation force, whether organized as marines or planetary defence troops. Without one, personnel trained for demanding shipboard roles are diverted into land combat. The criticism concerns the loss of specialist skills as well as the casualties suffered ashore.
Notable Point · 2:55:46-2:58:14
Why Starfleet security cannot replace specialist ground forces
Star Trek's use of ship crews in sustained land warfare raises a personnel problem: trained ship operators are expensive replacements for infantry.