Expertise in space combat does not automatically prepare an officer to command troops under gravity. Starfleet compounds the problem by replacing losses with inexperienced cadets and by providing no visible ground-force commander or specialist organization. Training on a holodeck may help, but it cannot substitute for doctrine, command experience, and the habitual use of crew-served weapons. The siege at AR-558 lacks the heavy or rapid-fire phaser systems that would let defenders dominate approaches instead of relying only on personal weapons.
Notable Point · 1:20:23-1:24:20
Why starship command does not equal land-warfare expertise
Putting starship captains and newly arrived cadets in charge of ground battles exposes a training gap that technology and personal heroism cannot repair.