Command Duties
At any one time the Station has more than 8600 personnel and 254 auxiliary craft permanently assigned. There are as many as 15 starships docked at the Station being constructed, repaired, or upgraded. Manned sensor platforms, communication relays, and unmanned defensive stations are located at strategic locations throughout the Station’s sector to increase the Station’s line-of-sight and defensive capabilities. Situated on the planet below the Station is Langley Colony which serves as a major trading station, receiving both Federation and civilian crews for R&R. The command department is held ultimately responsible and accountable to Starfleet command for the safety of all these personnel and resources, for their gainful employment and actions, and for the success of the missions Starfleet assigns to the Station.
The command department is the smallest on the Station and includes less than two dozen officers and enlisted personnel such as the commanding officer, executive officer, second officer, yeomen, and senior enlisted advisors. The commanding officer, executive officer, and second officer are collectively referred to as the “Top Three” and typically have more than 40 years of combined Starfleet experience in other departments. For all matters regarding the Station and resources assigned under its command, the commanding officer’s authority is absolute (within the bounds of Starfleet’s rules and regulations). The commanding officer will often turn to his Top Three peers for council and advice in major decisions that are not time-critical.
Because of the size and complexity of the Station and the missions it receives, much of the authority and responsibility of command is delegated to operational and support departments that focus on a particular specialty. The commanding officer appoints a capable officer over each department as the department chief; the chief is then held accountable to serve as the commanding officer’s representative – with his authority – to ensure that department’s responsibilities are fulfilled. These chiefs, along with the second officer, executive officer, and commanding officer comprise the Station’s senior staff.
Captain: The captain (who is called this, regardless of rank) is the commanding officer of a starship. They are responsible not only for the care and maintenance of all resources under their control, but for the safety of their crew as well. While many tasks are delegated to other officers (department chiefs, etc...), the captain always maintains full responsibility. It is the captain's job to carry out mission orders to the fullest extent. In addition, starship captains have certain legal authority while in space, and have the ability to act as Special Representatives of the UFP when necessary.
First Officer: The first officer (also sometimes called the executive officer, or XO) is the second in command of a starship. If the captain is not present or unable to perform their duties, the first officer may assume command with all of the authority of a ship's captain. While the captain is present, the first officer handles many other tasks that require a command presence, but are not high priority or are too dangerous for a captain to perform (organizing research teams, leading away team missions). During a dangerous situation (hostile negotiations, etc...) the captain and first officer may not be at the same place at the same time. If one of them is planet side, one must remain on the ship.
Second Officer: If for any reason the first officer is not present, unable to perform their duties, or is currently acting as captain, the second officer assumes position as first officer. During normal operations, the second officer handles most personnel related tasks such as counseling, reprimands, settling conflict and disputes, and recognizing excellent performance. The second officer is also likely to lead away teams that are entering known hostile situations, or routine missions where interaction with other species is unlikely.
Diplomatic Duties
Being an officer for diplomatic affairs is not an easy task; it is, in fact, one of the most challenging positions a Starfleet officer can accept. Diplomatic affairs is a small and rather odd branch in Starfleet since most personnel in the branch are not military. Usually, the civilian personnel are appointed to embassies and consulates while their military counterparts serve on starships and starbases. All Starfleet officers are required to know and follow proper diplomatic protocol. The department offers services to Starfleet and Federation personnel in addition to its other tasks.
The role of diplomatic affairs on Langley Station is to serve as a counselor to the commanding officer and executive officer on all diplomatic matters with new cultures, first contact, and sensitive or potentially dangerous diplomatic situations. The department members must be familiar with a variety of areas including history, politics, economics, and military, as well as understand how these areas affect cultural relations both with Federation member worlds and non-Federation worlds. There are three general states seriously affect the diplomatic affairs council provided to the commanding officer; they are peacetime competition, conflict, and war.
Diplomatic officers must be flexible and demonstrate initiative, agility and depth in thought, and synchronization and improvisation in action to provide the commanding officer and executive officer with responsive legal services, legal documents, researching diplomatic archives, diplomatic advice on the current status of an alien species, attending and aiding in the preparation for official diplomatic functions prescribed by protocol, and perform other administrative duties and tasks. Above all else, diplomatic affairs must uphold General Order 1 – The Prime Directive.
Engineering Duties
Engineering is responsible for the maintenance, repairs, and upgrade of all Federation equipment and systems within the Station’s sphere of influence; this includes the Station itself, all auxiliary craft assigned to the station, space platforms, ships docked at the Station requesting assistance, and ships within the Station’s influence requesting assistance. Routine maintenance, such as adjusting the targeting sensors, is conducted by the department using the equipment; engineering then checks the finished work to ensure proper completion.
Structure
In order to accomplish its role, engineering personnel are organized by specialties into shops with each shop led by a shop chief. Personnel are routinely transferred between shops to facilitate training of personnel in all aspects of engineering, and to accommodate the work load that may vary from one day to the next.
For specific jobs, personnel from shops may be organized into teams; teams may be permanent or temporary, pure or mixed depending on the type and frequency of the work being accomplished. A pure team contains personnel from only one shop; a mixed team contains personnel from two or more shops. Pure teams are commonly used for jobs within a shop that require highly-specialized training; they may also be useful when organizing or distributing a shop’s workload among its assigned members. Mixed teams are useful for jobs that require a wide range of skill sets such as repairing battle damage.
Leadership
Engineering is commanded by the chief engineer; the chief engineer is appointed to the position by the Station’s commanding officer. The chief reports directly to the commanding officer and is a member of the Station’s senior staff. The highest-ranking individual in each shop is the shop chief; he reports directly to the chief engineer. Teams are led by team leaders; pure team leaders are appointed by the ship chief, whereas mixed team leaders are appointed by the chief engineer. Team leaders report to the individual who appointed them.
Chief Engineering Officer: The CEO is responsible not only for the warp systems, but for every piece of equipment on the starship except for the computer (that falls under Operations). In addition to coordinating maintenance and repair efforts, the CEO is constantly looking for ways to make improvements and optimize performance. They are also responsible for managing the personnel under their command.
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer: The ACEO acts in the CEOs place when they are unavailable. They also supervise maintenance tasks in remote areas (such as away missions) and critical maintenance tasks when there is more than one task of the same priority (the CEO will supervise on task, the ACEO the other...).
Small Equipment Shop: These engineers are the catch all. In addition to performing maintenance on small equipment (tricorders, medical equipment, replicators, etc..), they are also one of the first shops tasked when another shop needs additional hands, or when there is general work to be done (hull repair, etc...).
Transporter Technology Shop: These engineers sole focus is to maintain the transporters as best as possible. Due to the delicate nature of these machines, it is imperative that they are calibrated and tuned precisely.
Warp Technology Shop: By far, the largest of all the engineering shops. These technological whizzes are responsible for the Warp Core and all associated systems. They also typically work on the impulse engines as well.
Weapon Systems Shop: These engineers maintain the phaser banks, phaser cannons, quantum torpedoes and torpedo launchers. They work closely with Operations to ensure that tracking and target solution software is as accurate as possible. In addition, they perform repairs and modifications to hand weaponry such as phasers.
Defense Systems Shop: This shop maintains vital defense systems such as the shield generators, SIF (Structural Integrity Field) system, shield modulators and the IDF (Inertial Dampening Field) system. In addition, they assist with maintaining non-vital systems such as the tractor beams.
Intelligence Duties
Intelligence officers are dealers in information. They gather and decipher information that may lead to weaknesses and formation of battle strategies that can be used by adversaries against Federation targets or that Federation forces can use against a potential adversary. They directly support combat operations by presenting this information to the commanding officer to ensure the unit meets operational requirements. During combat, intelligence officers evaluate the mission accomplishments to determine remaining adversary capability and requirements for re-targeting, and coordinate intelligence estimates and analytical activities. Knowledge of the number, location and deployment, and tactics of enemy forces and potential battle areas is needed to develop and effectively champion military plans. Aerial photographs, electronic monitoring via telescopic surveillance devices and sub-space communications, terrain scans, logs, and human observation are some methods used to gather intelligence. Special duties include conduction information warfare operations to degrade or destroy the enemy’s information gathering abilities. The intelligence department is headed by a chief intelligence officer who is a member of the Station’s senior staff.
Chief Intelligence Officer: He is responsible for organizing all intelligence the department's gathered and presenting it to the duty station's CO. He assists the CO, Strategic Operations Officer (if one is present) and the Security/Tactical Officer, sometimes the Marine CO as well. He offers advice on ship/Starbase operations, especially in times of conflict or covert missions.
Intelligence Officer: He assists the Chief Intelligence Officer in organizing all intelligence the department's gathered and presenting it to the duty station's CO. He assists the CO, Strategic Operations Officer (if one is present) and the Security/Tactical Officer, sometimes the Marine CO as well. He offers advice on Station operations, especially in times of conflict or covert missions. He must be able to take over for the Chief if needed.
Infiltration Specialist: This NCO is trained the arts of covert operations and infiltration. They are trained to get into and out of enemy installations, territory, etc. Once in, they can gather Intel, or if needed plant explosives, and even in times of war capture of enemy personnel.
Collections Manager: This Warrant Officer organizes the collection of intelligence in all forms. Knowing the limits of all intelligence gathering platforms they can direct the best way to gain a specific type of information.
Crypto/Analysis Specialist: This NCO takes submitted intelligence reports and runs through algorithm, checks for keywords that denote mistyped classification and then puts the report into crypto form and then sends them through the proper channels of communication to either on board ship consoles or off board to who ever needs to receive it.
Marine Duties
Marines are the military branch of Starfleet; they could be called the 24th century Commandos. While the rest of Starfleet is geared toward exploration and defense of the Federation, the marine’s role is primarily offensive in nature with defensive support as a secondary function. Marines assist their naval counterparts of the Station’s crew. The marines varied skills make them useful to fend off boarding parties, conduct damage control operations, assisting medical in the triage of wounded, and assume additional roles of responsibility as the occasion arises. During offensive actions they may also be called upon to board enemy ships and conduct planetary actions, assist in the protection of ships and bases, or serve as a landing force to secure an area for transport or shuttle landing. Unlike security, marines do not walk patrol, investigate crime or administer the brig; and unlike tactical, marines do not operate the Station’s weaponry. Special duties include: hostage recovery; rescue of Federation citizens caught in the midst of civil war; and full ground base combat.
Structure
The marine detachment is one of the most versatile departments on the Station; it contains personnel trained in piloting, engineering, medicine, communications, weapons, intelligence, and ground assault. Marine commanders and most pilots are commissioned officers; all other marine positions are filled by enlisted personnel or warrant officers. The training marines receive in the various departments is geared toward combat-related needs; as such, it is not as in-depth as their naval counterparts except for ground assault. For example, corpsmen receive training in first aid, field triage, and basic surgery for life-threatening combat injuries.
The marine detachment is organized into companies, platoons, and squads. A squad has up to 8 marines; a platoon has 32 marines; a company has 128 marines, and a detachment comprises all the marines assigned. Squads are organized according to a particular skill specialty closely related to their naval counterpart, such as marine corpsmen and navy medical. Unless ordered to report for duty by the marine commanding officer for training or an assignment, squad members report to and assist their naval counterpart.
When squads are assembled for training or assignments, they are grouped into platoon and company-sized units designed to be a complete-fighting force containing a mixture of skill specialties. The exact mixture of squads assigned to each platoon or company varies according to the type of mission that unit is tasked to complete.
It is common for squads to be assigned to a different platoon or company for training to stay proficient in a variety of combat operation scenarios.
Leadership
The marine detachment is commanded by the marine commanding officer, a member of the Station’s senior staff, who is appointed by and reports directly to the Station’s commanding officer. Company commanders are appointed by the marine commanding officer; platoon commanders are appointed by the company commanders; squad leaders are appointed by the platoon commanders.
Medical Duties
The health of the crew is the responsibility of the medical science department. In addition, this department may be called upon during humanitarian missions to render aid and services to others. Medical science is comprised of two departments; one that focuses on the physical and the other that focuses on the mental wellbeing f the patient. Although two distinct departments, they are inexorably linked together with a chief medical officer as its leader.
Chief Medical Officer: Manages all medical personnel and is responsible for the administrative tasks associated with the department. The CMO must be a Doctor, and will also perform their normal medical duties as well. With regards to the medical care of ship personnel, if there is a disagreement between doctors on the method of treatment to pursue, the CMO will make the final decision.
Doctor: Doctor's primary concern is with the physical health and well-being of the crew, and as a secondary role, the health and well-being of any Federation citizen in need of medical attention. In addition to performing routine examinations and check ups, the doctors on a starship perform emergency medical procedures, conduct surgery, and assist with injuries and illnesses of all types. When not actively busy with patients, many Doctors occupy their time with conducting medical research for cures or to understand new illnesses/lifeforms.
Counselor: Ship's counselors are responsible for the mental health and well-being of the crew. In addition to performing counseling and routine stress evaluations, counselors are also called upon to provide therapy for mentally disturbed crewmen, and help ease conflict on the ship. The counselor is also the ship captain's primary adviser on inter-species relations, and diplomatic negotiations.
Operations Duties
The primary role of operations is resource allocation and management; among other things the term “resources” include power, equipment use, space, and personnel. Because resources are used by every department and personnel on the Station, the chief operations officer also serves as the second officer giving him clear authority to make decisions regarding resource prioritization to ensure mission success, the decisions having a potentially negative impact on one or more department. Langley Station includes more than 8600 personnel, each requiring quarters, replicator rations, computer access, equipment and supplies. There are also 12 distinct departments, each with their own power requirements, equipment needs, space requirements, and personnel needs to ensure mission success. Operations oversees the scheduling and use of each of the 254 auxiliary craft assigned to the Space Superiority Wing, and controls entry and departure of as many as 15 starships requesting to dock or docked at the station. Operations is directly responsible for the maintenance and repair of the computer core, replicators, transporters, and ship-board systems such as the deflector dish.
Operations personnel are assigned to 24-hour manning in areas such as the ops console on the bridge, operations central, the computer core, and cargo bays. In addition to these areas, operations personnel can be found throughout the Station constantly maintaining it and ensuring resources are used effectively and properly. A key requirement of operations personnel is ensuring Station functions and crew needs do not interfere with one another; prioritizing resource allocation when needed to ensure the most critical activities can have every chance of success. The chief operations officer will curtail Station functions if they will interfere with the ship’s current mission or routine operations.
Chief Operations Officer: The chief operations officer (COO) is responsible for the smooth and efficient functioning of a starship. He is in charge of logistics, services, computer operations, communications, and transporter operations just to name a few of their duties. In addition, they control all of the ship's resources, and prioritize usage among departments. They organize research teams, investigation teams, and away missions if personnel from more than one department are involved. Usually, but not always, the COO is also the second officer.
Assistant Chief Operations Officer: The ACOO acts in the COO's place when he is unavailable. The ACOO also supervise tasks in remote areas (such as away missions) and critical maintenance tasks when there is more than one task of the same priority (the COO will supervise on task, the ACOO the other...).
Mission Operations: Mission operations (or simply 'mission ops') is one deep slot filled by a trusted officer. This officer is charged with researching all pertinent data for missions/away teams, preparing mission briefings, organizing away teams, and issuing equipment. When an away team is deployed, the mission ops officer is posted on the bridge where they can monitor the away teams progress, act as a central point for communications, and coordinate emergency transports as necessary.
Computer Operations: The officers of computer operations are trusted with the maintenance, backup, and occasional recovery of the main and auxiliary computer cores. In addition to maintaining data and standard programs, skilled computer operators have been known to modify or even write programs on demand as needed.
Stellar Cartography: The officers of stellar cartography are the mapmakers of the future. Using a 360 degree holographic display, they maintain and update all known astrographic maps, as well as chart previously unexplored areas and phenomena.
Transporter Operations: The officers of transporter operations are few in number. Their main purpose is to supervise the enlisted technicians that operate the ship's transporters. They are responsible for ensuring safe and efficient transports, as well as assisting their subordinates in accommodating the occasional unusual request. In addition, on the occasion that something goes awry, it is the job of the transporter officers to conduct and official investigation.
Logistics: The officer's in charge of logistics have a daunting, tireless and thankless task that is nonetheless vital to starship operations. It is their responsibility to ensure that there are spare parts available for emergency repairs, that the ship has enough raw materials on board for use by the replicators, and they supervise the loading, transport, and unloading of all material brought into the cargo bays.
Services: Services officers are the jack-of-all-trades. They supervise the largest number of enlisted technicians. From personnel specialists, cooks, administrative personnel, etc... Many personnel from this department pull extra duty when visitors are on board, functioning as escorts and guides, and ensuring that all of their needs are met.
Operations Manager: This is not a full time duty, but rather a position on the bridge. All operations officers take turns doing rotations at this station. The OM utilizes their station to prioritize and allocate resources to various departments during missions (ex: Science is using a forward sensor array, but stellar cartography also requires its use. The OM would handle who gets it and when). In addition, the OM coordinates all communications, operates sensors, and coordinates damage control efforts.
Boatswain: Each vessel and base has one Warrant Officer (or Chief Warrant Officer) who holds the position of Boatswain. The Boatswain (pronounced and also written Bosun or Bos'n) trains and supervises personnel (including both the ship's company or base personnel as well as passengers or vessels) in general ship and base operations, repairs, and protocols; maintains duty assignments for all Operations personnel; sets the agenda for instruction in general ship and base operations; supervises auxiliary and utility service personnel and daily ship or base maintenance; coordinates all personnel cross-trained in damage control operations and supervises damage control and emergency operations; may assume any Bridge or Operations role as required; and is qualified to temporarily act at Operations if so ordered. The Boatswain reports to the Chief Operations Officer.
Materials Officer: Replicator usage can allow the fabrication of nearly any critical mission part, but large-scale replication is not considered energy-efficient except in emergency situations. However, in such situations, power usage is strictly limited, so it is unwise to depend upon the availability of replicated spare parts. Thus a ship/facility must maintain a significant stock of spare parts in inventory at all times. The Materials Officer works in conjunction with the Logistics Officer, and is the person responsible for the requesting part from Starfleet and maintaining the stock and inventory of all spare parts. All request for supplies are passed to the Materials Officer, who check and send the final request to the XO for final approval. A good Materials Officer is never caught short on supplies.
Quartermaster: The Quartermaster trains and supervises crewmen in Bridge operations, repairs, and protocols and sets the agenda for instruction in general ship and Starbase operations for the Boatswain's Mate; maintains the ship's log, the ship's clock, and watch and duty assignments for all Bridge personnel; may assume any Bridge (i.e. CONN) or Operations role (i.e. transporter) as required; and is qualified to temporarily act as Commanding or Executive Officer if so ordered. Quartermasters ensure that all officers and crew perform their duties consistent with Starfleet directives. The Quartermaster reports to the Executive Officer.
Science Duties
Science, being a broad and varied department, encompasses all science disciplines except the applied sciences, i.e. engineering and medical. Science’s role is to research and extrapolate data from every conceivable source, then experiment with their findings to create hypothesis leading to usable theory and application. Some of the varied tasks they do may include archaeological, horticultural, oceanic, temporal, and deep space research, just to name a few.
Their in-depth knowledge and skills make science members excellent choices for members of away teams as advisers and research team leaders. They are also frequently called upon by the other departments to solve problems never before encountered. The multitude of subjects practiced by the science department, make interdepartmental communication and co-operation necessary. The bacterial experts closely work together with the medical department, while astronomers closely work together with the cartographers of the operations department.
Structure
The science department is divided into seven divisions, each typically commanded by the most experienced and high ranking science officer in that field. The seven divisions are: Computer Science, Chemistry, Biology (also includes zoology and genetics), Geosciences, Physics, Anthropology/Sociology, and Psychology.
ASORIS teams
The science department also uses a rotating system of ASORIS (Away team scientific observation, research, investigation and support) teams. An ASORIS team usually consists of: 1 chemist, 1 biologist, 1 zoologist, 1 geologist, 1 astronomer, 1 physicist and 1 cyberneticist. In total there are 6 ASORIS teams. The 3-week rotation is divided into 1 'red' week and 2 'green' weeks. During the 'red' week, an ASORIS team is standby during a twelve hour shift and then they have twelve hours of free time. The 'green' week means that the team is off duty and that they may leave the station. ASORIS team members receive advanced phaser and combat training. They also keep regular training exercises in the holodeck to strengthen the team spirit.
Security Duties
The function of the security department is to protect Langley Station personnel, both Starfleet and civilian, and passengers. They are well trained in defensive and close-quarters combat, to include a in-depth knowledge of personal arms, and are accustomed to fighting in confined spaces. While on duty they are armed with a Type II hand phaser. In addition to creating security clearances for personnel, normal duties of a base security force is that of an urban police force with duties such as patrolling the station, investigating crimes both large and small, inspecting incoming and outgoing vessels and cargo, and assisting security departments of Starfleet vessels currently docked. Special duties may include cooperating with the Intelligence department for covert intelligence gathering purposes, providing security for away teams, and detaching a small team with the USS Retribution. The chief security officer leads this department.
Chief Security Officer: The chief security officer (CSO) is responsible for the safety of all resources and personnel on the ship. They are tasked with ensuring the safety of all information, equipment and personnel. Therefore, they function as investigators, police, and on occasion, soldiers as well. The chief of security supervises all operations under his department, whether it be conducting a criminal investigation, securing the ship or repelling boarders, or protecting away team missions.
Security Officer: Security officers spend their day monitoring internal security sensors, guarding sensitive areas, conducting random patrols, investigating crimes, neutralizing potentially aggressive personnel, guarding brig prisoners, and reviewing Starfleet wanted persons reports. Security officers, as a general rule, are a must on any away mission.
Security Investigations Officer: The Security Investigations Officer is an Enlisted Officer. He fulfills the role of a special investigator or detective when dealing with Starfleet matters aboard ship or on a planet. Coordinates with the Chief Security Officer on all investigations as needed. The Security Investigations Officer reports to the Chief of Security.
Brig Officer: The Brig Officer is a Security Officer who has chosen to specialize in a specific role. He guards the brig and its cells. But there are other duties associated with this post as well. He is responsible for any prisoner transport, and the questioning of prisoners. Often Brig Officers have a good knowledge of forcefield technology, and are experts in escaping such confinements.
VIP Bodyguard: VIPs are sometimes difficult people to get along with. They want this and that, and want it as soon as they ask for it. So a VIP Bodyguard has not only to guarantee for the safety of the person he guards, but must also be good at organizing the requests from VIPs. More than once he has to be diplomatic about what he has heard while staying in the vicinity of there VIP guests. As with brig Officers, VIP Bodyguards are specialist Security Officers, and when not serving a VIP most Bodyguards partake in normal Security duties.
Master-at-Arms/Armory Master: The Master-at-Arms/Armory Master trains and supervises Security crewmen in departmental operations, repairs, and protocols; maintains duty assignments for all Security personnel; supervises weapons locker access and firearm deployment; and is qualified to temporarily act as Chief of Security if so ordered. The Master-at-Arms/Armory Master reports to the Chief of Security.
Space Superiority Wing Duties
The space superiority wing is responsible for piloting and coordination of all auxiliary craft assigned to Langley Station. The wing's role is piloting and coordination only; schedules for use of the crafts are handed down to the wing from operations, while repairs and maintenance is performed by engineering. Because of this close symbiotic relationship that the wing has with other departments, clear and consistent communication is paramount and is often handled at the highest levels of Station leadership.
Structure
The wing is organized into groups, then squadrons, then flights. A flight consists of up to eight craft; a squadron consists of two to four flights. Groups are organized according to the craft type and role, but no less than two squadrons. A wing encompasses all auxiliary craft assigned to a ship or station, but no less than two groups.
When auxiliary craft of more than one flight are working together they are called an element; a pure element contains craft from the same flight, squadron, or group; a mixed element contains crafts from different flights, squadrons, or groups. Because of the diverse roles that auxiliary craft are used for, it is common for elements to be mixed.
There are four groups organized by the type and role of each group of craft; the Engineering Group, Marine Offensive Group, Naval Fighter Group, and Operations Group. The USS Retribution, a Wallace-class garrison vessel, is on detached duty.
5th Engineering Group (Disney)
The engineering group consists of 45 workbees which is used exclusively for building and repairing starships, stations, and space platforms. It is common for engineers to be rotated through all the different squadrons to gain experience in different types of engineering work. The group is organized into squadrons and flights as follows:
- 73rd Builders Squadron (Pluto) : 8 workbees, 4 flights of 2
- 74th Small Ship Repair Squadron (Darkwing) : 10 workbees, 5 flights of 2
- 75th Capital Ship Repair Squadron (Popeye) : 10 workbees, 2 flights of 5
- 76th Station Maintenance Squadron (Elmer) : 9 workbees, 3 flights of 3
- 77th Orbital Squadron (Bugs) : 8 workbees, 4 flights of 2
13th Marine Offensive Group (Marauders)
The marine fighter group consists of 18 Razor class fighters, 4 Firefly transports, and 12 Hopper transports. The group serves a variety of roles from direct combat in defense of the Station, to escort and protection for vessels traveling within the Station's sphere of influence, to providing close-air support for ground forces, and transport for marine personnel. The group is organized into squadrons and flights as follows:
- 78th Interceptor Squadron (Vikings) : 6 Razors, 2 flights of 3
- 79th Interceptor Squadron (Huns) : 6 Razors, 2 flights of 3
- 80th Interceptor Squadron (Mongols) : 6 Razors, 2 flights of 3
- 81st Marine Airlift Squadron (Goths) : 4 Fireflys, 2 flights of 2
- 82nd Medical Airlift Squadron (Angles) : 3 Seacole Hoppers, 3 flights of 1
- 83rd Fire Support Squadron (Saxons) : 3 Naga Hoppers, 3 flights of 1
- 84th Marine Transport Squadron (Blackfoot) : 6 Wyvern Hoppers, 3 flights of 2
25th Naval Fighter Group (Crusaders)
The naval fighter group consists of 18 Broadsword fighters, 6 Peregrine fighters, and 24 Valkyrie fighters. Its role is similar to its marine counterpart serving in a variety of roles from direct combat in defense of the Station, to escort and protection for vessels traveling within the Station's sphere of influence, and to providing close-air support for ground forces. Its only difference is the lack of troop transport craft as most operations requiring troop transports are handled by the marines. The group is organized into squadrons and flights as follows:
- 85th Close Air Support Squadron (Lancer): 6 Valkyries, 3 flights of 2
- 86th Close Air Support Squadron (Vanguard) : 6 Valkyries, 3 flights of 2
- 87th Escort Squadron (Squire) : 6 Valkyries, 3 flights of 2
- 88th Escort Squadron (Archer) : 6 Valkyries, 3 flights of 2
- 89th Strike Fighter Squadron (Knight) : 6 Peregrines, 3 flights of 2
- 90th Tactical Squadron (Halberdiers) : 6 Broadswords, 3 flights of 2
- 91th Strategic Squadron (Dragoon): 6 Broadswords, 3 flights of 2
42nd Operations Group (Explorers)
The operations group consists of the 6 Danube runabouts, 2 Delta Flyer runabouts, 2 Talon Scouts, 2 Hunley shuttles, 24 Type 6 shuttles, 24 Type 7 shuttles, 36 Type 8 shuttles, 24 Type 9 shuttles, and 12 Type 11 shuttles. The group serves as a multi-purpose unit; its roles include: scientific research; personnel transport; reconnaissance through space, atmospheric, and underwater; search and rescue; and in times of great need may be called upon to assist the fighter groups in defense of the Federation and its allies. The group is organized into squadrons and flights as follows:
- 92nd Advanced Scout Squadron (Coronado) : 2 Talon Scout runabouts
- 93rd Search & Rescue Squadron (Columbus) : 6 Danube runabouts
- 94th Aquatic Squadron (Louis) : 2 Hunley shuttles
- 95th Mobility Squadron (Clark) : 12 Type 11 shuttles
- 96th Science Squadron (De Soto) : 12 Type 8 shuttles
- 97th Science Squadron (Drake) : 12 Type 8 shuttles
- 98th Science Squadron (Hawkins) : 12 Type 8 shuttles
- 99th Research Squadron (Magellan) : 12 Type 7 shuttles
- 100th Research Squadron (Pizarro) : 12 Type 7 shuttles
- 101st Junior Personnel Transport Squadron (Gaspar) : 12 Type 6 shuttles
- 102nd Junior Personnel Transport Squadron (Hudson) : 12 Type 6 shuttles
- 103rd Senior Personnel Transport Squadron (Joliet) : 12 Type 9 shuttles
- 104th Senior Personnel Transport Squadron (Cortes) : 12 Type 9 shuttles
- 105th Senior Staff Transport Squadron (Juan) : 2 Delta Flyer runabouts
Leadership
The senior-ranking pilot, marine or naval, at each level is in command at that level; they are called flight leader, squadron leader, group commanders, and the wing commander. When working together as an element, pure or mixed, elements are referred to by the number of craft in the team; 8 or less is a flight, 8 to 24 is a squadron, 24 to 96 is a group, and more than 96 is a wing. The commander of the element is then referred to by the appropriate title for the number of craft he commands.
The Station's commanding officer is himself a pilot and is assigned his own fighter. As he is ultimately responsible for everything and everyone assigned to the Station he serves as the wing commander. However, this is mostly a figurehead position as the duties for the wing are carried out by the senior-ranking group commander, also referred to as the vice-wing commander, who is a member of the Station's senior staff.
The USS Retribution is commanded by an Officer in Charge. The OIC is appointed by the wing commander, or vice-wing commander as the situation may be, on an as-needed basis; usually the position of OIC is reserved for members of the Station's senior staff.
Strategic Operations Duties
Serving as the eyes, ears, and hands of the commanding officer an all matters regarding other ships and stations, strategic operations officers are constantly updating themselves on the strategic aspects of all ships within the immediate area of Langley Station. The size of the immediate area varies based upon the situation: during normal conditions this is considered 1 parsec of space; during alert conditions or emergency situations the size of the area may be smaller or larger depending on the scope of the situation. Strategic operations also stay apprised of any other major fleet actions, political tensions, and conflicts taking place throughout the quadrant.
During combat situations and fleet actions where Langley Station’s commanding officer is in command of the fleet, it is difficult for the commanding officer to command the Station and the rest of the fleet. In this situations, strategic operations acts as a proxy between the commanding officer and all other ships. Strategic operations liaisons with the commanding officers of other ships to communicate orders and battle strategies; keeping the entire fleet operating together as a team to avoid friendly fire and maximize combat effectiveness. In the event of a joint fleet action, strategic operations will act as a Fleet Liaison to ensure the fleets operate effectively together.
Strategic operations central is a one-man post on the bridge near tactical; this post contains a 3-D holographic display showing all vessels, large stellar matter, and astronomical phenomena in the immediate area. During fleet actions all communications from the fleet, including visual, audio, and textual, are sent to this station. The strategic operations officer sorts through the communication jumbled to organize and prioritize it in order to advise the Station’s commanding office on how best to accomplish he mission objectives. Officers holding this post have a wide range of abilities, first and foremost is the ability to assess combat situations quickly and suggest effective strategic options for the commanding officer to consider.
Chief Strategic Operations Officer: The chief strategic operations officer (CSOO) is responsible for coordinating all Starfleet and allied assets within the immediate area. During escort duty, the strategic ops’ mission is to protect the vessels in the convoy by suggesting a course for the ships to follow, ensure all ships stay together as well as keeping an eye on local traffic to make sure no threats are evident. In the case of a battle, the strategic ops officer has plans in place and may even have conducted training exercises. During fleet battles the strategic ops officer suggest battle plans to the commanding officer, taking into account all kinds of variables. Once a plan is selected, the strategic ops officer teaches the plan to all friendly ships, ensuring they know it implicitly. During battle strategic ops keeps an eye on everything happening from friendly ship activity to enemy movements. If an unforeseen even takes place then strategic ops needs to suggest an alteration to the battle plan.
Tactical Duties
The protection of Langley Station, USS Retribution, auxiliary craft, and outlaying mini-stations is the role of Tactical. They are responsible for the operation of all defense and weapons systems on the Station, along with sensor probes, message buoys, and tractor beams. Tactical personnel are highly trained in fleet movements, fleet battle tactics, ship/station weapons and defenses. Special duties may include assisting docked ships during combat situations to augment weakened tactical departments, cooperating with the Marine detachment for assault maneuvers, and detaching a small team with the USS Retribution.
Chief Tactical Officer: The chief tactical officer (CTO) is responsible for the safety of security of the Station from space-born threats. Threats may take on many forms from an aggressive starship, to a micro-organism that eats away at the hull, or magnetic mines or similar types of devices. The chief tactical officer supervises all operations in his department, weather it during tactical engagements, building torpedoes, or conducting routine maintenance on the targeting sensors.
Tactical Officer: This bridge position is responsible for the operation of all defense and weapon systems on the Station. In addition, the tactical officer also handles sensor probes, message buoys, tractor beams, and during alert conditions, long and short range sensor arrays. This is not an assigned position, but rather one that all security officers share on a rotating basis.
Gunner's Mate: The Gunner's Mate trains and supervises Tactical crewmen in tactical operations, repairs, and protocols; maintains duty assignments for all Tactical personnel; supervises ordnance inventory, preparation, and deployment; and is qualified to temporarily act as Chief Tactical Officer if so ordered. The Gunner's Mate reports to the assistant chief tactical officer.
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