Starfleet Intelligence
From Memory-Zeta
Starfleet Intelligence is an agency within the Starfleet Command infrastructure, tasked - in conjunction with Starfleet Security - with providing Intelligence support and protection for the United Federation of Planets, and for Starfleet Command. This agency is represented within Sixth Fleet as the Sixth Fleet Intelligence Bureau.
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[edit] Structure of Starfleet Intelligence
[edit] Department of Foreign Intelligence
Starfleet Intelligence was originally established from the remnants of the Vulcan and Andorian Intelligence Services, which had until then been opposing forces. Though justified as a "necessary" element of Starfleet's new function, in truth the agency was established to monitor the activities of the Romulan Star Empire shortly after the end of the Romulan Wars; as a result Starfleet Intelligence was heavily involved in the formation and policing of the Neutral Zone.
More recently Starfleet Intelligence has expanded into a number of other areas, including the addition of Special Forces units and the Internal Affairs department. The original function of SF Intelligence is now carried out by the Department of Foreign Intelligence, tasked with providing detailed information on the political and military status of the Federation's rival powers.
[edit] Communications Intelligence Division
One of the key components of intelligence gathering comes through observation. Starfleet Intelligence's Communication Intelligence Division is one of the major components in that task. Communications Intelligence consists of various "listening posts" that observe transmissions on RF and Subspace bands transmitted by foreign powers, and also monitors the subspace network maintained by Starfleet Communications, although for the most part such monitoring is left to Starfleet Security. The Communications Intelligence Division not only facilitates the remote observation of foreign powers, but also serves to support the activities of the Field Intelligence Division, and the Department of Special Operations.
[edit] Field Intelligence Division
Perhaps the most cliché aspect of intelligence operations, the Field Intelligence Division provides for the bulk of Starfleet Intelligence's active intelligence gathering. Made up of a number of Intelligence Agents, Field Intelligence performs a number of Official Cover and Non-Official Cover (NOC) operations, varying from simple observation and reconnaissance to covert infiltration and espionage. Agents within Field Intelligence are usually (but not always) drawn from other Starfleet services; during their service with Field Intelligence they hold the rank of "Agent", regardless of their previous service.
[edit] Department of Fleet Intelligence
Because of the expansive nature of the Federation and of Starfleet, providing ample intelligence coverage of the entire Federation would require a prohibitive amount of ships, personnel and resources. To compensate, Starfleet Intelligence began to work with the Federation Diplomatic Corps to place Intelligence Officers aboard Starships and in Federation embassies to help broaden their network. This initiative currently extends to four key branches:
[edit] Office of Fleet Intelligence
The Office of Fleet Intelligence is the liaison agency between Starfleet Operations and Starfleet Intelligence. Part of the normal Navy chain of command, the Office of Fleet Intelligence filters reports submitted by officers of Starfleet Operations for any possible intelligence information, and also provides for the appointment of Intelligence Officers aboard Starfleet vessels and installations. The Sixth Fleet Intelligence Bureau is partly funded by the Office of Fleet Intelligence, although it is an officially-funded branch of Starfleet Intelligence as well. Officers working for Starfleet Intelligence under the Office of Fleet Intelligence are considered to be Command Division Officers, and thus have red as their department colour.
[edit] Marine Corps, Intelligence Division
When the Starfleet Marine Corps was officially founded in 2342, it was decided that a separate facility for intelligence support would be needed, surplus to the existing support provided by the Office of Fleet Intelligence. The Marine Corps, Intelligence Division was established to give that support, providing both intelligence analysis to support the operations of the Marine Corps, and intelligence gathering on behalf of Starfleet Intelligence. Intelligence Officers in the Marine Corps are considered to be standard personnel, and thus wear green as their department colour.
[edit] Diplomatic Intelligence Corps
Like Starfleet Intelligence, the Federation Diplomatic Corps suffered from insufficient resources to provide diplomatic specialists for first contact situations. In the early days of Starfleet the task of making first contact fell to the Commanding Officer of a Starship. However, with Starfleet Captains appointed based more on tactical and combat ability than on diplomatic prowess. It was decided that all Commanding Officers in the fleet would be screened, and when a Captain was deemed unsuitable for diplomatic first contact a Diplomatic Officer would be assigned. As part of the agreement between the Diplomatic Corps and the Foreign Intelligence department, Starfleet Intelligence is permitted to utilise the assigned Diplomatic Officers aboard Federation starships as additional intelligence gathering resources, in the absence of an alternative Intelligence Officer.
[edit] Exploration Intelligence Initiative
Even with the cooperation with Starfleet Operations, the Marine Corps, and the Diplomatic Corps, Starfleet Intelligence still found that its ability to gather intelligence accurately was not meeting the standards set by the agency. In order to fill in the blanks where Intelligence Officers and Diplomatic Officers were unable to be assigned, Starfleet Operations agreed to allow a senior officer aboard the ship - usually a Chief Tactical Officer, Strategic Operations Officer or Executive Officer - to function as a de facto Intelligence Officer aboard the vessel. These individuals are required to submit any noteworthy information to Starfleet Intelligence in addition to the official logs of the starship. However, these individuals are not privy to the same levels of access to intelligence documents as is afforded to a Fleet or Marine Intelligence Officer.
[edit] Department of Special Operations
Special Operations personnel in Starfleet Intelligence come in two forms: they are either recruited from Starfleet Operations, or they are recruited from the Starfleet Marine Corps. When a trooper joins the Special Operations they cease to be a member of either Starfleet Operations or the Marine Corps, and are instead classified as being Starfleet Intelligence operatives. However, for the sake of ease, they usually retain the rank from the service from which they were recruited - Marines continue to have Marine ranks, while SF Operations officers continue to have Naval ranks.
Within Special Operations, personnel are further subdivided into three categories:
[edit] Starfleet Special Forces
Personnel in the Starfleet Special Forces are considered to be a highly-trained elite. Special Forces troopers are usually trained in small-unit tactics, operating in units of Squad level and below on missions where stealth and precision are key. Special Forces officers are usually selected from the more combat-orientated areas of Starfleet, such as the Marine Infantry or Starfleet Tactical, but some specialists are drawn from other fields including Engineering, Aerospace, Medical and Command. Because of the nature of their missions, and of their training, Special Forces teams will usually consist of much higher ranking individuals than other units. During their service as Special Forces personnel, Officers usually wear black as their department colour to distinguish them from other Officers. Should the officer return to regular service within Starfleet, they are entitled to either revert to the appropriate department colour, or continue to wear black with the approval of their Commanding Officer.
[edit] Starfleet Special Forces (Reserve)
In addition to a number of highly-trained Special Forces teams, Special Operations also has a number of Special Forces-trained personnel who are regarded as being "reserve" or "irregular" operatives. These individuals will hold other positions within Starfleet, serving with the Special Forces on an as-needed basis. This arrangement is common on vessels dedicated to Special Operations, or on ships or starbases that have a Hazard Team available: personnel will serve as normal within standard departments until a situation requires their action as part of a Special Forces team. Because of the irregular nature of their Special Forces service, these operatives will typically wear their standard department colour rather than Special Forces black.
[edit] Special Reconnaissance Regiment
A supplementary unit to the Special Forces, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment has a fairly obvious function: it provides reconnaissance in advance of missions performed by other Special Operations or Special Forces teams. The Regiment encompasses a variety of different units, ranging from ground-based scouting parties consisting usually of Marine or Security personnel to lone reconnaissance vessels and squadrons of recon fighters. The key aspect of the Regiment's operation is stealth: members of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment usually progress into the Special Forces at a later date. Depending on the individuals in question, SRR personnel will usually wear either green (if Marines) or red (if Naval) as their department colour.
[edit] Special Forces Support Group
The Special Forces Support Group has a simple function: it provides combat support to Starfleet Intelligence's other Special Forces units. The group consists of various units of rapid response troops, intended to provide quick and effective tactical support to teams on deployment. As a result all members of the Special Forces Support Group receive training in rapid transporter and parachute deployment, and have usually served in other units that specialise in such operations. The Special Forces Support Group is often used as a recruitment and training ground for future Special Forces operatives, and consists of personnel drawn from a variety of Starfleet sources, including Starfleet Operations, the Starfleet Marine Corps, and other areas of Starfleet Intelligence; as a result they usually wear their department colour of origin, which is typically red, green, or gold depending on the individual.
[edit] Additional Units
Though most Special Operations missions are coordinated with cooperation between the various components of the Special Operations department, there are some units that operate differently, functioning as combined units that amalgamate the divisions mentioned above. One example of these is the SWORD (Special Warfare Operational Reconnaissance Detachment) units, which combine most of the above. These units act as self-sustaining Special Operations cells, and are usually more mobile than other Special Operations units. They can be used as a rapid response unit to possible Special Operations situations, and can act autonomously without outside support. These units however are few in number, with only three units currently active across the Federation. One of these units - SWORD-7 falls within the operational jurisdiction of the Sixth Fleet Intelligence Bureau.
[edit] Department of Internal Affairs
The Department of Internal Affairs is an agency within Starfleet Intelligence of an extremely vague function and jurisdiction. Created to provide oversight of Starfleet's operations and personnel by an independent entity, the agency was eventually combined with Starfleet Intelligence, ultimately dissolving most of the limits on its activities. Though technically subordinate to the Director of Starfleet Intelligence, Internal Affairs only seems to answer to the Inspector General - a senior individual recruited by Starfleet Command and the Federation Council to provide oversight for Starfleet.
When the Sixth Fleet Intelligence Bureau was established, a subdivision of Internal Affairs was assigned to observe the actions both of the Bureau and of Sixth Fleet as a whole. Reporting to the Inspector General of Sixth Fleet, the agency provides oversight of both Command and Fleet Operations; current Internal Affairs officers include Aiden Mitchell.
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