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GrahamKennedy wrote:Gah, don't get me started on Reed. I just cannot understand what the writers could possibly be thinking with his character.

This is the guy who is meant to be the military expert on the ship, or as close as they have to one. And yet... he's scared of water. He's allergic to bromelain. He's allergic to dust mites. He's allergic to oak. He's allergic to pollen. He's allergic to tropical grasses. Basically, he's a grade A weakling!

With an inferiority complex. He was REALLY offended by the MACOs very existence, it seemed.

That was just bizzare. He seemed massively offended that they might be better than his team at the job that the MACOs actually specialised in. I always took it as kind of like if the leader of a bunch of security guards in a building complained that the SAS thought they were better at hostage rescue that he was. Well duh, of course they do!

Exactly

If we could keep one thing then I would say keep the MACO's. They were awsome to watch.

On the plus side he did rather well in the fight with the MACO leader.

GrahamKennedy wrote:That was just bizzare. He seemed massively offended that they might be better than his team at the job that the MACOs actually specialised in. I always took it as kind of like if the leader of a bunch of security guards in a building complained that the SAS thought they were better at hostage rescue that he was. Well duh, of course they do!

I'd call the margin between Reed's security team and the MACOs a lot less than bog-standard security and the SAS. Quite apart from that, Reed's grumbling struck me as more inter-service rivalry between Starfleet and the MACOs.

That was actually the only part of his b*tching that struck me as fairly normal. Probably much the same as went on on a US battleship between the sailors and the jarheads.

Teaos wrote:On the plus side he did rather well in the fight with the MACO leader.

Good for him, unfortunately HtH in a modern or future setting is of limited utility. I'd be more impressed if he beat him in a jungle lane contest.

Good for him, unfortunately HtH in a modern or future setting is of limited utility.

Not according the Trek it isn't.

Yeah it is used quite a lot for a civilised society.

HtH?

Hand to hand combat.

In CQB, I'm sure there are plenty of instanced of opponents running out of ammo, and having to kill up close. I think HtH training is certainly important, though not nearly as much as decent tactics with firearms.

I'm guessing that Reed was an exception to the rule, being a skilled hand to hand combatant and combat specialist. BUT as a shipboard security officer, he and his department have MANY other responsiblitites other than JUST training and such, such as maintaining the tactical systems, responsible for ALL hand weapons on the ship, and so on. I understand the rivalry, (when I was in the Army we had Marines stationed at the same base for artillery training), but it just seems silly considering the HUGE difference in their jobs. And there is. The MACOs are essentially a special forces assault team specializing in ground and boarding tactics. Security is there for the protection of the ship and crew, specializing in repelling boarders and keeping other crew and officers safe and alive in hostile situations. It's like on the same team, the offense and defense.

Tsukiyumi wrote:In CQB, I'm sure there are plenty of instanced of opponents running out of ammo, and having to kill up close. I think HtH training is certainly important, though not nearly as much as decent tactics with firearms.

Hence the bayonet and buttstock. Both of which are far better weapons than a hand.