MILITARY ASSAULT COMMAND OPERATIONS
The Military Assault Command Operations (MACO) is a branch of the United Earth Military and serves as the space marine contingent of the planetary armed forces. As with the other branches of the United Earth Military, the MACO relies on Military Covert Intelligence Operations for its information gathering and intelligence acquisition. MACO also has no medical corps, but does train its personnel in first aid and utilizes civilian doctors for serious combat trauma.
MACO as compared to other branches of the United Earth Military
MACO brigades, barracks, and headquarters
MACO training is conducted at West Point, which oversees basic recruit training as well as the MACO Officer Candidate School. In the summer of 2134 MACO also assumed control of the Omega Training Facility on Titan and currently conducts space assault and orbital training at both Titan and the nearby moon of Janus.
MACO rank insignia and standard uniform. Additional ranks of "Recruit" and "Cadet" exist for Basic and Officer training respectively
HISTORY OF MACO
The Military Assault Command Operations was formed in August 2134 as part of the formation of the United Earth world government, with the first MACO members drawn from the ranks of the United States Marine Corps, the United Nations Army, and the Soviet Space Spetsnaz. The initial charter of MACO authorized six MACO brigades at one thousand troops each. In the initial formation of MACO units, most of these brigades held a manpower strength of between two to three hundred MACO personnel.
Headquarters of MACO at West Point, New York
In 2135, a MACO headquarters unit was established at West Point, New York at the site of the former United States Military Academy. A year later a training academy for MACO officers was founded adjoining to the headquarters compound.
ASSOCIATION WITH STARFLEET
In the April of 2137, a cadre of fourteen MACO personnel were selected to form the new branch of Starfleet Security and were granted equivalent commissions as Starfleet officers. Brigadier General Ryan Lyndon was selected to serve as the first Director of Starfleet Security and appointed to the Starfleet rank of Commander.
MACO Brigadier General Ryan Lyndon
The following month, Starfleet membership was opened to all MACO commissioned officers while MACO soldiers were eligible to enlist as Crewman. In June 2138, per Starfleet Training Directive #3, MACO was authorized to certify Starfleet personnel in the use of personal sidearms (specifically the EM-33 Pistol). This directive would remain in place until the construction of armories at Starfleet Headquarters and at the Starfleet Training Center. In January 2143, per Starfleet Training Order #15, MACO was further authorized to cross-train Starfleet personnel in advanced tactics, such as the Omega Training Course on Titan.
MACO personnel were the primary source of manpower to Starfleet Security until the fall of 2143 when both Crewman enlistments and Starfleet officer commissions were authorized for the general public. By this time, eligible civilians were authorized to join Starfleet Security and receive training in the Security Guard rating, or as commissioned Security Officers, through security courses offered at the Starfleet Training Station in Alice Springs, Australia. Most of the original training instructors at this facility, as well as the officers commanding the station, had themselves served previously in MACO.