Obviously, if we're sending them into space, we shouldn't be calling them "Marines."

We need a new, cool, future word to describe them.

Screw the Colonial Marines. The UNEF all the way, baby. Of course, the Taurans might have a problem with that though.

@braak:
Stormtroopers?

@braak: How about space marines?

@braak:
Uh...
Starblazers?

As a Former Scout and Recon Specialist for the US Army, I approve of sending soldiers. But I just don't see the need, as of yet.

@ManchuCandidate: No no no... something original. Like... Universal Soldiers! Perfect.

I don't quite see the connection between the training that one receives in the military and the psychological requirements of living in deep space...
in fact, with all due respect, I think soldiers are the last group of people to do this kind of thing.

"...spend time living off the land"
uh, where does this guy this we'd be sending people?

As a former Marine I think we should just stay here on Earth and let the fool-hardy adventures belong to someone else.

@Jeff-Minor: the rangers, apparently.

i've heard "rangers lead the way", but i hadn't expected it to include RANGERS INNNNN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE.

in space, no one can hear you yell "hoo-ahh!"

Ten comments and no one's done the "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE, MAN!!" quote yet? I'm disappointed.

They certainly would have the minimalist-survivalist mindset down, and probably wouldn't be at all troubled living off rations for the flight. On the other hand, not exactly the sort of people I'd want to fix my engines, or perhaps the nuclear reactor if it fails in flight. It does also presume that our first goal in landing on a planet or the moon would be to colonize it, rather than a science objective (which they also wouldn't be the best candidates for). On the other hand, you do have to admire their initiative. Certainly can't blame their sense of adventure either.

@goldfarb: you have any actual facts that back up your opinion on soldiers or is it just another tired assumption about the psychological conditions of military personnel?

most of the physical requirements currently in place for work in space are almost identical to the requirements for military service. the criterea for commanders and pilots in the space program all but specifically excludes anyone not already a jet fighter pilot in the military.

As a retired Air Force aircraft maintainer, it always bugged the snot out of me that they sent PhDs up in the shuttle to repair satellites. Maintenance has always been an enlisted job.

@AhnyerKeester: That, by the way, was intended to support the "enlisted/military in space" position. But it wasn't very clear. Sorry.

@icelight: soldiers stationed on submarines or in forward support units throughout the service seem perfectly capable of not only fixing engines and nuclear reactors but all manner of 'mechanical stuff' while at the same time still holding at least some of the benifical minimalist-survivalist mindset. if colonization was the goal unarmed soldiers would be ideal test group for viability of the various support systems that would have to go into subsistance habitation on another planet.

@braak: I vote for Space Force Shock Jumper Evangelions.

This is half a good idea: Our colonial force needs to be one half marines, one half science specialists. That way, we can have jock vs. nerd fights. In space.

@AhnyerKeester: It's the cost of training. You need to send people that are smart enough to use several kinds of training. And when we have better bots, let them go.

Yeah, just wait till these guys get to Mars and realize how little there is to do, and how much shit there is to blow up. I give it three months before olympus mons looks like a bad neighborhood in iraq.

@extracrispy: Just for you:

GAME OVER MAN! GAME OVER!

@Jeff-Minor: Ah, I don't buy it. These folks aren't troubleshooting the satellite, they're following a set of instructions that they've rehearsed on the ground.

And I'm talking Air Force enlisted here, not Army or Marine. Our tech data was written to a 10th grade reading level. I read some Army manuals and they were written to about a sixth grade level. No disrespect but the Air Force recruits better educated enlisted folks. Always has. Just the nature of the work.

Why not send one of the many wacky cults America has spawned? Those polygamists from Texas or a bunch of Scientologists might welcome a one-way ticket so they can build a utopia.

Plus, it gets them out of our hair. It worked for the Pilgrims.

@ManchuCandidate: United Nations Exploratory Force, emphasis on force.

@braak:

Celestines?

Cosmines?

Voidstriders?

-Kle.

Oh, and BTW, DO NOT call a group of Army Soldiers "Marines"...

@goldfarb: I wondered how long it would be before the anti-military weenies chimed in.

@Sihanouk-s-Poodle:"United Nations Exploratory Force"

The UN is the most corrupt, inefficient and ineffective organization on this planet. Let's do space a favor and keep them here.

Actually I've changed my mind. Let's send the whole bunch of them to Mars.

@RAHfanboy: Hahah. Really? The UN's got nothing on SEPTA.

@ManchuCandidate:
Screw the Taurans, just pick the ending that eliminates the council and gives the humans control!

@braak:
I always thought that the Coalition Provisional Authority led by Paul Bremer won the title. The UN might be inefficient and corrupt but not always ineffective. At least they don't hire ice cream truck drivers to run the "stock" market.

@RAHfanboy: "The UN is the most corrupt, inefficient and ineffective organization on this planet."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're doing a lot of governments and corporations a severe disservice with this statement. They work long and hard hours shredding documents on Saturday nights to do what they do!

@ManchuCandidate: Space Trooper?
Cosmos Soldiers?
Cosmos Troopers?
Astro Troopers? part of the Astro Force!
UN Astro Force.

@jhoj435: No kidding!

@EBone: Damn! beat me to it :-D

@braak: "Hahah. Really? The UN's got nothing on SEPTA."

SEPTA may be the most inefficient, corrupt, etc. per unit, but I think the UN has it on sheer quantity of corruption, ineffectiveness and inefficiency. I'll cede the point, though, as long as nobody tries to say that the UN is NOT corrupt, inefficient and ineffective.

@tetracycloide:
what, exactly do you think my opinions of military training are? I said I didn't see the connection, if you think there is then enlighten me.

@RAHfanboy: there is no reason to send Military forces into space. They have no purpose there, if we build colonies then there will be a need for some type of police force...but we have structures and policies in place for this already, they're called Police. There is nothing special about living in space/on the moon/mars etc that would require the presence of Military force.
IMO space should not be the domain of the military, it should be a civilian lead effort. Phisical fitness is, of course, a requirement, but fitness isn't exclusive to military personel.

@AhnyerKeester: What can I say, all things are politic. I guess the filtering process for astronauts is arbitrary. Like most things in life.

With all due respect to career soldiers, military unit on interplanetary mission would end up like "Event Horizon".

@goldfarb: Whatever dude, when you get to Planet X and your civilian colony gets ransacked by Xenomorphs dont' come crying to me when your police force is sitting on their low gravity ass eating Saturn Rings (the space donut) and looks at you bewildered and says to you with a mouth full of solar fried dough.

"Wha.. I wasn't trained for this! This is some serious marines shi..."

Bam... extendable 2nd jaw to the head.

@Garrison Dean, King Awesome:

The meek shall inherit the earth, a 6 X 4 X 6 feet deep bit of it.

I'd like peace too, but 1000s of years of recorded history says we humans will fuck it up anyway.

How about Star Soldiers?

I just have a problem with a uninational militarized space program being the first group to colonize other planets. That sounds like a generally bad idea. That having been said, maybe a joint Civilian/UN space program would be a better candidate if you simply must have some kind of military presence in a space program.

So I guess I'm wrong for wanting scientists to do the observing? Instead of trained killers?

@jhoj435:
Thank you.

What the guy's saying is that a planet like venus with an arsenic atmosphere is still more hospitable than taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan

I think the best way to fix this is to have ex-professional soldiers, marines, and air force personal from any country who wouldn't mind being part of the first wave of colonists. Not only do they have the experience of being professional military folk but they are now civilians who can work at different parts of the colonization process. As well, if any aliens decide to get medieval on us the ex-military folk can handle themselves and protect the civilians and scientist.

This way we can prevent any corrupt elements of the UN and also other parties in the colonization process. And insure that civilians are at the forefront of the colonization methods. As long as no corporation starts getting antsy and claiming stakes on the Moon or Mars for themselves with hired Mercs. >:B

@goldfarb:I don't recall recommending the establishment of a "military presence." I merely remarked on your disdain for the military. Meanwhile, it is good to know that we have the Space Police already lined up and ready. Of course they will be military or ex-military. Sorry.

@munkles: Have there ever been any of your family in the service? I mean any "trained killers" in the family tree? Some how I doubt it. If I'm wrong, I'm sure they're proud of your opinion of them, not that you'd say it to their face.

All respect to Army any Marine units (both American and among our allies), but I think the people most ably trained for a space-exploration missions would be the crew of a Navy Submarine (including any diver teams). That seems to be the most similar experience we have to traveling through space. As far as we know there just isn't anything out there that needs to be shot at, but we do know you'll have to know how to live in crampt quarters without shore leave for months at time (or longer).

Feel free to leave the Trident missiles here on Earth though. Taking those into space can't end well.

Well, that's basically the point I logged in to make, but Brock beat me to it.

No one is talking about sending armed soldiers, just people that are experienced with living in extreme conditions with none of the comforts we take for granted. Throw your average person on a mission like that and then you'd have an outbreak of...

SPACE MADNESS!!!