Starfleet Security

[c57d]

For a long time I have been bothered by Starfleet Security uniforms, as portrayed in TOS.
Red coloured shirts (big sign saying "here I am, come shoot me") instead of duller, less obtrusive and vibrant colours. And just made of a light fabric, without any sort of body armour.
Now I can understand this for shipboard usage, where armour might be too bulky and clumsy to be worthwhile.
And I appreciate that physical armour might not be able to protect against energy weapons anyway.
But, surely, even just a helmet and anti shrapnel/stab vest would vastly increase Security Officer's survivability and their ability to stand between Command/ Science/Medical/Engineering officers and the threats and hazards of all these "Strange new Worlds".
If I was to run a TOS Starfleet campaign again I would outfit Security with helmets and torso vests with moderate physical, and light energy, weapon protection, in some subtle green-grey camouflage colours.
YMMV

[Falconer]

Something like this? dthiller.wordpress.com/2015/03/27/end-episode-3/ TOS uniform but with TMP accoutrements.

But people so often go around bare-headed in all shows. They don’t wear hats in arctic weather, they don’t wear helmets in combat, etc.

[c57d]

Perfect, thank you - precisely what I was thinking of.
And I know exactly what you mean about the lack of gear carried by landing parties.
I always thought that the "Cage" with one backpack and multiple shoulder strap slung equipment in evidence, plus the field jackets, was the most realistic.

[putraack]

That kind of gear also appeared in FASA's game, once the TOS movies started appearing. In V and VI, we see Security (or Marines) in body armor, and everyone often wears a warm coat once they've left the ship.

[Falconer]

In my group we joke about stashing gear in the beehive hairdos.

[c57d]

May 8, 2021 10:09:18 GMT -5 Falconer said:

In my group we joke about stashing gear in the beehive hairdos.

That is great!
Well, you wouldn't hide much gear under the skirts for sure.

[aramis]

I've always assumed that Security was not the same as the ground forces. I always use black for ground forces tunics in the TOS era.


That said, Ship Security have always had under-the-tunic body armor in my games, at least since I got the idea from FASA-Trek or a Vondra MacIntire ST Novel, and of course, ST:TMP's security guard in heavy armor.

the under-the-tunic is cut and energy resistant, but not much good against blunt.

The over-uniform armor is good against all three.

Prime Directive 1E's armors are pretty much right what I was using before its release.

[Falconer]

I’ve often wondered about ways in which TOS costumes can be inferred to be imperceptibly high tech. Are the boots meant to be magnetic, for example? Do the shirts and slacks and even tights regulate temperature and moisture? Do they offer armor-like protection? If we can imagine Life support belts which emit a personal force field (TAS), can we imagine this functionality being built into a pair of pants?

[nightwind1]

May 25, 2021 12:01:39 GMT -5 Falconer said:

I’ve often wondered about ways in which TOS costumes can be inferred to be imperceptibly high tech. Are the boots meant to be magnetic, for example? Do the shirts and slacks and even tights regulate temperature and moisture? Do they offer armor-like protection? If we can imagine Life support belts which emit a personal force field (TAS), can we imagine this functionality being built into a pair of pants?

There is one episode of TOS where Kirk says to "Set uniform temperature to..." (Don't remember what episode or what temp, but it did happen.)

[aramis]

It's not in the transcripts, nightwind.

[Falconer]

Found it! It’s “Suit temperatures to seventy two,” and it’s in “Spock’s Brain.” Cool!

[nightwind1]

Jun 13, 2021 18:24:18 GMT -5 aramis said:

It's not in the transcripts, nightwind.

Actually, I found it in the transcripts. It was from "Spock's Brain":

KIRK: Suit temperatures to seventy two. Life-form readings, Mister Spock? (gets a look) Mister Scott?

After he says that, the team reaches behind them, as if they are adjusting something.

www.chakoteya.net/StarTrek/61.htm

[starcruiser]

Surprised I missed that but, I really don't watch Spock's Brain very often (wonder why?)!

I would have to guess that some of the fibers in the uniform are capable of a limited range of temperature control. Probably a power system in the waist band of the slacks, maybe? Might convert movement into electricity (we actually have that under development now - at least as an idea).

This may also help explain how Sulu and company survived being stranded during Enemy Within...

[rredmond]

May 25, 2021 3:01:52 GMT -5 aramis said:

I've always assumed that Security was not the same as the ground forces. I always use black for ground forces tunics in the TOS era.

Even though it never seemed to go that way, this is what I thought too.
The red shirts were, on ship, like flashing sirens. A warning to chill out and listen, instead of continuing whatever dopey thing you were doing that caused security to be called.