Task Force 72

Task Force 72
Leadership
Commander	Rear Admiral Thomas Belvedere
Deputy Commander	Captain Micah Mendoza
Links
BFMS	Main Website
Template:Task Force

Based out of Starbase 72, close to the Cardassian border, Task Force 72’s ships are at the forefront of diplomatic intervention and peacekeeping. Their duties focus on engagement with political powers in volatile regions, ensuring stability between major governments and the protection of local populaces.

Objectives

• Perform critical and sensitive diplomatic missions within and outside of Federation space, especially those with national security implications.
• Execute peacekeeping operations in conjunction with allies and friendly powers
• Build alliances, trade relations, and other diplomatic relationships that foster peace across the galaxy
• Lead Starfleet efforts in specific diplomatic flashpoints, including:
  • The True Way crisis in the Former Demilitarized Zone
  • Delta and Gamma Quadrant second and third contact operations
  • Ongoing negotiations with worlds now under Federation influence following the collapse of the Romulan Neutral Zone

Overview

Unlike nearly every other large spacefaring civilization, the United Federation of Planets does not expand primarily through conquest or even large-scale colonization, but through diplomacy. For over two hundred years, Starfleet has served as the Federation’s first, best impression and its most adept diplomatic arm. First contacts, trade negotiations, ceasefires, and countless other diplomatic exercises conducted by starship captains have slowly but steadily turned the Federation into the largest and most progressive alliance of species the galaxy has ever seen. This is the spirit that guides Task Force 72, the Fourth Fleet’s designated Diplomatic Operations unit. All starship captains are empowered to conduct negotiations on behalf of the Federation, as real-time consultations with Starfleet Command and the Federation Council is often impossible for front-line exploratory vessels, but Task Force 72’s specific mandate is to handle the most pressing and sensitive diplomatic missions within and outside of Federation space, especially those with national security implications for the Federation and its member worlds. This task force also handles peacekeeping operations and conducts many joint operations with allied or friendly powers, such as the Klingon Empire, Cardassian Union, and the Romulan Republic.

Historically, Task Force 72 was assigned specifically to the Federation-Cardassian Border and remains headquartered at Starbase 72 in the Minos Korva system, but its operations have expanded to the full width and breadth of the Fourth Fleet’s tip-of-the-spear ethos, with vessels in all four quadrants of the galaxy. The evolving diplomatic situation in the Former Demilitarized Zone remains a focus for the task force, with a number of ships directly working with the Cardassian military to end the True Way crisis diplomatically and through direct peacekeeping operations. Other important operations include forging new alliances with Delta Quadrant powers, and ongoing negotiations with neutral worlds within Federation space that the Federation is eager to finally bring into the fold.

Task Force Assets and Headquarters

Starbase 72 (Minos Korva)

Minos Korva, home to Starbase 72, was a system targeted by both the Cardassian and Dominion Wars. It never fell to either power, and is the present headquarters for Task Force 72. From there, the Task Force provides support, resupply, and training to its starships, priming them for their operations across the galaxy. However, its position in proximity to the Cardassian border is no coincidence. While Task Force 72 pursues diplomatic interests across the Federation, the Union is in a particularly delicate condition, and from Starbase 72 the task force can launch operations maintaining regional stability.

Starships

• USS Argonaut, an Argonaut-class light cruiser assigned to operations in the Former Demilitarized Zone.
• USS Arcturus, an Odyssey-class explorer assigned to second contact missions in the far Delta Quadrant
• USS Constantinople, a Steamrunner-class light cruiser
• USS Edison, a Nova-class surveyor
• USS Foxglove, an Excelsior-class starship in refit configuration assigned to support duties
• USS Hood, an Inquiry-class heavy cruiser
• USS Orpheus, an Argonaut-class light cruiser
• USS Pandora, a Luna-class light explorer
• USS Pathfinder, a Nova-class surveyor

Task Force History

Task Force 72 is one of the oldest Task Forces in the 4th Fleet, notable for never being disband in the turbulent decades since its inception.

It has been a more than a decade since the signing of the Treaty of Bajor ending the Dominion War and the cessation of hostilities between the Federation Alliance and the Dominion. Since the end of the war, Task force 72's mission has changed in size and scope many time. Though the mid 2380's until early 2399 Task Force 72 has encompassed most of the Alpha Quadrant but was stretched thin as Starfleet pulled away resources in the wake of the attack on Mars.

The decision by Starfleet to advance its operations included a reform of Task Force 72's mandate to bring it in-line with the reforms to the 4th Fleet, to serve as one of its specialist units. Already experts at operating in diplomatically fraught regions, Task Force 72 was given the same galaxy-wide operational jurisdiction as the rest of Bravo Fleet.