Star Trek: 10 Things You Should Know Before Applying To Starfleet Academy

A frequent question to our Dear Counsellor column comes from (often anonymous) readers worried that their 'genetic status' will bar them from service in Starfleet. But what is the truth behind one of the Federation's most notorious policies?

Officially speaking, no genetically modified ('augmented') individual may become a Starfleet officer, and no species that uses genetic engineering may join the Federation. There have been exceptions to this blanket rule, however, and there are signs that the higher-ups are reconsidering their rather draconian approach.

GTN has obtained previously unseen documents revealing the arrest of Illyrian, and genetically 'enhanced,' Una Chin-Riley, first officer of the Enterprise under Captain Pike in the 2250s. Little is known about her trial, as Starfleet has persistently stonewalled our requests for further information. We're certainly not advising our readers to lie on their application forms, but other 'Unas' have done it and avoided arrest and dispatch from the service.

In 2373, it was discovered that serving Starfleet officer Doctor Julian Bashir had undergone DNA resequencing as a child and failed to disclose the fact. Records from the Office of the Judge Advocate General of Starfleet show that Doctor Bashir was able to maintain his commission and medical licence after his father, Richard Bashir, agreed to accept a guilty plea and prison sentence for illegal genetic engineering.

In 2384, a major step was made for the differently gene'd when Admiral Janeway convinced a Starfleet tribunal to allow so-called 'Augment' Dal R'El to become a warrant officer in training under her command.

Let's hope Starfleet puts an end to genetic discrimination once and for all!