Patrol
A patrol is the term used to describe a starship or group of people assigned to monitor a specific area for a period of time. Vessels specifically designed for this type of task were designated patrol ships. ()

The Federation Naval Patrol was a military organization dedicated to ensuring security and exploring the oceans of member worlds. ()

In 2266, the  was assigned to patrol Federation outposts guarding the Romulan Neutral Zone when it received a distress call from Outpost 4. Investigating, the crew found the Romulans had attacked and destroyed outposts 2 and 3, seriously damaging Outpost 4. ()

Later that year, the Enterprise picked up Lenore Karidian from Planet Q. As part of the Karidian Company of Players, Karidian offered to perform Hamlet for the crew of the Enterprise in exchange for passage to the planet Benecia. Captain James T. Kirk accepted her offer, noting the crew had been on patrol for quite some time and could use the break in monotony. ()

The following year, the Enterprise was assigned to patrol a sector of space in proximity to Starbase 11, though Captain Kirk noted there were no problems at that time. ()

On stardate 5027.3, Enterprise Chief Medical Officer Doctor Leonard McCoy noted in his medical log that he had concerns about Captain Kirk's increase in tension and emotional . The doctor could find no reason for this increase, other than the ship having been on patrol for too long without relief and diversion. ()

In 2269, Doctor Sevrin and his followers managed to gain control of the USS Enterprise and set it on a course for the planet Eden. As the course would take the ship directly through the Romulan Neutral Zone, Captain Kirk asked Commander Spock to scan for Romulan patrols, fearing the Romulans would see it as an act of war. Fortunately for the Enterprise, there were no patrols at that time. ()

In 2369, a fleet of fifteen starships, including the , , , and , were assigned to patrol a region of space near to Ohniaka III, following a Borg attack on the planet. ()

In 2373, Starfleet assigned the  to patrol the Romulan Neutral Zone, seemingly in case the Romulans decided to take advantage of another Borg incursion into Federation space. In truth, this was due to Starfleet's lacking confidence in Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who had previously been assimilated by the Borg. While on patrol, the ship's first sensor sweep detected twenty particles of space dust per cubic meter, fifty-two ultraviolet radiation spikes, and a class two comet. ()

In the 2390s, on the planet Vashti; many of the Qowat Milat patrolled the roads and waterways of their world, in order to protect the lives of both Romulan and Terran citizens. ()

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Maneuvers