The U.S.S. Hunter is the newest class of patrol vessel in Star Fleet. Until the wars with the Dominion and the Borg, the trend was to build ever larger deep space vessels culminating with the Galaxy Class exploration vessels such as the Enterprise D (STNG).

Star Fleet's mission has evolved from deep space exploration to maintenance of a vast empire, larger than the Klingon, Cardassian and Romulan empires combined. This requires a larger fleet of smaller vessels, spearheaded by the Escort Class such as the Defiant (DS9) and Intrepid Class such as the Voyager (STV).

The Hunter is the first of its class (the Prowler class). Even smaller than the Escort Class, the Prowler Class is designed for law enforcement - an expanded role handed over to Star Fleet's Office of Judge Advocate General.  In addition to being the lawyers and criminal investigators within Star Fleet, JAG officers are serving an increasing role of law enforcement and planetary security within the Federation. The Hunter is the smallest, fastest and most nimble vessel class in Star Fleet. Heavily armed, the Prowler class has a separate, warp capable tactical unit bristling with weapons and shield emitters. 

Accommodations are cramped to make room for a larger brig, forensic laboratories, heavy armaments and a hull designed for stealth and speed. The crew compliment for the U.S.S. Hunter is 18 officers, 17 enlisted crew, 2 civilian investigators, and 3 holographic warrant officers.

The Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter

Captain Minerva Irons, At Large Appellate Justice  (Ph.D. in Federation Legal Systems, Andorian Legal Systems, Vulcan Legal Systems, Federation History) (species/human ethnicity: Chinese, vulcan, trill, betazoid)
Commander David Pepper  (Ph.D. in Literature specializing in Klingon Poetry) (species/human ethnicity: African American, orion, andorian)
Lt. Commander Mlady  (Ph.D. in BioEthics) (species: N/A) 

Flight Operations Department
Director: Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  (Ph.D. in Philosophy) (human ethnicity: German American)
Assistant Director:  2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  (Ph.D. in AstroPhysics) (human ethnicity: Congolese)
                                        2 Navigators 
                                        Eli Strahl (species: trill, betazoid)
                                        Johanna Imex (species/human ethnicity: Tutsi, vulcan)

                        Ensign Ethan Phillips (Ph.D. in Warp Field Engineering) (species/human ethnicity: African American, vulcan)
                                        4 Flight Specialists 
                                        Dewayne Guth (species/human ethnicity: African American, trill)
                                        Winnifred Salazaar (species/human ethnicity: Puerto Rican, betazoid)
                                        Dih Terri (species: trill)
                                        Joey Chin (species/human ethnicity: Chinese, vulcan)

Ground Operations Department
Director: Lt. T’Lok Smith     (Ph.D. in Criminal Justice) (species/human ethnicity: Hawaiian, vulcan)
Assistant Director: 2nd Lt. Tauk   (Ph.D. in Mathematics, Forensic Accounting) (species: ferengi)
                                2 Contracted Civilian Investigators
                               Lynhart Shran (species/human ethnicity: Jewish American, andorian)
                                Buttans Ngumbo (species/human ethnicity: Maasai, bajoran)

                        Ensign T’Lon  (Ph.D. in Physical Education) (species: vulcan)
                                        4 Tactical Specialists 
                                        Belo Cantys (species: bajoran, cardassian)
                                        Belo Rys (species: bajoran, cardassian)
                                        Belo Garr (species: bajoran, cardassian)
                                        Jarrong (species: cardassian, bajoran) 

Engineering Department
Director: Lt. Sarekson Carrera  (Ph.D. in Warp Field Engineering, Structural Engineering, Nuclear Chemistry, Astro Physics, Physics, Mathematics, Advanced Warp Theory, Starship Design, Ethics and Personal Development of Sentient Holograms, Music specializing in Piano, Vulcan Music Theory) (species/human ethnicity: Chilean, vulcan)
Assistant Director:  2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek (Ph.D. in Warp Field Engineering) (species/human ethnicity: Korean, vulcan, orion, betazoid)

                Ensign Sun Ho Hui (species/human ethnicity: Vietnamese, vulcan, bajoran)
                                        4 Flight Engineers
                                      Yolanda Thomas (species/human ethnicity: African American, bajoran, vulcan)
                                       Kerry Gibbon (species/human ethnicity: Indian, bajoran)
                                       Thomas Hobbs (species/human ethnicity: Scottish, vulcan)
                                       Tomos (species: vulcan)
                                2 Transporter Engineers
                              Midshipman Tammy Brazil (species/human ethnicity: Brazilian, bajoran)
                                       Transporter Engineer K’rok (species/human ethnicity: Indian, klingon) 

Medical Department
Director: Lt. Commander Tali Shae  (MD, Ph.D. in Forensic Medicine, Medical Ethics)  (species: andorian)
Assistant Director:  2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  (MD) (species: bajoran)

                Ensign Chrissiana Trei  (MD, Ph.D. in Forensic Medicine) (species: trill)
                                2 Forensic Scientist Midshipmen 
                                Midshipman Tolon Reeves (MD, Ph.D. in Forensic Medicine)  (species/human ethnicity: Indian, bajoran)
                                Midshipman Sif (MD, Ph.D. in Forensic Medicine) (species: trill) 

Holographic Warrant Officers
Hunter / Hunter Tactical Interactive Avatar (appears to be an older Mexican man)
Emergency Medical Hologram (Dr. Raj, MD) (appears to be a middle aged Indian man)
Tactical Medical Hologram (Dr. Kim, MD) (appears to be a young Korean woman) 

Note on Holograms: Artificially intelligent holograms are modeled after selected humans and programmed with their appearance and behavior - which helps ensure ethical and socially acceptable behavior

Note on officer ranks:  Graduates of Star Fleet Academy enter service with the rank of Ensign. 
                                     Graduates of an approved Officer Candidate School (OCS) must have a bachelor's degree and enter service with the lower rank of Midshipman.

Note on enlisted ranks:  After graduating from Star Fleet Basic Training, enlisted personnel enter service with the general rank of Crewman. 
                                       On developing a specialty, they attain the rank of Specialist (Flight Specialist, Navigator, Flight Engineer, Transporter Engineer, Tactical Specialist, etc.) 
                                       After three years service and depending on availability of positions at their post of duty, they may qualify for promotion to Chief Specialist. 
                                       Higher enlisted ranks are only available for training personnel, not for field personnel. 

Note on Uniforms:  Star Fleet has recently developed a new uniform for personnel assigned to the Office of Judge Advocate General (JAG) JAG uniforms are unadorned black silk - pants, shirt and vest (to be worn zipped closed). The only reference to the SF uniform color code (red = command, yellow = operations, blue = sciences) is a thin piping at the collar and sleeve cuffs of the shirt.

Note on Rank Insignia: All rank insignia below the rank of admiral are achieved with three types of pips worn at the shirt collar on the right side. Subdued (solid black) pips are for enlisted personnel only. Officer rank designations are marked with Hollow (platinum with black center) and Solid (platinum) pips using the following designations: 

Enlisted Rank Insignia:
Crewman (no insignia)
Specialist (one Subdued pip)
Chief Specialist (two Subdued pips)

Officer Rank Insignia:
Midshipman (one Hollow pip)
Ensign (one Solid pip)
2nd Lt. (1 Solid pip + 1 Hollow pip)
Lieutenant (2 Solid pips)
Lt. Commander (2 Solid pips + 1 Hollow pip)
Commander (3 Solid pips)
Captain (4 Solid pips)