An elite, highly selective squad of Starfleet Academy cadets, exploited in a coup attempt on Earth and later lost aboard the USS Valiant during the Dominion War.
Red Squad was a select group of top Starfleet Academy cadets given advanced training and a strong sense of being the best of their class. Nog asked Benjamin Sisko to help him gain membership while on Earth in 2372, eager to join their ranks.
The squad's loyalty was abused by Admiral James Leyton, who used its members to sabotage Earth's power grid as part of his plan to stage a military takeover during fears of Changeling infiltration. Sisko and Odo exposed the plot before Leyton could seize power.
In 2374 a group of Red Squad cadets was aboard the USS Valiant on a training mission when the Dominion War broke out and the ship's officers were killed. Led by Cadet Tim Watters, the cadets kept the ship operating behind enemy lines and rescued Jake Sisko and Nog, then launched a reckless attack on a Jem'Hadar battleship that destroyed the Valiant. Only Jake, Nog and one cadet survived.