US Space Force

Terran

Well-Known Member
Unless you have been living in a cave, by now you should be aware that the US DOD is spinning off of the USAF a new service the US Space Force. Every aspect of the new borne service is currently under critique from Military watchers to pop culture to the point of satirical TV series (Netflix Space Force) and Sci-fi movies (Ad Astria).

Aspects like the first official Uniform (a modified version of the USAF OCP combat uniform).
The Seal and flag (Oft compared to A Startrek line art that dates to the 1990s) have been criticized.

Even Captain James T. Kirk himself (William Shatner) in a violation of the Temporal Prime Directive has written an oped in proposing Naval ranking. William Shatner wants to know: What the heck is wrong with you, Space Force?
An argument backed by Retired USN S.E.A.L. Lt. Commander turned US rep. Dan Crenshaw (R) Texas 2, Whom has written the so called “Starfleet Amendment” ‘Starfleet’ amendment puts Space Force in a political bind - SpaceNews

As such it seems rather odd that there has not yet been a dedicated thread to the formation of this new Service. From Financial, Esprit de corps, Mission aspects, mission equipment, basing, Uniforming and more all would be news worthy.
With the low hanging fruits like the continued operation of X37B, GPS, spy and Military communications satellites, ASAT systems and General DOD launches.
 

ngatimozart

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Think the Netflix series is pretty well on the mark especially wrt to the USAF :D I think that Adm Kirk has every right to have written his OPED and he hasn't broken the Temporal Prime Directive, yet, unless he's given them Star Fleet material or info from the future.
 

swerve

Super Moderator
Unless you have been living in a cave, by now you should be aware that the US DOD is spinning off of the USAF a new service the US Space Force. Every aspect of the new borne service is currently under critique from Military watchers to pop culture to the point of satirical TV series (Netflix Space Force) and Sci-fi movies (Ad Astria).

Aspects like the first official Uniform (a modified version of the USAF OCP combat uniform).
The Seal and flag (Oft compared to A Startrek line art that dates to the 1990s) have been criticized.
Yeah, because camouflage is so, so necessary for space missions. Or for sitting in front of a screen thousands of miles from an enemy. :(
 

Terran

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Yeah, because camouflage is so, so necessary for space missions. Or for sitting in front of a screen thousands of miles from an enemy. :(
In their defense 3 points.

  1. The USAF as well as sister services in the US Army and USN are still sorting their camouflage uniform debacles in the Forms of ABU, ACU UCP and NWU. Choosing OCP ACU Is a safe bet. Established supply, easy apply despite it all they are still USAF for the moment. It’s just easier to slap new name tapes on an call it a day.

  2. Despite how it seems USSF ah... Starship Toopers? Are probably more likely to be in The moon scapes of Afghanistan than the Afghan scape of the Moon. Even if it’s just to play cable guy eventually they will be deployed. Earth side.

  3. If we used the USAF as our analog than in 1947-1952 This year being basically 1948 this was the official USAF uniform the same as the US Army Pinks and greens for the officers browns for the men. Transitional Period It would still be another 2 Years before the first USAF unique and most beautiful uniforms appeared Uxbridge blue winter and Silver tans summer.

  4. Yes I said 3, So number 4 is An aside. Pointing out that the mother service USAF has had a long standing internal battle over its service dress uniform set. After CSAF Admiral...err... General McPeak redesigned the Service dress in 1991 introducing aspects that make it look either Naval or like an Airliner crew. It proved unpopular In 1994 exactly one week after McPeaks retirement the uniform he designed was burned in a bonfire at ground zero of the Pentagon... Well not seriously. However they did scrap it though. However McPeak had already killed the McConnell uniform It’s predecessor. Which was a modified version of the second generation Service blues. Service whites were retiring from the Army and Airforce by 95, Semiformal Blacks had been killed in 83 for Cerimonial Blues that were supposed to be gone by 94. This just left the Blues as service and Dress. A quick tailoring job created the current USAF Blues by deleting the Commonwealth/Navy style sleeve braids the shoulder straps were back along with chest pockets. That style won the day yet the older style Ceremonial blues still appeared as a distinctive dress. The USAF has in the last years talked of and looked into a replacement for its Service At least twice. New service dress prototypes pique interest In Search of the Perfect Uniform - Air Force Magazine The Air Force is working on a new dress blues uniform — and it’s going old school New Dress Blues in 2019? Not Just Yet, Air Force Says since the USAF can’t figure out what to wear how is the USSF? Especially when they don’t even know what to call each other. The Netflix show has them even do an episode pointing this out. Well the main service uniform is little more than Service Blues with a matching blue dress shirt.

Think the Netflix series is pretty well on the mark especially wrt to the USAF :D I think that Adm Kirk has every right to have written his OPED and he hasn't broken the Temporal Prime Directive, yet, unless he's given them Star Fleet material or info from the future.
First Captain James T. Kirk (Not to be confused with Rear Adm James A. Kirk USN. No relation... Yet.) was demoted for insubordination. Second I agree he wasn’t wrong to write it, however I also disagree with him.
For the foreseeable future the US Space Force is a terrestrial organization centered around terrestrial and atmospheric operations. The naval organization base works best with ship board operations, and expanded beyond the forms of the USN and USCG To Beyond that with the NOAA and PHS Commissioned Officer Corps. Unless Stargate SG1 wasn’t fiction we are well to early for Mahan style space battles with Space battleships, Battle stars and the like. The Realm of space operations are primarily to be planed and Commanded by ground control centers Using Unmanned assets. Likely to be the smallest of the services with the largest investment of research and development. The closest to kinetic operations being ASAT baring some Orbital kinetic bombardment system actually being built.
821D8295-3181-42BE-9065-75CFEED83C2F.jpeg Note the modified Rank ensignia for the Chief Master Sgt. Already elements of a unique service have appeared
 

Ananda

The Bunker Group
foreseeable future the US Space Force is a terrestrial organization centered around terrestrial and atmospheric operations.
It's only for another 43 years before Zefram Cochrane fly his Warp engine anyway :D.
Seriously though, the Space Force build seems more on how to have a service that going to handle increasingly space competition. Cold War USAF only have to think one other adversary that have the ability to arm space vehicles. Now at least 5 other countries that able to do that.

Potential to build moon base is not too far fetch anymore for those few countries outside US, especially China and Russia. Give incentives for Moon minerals for example, I can see financial effort will be put perhaps in another two decades to do that.

Just like Gene Roddenberry says, 'space the final frontier' will come in the end. Thus Space Force in the end is the natural development for Armed Services, and it's logical to build it from USAF with organization and operating procedure from AF first.

Anyway, I got impression before long, the guy in the left will make the guy in the Right as commander of Independent Service branch and not just Sub Branch service as stand now.
 

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Terran

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Listening to an interview In 2 parts on the Space Force With Lt.General Steven Kwest retired.


Edit addition
Look at X37B doors open.
 
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Terran

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Been a year + since last update. Today the USSF released its scheme for enlisted rank.

The ensignia is a play on one of the rejected enlisted schemes from the early USAF proposed by General Vandenberg. This far the Space Force is still using USAF uniforms but this is the first break in that. Given the color way of Navy and Grey it might be a good idea for the eventual USSF to choose a grey uniform for Service and Dress. It’s common in Sci-fi and would decidedly contrast from the other US services.
 

ngatimozart

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Been a year + since last update. Today the USSF released its scheme for enlisted rank.

The ensignia is a play on one of the rejected enlisted schemes from the early USAF proposed by General Vandenberg. This far the Space Force is still using USAF uniforms but this is the first break in that. Given the color way of Navy and Grey it might be a good idea for the eventual USSF to choose a grey uniform for Service and Dress. It’s common in Sci-fi and would decidedly contrast from the other US services.
So will the uniform be the grey and black with jackboots from Starship Troopers? :D Or the Star Wars Imperial Forces Officers uniform? Maybe something more along the Klingon or Romulan lines or even from the Borg. :cool:
 

Terran

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Jack boots are so passé. If and when they take that step I would lay money it will be a uniform that is modeled after a USAF uniform. Same tailoring different color much the same way Gen 1 usaf blues(1954) were to new US Army Greens(1954). But it’s all fantasy at this point. But hay got a post.

Other actual news
Space Force grappling with aging infrastructure used to operate satellites - SpaceNews
As the USSF moves to actually working they have to grapple with the obsolescence of the Satellite ground control and observation networks that are likely to be the absolute critical aspect of their missions.

Looks like they are already looking to the next SBIS. With great power on the table Missile warning is moving back to the forefront.
 

Terran

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Well they went more sci-fi than I thought. I was completely wrong.
I wonder as to the practical aspects of the uniform I mean it has a look. Yet that look leaves it feeling like cosplay.
 
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FormerDirtDart

Well-Known Member
Been a year + since last update. Today the USSF released its scheme for enlisted rank.

The ensignia is a play on one of the rejected enlisted schemes from the early USAF proposed by General Vandenberg. This far the Space Force is still using USAF uniforms but this is the first break in that. Given the color way of Navy and Grey it might be a good idea for the eventual USSF to choose a grey uniform for Service and Dress. It’s common in Sci-fi and would decidedly contrast from the other US services.
Always thought they would use the "Delta" in a similar manner that the USAF used the old "roundel". The downward pointing chevrons and bordered rank have a certain USN Petty Officer appearance to me. And I suspect that the "Delta, Globe and Orbit" (DGO) will try to be used in the reverent manner as the USMC uses the "Eagle, Globe and Anchor" (EGA)
 

FormerDirtDart

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Well they went more sci-fi than I thought. I was completely wrong.
I'm hoping this "prototype" will be scorned heavily enough by the rank & file that it doesn't survive without serious revisions.
Don't mind the collars, and I was pretty much thinking this colorway was likely, including the dark jacket/lighter slacks, and I have no problem with their choice.
You know, other than the jacket design

Edit: Also, Patton went this route, and they said "oh hell no" ...LOL
1632246678440.png
 

Terran

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I'm hoping this "prototype" will be scorned heavily enough by the rank & file that it doesn't survive without serious revisions.
Don't mind the collars, and I was pretty much thinking this colorway was likely, including the dark jacket/lighter slacks, and I have no problem with their choice.
You know, other than the jacket design

Edit: Also, Patton went this route, and they said "oh hell no" ...LOL
View attachment 48524
Warning Essay ahead.
When Patton made that it was for Tankers. The jacket Was padded and the trousers he is wearing are cargo type. Plus we see the helmet, the original probably had a more practical one than the Washington redskins foot ball helmet he is wearing. This Green Hornet suit was supposed to be a work wear. Meant for use in the tank like modern coveralls. Or then peers Black German or Russian Tanker uniforms. However it didn’t get the green light.
Where it seems as the Space force is trying create a Star Trek lower decks version of the USAF uniforms to apply it to a modern military business suit.
Now the USAF has been something of a hot mess in terms of uniform design for decades.
these are photos of rejected USAF uniforms circa 2006.
39E4BC58-936F-48EE-8A97-10EA8053BBFB.jpeg
Here we have what was called the “Billy Mitchell heritage” which is Ironic as General Mitchell reportedly hated the closed collar.
9A31CC62-6206-44DA-809B-B58B54991899.jpegThen the “Hap Arnold heritage “ which if you are thinking looks familiar. It’s basically a re color of the US Army Pinks and Greens.
*photo source both images New service dress prototypes pique interest
As stated both failed leaving the current modified pattern since the 1990s. I like to think part of the failure is simply that they were trying to create a fictional history as both those sets are Army uniforms. Combined with the obvious issues of the discomfort via Collar or belt.
Yet 2012 USAF “Command” uniform.
.FDFD6BE4-90FD-49C0-8101-6D260ED3EB78.jpeg Image source Welsh
Again another fail part of which dates back to the one that really started the whole thing the McPeak uniform which is almost a navy uniform. It created a huge mess as McPeak’s redesign didn’t succeed in popularity and was one of the first attempts at a singular uniform to combine both Service and Dress. The McPeak came with a mandatory phase out of its direct predecessor uniforms meaning that since almost no one wanted them the USAF had to rapidly fix the uniforms or else have nothing to wear. Creating the modern sets. However they walked into a problem that has been in the USAF since 1947.
If you look at the Navy, Army (restored) and Marines they have really separate uniforms for Service and Dress. The Navy Wears Khakis for most office work and busts out Blues or Whites when they put on a Show. The Army wore and now again wears Green for office and busts out Blues for parade the Marines same deal. The USAF never quite worked that one out.
They wear Blues for all things. When it’s formal they change shirts. They realized this soon after founding and for a time kept blue for office (had a tan summer uniform early on) but broke out White(summer) /Black (winter) ceremony uniforms. Until the 1980s when the black was replaced with a more blinged out set of Blues and Whites left both Air Force and Army closets. Then McPeak and ever since officially they only have one uniform well top generals and Special units have been using old pre McPeak Ceremonial blues or custom Command variants to try and look more formal. Well rank and file switch shirts. It’s the so called not quite issue. In the Traditional western dress code you have 5 classes of dress active wear, work wear, casual (Business), Semi formal and formal. Active being PT uniforms, Work being coveralls or Camouflage utilities, Business being Service, Semi formal being Tuxedo or mess dress Formal being full dress Ceremonial.
So this just seems to have added fuel to the fire.
If this was the Ceremonial/band uniform fine but as a Service uniform they went to gimmicky.
I mean the collar is off of the Costume for Paul Reiser in the movie Aliens matted to a Cavalrymens shell Jacket.
Gimmick based so called “futuristic” suits can be seen on runways by designer brands yet you never ever see them on the street or in an office. Because most of the circumstances that demand formality are very conservative. Though the cut may change, though some aspects might be altered the Western Business suit has been pretty well set for the last better part of 200 years. The military uniform it descended from and cohabitate with has changed over the last century yet since the end of the 1930s the two have more or less been matched and fixed. This sort of gimmick last such I think like the 2006 prototypes I think will as such don’t go far. Additionally color has been a long argument for US services as they fight to differentiate from each other. The US army went back to Greens as they were getting confused for police, Bus drivers or worse the USAF. USAF was unhappy with McPeak as they were getting confused with Airline crews. So keeping the same colors is going to cause issues to.
Maybe I am to old fashioned but I think both sides of the USAF and USSF should have hit the reset back to the 1950s uniform pattern.
6D087360-EA3C-4B6B-B1E5-951F6A913F51.png
The Uxbridge blues. Have the Ike jacket for day to day the coat for more formal.

A grey for the Space force I think could have worked. First early USAF uniforms had a grey tone to them in both the Uxbridge and Silver tans.
historically the British set the pattern for most uniforms. The British army was the first standing army in the modern age it adopted Scarlet for its uniforms early on as the dye was cheap. It adopted facings to identify units. Other European countries changed the vivid colors but kept the concept. Eventually the British Army adopted earth tones and they to were copied by armies globally perhaps different tones perhaps different cuts but it’s hard not to see an inspiration. The Royal Navy’s uniforms are globally copied detail by detail. When the RAF was founded it chose Blue tones and every Air Force since has a blue suit.
Today there is only one Space Force, but it’s not British. Yes other agencies exist with similar missions yet they are more conjoined than a separate service. The only true preexisting concept has been in Science fiction. Since the 1920s Sci-fi serials Grey has been the go to color for a Space Force. From Flash Gordon to Buck Rodgers, Starfleet TOS (Trousers charcoal),TMP, TNG, DS9, Modern films to The Galactic Imperial Navy, both BSG series, Starship Troopers (They didn’t wear just Jack boots though), Forbidden Planet, even Stargate Atlantis. Grey has been the choice.
In terms of traditional formality Charcoal grey has been considered just as appropriate as Navy and dark blue for wear. Funerals, weddings, business of court and private.
The only US service that wore grey was the USN for a short period in the 1940s when it was pushed to replace Khakis. Grey or charcoal fabric is common in some law enforcement uniforms but not as common as midnight blue so fabrics would be easily sourced. No need for a gimmick cut as an existing or historical style would and even alternative like mess dress could be worked into it.
 

Ben Dhyani

New Member
I don't think it will get through, but fwiw...

Space Force abolished? House bill would do just that ..

Sep 22, 2021

A group of House Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday to abolish the nation’s newest armed service, eliminating the Space Force and giving the Air Force its responsibilities. Backed by five members of the House Progressive Caucus, which is composed of Democrats on the party’s left wing, the “No Militarization of Space Act” was introduced as congress debates its annual Pentagon policy bill.

“It’s time we turn our attention back to where it belongs: addressing urgent domestic and international priorities like battling COVID-19, climate change and growing economic inequality,” said the measure's author, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat from the wealthy San Rafael suburb of California’s Bay Area. “Our mission must be to support the American people, not spend billions on the militarization of space.”

https://gazette.com/premium/space-force-abolished-house-bill-would-do-just-that/article_7589e9f6-1bd5-11ec-9112-0f98af62e60b.html
 

ngatimozart

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I don't think it will get through, but fwiw...

Space Force abolished? House bill would do just that ..

Sep 22, 2021

A group of House Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday to abolish the nation’s newest armed service, eliminating the Space Force and giving the Air Force its responsibilities. Backed by five members of the House Progressive Caucus, which is composed of Democrats on the party’s left wing, the “No Militarization of Space Act” was introduced as congress debates its annual Pentagon policy bill.

“It’s time we turn our attention back to where it belongs: addressing urgent domestic and international priorities like battling COVID-19, climate change and growing economic inequality,” said the measure's author, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat from the wealthy San Rafael suburb of California’s Bay Area. “Our mission must be to support the American people, not spend billions on the militarization of space.”

https://gazette.com/premium/space-force-abolished-house-bill-would-do-just-that/article_7589e9f6-1bd5-11ec-9112-0f98af62e60b.html
The majority of the Democrats and most of the Republican Party will be all over that like a rash. It won't get past the first vote.
 
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