We now have a Space Force!?

[ccmdfd]

There used to be long discussions in Glock fora about whether a Glock would work in space. Of course, shooting Glocks underwater was a popular thread then.

Oh the good old Quail Fat days! I remember them well

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[ccmdfd]

I was aware of the presence, and necessity of US Space Command before I posted this topic.

As to whether or not it's best to keep it as a branch of the USAF vs its own branch of the military, I'll leave that to others smarter than me. But I would like to see the arguments for and against laid out.

Guess it's just me and my remembrance of 1980s, but the name Space Force is just too comical for me. Should have left it as Space Command. Heck, I'd even tolerate Star Fleet better.

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[GardoneVT]

If you have a fairly small group of people in a command that is now designated as its own branch, what sort of career path are they going to have that isn't incestuous (in a bureaucratic sense)? I suspect that a smaller group like that will become ossified at a very high rate.

My understanding is thus; in the short term , the existing Air Force Space Command bureaucracy gets renamed. After the signs on the buildings get changed, they’ll offer Airmen in overlapping USAF/USSF jobs to pick one or the other. Those with dedicated Space Command AFSCs stay in the Space Force , while those with USAF only jobs stay with Big Blue.

Long term they’re setting it up to emulate the USMC/Navy org model. The Secretary of the Air Force retains overall command of the USSF , with the branch chief reporting to the SecAF at the same rank as the Air Force CoS.
Next year the same branch chief of the USSF (equal to the USMC Commandant) will sit on the JCS .

Guess it's just me and my remembrance of 1980s, but the name Space Force is just too comical for me. Should have left it as Space Command. Heck, I'd even tolerate Star Fleet better.

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Between all the TV shows and movie franchises on space, they can’t call it something “not comical”.

Space Command? Literally the title of probably hundreds of video games and used in Brad Pitts last movie (which stunk, but that’s a side topic). Fleet command? Hello “Starship Troopers” ( the Secretary of the Navy’s on line two for you sir )

May as well call it what it is and embrace the jokes.

[SeriousStudent]

The A-1 Disintegrator, of course.
And it goes well with the new uniform!

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Just as long as they create an earth-shattering ka-boom.

[Borderland]

Which of the contemporary pistol options will be chosen by the Space Force?

Will they be commissioning something special, instead?

If a shot is fired in space and there's nobody around to hear it does it make a sound. Suppressors won't be part of the bid item.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Don't worry, someone will buy suppressors for space Glocks at $15, 895.00 a piece.

[HCM]

The A-1 Disintegrator, of course.
And it goes well with the new uniform!

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Of course ROE are still a thing

[Jim Watson]

Space Force: A new branch with its own chain of command, thereby increasing the chief-to-indian ratio.

Mandalorian: A single shot energy weapon?

[Glenn E. Meyer]

It was an advance over the muzzle loading disintegrator. Too many users disappeared when damping down the disintegrator powder.

[NEPAKevin]

Considering the USAF was flying over MIG Alley in F-86 Sabres when the Army still had horse cavalry? Yeah I think maybe it's time.

When my dad enlisted for WWII, the First Cavalry still had horses. I recall him mentioning not being terribly fond of cleaning horse stalls and that the horses liked to bite them.