by Jordan Green, News Editor
He may have previously used the phrase to jab at the dictator of a foreign nation. But with one of his latest actions, President Donald Trump may have made himself the real “Rocket Man.”
Trump created the U.S. Space Force in late December when he signed into law the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The Space Force will become the sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, joining the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy.
Trump announced Friday on Facebook and Twitter that a team of military officials and designers had created a logo for the new celestial military branch. Some social media users compared the logo to that of the long-running TV series “Star Trek.”
The fictional show, which originally debuted in 1966 and ran for three seasons, followed astronauts aboard the USS Enterprise as they explored new galaxies.
In reality, the logo was based off of a design that’s been used by the U.S. Air Force since World War II. The delta symbol is at the center of the logo, and it was first used in 1942 by the U.S. Army Air Forces.
It was also used in the Air Force’s early space organizations, which were first created during the Cold War in 1961.
Gen. John “Jay” Raymond of the U.S. Air Force will oversee the program, which was created “to conduct space operations, to deter conflict from beginning or extending into space, to defend our vital interests in space, to deliver space capabilities to our joint and coalition partners and to develop space warfighters,” he said at an event announcing the creation of the program. The agency will enlist the help of members of the Air Force Space Command.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was among the throng of government officials praising the creation of the intergalactic military branch.
“We are at the dawn of a new era for our Nation’s Armed Forces,” he said in a media release.
“The establishment of the U.S. Space Force is an historic event and a strategic imperative for our Nation. Space has become so important to our way of life, our economy, and our national security that we must be prepared as a Nation to protect it from hostile actions. Our Military Services have created the world’s best space capabilities. Now is the time for the U.S. Space Force to lead our Nation in preparing for emerging threats in an evolving space environment. This new service will help ensure we are postured to deter aggression, defend our national interests and outpace potential adversaries.”
“Space is critical to our nation’s economic interests, national security, and way of life,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley said. “In military operations, space is not just a place from which we support combat operations in other domains, but a warfighting domain in and of itself. Our adversaries are building and deploying capabilities to threaten us, so we can no longer take space for granted. The U.S. Space Force is the necessary and essential step our Nation will take to defend our national interests in space today and into the future.”
“The launch of the U.S. Space Force propels the nation into a new era,” Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett said. “An agile, lean and technologically-advanced force of talented professionals will now singularly focus on protecting our U.S. national interests and security in space.”
The Space Force has already soared into the realm of social media and public relations. It’s got a Twitter account, @SpaceCorpsUS, and a Facebook page, United States Space Force.
Throughout his tenure in office, Trump has used the phrase “Rocket Man” to describe Kim Jong Un, the ruler of North Korea, when referring to Un’s attempts to build a nuclear program for his country. “Rocket Man” is the name of a 1972 song written and performed by Elton John, which reached the No. 2 slot on the United Kingdom’s Singles Chart and the No. 6 spot on the U.S. Billboard Top 100.
In 2019, the phrase was used as the title of a movie about the singer’s life.
For more information about the Space Force, visit the department’s website at https://www.spaceforce.mil/.