The article discusses the design of the new United States Space Force uniforms. The dark navy coat, representing the vastness of space, is paired with gray pants. The design incorporates six silver buttons in a diagonal pattern, symbolizing the Space Force as the sixth branch of the military. Silver thread on the sleeves adds a futuristic element.
The asymmetrical button placement is a prominent feature, setting the Space Force uniforms apart. The choice of silver, a 'spacey' metal, adds a modern and futuristic touch. The design aims to convey seriousness while maintaining a distinct identity separate from the astronaut image. The process involved creating a visual identity for a new military branch, a challenge not seen since the Air Force's establishment in 1947.
General John W. Raymond, chief of space operations, presented the uniform prototypes at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference. Lieutenant Colonel Ally Gonzalez and Major Dylan Caudill modeled the new service dress.
When President Donald J. Trump signed the act establishing the United States Space Force in 2019, he made not only a sixth branch of the military but also a design challenge for the ages. The visual identity for a new armed service would have to be created from scratch, for the first time since the Air Force became independent from the Army in 1947.
Never mind that some critics have called the Space Force a silly waste of money, and Netflix released a show starring Steve Carell, “Space Force,” which satirized the agency and its mission to “protect the interests of the United States in space.”
Jacqueline Whitt, a professor of strategy at the U.S. Army War College, said the Space Force has to “at once signal seriousness. But they’re also aiming for this distinctive look that’s not about putting astronauts on the moon.” Everyone in the Space Force, she added, is working in offices “earth-side.”
After previous unveilings of the name for service members (“guardians”), its logo (which centers on a delta symbol) and rank insignia (deltas, globes and orbit rings), last week the Space Force showed prototypes of its new service dress.
At the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Gen. John W. Raymond, chief of space operations, called onstage two guardians, Lt. Col. Ally Gonzalez and Maj. Dylan Caudill, who modeled a dark navy coat with gray pants. The deep blue of the coat is meant to represent the vastness of space. Silver thread on the sleeve braiding is a nod to 21st-century futurism, silver being a precious metal more spacey than gold.
The uniforms’ most prominent feature was the asymmetrical cut of the coat, which buttons on the right rather than in the middle. Six silver buttons run diagonally down the front, to represent the sixth branch of the military.
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