Steve Carell and Greg Daniels might as well have pulled a ‘Simpsons’ by means of their show ‘Space Force’, in which they had commissioned a fictional group of armed forces called the ‘Space Force’, which will attempt to colonise habitable planets. In a similar manner, US Vice President Mike Pence announced that the members of ‘Space Force’, one of the newest branch of the US armed forces, one of Donald Trump’s signature policy initiatives will be known as ‘guardians’.
“It is my honour,” Pence said, “on behalf of the president of the United States, to announce that henceforth the men and women of the United States Space Force will be known as guardians. Soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and guardians will be defending our nation for generations to come.”
On Twitter, the space force said: “The opportunity to name a force is a momentous responsibility. Guardians is a name with a long history in space operations, tracing back to the original command motto of Air Force Space Command in 1983, ‘Guardians of the High Frontier. The name Guardians connects our proud heritage and culture to the important mission we execute 24/7, protecting the people and interest of the US and its allies.”
Notably, the future of this wing hangs on a thin thread, with President elect Joe Biden ready to take over Donald Trump’s position in the White House. As the Associated Press put it, delicately: “President-elect Joe Biden has yet to reveal his plans for the space force in the next administration.”