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Military Space

What Do We Call Space Force Personnel?

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
January 21, 2020
Filed under
What Do We Call Space Force Personnel?

What should we call the men and women of Space Force?, Rick Tumlinson, Space News
“I believe the best name for Space Force members is Spacer. It combines simplicity and gender neutrality with the ability to apply it specifically to the enlisted ranks. Now hold your giggle. It works. Like Sailor, Soldier or Marine, Spacer encompasses anyone in the service regardless of rank or gender. This is important for morale, creating a unified bottom-up identification for all ranks and levels of command. Thus, while everyone in the Space Force would be a Spacer, it is also a specific prefix for enlisted members (Spacer Second Class, First Class,etc..).”
Keith’s note: “Spacer”. Make sense to me.
More on Space Force

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

33 responses to “What Do We Call Space Force Personnel?”

  1. Jack says:
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    Calling them Spacers was my first thought.

    LOL

  2. DJE51 says:
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    Spacer is good for the generic term. But I would differ on the officer ranks the author proposes, specifically about General, which he recommends, rather than Admiral. I prefer Admiral, since a spacecraft is a long-duration live-aboard vessel, like a ship at sea (and in a nod to numerous science fiction tropes). So it would become Lieutenant, Pilot (reserved for a Lieutenant serving as second in command of a manned mission, just as now), Commander (may be in charge of a space capsule), Captain (similar to a navy Captain, in charge of a vessel with more than one crew), Commodore (replaces Colonel), Admiral. Also, it is really too bad that the Nazis ruined the image of the black uniform, but I agree that a black uniform, maybe it could be their dress uniform, should be adopted (once those surplus army camo fatigues are gone). An awesome black dress uniform would go a long way to attract interest in the Space Force!

    • David Fowler says:
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      I actually think it will be black, but non-threatening, with something of a McPeak-era USAF uniform vibe, with sleeve braid.

    • james w barnard says:
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      In point of fact, the Air Force mess dress uniform is black with silver trim. The Air Force generally uses the term “AC” for Aircraft Commander. So “Commander” or “SC” for Spacecraft Commander” would be appropriate regardless of the actual rank. IIRC, NASA uses the term CDR and PLT during radio communications with a spacecraft. For the present, I would expect Jay Johnson to keep the rank of general, but perhaps his successor will be a space admiral. Strategic Command alternates between a full admiral and 4-star general.

    • Ball Peen Hammer ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ says:
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      ” I prefer Admiral, since a spacecraft is a long-duration live-aboard vessel”

      There is literally no call for any live-aboard space vessels in the Space Force’s mission.

      • DJE51 says:
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        Not a lot of demand currently, but there certainly have been in the past. I am thinking of various Space Shuttle missions that were top secret. Also, there was talk of a manned orbital lab by the military at one point. With the debut of Starship, I think various military missions will be proposed, probably sooner than we all realize.

        • Ball Peen Hammer ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ says:
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          Advancing technology made MOL pointless and it was realized that there was no advantage to using human crews to launch satellites. Technology literally bypassed the need/idea for human military spaceflight.

  3. james w barnard says:
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    Sorry, I just don’t buy it. You mentioned the terms for all the other services…except the Air Force. AF personnel, officer or enlisted are generally called “airmen”, regardless of gender. For the enlisted ranks, I would suggest, “Spaceman Basic, Spaceman 3rd Class, 2nd Class, Senior Spaceman, Technical Spaceman, Master Spaceman, Sr. Master Spaceman, and Master Chief Spaceman. For officers, considering that the first Chief of Space Operations is a general, it would be appropriate to continue with the grades used by the Army, Air Force and Marines, although a case could be made in the future to change to naval ranks, as the Space Force expands beyond Low Earth Orbit, with spaceships. In a multi-person crew, the commanding officer would be addressed as “Captain”, regardless of his/her rank.

    • David Fowler says:
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      I support the idea for naval ranks, with an eye to the future when there actually will be something of a space navy, but if they’re going to do it, then they need to do it now, or it will never happen.

      • Ball Peen Hammer ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ says:
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        Wouldn’t that be more appropriate for a Space Navy than the Space Force, then?

        • David Fowler says:
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          I think it’s easier to change the name of a service at some unknown future date than it is to change rank titles that have been ingrained for decades.

    • fcrary says:
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      I’m not sure what you don’t buy. Both “spacer” and “spaceman” have long, science fiction routes, and there is no requirement to follow Air Force precedent by something paralleling “airmen”. Since some people will be offended by anything ending “men” _and_ we have a viable alternative, why not use it? If there were no viable alternative, I’d feel differently, but since there is, what’s the problem?

      In addition, I think you’re misunderstanding the role of the Space Force. They are not going to have any people in space for a very long time. Their role is to develop, launch and operate satellites, not fly in them. So the what to call the commander of a multi-person spacecraft is a moot point.

    • Ball Peen Hammer ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ says:
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      I’m with you on not worrying about pedantic issues of a gender neutral word having some of the same letters as a gender specific word. I’ve worked with multiple female airmen who were excellent at what they did and proud of their title.

      I don’t think “spaceman” really fits though, as it already has a common meaning analogous to astronaut, and that’s not what Space Force personnel will be. They’ll be more of a chair force than the Air Force.

  4. Zen Puck says:
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    Spaceperson

  5. David Fowler says:
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    It’ll be something non-sexy and non-controversial like “space operator.”

  6. ThomasLMatula says:
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    Since their mission is to guard American space assets it seems to me calling them Guardians makes more sense and would be more accurate.

    • Bob Mahoney says:
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      But that would apply to all those in military (and armed civilian) service.

      • ThomasLMatula says:
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        True, but the others already have names for their personnel. And it is more professional sounding than “spacers”. It should also produce a lot less of a “giggle” factor among the non-science fiction reading public.

        Finally, it could be woven back into the spirit of the various space treaties that warfare should be limited to Earth since the name would support the public image that the space force is not intended as an aggressor but are instead the guardians of peace in space by protecting systems in space from attack by hostile powers.

    • Fred Willett says:
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      Then in an emergency they could be put to work guarding planes out by the runway. Then they would truely be Guardians of the Galaxy.

  7. Bad Horse says:
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    Aerospaceman

  8. SpaceRonin says:
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    Oh dear…this won’t go well.. I recall when the Royal Ulster Constabulary was rebadged after the Good Friday agreement. The simple solution was the Northern Ireland Police Service…. until someone pointed out the obvious and the clunkier Police Service of Northern Ireland was adopted instead.

  9. Michael Spencer says:
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    So, the younguns in a college ROTC would be Spacer Cadets…Cadet Spacers…

    Spacer is just not going to work. Too easy for late night TV.

  10. Seawolfe says:
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    Space Marines!

    But then I’m biased. :oD

  11. sunman42 says:
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    Junior Birdpersons.

  12. Jeff2Space says:
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    Someone needs to ask Larry Niven what he thinks of this.

  13. tutiger87 says:
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    The whole idea is stupid. Just another line of income for the military industrial complex.

  14. Bill Keksz says:
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    “Spacers” is perfect. I know this because a really smart person suggested it 4 months ago.

  15. Homer Hickam says:
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    Space Grunts.