Space Force Ranks

They got rid of of the airman and staff sergeant but kept everything else Air Force. Oh well. :dunno:
 
From the sounds of things, Space Force may be short lived.
 
Space cadets was ruled out in favor of guardians of the galaxy (I kid you not).
 
Sadly, Space Force is passing on the opportunity to get rid of 2000 years of useless military baggage. They've got "file closers" (sergeants) whose original jobs were to plug in replacements for men that fell (and kill any that ran). They're undoubtedly going to teach the Guardians to march, so the King's representatives can count them going by and verify that their commanders have as many men as they're collecting pay for. They'll have to cut their hair short so that lice in the trenches can be reduced. They're ALREADY wearing uniforms that are great for hiding in forests, but of no advantage to anyone controlling a satellite.

Sigh.

Ron Wanttaja
 
wanttaja said:
Sadly, Space Force is passing on the opportunity to get rid of 2000 years of useless military baggage. They've got "file closers" (sergeants) whose original jobs were to plug in replacements for men that fell (and kill any that ran). They're undoubtedly going to teach the Guardians to march, so the King's representatives can count them going by and verify that their commanders have as many men as they're collecting pay for. They'll have to cut their hair short so that lice in the trenches can be reduced. They're ALREADY wearing uniforms that are great for hiding in forests, but of no advantage to anyone controlling a satellite.

Sigh.

Ron Wanttaja
Click to expand...

I guess that is one way of looking at it. But, one has to question if 2000 years of military baggage is actually useless. If it were, it wouldn't have lasted 2000 years. Discipline, rank structure and fitness is useful in controlling military satellites, even if hiding in the forest (or more accurately, the sand these days) isn't.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I guess that is one way of looking at it. But, one has to question if 2000 years of military baggage is actually useless. If it were, it wouldn't have lasted 2000 years. Discipline, rank structure and fitness is useful in controlling military satellites...
Click to expand...
Dunno, Sac. Almost every person in the ground control centers for Apollo and the Space Shuttle was a civilian. Yet there didn't seem to be problems with discipline, rank structure, or fitness. SpaceX doesn't seem to have a problem, either....and I bet there's at least one person in a wheelchair in their op center.

The military structure exists for one reason: To establish the legal framework to force people to face death. Decurian Marcus didn't want Legionary Junius to turn tail and run when a bunch of blue-painted Picts charged them, nor does Sergeant Johnson want Private Smith to take off when they start taking fire from the Taliban. Both the NCOs benefit from the fact that there are penalties for those who disobey orders, with the extreme penalties awaiting those unwilling to risk their lives for their country.

In addition, the traditions were established to handle large quantities of men, some of whom, shall we say, aren't necessarily the sharpest pilium in the arsenal. So the rules are generally simple, and for most of history, brutal.

Doesn't really apply with Space Force. You need bright people staffing those consoles. They're not going into combat. Sure, it could be crippling if they quit at the wrong moment, but you don't have to be in the military to have an employment contract. Require considerable notice before resigning; have a no-strike clause.

Kipling wrote, "The 'eathen in his darkness must end where he began, but the backbone of the Army is the non-commissioned man!" True enough...but Space Force isn't an army. The mid-level supervisors aren't going to have to deal with homesick 18-year-olds, barracks lawyers, or people with barely functional IQs. And especially, there'll be no resentful conscripts that don't want to be there. You don't have to be a sergeant to supervise technical people.

Ironically, much of this applies to the Air Force as well (and even to the Navy, to a degree...). Seventy-eight years ago, you'd put a few officers in the front of a B-17 and pack in a half-dozen enlisted men to handle the guns. Today? The enlisted men wave and say, "good luck, sir" while the officers go out to make war. This is not what the traditional military structure was designed for.

The difference in attitude can be found in the word "secure."

If you tell an Army officer to secure a building, he sends a company to surround it and set up defenses.
If you tell a Navy officer to secure a building, he sends a yeoman around to turn off the lights.
If you tell a Marine officer to secure a building, he leads a platoon of troops at it, firing rifles and throwing grenades.
If you tell an Space Force* officer to secure a building, he takes out a five-year lease on it....

Unfortunately, Space Force may be its own branch of the military, but it isn't an independent service. It's a part of the Air Force, like the Marines are part of the Navy. So it really isn't in charge of its own destiny.

Ron Wanttaja

* The original joke says, "Air Force"
 
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