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The US Vice President Mike Pence has announced that members of the Space Force will be called ‘Guardians’. The sixth and newest branch of the US military includes soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. Pence delivered words during a speech at the White House to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Space Force. He said, “We just returned from the Oval Office and so it is my honor, 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. The Guardians will ensure for generations that America remains as dominant in space as we are on land and sea and air”.

The Space Force said the name was chosen after a yearlong process involving hundreds of suggestions from space professionals and members of the general public. The US military branch issued a statement and 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”. The name drew immediate connections to the iconic Marvel comic series, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’.

It was my honor to announce today, that the men and women of the Space Force will be known as GUARDIANS! #SemperSupra 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Wbzmqfy9aJ

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) December 18, 2020

The director of the films, James Gunn tweeted and said, “Can we see this dork?” It became the first new branch of the military in more than 70 years. Point to be noted that the US Air Force was created in 1947 and the Space Force was created on 20^th December 2019. It has a projected force of 16,000 troops and a 2021 budget of $15.4 billion. The Space Force said in its first official recruitment video earlier this year and said, “Maybe your purpose on this planet isn’t on this planet”. Its logo, another apparent pop culture reference, features a symbol that closely resembles the Star Trek Starfleet logo, and its motto, ‘Semper Supra,’ means ‘always above’.