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Who are Space Force's Guardians? Truth behind stolen logo and comparisons with Starfleet from Star Trek universe

Back in July, the Space Force logo and motto was announced, which read 'semper supra' or 'always above'

What's with the Star Trek and Star Wars jokes? Vice President Mike Pence on Friday announced that members of the Space Force will now be known as “Guardians.” As expected, it drew much flak on social media and sparked a set of funny tweets. “Sailors, soldiers, airmen, Marines and guardians will be defending our nation for generations to come,” Pence said during a White House ceremony in honor of its forthcoming first birthday on December 20.

“From the first days of our Administration, President @realDonaldTrump called for American leadership in space and for the first time in more than 70 years, a new branch of the Armed Forces was added,” he wrote on Twitter, adding, “It was my honor to announce today, that the men and women of the Space Force will be known as GUARDIANS! #SemperSupra.”

Why was the name Guardians chosen?

Shedding light on how the new name was finalized, a tweet by the United States Space Force read: “Today, after a yearlong process that produced hundreds of submissions and research involving space professionals and members of the general public, we can finally share with you the name by which we will be known: Guardians.” 

The squad then added, “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 tweet also said, “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.” 

Back in July, the Space Force logo and motto was announced, which read: “semper supra,” or “always above.” The force’s seal was revealed by President Trump in January — and observers at the time noted a strong resemblance to the symbol of Star Trek’s Star Fleet. Trump officially launched the sixth branch of the military in December 2019.

Who are the Guardians?

The official website reads: “The US Space Force (USSF) is a new branch of the Armed Forces. It was established on December 20, 2019, with enactment of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act and will be stood-up over the next 18 months. The USSF was established within the Department of the Air Force, meaning the Secretary of the Air Force has overall responsibility for the USSF, under the guidance and direction of the Secretary of Defense. Additionally, a four-star general known as the Chief of Space Operations (CSO) serves as the senior military member of the USSF.”

It further explains: “The Chief of Space Operations, US Space Force, serves as the principal uniformed adviser to the Secretary of the Air Force on Space Force activities. The CSO presides over the Office of the Chief of Space Operations, transmits plans and recommendations to the Secretary of the Air Force and acts as the Secretary's agent in carrying them out.”

Is it similar to Star Fleet of Star Trek?

“So now Trump's Space Force has stolen its logo from Star Trek and its naming conventions from Guardians of the Galaxy,” a tweet from Palmer Report read. Back in January, a couple of similar tweets had surfaced online. One wrote, “Can I copy your homework? Ya sure, just change it so it doesn't look the same.” Another added, “NASA inspires Star Trek inspires Space Force.” 

Is the logo really stolen? The similarities are not subtle and people aren't keeping mum. “Not one f--king original idea. The flag is a ripoff of Star Trek, now Guardians. Oops, they forgot to use Star Fleet. They do have Storm Troopers though. Jeez,” one tweet read. Another Twitter user posted, “My god, I didn't realize they also stole the Star Fleet insignia. @Disney they infringing on Guardians of the galaxy @netflix you know what they did @CBS they infringing on star trek.”

One tweet read, “Plagiarizing the Star Fleet logo? Guardians? Is there any aspect of the Space Force "that isn't a complete joke? People are starving and being evicted, and we're still putting budget toward this? Seriously, @JoeBiden needs to put this on his list of Trump shit to undo.” Another said, “OMG. Guardians. Of the Galaxy. I sense a copyright issue coming up. And @VP, when will you express concern for deaths from COVID? Instead, you play with toy space explorers. Why not Star Fleet? You already have their logo.”

What do people think?

The name soon drew much flak on social media. For starters, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ writer-director James Gunn is not too happy about the decision. Reacting to the news, Gunn wrote, “Can we sue this dork?” ‘Guardians Volume 2’ star Pom Klementieff (who plays Mantis) responded, “Maybe I can make them all sleep?” Gunn remarked, “Maybe for like a year or something please.”

Not just them, thousands of people rallied against the decision. “I'm all for a Space Force if we use it to launch every f--king member of this criminal administration straight the f--k into the sun,” one said and another posted, “How about we dissolve the SpAcE FoRcE the second Joe Biden takes office and use the savings on stimulus checks for every American?” A third wrote, “Serious question, how hard would it be to unmake the Space Force? I just hate it so god damn much and I don’t want it to be real.”

 “Can Biden get rid of the Space Force, like disavow entirely?” one said and another posted, “Yes, and find out what this is cover for, because I don’t believe they mean to have a real ‘space force’, but money is going somewhere.”

Conclusion and Comparisons

Here's the logo of Guardians:

And here's the Star Fleet logo:

Put on your thinking cap and decide!