The uniforms of the United States Space Force are the standardized military uniforms worn by U.S. Space Force personnel, known as guardians.
The uniforms of the United States Space Force are the standardized military uniforms worn by U.S. Space Force personnel, known as guardians.
Following its institution as an independent service on 20 December 2019, the United States Space Force initially utilised Air Force uniforms adorned with specific Space Force insignia. However, two of its first unique uniforms are currently going through a testing period, with the service uniform planned to be released in 2025. [1]
The Space Force's interim service dress uniform was inherited from the U.S. Air Force, which was adopted by Air Force chief of staff General Ronald Fogleman in 1994, replacing earlier blue service dress uniforms, and will continue to be used until the conclusion of the uniform tests. [2] The Space Force service dress uniform is distinguished from Air Force service dress by a distinctive U.S. Space Force lapel insignia. [3]
The uniform coat is single-breasted with three buttons and has one welt pocket on the upper left side and two lower pocket flaps. The buttons are silver colored, featuring traditional "Hap Arnold wings". Officer coats feature epaulets for the placement of rank. General officers wear a 1+1⁄2-inch-wide (3.8 cm) blue sleeve braid, while all other officers wear a 1⁄2-inch-wide (1.3 cm) blue sleeve braid. Like the Air Force, mirror-silver "U.S." insignia are worn on the collars, however Space Force guardians also wear a pair of U.S. Space Force lapel insignia. A silver name tag with blue detailing is worn on the right side of the uniform, while ribbons and occupational badges are worn on the left side of the uniform. [4]
On 21 September 2021, General John W. Raymond, the first Chief of Space Operations, unveiled the prototypes of the Space Force's service uniform. It features a midnight blue jacket with six buttons on the right-hand side, platinum sleeve braids for commissioned officers, a midnight blue necktie that matches the jacket, platinum shirt, mirror-silver "U.S." insignia on the collars, dark grey pants, and black shoes. The new uniform is designed with women in mind to avoid the issues normally related to adapting them for women. The new uniforms will be issued for testing in the following months, before being distributed widely. [5]
On 3 May 2022, General Raymond publicly wore the latest prototype of the service's dress uniform as he testified before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to review the Air Force's Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2023. Noteworthy changes from the prototype unveiled in September 2021 included: the addition of stripes down the tailored pants, the change of the pocket style, the addition of pockets on the lower half of the jacket, and the decrease of the number of buttons on the interior enclosure of the jacket. [6]
On 17 January 2020, the Space Force announced that its combat utility uniform would be the same Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniform as when it was Air Force Space Command. The full-color United States flag is worn on the left side of the uniform. The name tape, branch tape, and rank are embroidered in space blue, distinguishing it from the OCP uniforms worn by the Army and Air Force (the Army uses black thread for embroidery and wears the full-color flag on the right arm, except in combat areas where a subdued black flag is used). The Air Force uses spice brown embroidery thread and wears a subdued spice brown flag on the right arm of the uniform at all times.) [7] The OCP uniform was first introduced by the Army in 2015 and adopted by the Air Force in 2019. [8] [9]
The Space Force also authorized the Airman Battle Uniform as a combat utility uniform, which was introduced by the Air Force in 2007 and was phased out in April 2021. [10]
The Space Force's first unique PT uniform was released in March 2024. [11]
Space Force cadets at the United States Air Force Academy wear the standard parade dress uniform with a platinum sash for graduation. Air Force cadets wear the same uniform, but with a gold sash. [12]
The United States Air Force officer rank insignia in use today.
A military uniform is a standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations.
Mess dress uniform is the most formal type of evening-wear uniform used by military personnel, police personnel, and other uniformed services members. It frequently consists of a mess jacket, trousers, white dress shirt and a black bow tie, along with orders and medals insignia. Design may depend on regiment or service branch, e.g. army, navy, air force, marines, etc. In modern Western dress codes, mess dress uniform is the supplementary alternative equivalent to the civilian black tie for evening wear. Mess dress uniforms are typically less formal than full dress uniform, but more formal than service dress uniform.
The Army Combat Uniform (ACU) is the current combat uniform worn by the United States Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force. Within U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, it is referred to as the OCP Uniform, rather than the Army Combat Uniform.
Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, including private ones such as marriages and funerals. Full dress uniforms typically include full-size orders and medals insignia. Styles tend to originate from 19th century uniforms, although the 20th century saw the adoption of mess dress-styled full-dress uniforms. Designs may depend on regiment or service branch. In Western dress codes, full dress uniform is a permitted supplementary alternative equivalent to the civilian white tie for evening wear or morning dress for day wear – sometimes collectively called full dress – although military uniforms are the same for day and evening wear. As such, full dress uniform is the most formal uniform, followed by the mess dress uniform.
The uniforms of the United States Navy include dress uniforms, daily service uniforms, working uniforms, and uniforms for special situations, which have varied throughout the history of the navy. For simplicity in this article, officers refers to both commissioned officers and warrant officers.
The uniforms of the Canadian Armed Forces are the official dress worn by members of Canada's military while on duty.
The Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) is a U.S. camouflage combat uniform formerly worn by members of the United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and some civilian employees of the U.S. Department of the Air Force until April 2021. It replaced the Battle Dress Uniform and Desert Camouflage Uniform on 1 November 2011 after a four-year phase-in period.
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) prescribes several types of military uniform to distinguish its service members from other armed services, depending on the situation.
A shoulder mark, also called rank slide, or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia. A shoulder mark should not be confused with a shoulder board, shoulder knot or epaulette, although these terms are often used interchangeably.
The Royal Air Force uniform is the standardised military dress worn by members of the Royal Air Force. The predominant colours of Royal Air Force uniforms are blue-grey and Wedgwood blue. Many Commonwealth air forces' uniforms are also based on the RAF pattern, but with nationality shoulder flashes. The Royal Air Force Air Cadets wear similar uniforms.
The uniforms of the United States Air Force are the standardized military uniforms worn by members of the United States Air Force to distinguish themselves from the other services.
The uniforms of the United States Army distinguish soldiers from other service members. U.S. Army uniform designs have historically been influenced by British and French military traditions, as well as contemporary U.S. civilian fashion trends. The two primary uniforms of the modern U.S. Army are the Army Combat Uniform, used in operational environments, and the Army Green Service Uniform, worn during everyday professional wear and during formal and ceremonial occasions that do not warrant the wear of the more formal blue service uniform.
Each branch of the Confederate States armed forces had its own service dress and fatigue uniforms and regulations regarding them during the American Civil War, which lasted from April 12, 1861, until May 1865.
The uniforms of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary serve to distinguish Auxiliarists from members of other civilian military auxiliaries and of other armed services.
The Luftwaffe was the air force of Nazi Germany prior to and during World War II. Luftwaffe styles of uniform and rank insignia had many unique features between 1935 and 1945. By Hitler's decision on February 26, 1935, the Luftwaffe was to be officially the third branch of the Wehrmacht as of March 1, 1935. The new Luftwaffe was faced with the problem of uniforms, as they wanted a uniform distinct from those of the other two branches of the Wehrmacht and also wanted a clear differentiation in dress of military and civilian flyers.
Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP), originally codenamed Scorpion W2, is a military camouflage pattern adopted in 2015 by the United States Army for use as the U.S. Army's main camouflage pattern on the Army Combat Uniform (ACU). This pattern officially replaced the U.S. Army's previous Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) as the official combat uniform pattern for most U.S. soldiers at the end of September 2019. The pattern also superseded the closely related MultiCam, a pattern previously used for troops deploying to Afghanistan.
The Navy Working Uniform (NWU) is a series of military uniforms that are currently used by the United States Navy for wear by its members. The NWU is a "working" uniform, which means that it is made to a more durable and utilitarian standard, thus being worn in lieu of more formal uniforms that might get unduly damaged or dirtied in the process of normal military duties.
Badges of the United States Space Force are specific uniform paraphernalia authorized by the United States Space Force that signify ratings, special skills, career field qualifications, and serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain assignments. Space Force occupational badges are awarded in three degrees or skill levels. Badges for space operations are awarded at basic, senior, and command levels; other occupational badges are issued in basic, senior, and master level. A star and wreath system, worn above the badge, denotes which degree or skill level a service member currently holds.
The Uniforms of the United States Coast Guard include dress uniforms, daily service uniforms, working uniforms, and uniforms for special situations, which have varied throughout the history of the USCG.
Media related to Uniforms of the United States Space Force at Wikimedia Commons
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