So, President Trump wants to create a new branch of the military called Space Force. Vice President Mike Pence told us so in a major speech on the topic last week, and social media reacted a little unkindly by questioning whether Pence knew “Star Wars” isn’t real.
We don’t know if this means soldiers will one day be sent out in spaceships to live out a real-life version of “Star Wars,” but it is clear that there’s no recruiting office for Space Force on Grays Harbor — not yet, anyway. We know because we checked the mall.
To take the pulse of the public on the issue of Space Force, The Daily World went to a neutral location, Sucher & Sons Star Wars Shop in downtown Aberdeen, to half-seriously ask owner Don Sucher if he sees potential parallels between the sci-fi universe of “Star Wars” and the proposed Space Force.
In terms of weapons and equipment Space Force members would use, Sucher joked that space soldiers would likely use the telepathic and psychic powers of the Force from “Star Wars.”
“They’d probably all have the thing Darth Vader has, controlling with their minds,” he said. “But that’s not as interesting – dueling with just minds – they’d have to have something else.”
There are critical issues to consider with Space Force — foremost the possibility of another foreign power militarizing space — but the question on everyone’s mind is: What will the uniforms be like?
Sucher, who has a plethora of Star Wars-themed clothing, picked out a red and black velvet robe he thought would fit the bill.
“It would maybe be something a little more outrageous,” said Sucher, who thinks Space Force outfits would need to be a little more colorful than standard military garb.
After spending time in the Army long ago, Sucher said he’s not interested in joining the Space Force, but some hardcore “Star Wars” fans are.
Vanessa Brulotte, a fan from Idaho who visited the Aberdeen store with her sister last week, said she would be interested in signing up for the Space Force.
“I think it’d be cool, I would do it,” she said.
Sucher said he could see members of the 501st Legion — an international fan-based organization dedicated to dressing up like stormtroopers from “Star Wars” — also being interested in joining.
“Every big city has a garrison, and man, they take it seriously,” he said. “In fact, we might just recruit them, since it’s already built and ready to go.”
Still, a few things would likely be different from the movies, Sucher said, like allowing female pilots and members.
Some questions regarding the Space Force may be harder to answer, like whether the recruits would be more akin to the evil Empire or the Rebel Alliance from the movies.
“I wonder if it’d be a mix,” said Brulotte. “They’ll make it seem like a rebellion, when really it’s an empire.”
“It’s kind of like the Republicans and Democrats, but who knows who are the rebels and who are the empire?” said Sucher.
Louis Krauss | The Daily World Vanessa and Johanna Brulotte stand next to Star Wars Shop owner Don Sucher, dressed in preparation for the Space Force.
Louis Krauss | The Daily World Vanessa and Johanna Brulotte stand next to Star Wars Shop owner Don Sucher, dressed in preparation for the Space Force.
