It’s not every day that the United States Armed Forces adds another branch. With land, air, sea, and everything in between already accounted for, there was nowhere left to go but outer space. And so, we did, with the creation of the United States Space Force as a full-fledged branch of the Armed Forces. Spinning off from the Air Force much as the Air Force did from the Army, the Space Force has turned its airmen into guardians as they secure the freedom of outer space. One question on the mind of many is what is the Space Force’s uniform? Surely, they don’t dress like astronauts. Indeed, the uniforms of the Space Force are recognizably part of the American military service, but with some unique, interstellar spins. Let’s take a closer look.
Operational Combat Pattern
The uniforms of the various military branches differ in many ways, but when it comes to an effective camouflage pattern, they do share some commonalities. Though it’s now an independent branch, the Space Force will employ the same Operational Combat Pattern the Army and Air Force use for their respective utility uniforms. OCP replaced digital camouflage with a return to more organic patterns in smaller detail, and it will be a reliable uniform for guardians on the ground.
Space Blue Threads
One important distinction between Army and Space Force OCP is in the stitching. The Space Force will accent its service uniforms with stitching and embroidery in a proprietary “Space Blue,” a shade of dark cobalt blue with a hint of teal. In time, this striking shade should become synonymous with the Space Force, just as the Navy conjures up navy blue and the Army immediately brings to mind the shade we know as olive drab.
Service Uniforms: A Work in Progress
For now, the service uniforms still closely reflect the Space Force’s provenance as a division of the Air Force, with nearly identical uniforms. The distinctions lie in the lapels; the Space Force service uniform features the iconic Space Force chevron on each lapel and the Space Force eagle above the ribbons. We can expect the full complement of Space Force uniforms to take on an identity of its own in due time. Until then, “What is the Space Force’s uniform?” is a question whose full answer is as indefinite as the limits of the universe.