08-08-2025
Iconic 'wings' dropped from US Space Force uniform in major 'culture shift'
The US Space Force is changing its uniform policy and new rules will dictate who is entitled to wear the famous and distinctive Space Operations Badge, which has been ditched by some top officials
Changes are afoot in the uniform policy of the US Space Force, with new regulations set to outline who can don the renowned and distinctive Space Operations Badge. The update follows an observation that the Chief of Space Operations, General B. Chance Saltzman, has omitted the iconic 'space wings' from his official portrait.
Air & Space Forces magazine disclosed that he's not the only senior figure eschewing the esteemed badge. First introduced in 2004 as the Air Force Space Badge, it later transformed into its present design. The badge was previously worn by Space Force Guardians or US Air Force airmen, prior to the establishment of the US Space Force in 2019, and also by personnel operating satellites in orbit. It comes after news that the German military could launch intelligence-gathering satellites into space from Scotland under a new initiative.
The Space Operations Badge is described in official heraldry as follows: "The central globe represents the Earth as viewed from space, the Earth being the origin and control point for man's space endeavours. The global lines of latitude and longitude hearken to the original 20th Air Force patch and emphasise the global nature of the Air Force space mission.
"The thrusts and vectors behind the globe represent the dynamic and infinite space environment. The deltoid symbolises the Air Force's upward thrust into space, the reentry vehicles of our intercontinental ballistic missile force, and the launch vehicles that place satellites in orbit.
"The ellipses represent orbital paths traced by satellites in Earth orbit; the satellites are symbolically depicted as four-pointed stars. The symmetric placement of the satellites signifies the Air Force's worldwide coverage in accomplishing its mission."
The badge could be awarded in three distinct versions; basic, senior, and command, depending on the individual's level of experience. However, this system has recently been updated, reports the Express US.
With the introduction of the Space Force Officer Training Course last year, newly commissioned officers are now required to complete a 12-month programme focusing on space operations, cyber and intelligence. Upon finishing this course, new graduates will be presented with their own Space Operations Badge, symbolising the successful completion of their training and marking a 'major shift' in the culture of the US Space Force.
Lieutenant General DeAnna M. Burt, speaking at the AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, outlined the new ethos: "One of the things we've tried to do as a service is we want Guardians to identify as operators and warfighters, and how do you do that? You teach them the full playing field of what entails operations-cyber, intel, acquisition, and space operations. All of that comes together to do operations."
Burt was not sporting her wings on Monday, but she disclosed that it's still under discussion what the initial officer training course graduates will don after they finish their first full course next month. Currently, an interim badge is being contemplated.
Additional alterations introduced encompass the finalisation of service dress uniforms, and the Air Force Athletics teams will sport a Space Force alternate kit for a match or series.
