US Space Force gets new uniform – but which attire do you think is out of this world?
The United States Space Force was established as a separate branch of the US military back in 2019, but has only just revealed its dedicated ceremonial uniform.
Its futuristic look – especially the badges, which appears to have taken their design cues from Starship Troopers and Star Trek – prompted us to ask our YouTube audience which ceremonial uniform they liked the most.
We offered a choice of four, the other contenders being the Swiss Guard, the Foot Guards and the French Foreign Legion – and there was one very clear winner.
The Pontifical Swiss Guard
According to Eduard Bauer from Schweizer Garde, the Swiss Guard is one of the most recognisable military forces in the world, known for its ceremonial halberds and Renaissance-style clothing.
Soldiers of the Swiss Guard actually have four uniforms, but the one most recognised by members of the public visiting the Vatican is the duty uniform.
This features a blue and yellow striped pattern with red trim, topped by a black beret when a helmet is not being worn.
Blue connects the Guard to the House of Della Rovere, related to Pope Julius II, red honours the Church and its martyrs, while yellow links the unit to papal authority and the Medici family.
The United States Space Force Honour Guard
The new uniform replaces the modified US Air Force service uniforms that the guardians – the name given to Space Force personnel – had previously worn.
The new design draws colours from the force's service flag and Class A uniform.
The ceremonial ensemble is completed by a Space Force blue belt, cap and a cord that's worn over the left shoulder.
The British Army's Foot Guards
The infantry regiments of the Household Division share an instantly recognisable uniform, although there are differences in facings, buttons, plume and insignia between the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards and the Welsh Guards.
The uniform consists of the scarlet tunic, dark trousers and bearskin cap.
The tall black bearskin is perhaps the most famous feature of the Guards regiments.
However, the cap is worn by several armies around the world, exclusively for ceremonial purposes. It is traditionally associated with troops who fought at Waterloo and subsequently became standard ceremonial headgear for Britain's Foot Guards.
The French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion – the Légion étrangère – is probably best known for its white cap – the kepi blanc. This was originally a white cover that fitted over the standard kepi and was introduced to help reflect the heat of the sun.
The kepi is now made of white material with a shiny black peak – which legionnaires must not mar with fingerprints.
Legionnaires also wear green epaulettes with red tassels, the green representing the unit and the red the blood shed in combat.
A tunic is worn in cooler weather, while a shirt is acceptable formal attire in hotter climes, as the Legion primarily operates in parts of Africa and South America.
Your comments
The responses from the BFBS Forces News audience were insightful – and sometimes a little unkind.
"Space farce look like traffic monitors," argued one respondent. "I couldn't take anyone seriously who told me they were in the Space Force," remarked another.
"Yah wanna go to work every day looking like you're about to police Boston?" asked a third.
There was some love for the Swiss from one poster who said: "I'm British and I love our ceremonial uniforms, but I have to admit the Swiss Guard have the drop."
"I'm a Brit guy and the Guards uniform along with Royal Marines dress uniform are tops for me, but I am biased," admitted one poster.
And while there was plenty more praise for the tunics and bearskins of the Foot Guards, not everyone reckoned they were the smartest the British Army had to offer, with the Life Guards and Blues and Royals getting more than one mention.
"Nothing can compete with the British uniforms," said one respondent. "They are recognisable throughout the world and carry so much meaning and history. The officer's dress uniform of the Blues and Royals is my favourite."
Another agreed, saying: "The best uniforms have to be the Household Cavalry!"
British Army first
So how did the voting go?
The US Space Force's Honour Guard uniform and the French Foreign Legion's smart attire with kepi blanc came in joint third with 7% of the vote, with the Swiss Guard's Renaissance-style uniform nudging its way into second on 11%.
But in first place by a massive margin was the ceremonial uniform worn by the Foot Guards regiments.
The 75% of the vote that went to the Guards proves that some things – especially their scarlet tunics and bearskin caps – never go out of fashion.
And they're a bit more down to earth.
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