Where's the Air Force in Science Fiction?

[Al B. Sure!]

I'm not very well-versed in science fiction or anything, but every video game, tv show, and movie that I can think of that depicts humans in space depicts the space travelers nautically.

In everything but Stargate (where the US Air Force is running things), it's clear that everything has a naval origin with naval command structure, naval ranks, naval ship designations, soldiers being space Marines, etc.

Is there science fiction where that isn't the case?

It's strange because you'd think an air force would be commanding space exploration and combat.


Hell, even in Independence Day, it was Marine aviators that attacked the alien space ship, not US Air Force.

[GePap]

The Air Force must have a bad PR.

Its also easy to see why the Navy is used a template for a lot of the terminology of ranks, since its easiest to compare spaceships to, well, ships. Therefore you get captains and admirals for fleets.

Besides, the Air Force uses the same rank structure for its officers as the Army (being an offshoot) so most lay people wouldn't tell the difference unless all the low level grunts were called airmen, but in space that makes no sense.

[Al B. Sure!]

From wikipedia:

The Federation Starfleet (Star Trek), Imperial Navy (Star Wars) and Earthforce ("Babylon 5") also use a naval-style rank structure and hierarchy; the former is based on the United States Navy and the Royal Navy.[27] The United Nations Space Command (Halo) fully retains all ranks of the United States armed forces, at least Marine and Navy, even the pay grade system. Many stories even use current naval ship classes (such as frigate or destroyer) as a marker to show how their craft are assembled and the purpose they are designed for.

And it's not just that... The Aliens series of movies has space Marines, as does like every sci-fi video game.

Avatar... Marines.
Starcraft... Marines
Mass Effect... Navy and Marines (Marines with oddly mixed USMC and Naval ranks)

[Al B. Sure!]

The Air Force must have a bad PR.

Its also easy to see why the Navy is used a template for a lot of the terminology of ranks, since its easiest to compare spaceships to, well, ships. Therefore you get captains and admirals for fleets.

Besides, the Air Force uses the same rank structure for its officers as the Army (being an offshoot) so most lay people wouldn't tell the difference unless all the low level grunts were called airmen, but in space that makes no sense.

Yeah but it shouldn't be always Navy, right? Is there a game or movie or show (besides Stargate) that you can think of where it's not?

It's odd because when you think of militarizing space now, you never think of the Navy. You think the US Air Force. Air forces going into space is more logical than the navy.

[GePap]

The whole ship comparison and the easy link between the void between planets and the ocean (between continents) makes comparisons to the Navy and its offshoot (the Marines) more sensible than the airforce.

I have to say thought that B5 did not really use a Naval system all the time - There were many Colonels and Generals in Earthforce. In fact, I don't think any high level officers were ever called Admirals, they were always Generals. There were also Sergeants, not Warrant officers or Petty officers.

[GePap]

Yeah but it shouldn't be always Navy, right? Is there a game or movie or show (besides Stargate) that you can think of where it's not?

It's odd because when you think of militarizing space now, you never think of the Navy. You think the US Air Force. Air forces going into space is more logical than the navy.

Air Force controls rockets in our system, thus they get control of orbital space. I don't know if the system would hold if we did get to the point of creating vessels that could be compared to ships (ie, moving under their own power and able to maneuver on their own) and were manned.

I don't know if in Russia and China their Air Force also controls rocket forces.

[SlowwHand]

The Air Force is vewy secwet.

[Al B. Sure!]

The whole ship comparison and the easy link between the void between planets and the ocean (between continents) makes comparisons to the Navy and its offshoot (the Marines) more sensible than the airforce.

I have to say thought that B5 did not really use a Naval system all the time - There were many Colonels and Generals in Earthforce. In fact, I don't think any high level officers were ever called Admirals, they were always Generals. There were also Sergeants, not Warrant officers or Petty officers.

Well Colonels and Generals might have been the Marines Or, there could still be army in space. It's just who's in command of the ships?

Oh and warrant officers are universal. Army, Marines, and Navy all have warrant officers

Edit: The Air Force discontinued bestowing the rank a few decades ago.

[Fve Crathva]

There's no air in space.

SP

[Al B. Sure!]

There's no air in space.

SP

There's no water either.

[Fve Crathva]

That's why there's no Water Force in science fiction.

SP

[GePap]

Its important to note that most of these forces in SciFi are not actually parts of the US military, but forces of some later governing body - and therefore the fact that currently the US Air Force controls the military aspects of the US space program is a bit meaningless. Stargate is different because its supposed to take place currently. The only other scifi show I can think of in which the actual US military is involved is Space Above and Beyond, in which the cast was part of the Marine Corp. I would assume this is a function of the fact that for most lay people, including writers of SciFi scrips, the marines are the elite force, the tip of the spear, the guys you send in first, and therefore the most likely force to get picked.I would guess this is why marines get mentioned so much.

As for why all these later forces would use Naval terminology, it again is probably based on the ship-spaceship link, specially since in combat the Navy comparison makes most sense, as in combat you would have large vessels as the main combat platforms with naval combat being the most analogous type.

[Asher]

Space travel involves long, long voyages. So does the Navy. Stands to reason that the troops which then leave the Navy ships to invade places are called Marines.

Air Force doesn't really work well outside of the planet. Same with the Army.

[Al B. Sure!]

Its important to note that most of these forces in SciFi are not actually parts of the US military, but forces of some later governing body - and therefore the fact that currently the US Air Force controls the military aspects of the US space program is a bit meaningless. Stargate is different because its supposed to take place currently. The only other scifi show I can think of in which the actual US military is involved is Space Above and Beyond, in which the cast was part of the Marine Corp. I would assume this is a function of the fact that for most lay people, including writers of SciFi scrips, the marines are the elite force, the tip of the spear, the guys you send in first, and therefore the most likely force to get picked.I would guess this is why marines get mentioned so much.

As for why all these later forces would use Naval terminology, it again is probably based on the ship-spaceship link, specially since in combat the Navy comparison makes most sense, as in combat you would have large vessels as the main combat platforms with naval combat being the most analogous type.

So much positive things but tainted with the fact that you didn't capitalize the 'M' in Marines and that you wrote Marine 'Corp' which is the abbreviation for Corporation, not Corps.

But it's not even about US military branches... it could be anything... why is it not air force, not necessarily US Air Force, in structure?

I mean it's universally naval. You'd think one sci-fi writer would have bucked the trend and had it be air force-oriented

[Gibsie]

Here you go, proper BRITISH sci-fi, with Spitfires in Space.

http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/File:Spitfires_in_Space.jpg

Sadly couldn't find a very good clip for it.