Beyond The Wild Blue Yonder

In 1938 the song “The Wild Blue Yonder” was written for the Army Air Corp. The Air Corp was part of the United States Army. It was a time of brave young men flying high up in the sky. During War World II the flying soldiers were the daring men in planes fighting for the United States and Allies. In 1947, the Army Air Corp became an independent branch of the Armed Forces known as the United States Air Force. At that time, there were five branches of the services: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. Seventy-two years later, President Trump has signed an order that a new branch of service be created – the United States Space Force. His quote in reference to the new service: “Our destiny, beyond the Earth, is not only a matter of national identity, but a matter of national security.” It may be a bumpy ride, and it must be approved by Congress, but hopefully it will become a new service in 2020. The Space Force will reside within the Air Force, as the Marines reside within the Navy. It is no longer science fiction, but fact. The reality of space is now an important issue for our country’s defense. Our fighting forces on the land, sea and air have proved themselves over time. But what of space? Has America turned its back beyond the Earth? President Kennedy in the early 1960s made a speech about going to the moon within a decade and we did it! After that, the space shuttles were busy transporting equipment to improve the machinery in outer space. They were the workhorses of our space program, yet we stopped building them. After it all came to a halt, our astronauts had to hitch rides from other countries to get to the space station. Private enterprise has picked up the baton by creating and testing space vehicles and satellites. Other countries are more active in space now. It reminds one of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase that President Jefferson acquired from France. He acquired about 827,000 square miles west of the Mississippi River. Not able to understand what he had purchased, he sent out the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the area. Lewis and Clark were amazed at the western wilderness. It is like the vast domain of space today. The time has come to create a branch of the Armed Forces to watch over the United States’ portion of space and its possessions. The main duty of the Space Force is to ensure our security and peace in the domain of outer space. There will be many challenges in outer space, but our country needs to be ready to face them with wisdom and strength. It seems like a funny idea, but it really is not. It has finally happened… “Space, the final frontier!”