America’s newest branch of the military is about to celebrate the end of its first year, and now members of the Space Force will have something to call each other.
Vice President Mike Pence announced on Friday that members will be called “guardians.”
“It is my honor on behalf of the president of the United States to announce that henceforth the men and women of the United States Space Force will be known as guardians,” Pence told an audience at the White House. “Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and guardians will be defending our nation for generations to come.”
The name was chosen from suggestions made by members of the Space Force, who have been colloquially known as “space professionals” since the service was established on Dec. 20, 2019.
In choosing a name, Gen. Jay Raymond, the chief of space operations, previously shot down suggestions of something like “airman,” saying that it was important to choose a gender-neutral name for a service that’s being established in 2020.
Some on Twitter immediately connected the name to the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films.
“lolol big Groot energy,” one wrote, referencing one of the characters.
Alex Ward, a White House reporter for Vox, noted the similarity to a certain media outlet.
“BREAKING: British newspaper changes its name to The Space Force,” he tweeted.