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I have a burning need to know stuff and I love asking awkward questions.

Friday, May 10, 2024

7 comments:

Stephen said...

Space Command sounds...slightly better than Space Force. It doesn't lend itself to expressions like 'space farce', which I think was actually made a Netflix show. Watched a couple of episodes but it didn't set me on fire.

CyberKitten said...

'Space Force' does sound like a parody doesn't it? I bet the people in it cringe every time they hear the name. 'Command' sound much beefier... [grin]

Stephen said...

Perhaps they'll change it. Army Air Corps became the Air Force, Royal Flying Command became the RAF. Early days, yet.

(US's War Department also became the Department of Defense. Nice bit of PR.)

CyberKitten said...

The Royal Flying Corps (not Command) was combined with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1st April 1918 to create the Royal Air Force [grin]

Interestingly (showing how ignorant I am about my own country) the Ministry of Defence (MoD) came into existence in 1971 when the Admiralty, the War Office, the Air Ministry, the Ministry of Aviation, and an earlier form of the Ministry of Defence where combined.

Stephen said...

Whoops! I knew that about the RFC, but Command just butted Interesting that there were two air offices..

Stephen said...

After a google search, looks like Ministry of Aviation was for civilian craft and its responsibilities were folded into the Board of Trade.

CyberKitten said...

I think the RFC grew out of the needs of the Army and the RNAS grew out of the needs of the Navy. As usual both Services were *very* independent and wanted their own priorities met. This became increasingly silly and eventually heads were banged together and both Services were amalgamated into one.

You were probably subconsciously thinking of Strategic Air Command... then your fingers did the typing without you realising!