Usually when you hear the phrase “Space Force” your first thought is of some intergalactic, laser-firing squad enforcing space laws on aliens. You wouldn’t expect this idea to be associated with the US Military.

According to CNET, Trump’s idea of a “Space Force” was first heard during a speech given to Marines back in March of 2018 when it was his spur -of-the-moment idea.

“We’re doing a tremendous amount of work in space, and I said ‘Maybe we need a new force, we’ll call it the Space Force,’” Trump said during the speech. “I was not really serious, and then I said, what a great idea. Maybe we’ll have to do that.”

If we’re already contributing a significant amount of effort towards the space program, then it seems like we don’t need a Space Force. Trump can’t be serious about this.

CNET reported that three months later that Trump made it clear: he was serious. Though I’m disappointed, there is no shock here at all.

According to the New York Times, Trump stated, during the Rose Garden ceremony, that “The Space Force will organize, train and equip Warriors to support Spacecon’s mission.” Trump continued, “Because we know the best way to prevent conflict is to prepare for victory.”

That sounds inspirational. But the efforts that the Space Force would be putting in seem pretty familiar. It’s almost as if we already have a branch of the military that shows these characteristics. Oh right, we have the US Air Force.

The Smithsonian reported that “In 1982, the Air Force Space Command was officially established, and today employs 35,000 people. The agency works on cyber security, launches satellites and other payloads for the military and other government agencies, monitors ballistic missile launches and orbiting satellites and runs a military GPS system.”

The idea of a Space Force seems very unnecessary because if this new branch is added, then we will have two military branches completing similar tasks. The only difference is one of them has a cool name.

Adding a new branch of service seems as though it would be expensive, correct? That’s an understatement.

CNET reported that Air Force secretary Heather Wilson “signed a memo that estimated starting up a space force would cost $13 billion over 5 years, a figure dismissed by Pence and other space force boosters.”

The Trump administration hopes to have United States Space Force up and running by as soon as 2020, but politics could stand in the way of meeting that goal, according to CNET.

The Space Force has yet to be approved by Congress.

“It is not enough to merely have an American presence in space,”  Trump said. “We must have American dominance in space.”

Proving dominance is not nearly a good enough reason to spend $13 billion of the country’s money.

Does President Trump have more planned for the Space Force, or does he simply want his sci-fi fantasy to come to fruition?