America Needs a Space Force: These 5 Movies Could Help

James Jay Carafano

Security,

Does the U.S. military need some inspiration? Fire up Netflix and get inspired.

It sure looks like, one way or another, America’s Space Force is going to take-off. The Pentagon plans to have version 1.0 up and running in a few months. And both versions of the annual National Defense Authorization Act—now in conference committee—have language on the Space Force.

There are strong arguments that, done right, the space force would be good for America. At this stage, then, it’s worth thinking about what the character of our new force to look like. 

And where better to look for inspiration than Hollywood? Here are five films that ought to inform how America’s military serves on the high frontier.

5. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956). This classic black-and-white science fiction thriller is worth watching just to see the aliens mow down the Washington Monument, the Capital and Union Station. As they cruise over the mall, be sure to note the temporary office buildings from World War II still lining the reflecting pool.

Rather than be subjugated by superior enemy technology, scientists and soldiers develop an asymmetrical technology that takes down the enemy ships and saves the earth. That’s what we’ll need from our new space force—an innovative cadre of men and women who can out-innovate as much as out-muscle our adversaries in outer space.

Here is hoping the space force is an out-of-the-box thinking creative force.

4. Forbidden Planet (1956). Take Sigmund Freud, William Shakespeare and robots on another planet. Stir. Add in background music composed of “electronic tonalities” that was so innovative and otherworldly it was not considered eligible for an Oscar as a soundtrack. Pour out one of Hollywood’s most iconic outer space movies.

What do Commander John J. Adams and his crew have to teach our space force? Disciple and mission-focus are the bywords of this company of space troopers.

Guards and the space cook get extra duty for slacking off. (Though, to be fair, how were they to know the monsters were invisible?)