Trump Wanted First Lady to Help Design Space Force Uniform: Report

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President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

First Lady Melania Trump could have had a hand in designing the U.S. Space Force's future uniform.

That's according to a new in-depth report from Time Magazine on the fledgling military force. With Melania Trump's years of attending elite fashion shows and working as a former model, President Donald Trump reportedly thought the design job would be a natural fit for her, Time reported.

The inner workings of Space Force, which was officially activated Dec. 20, 2019, have been the subject of national speculation.The new report offers insights into key decisions in which the White House played a surprising role.

During a Jan. 15 meeting with Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, chief of space operations, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and other military leaders, Trump was given an array of poster-size photos to choose from to become the sixth military branch's official seal, Time also revealed in its story, published Thursday.

Read Next: Semper Supra: Space Force Unveils Long-Awaited Official Logo

After studying four designs, Trump reportedly "pulled out a black Sharpie marker, drew an arrow pointed at the seal and scratched out his signature above it." Roughly a week later, Trump tweeted the picture of that seal; the seal uses the delta symbol from the service's flag and logo, which was unveiled this week.

Before the meeting was over, Trump suggested the First Lady "should help design Space Force uniforms because of her impeccable fashion sense," Time reported.

The incident eventually became a plotline in the Steve Carell Netflix comedy "Space Force."

In episode four of the series, the first lady's staff deliver a series of impractical uniforms to Space Force headquarters, including ones sporting capes and the words 'Space Force' fashioned with glitter and gems across the buttocks.

Since the creation of Space Force the president has been briefed on multiple occasions about Space Force design elements, sometimes offering his opinion, Time said.

So far, Space Force has debuted a service seal, logo and utility uniform name tape, but many major design decisions remain.

Pending Space Force decisions include a dress uniform, insignia and unit patches and a rank structure. Officials are also deciding what to call Space Force members.

Time also reported Paramount Pictures reached out to Space Force to avoid a trademark brouhaha over use of the delta symbol.

For months, Twitter users have been quick to point out that the insignia is highly reminiscent of the "Star Trek" Starfleet Command logo; but the military says the symbol is part of its history, too.

Others have pointed out the delta also looks very much like the now-defunct Air Force Space Command patch. AFSPC existed from 1982 until last year, when the Pentagon announced the command's personnel would be temporarily reassigned to the Space Force until formal transfers begin.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

Related: Major Space Force Units to Be Called Deltas, Officials Announce

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