William Shatner, famous for his role as Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise on Star Trek, doesn’t want to see a future where the real-life Space Force has colonels in command of spaceships.

Shatner delivered an op-ed in Military Times on Wednesday titled “What the heck is wrong with you, Space Force?” It’s even more entertaining if you imagine him reading it in his distinctive cadence and voice.

The Canadian-born actor suggests Space Force should use a Navy-style rank (captain) for ship commanders rather than Air Force or Army nomenclature (where the equivalent rank is colonel). In the missive, he calls out the long history of captains on spaceships in science fiction. He even goes all the way back to seminal 1902 space film A Trip to the Moon, which featured a rocket captain.

Shatner first broached the rank question last week on Twitter by writing to Space Force: “I’m just a nobody here but I was wondering; is it true that the commanding officer onboard a ‘Space Force’ ship is designated a Colonel & not a Captain?” He then offered to debate the issue.

The US Navy responded to the tweet with a sly remark: “We did have the original USS Enterprise,” in reference to its long history of ships named “Enterprise,” including an aircraft carrier that was commissioned as the USS Enterprise in 1938.

Read Full Article: https://www.cnet.com/news/star-treks-captain-kirk-calls-out-space-force-in-rank-debate/

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