President Donald Trump, during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday evening, hailed the United States Space Force — the military’s newest branch, which was created under his command in December.
“And just weeks ago, for the first time since President [Harry S.] Truman established the Air Force more than 70 years earlier, we created a new branch of the United States Armed Forces, the Space Force,” he said during his speech.
Trump created the new branch after signing the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act at the Andrews Air Force Base on December 20, 2019, creating the first new military branch since 1947, as previously reported by Breitbart News.
Trump then introduced one of his special guests, whom Trump called “one of Space Force’s youngest potential recruits,” — 13-year-old Iain Lanphier, an eighth-grader from Arizona.
“Iain has always dreamed of going to space. He was first in his class and among the youngest at an aviation academy. He aspires to go to the Air Force Academy, and then, he has his eye on the Space Force. As Iain says, ‘most people look up at space, I want to look down on the world,'” Trump said.
Trump then recognized Lanphier’s great-grandfather, Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee.
“Sitting beside Iain tonight is his great hero. Charles McGee was born in Cleveland, Ohio, one century ago. Charles is one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen — the first black fighter pilots — and he also happens to be Iain’s great-grandfather,” Trump said.
“After more than 130 combat missions in World War II, he came back to a country still struggling for Civil Rights and went on to serve America in Korea and Vietnam. On December 7th, Charles celebrated his 100th birthday,” he said.
Trump said a few weeks ago that he signed a bill promoting Charles McGee to Brigadier General.
“Earlier today, I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the Oval Office. General McGee: Our Nation salutes you,” Trump said.
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