Did Star Wars Shape The U.S. Military?

Lucasfilm 2015

Marlow Stern, Daily Beast: How ‘Star Wars’ Shaped the U.S. Military

From Reagan’s missile-defense system to General Schwarzkopf’s ‘Jedi Knights’ and laser cannons, America’s armed forces have taken quite a few cues from Star Wars.

Now that J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars original trilogy remix The Force Awakens has been unleashed, transforming a new generation of cinemagoers into Nick Winters at The Powder Room, fanboys have begun to dissect its myriad inspirations. We know, for instance, that like George Lucas’s initial journey to a galaxy far, far away, with its stormtroopers, Werhmacht-esque Imperial officers, and Triumph of the Will ending, the evil First Order of Abrams’s film was heavily influenced by the Nazis. So it’s a bit ironic then that Adam Driver, the actor who plays Awakens’ volumized villain Kylo Ren, is a former U.S. Marine. Nevertheless, the link between Star Wars and America’s Armed Forces extends much further than that.

WNU Editor: I would argue that it is the "Terminator" movie franchise that has shaped (and will continue to shape) what the geeks in the Pentagon see the future of warfare to be. As for Star Wars .... the only trend that I have noticed from them is this one .... After Every Star Wars Movie Babies Have Been Named After The Characters.