The Air Force Has Updated its Song to Be Gender-Neutral

military.com ^ | Feb. 27, 2020 | Oriana Pawlyk

[PROCON]

The U.S. Air Force is changing its song to be gender-neutral as the service grows more diverse and adds more women across its ranks.

Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein made the announcement Thursday during the Air Warfare Symposium in Florida, alongside Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright.

Goldfein said the change applies to the third verse of the U.S. Air Force Song, sometimes known as "Wild Blue Yonder," which is traditionally sung at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and often performed independently of the other verses.

~~~SNIP~~~

Verse III is now:

Here's a toast to the host

Of those who love the vastness of the sky,

To a friend we send a message of the brave who serve on high.

We drink to those who gave their all of old,

Then down we roar to score the rainbow's pot of gold.

A toast to the host of those we boast, the U.S. Air Force!

The old version went, "A toast to the host of the men we boast."

[PROCON]

*Sigh*

[PROCON]

Ping please, JJ!

[ofcrob2237]

WTF is this? That’s not what they taught me

[JoSixChip]

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth O

Only one person holds that rank at any given time. Wanna bet he was promoted under obumber?

[TADSLOS]

Toxic Masculinity is being expunged.

The Air Force is just trying to keep up with the Marines and the Army.

Gender Neutrality Wins Wars!! *cough*

[dowcaet]

So Navy teams will be known as the Midshippeople now?

[Boogieman]

In other news, the Navy is updating its song as well: “Anchors are gay for boys, anchors are gay!”

[jagusafr]

Third verse. They didn’t print the chorus.

[jagusafr]

One word. Bravo Foxtrot deal.

Colonel, USAF (Ret)

[DoughtyOne]

Whew! Finally! /s

[Responsibility2nd]

The old version went, "A toast to the host of the men we boast."

 

I guess it's better than the all inclusive...  

... toast to the host of the

• Agender
• Androgyne
• Androgynous
• Bigender
• Cis
• Cisgender
• Cis Female
• Cis Male
• Cis Man
• Cis Woman
• Cisgender Female
• Cisgender Male
• Cisgender Man
• Cisgender Woman
• Female to Male
• FTM
• Gender Fluid
• Gender Nonconforming
• Gender Questioning
• Gender Variant
• Genderqueer
• Intersex
• Male to Female
• MTF
• Neither
• Neutrois
• Non-binary
• Other
• Pangender
• Trans
• Trans*
• Trans Female
• Trans* Female
• Trans Male
• Trans* Male
• Trans Man
• Trans* Man
• Trans Person
• Trans* Person
• Trans Woman
• Trans* Woman
• Transfeminine
• Transgender
• Transgender Female
• Transgender Male
• Transgender Man
• Transgender Person
• Transgender Woman
• Transmasculine
• Transsexual
• Transsexual Female
• Transsexual Male
• Transsexual Man
• Transsexual Person
• Transsexual Woman
• Two-Spirit

 we boast

[real saxophonist]

Well, the Marines changed MOS 5524 from Bandsman to Musician (which is actually okay), and the Army changed 42 Romeo to ‘Bandsperson’, which just sounds ridiculous.

[Clemenza]

Nope. They will be known as the Village People.

[dowcaet]

Ah, good point!

[SkyPilot]

What about this verse?

"At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun!"

[Bogey78O]

You can’t have a host of “those we boast”. It’s grammatically clunky.

[Red Badger]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaleth_O._Wright

[Red Badger]

Wright succeeded James A. Cody as Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force on February 17, 2017

[A Navy Vet]

I don’t see a problem with that one line being changed. There are many dedicated patriotic women who have and do serve in the USAF. My concern is about women and men serving on submarines or in ground infantry combat units.

[Regulator]

When do we dump Goldfein?

An Obama kneepad guy if there ever was one