Air Force Academy now promoting fellowship that BANS ‘cisgender’ men

The United States Air Force Academy recently distributed promotional information to its cadets for the Brooke Owens Fellowship, which specifically prohibits “cisgender men” from applying.

The email, sent on Sept. 14, encourages cadets to sign up for the program, stating, “If you’re a cisgender woman, a transgender woman, non-binary, agender, bigender, two-spirit , demigender, genderfluid, genderqueer, or any other form of gender minority, this program is for you.

“If you’re a cisgender guy, this program isn’t for you…but we encourage you to check out our spin-off programs, the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship and the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program.”

A concerned Air Force cadet shared the email as he shared: Fox news“It’s a little disturbing that we have more reports about D&I than reports about foreign adversaries, emerging technologies or current events around the world.”

The fellowship, which has been in existence since 2017, commemorates the late Owens — a pilot and space policy expert — who died of breast cancer in 2016 at the age of 35.

The program offers young people, who are not cisgender men, paid internships and executive mentorship at top aviation and space exploration companies.

The email has also arrived as it has become clear that the US military is facing major recruiting problems.

In fact, this month, the military revealed that it had made only 52% of the way to its recruiting goals for the fiscal year, which ends September 30.

Deputy director of public affairs for the US Army Recruiting Command, Brian McGovern, recently said“The military faces its most challenging recruiting environment since the creation of the all-volunteer corps in 1973.”

He said the military expects a shortage of 12,000 to 15,000 recruits this year.

The Brooke Owens fellowship logo, created in 2017 in memory of Brooke Owens, a pilot and space policy expert who died of breast cancer in 2016

The US Air Force Academy, which is about 71% male and 29% female, recently came under fire for a presentation on diversity and inclusion in which it instructed cadets to avoid using gender-based language in everyday speech. to go.

Cadets were encouraged to swap the words “mother” and “father” for “parent” or “guardian.” ‘Boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ were encouraged to be exchanged for ‘partner’, and so on.

At the time, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) – a green beret and veteran of the Afghan war – that the school’s focus on “awakened” concepts of language justice “is absolutely destructive to morale, to unity, to everything I know of a army that was integrated much earlier in 1948 than the rest of the country.’

Rather than focus on small-scale faux pas, he said “the Air Force should be concerned about the macro-aggression against America that is happening around the world.”

Air Force Academy cadets salute during the national anthem at Falcon Stadium before their graduation ceremony on May 25, 2022

Brooke Owens Fellows pose – candidates are selected for their talent, their experience to date, their dedication to service and their creativity’

The academy, which is 71% male cadets, recently promoted the Owens Fellowship, which specifically prohibits cisgender men from applying.

An academy spokesperson denied that the emphasis on diversity and inclusion detracts from the “effectiveness of warfare.”

“It is the diversity of Airmen and Guardians from all corners of our nation carrying out the Department of the Air Force’s hundreds of mission-critical missions that make us the best, most innovative air and space force the world has ever known,” he said. spokesman.

The statement was followed by a denial that the academy specifically prohibits the use of “mom and dad” or other gender-specific terms.

The Air Force Academy does not prohibit the use of ‘Mommy and Dad’ or other gender-specific terms. The recent briefing on diversity and inclusion is being taken out of context and misrepresented; the slide in question was not meant to stand alone,” said Chief Inspector Lt. Gen. Rich Clark.

He added: “First and foremost, the briefing focused on respect for others and the need to use different perspectives to solve our country’s most difficult national security problems. Our strategic competitors do the opposite. Our American diversity is a strategic advantage and opens the door to creative solutions, providing a competitive advantage in air, space and cyberspace.”

A screenshot of the “diversity and inclusion” course for cadets at the US Air Force Academy

In 2021, the US Air Force Academy made headlines with the announcement of a diversity and inclusion reading room, specially designated with curated books and described in a release as a “treasury of great ideas and a safe space for open discussion.”

“We need to foster an understanding of the challenges of diversity, racism and injustice, promote a wide range of perspectives, and respect those with whom we agree and disagree,” said Mark Jensen, Academy Senate president and philosophy professor. . .

“Our intention is to create an informal space for cadets and regulars to broaden and deepen their exploration of the issues surrounding diversity, inclusion and equity,” said Assistant Professor of English Daniel Couch.

Waltz said in an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson that once Republicans regain the majority in the House, “we will remove it from the US military.”