Dead Drop: June 5

SEAT OF POWER:  There is a tradition among cabinet level agencies within the US government that when their leader leaves office, his or her staff chip in and buy the nice leather chair their former boss occupied in the White House cabinet room and present it to them as a farewell gift. There is typically a nice brass plate on the back of each chair indicating who once warmed it. This week, President Trump presented Ric Grenell, the recently unseated acting Director of National Intelligence with his chair. On social media Grenell wrote: “Today I officially resigned from the State Department. And President Trump presented me with a going away gift – my Cabinet Chair. ‘Acting’ Cabinet Secretaries do not get chairs but President Trump wanted me to have mine because, as he said, ‘You are the First Openly Gay Cabinet Secretary and it’s a big deal.’”

GIVE HER THE GUN:  Last week, we told you about U.S. Air Force efforts to get more women into the cockpit.  Now we hear they are taking steps to not offend them in the process. Air Force Times reports that the service is in the process of changing the lyrics to their official song, you know the one with the “Wild Blue Yonder” stuff.  The song, which dates back to the 1940’s, is full of gender specific language. For example, in the second verse: “Hands of men blasted the world asunder” and “Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer.” Also, in the traditional version of the song is the line: “at ‘em boys, give ‘em the gun.” Outgoing Air Force Chief of Staff General Dave Goldfein said: “Quite frankly, nobody really knows the second verse or ever sings it.” Goldfein added “But it is important that we complete the task we started at the academy and update our Air Force Song to celebrate all of us that are members of the profession of arms.” The Army and Navy updated their service songs more than a decade ago.