Swapping Boots for Sneakers: A Stylistic Analysis of Cadences of The Nigerian Air Force

Abstract

This paper is an examination of stylistic strategies of military cadence, which forms a basic element of military folklore and fitness exercise in the daily life of a soldier. It adopts a qualitative research design in the presentation and analysis of data. The study is guided by aspects of Jeffries' (2015) Textual Conceptual Functions and Social Practice Model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as proposed by Fairclough (1989) in the analysis often military cadence calls in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). The analysis uncovers the vital relationship existing between the military and the folklore settings that produced them. The findings reveal Nigerian soldiers employ lexically dense discourses in their cadences to promote propaganda, propagate folklore of bravery and discipline, and ultimately, request the troops to be patriotic in the face of daunting challenges from the job. These cadences are, therefore, not just songs for jogging or running, but they form a vital part of military folklore and group solidarity.