Written by Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Air Force said on Sunday it would resume trainee instruction using video about the U.S. military's first black pilots, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, which passed review to ensure compliance with President Donald Trump's ban on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Trump, who took office on January 20, has banned the use of DEI technology throughout the US government and the US military. New Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was sworn in on Friday, has made eliminating DEI from the military a top priority.
Reuters reported on Saturday that the video of the Tuskegee Airmen as well as another video of female civilian pilots trained by the U.S. military during World War II, known as Air Force Service Pilots, or WASPs, were not taught at basic training at the San Antonio base. Lackland Joint Pending Review.
The move was first reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
Both videos will be taught, the Air Force said Sunday.
“No Airman or Rangers will miss this set of instructions due to review, but one group of trainees was late in training,” Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, who leads Air Education and Training Command, said in a statement.
The Tuskegee Airmen included 450 airmen who fought overseas in separate units during World War II. Their success in combat helped pave the way for President Harry Truman's decision to desegregate the armed forces in 1948.
DEI programs seek to enhance opportunities for women, racial minorities, and other traditionally underrepresented groups. Civil rights advocates say such programs, which Democrats generally support, are necessary to address long-standing structural inequality and racism.
They have come under attack from conservatives, who say initiatives that focus on race and gender are inherently discriminatory and fail to prioritize merit.
