Trump’s anti-DEI order includes Air Force video of first Black passengers By Reuters

Written by Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to halt diversity, equity and inclusion efforts has prompted the Air Force to halt training on a document about the first human flight. blacks in the US military, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, a US official said. Saturday.

Black’s famous planes included 450 pilots who fought overseas in separate squadrons during World War II. Their success in the war helped pave the way for President Harry Truman’s decision to desegregate the armed forces in 1948.

Another video about female military pilots trained by the US military during World War II, known as “Women Air Force Service Pilots,” or WASPs, was also pulled, the official said. it said.

The Air Force did not comment directly on the decision, which was confirmed by an official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

US President Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders seeking to cancel DEI programs since taking office on Monday.

DEI programs seek to expand opportunities for women, ethnic minorities and other traditionally underrepresented groups. Human rights advocates argue that such programs, generally supported by Democrats, are necessary to address long-standing inequality and racism.

But it has become a rallying cry for conservatives who argue that measures targeting race and gender are inherently discriminatory and fail to prioritize value.

Reuters reported on Friday that new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that he opposes the use of race as a factor when evaluating options for US military academies.

The Trump administration and its supporters in Congress argue that the US military also needs to be purged of officers who support DEI efforts, which they say are a distraction from the war.

A US official said the video about the Tuskegee Airmen and other historic equipment was pulled while the Air Force was conducting a curriculum review at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, where new recruits receive basic training. .

The official emphasized that the videos were not specifically targeted but were part of an educational program that has been suspended pending an investigation.

For its part, the Air Force said in a statement that it is committed to carrying out Trump’s orders.

“The Department of the Air Force will fully implement and implement all orders specified in the Executive Orders issued by the President, to ensure that they are carried out with the utmost professionalism, efficiency and in accordance with the objectives of the defense of the country,” an Air Force spokesman said.