US Air Force Suspends Course on Tuskegee Airmen Amid Review of Curriculum

Donald Trump's order halting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has led the US Air Force to suspend course instruction on a documentary about the first Black airmen in the US military, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, a US official said on Saturday.

The famed Black aviators included 450 pilots who fought overseas in segregated units during the Second World War. Their success in combat helped pave the way for Harry Truman's decision to desegregate the armed forces in 1948.

Another video about civilian female pilots trained by the US military during the Second World War, known as Women Airforce Service Pilots, or Wasps, was also pulled, the official said.

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

The US president has issued a series of executive orders seeking to dismantle DEI programs since he took office on Monday.

DEI programs seek to promote opportunities for women, ethnic minorities and other traditionally underrepresented groups. Civil rights advocates argue such programmes, generally backed by Democrats, are needed to address longstanding inequities and structural racism.

But they have become a rallying cry for conservatives who argue that race- and gender-focused initiatives are inherently discriminatory and fail to prioritise merit.

Reuters reported on Friday that Pete Hegseth, the new defence secretary, has told lawmakers he opposes the use of race as a factor when evaluating candidates for elite US military academies.

Trump's administration and its backers in Congress argue that the US military also needs to be purged of generals who support DEI initiatives, which they say are a distraction from war fighting.

The US official said the video on the Tuskegee Airmen and other historical materials had been pulled as the Air Force conducts a review of course curriculum at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, where new recruits get basic training.

The official stressed that the videos had not been targeted but were part of the curriculum that had been suspended pending review.

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 execute and implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency and in alignment with national security objectives," an Air Force spokesperson said.