Donald Trump's decision to block diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has led the US Air Force to remove material about the contributions of Black and female pilots during World War Two from its training programs.
A military official mentioned that "immediate steps" were taken to remove this material to "ensure compliance" with the president's order, as reported by CBS, the BBC's US news partner.
Previously, trainee troops watched footage of these pioneering servicemen and women as part of DEI courses during basic military training.
Soon after returning to office, Trump signed an executive order banning such programs in the federal government, fulfilling a campaign promise he made repeatedly.
Among the material removed are lessons on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of about 1,000 Black pilots trained at a segregated air base in Alabama from 1941 to 1946. They flew numerous patrol and attack missions during the war, escorting American bombing crews over Europe.
Lessons on Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, have also been taken out of the lesson plans, an official confirmed.
The female pilots played a crucial role in transporting new planes from factories to Europe for the war effort. Their important contributions were later honored with the right to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, a place reserved for military personnel. An Air Force official shared with CBS News that "immediate steps were taken to remove curriculum that is now under review to ensure compliance with Executive Orders issued by the president."
The historical videos were part of the US Air Force and Space Force curriculum but were not the main focus of the course removal actions. More details on curriculum updates will be shared when they're ready.
DEI programs aim to boost minority participation in the workforce and educate employees about discrimination. However, Trump and other critics argue that this training is discriminatory because it considers race, gender, sexual identity, or other characteristics.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration emailed thousands of federal employees, asking them to report any efforts to "disguise" diversity initiatives in their agencies or face "adverse consequences."
While Trump's executive order targets state-funded agencies, several major companies have also reduced their DEI training, including Meta and Amazon.