Tuskegee Airmen Video Returns to U.S. Air Force Training Amid DEI Ban

The U.S. Air Force has resumed using a video about the Tuskegee Airmen in training, ensuring compliance with President Trump's ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prioritizes eliminating DEI, though the Tuskegee Airmen's combat success had historical implications for military desegregation.

The U.S. Air Force announced on Sunday that it will resume using a video featuring the Tuskegee Airmen in training sessions. This comes after the video passed a compliance review related to President Donald Trump's ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

President Trump, who assumed office on January 20, has implemented a government-wide and military-wide prohibition on DEI programs. New Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has prioritized the removal of such programs from military practice. Previously, basic training sessions at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland had paused the use of videos on the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs) due to review processes.

According to Lieutenant General Brian Robinson of the Air Education and Training Command, no personnel will forego this key element of training. The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of 450 Black pilots serving in segregated units during World War II whose contributions helped President Harry Truman decide to desegregate the armed forces in 1948. DEI programs aim to create opportunities for underrepresented groups but face opposition from critics who argue they undermine meritocracy.

(With inputs from agencies.)