Air Force restores use of Tuskegee Airmen training videos as Hegseth starts first day

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force restored the use of training material referring to the storied Tuskegee Airmen after a temporary delay to edit its courses to meet the Trump administration’s rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, the service said, resolving an issue roiling as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began his first day at the Pentagon.

Hegseth said in a post on X on Sunday that any move to cut the training was “immediately reversed.” But the swirl of confusion reflects an ongoing struggle as leaders across the Defense Department try to purge diversity mentions from their websites and training.

Hegseth didn’t mention the issue as he walked into the building on Monday morning accompanied by Gen. CQ Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But in other comments, Hegseth said that “military training will be focused on the readiness of what our troops in the field need to deter our enemies.”

He added that his first day would be busy, with additional executive orders expected “on removing DEI inside the Pentagon, reinstating troops who were pushed out because of COVID mandates, Iron Dome for America — this is happening quickly.”

In response to a question, Hegseth also told reporters gathered on the steps of the Pentagon that “whatever is needed at the border will be provided,” using active duty, National Guard and state-activated Guard troops.

Hegseth was approved by the Senate on Friday night in a tie vote that had to be broken by Vice President JD Vance.

Meanwhile, the Air Force had said earlier that it had removed training courses with videos of its Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, the female World War II pilots who were vital in ferrying warplanes for the military.

That triggered criticism, including from the Tuskegee Airmen group. The Air Force later said that “no Airmen or Guardians will miss this block of instruction due to the revision, however one group of trainees had the training delayed. That block of training was pulled in order to take out DEI material on Jan. 23 and will continue again as of Monday.”

The group said it appreciated the Air Force leadership for responding quickly to its concerns.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the nation’s first Black military pilots, who served in a segregated WWII unit, and their all-Black 332nd Fighter Group had one of the lowest loss records of all the bomber escorts in the war.

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