After backlash and confusion surrounding the Air Force’s reported takedown of training materials that mentioned the Tuskegee Airmen, service chief Gen. David Allvin emphasized that the service is “faithfully executing” all of President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
The controversy stems from reports that the service removed training courses with videos of Tuskegee Airmen, the nation’s first Black military pilots who served in a segregated unit during WWII, and the Women Airforce Service Pilots, female World War II pilots known as WASPs, following Trump’s direction to weed out DEI in government.
In a statement Monday, Allvin said the service is “currently reviewing all training courses to ensure compliance with the Executive Orders,” but that “no curriculum or content highlighting the honor and valor of the Tuskegee Airmen or Women Air Force Service Pilots has been removed from Basic Military Training.”
The training blocks that covered the Tuskegee Airmen and WASPs included DEI material—material that was directed to be removed, according to a statement from Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, head of the Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command. The revised training, which includes the Tuskegee Airmen and WASP content, will continue today, Robinson said.
“No airmen or guardians will miss this block of instruction due to the revision; however, one group of trainees had the training delayed,” he added.
Before the Air Force clarified that it would resume teaching the material, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., accused the service of “malicious compliance” for taking down the material.
In his statement, Allvin said that the Air Force is “faithfully executing” all Trump’s executive orders, despite some “inaccurate opinions.”
“From day one, I directed our Air Force to implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the President swiftly and professionally—no equivocation, no slow-rolling, no foot-dragging. When policies change, it is everyone’s responsibility to be diligent and ensure all remnants of the outdated policies are appropriately removed, and the new ones are clearly put in place,” he said.
And, Allvin emphasized that “disguising and renaming” are not complying to the DEI executive order. “If there are instances of less-than-full compliance, we will hold those responsible accountable,” he said.
