By Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s order halting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has led the Air Force to suspend teaching a course on a documentary about the first Black airmen in the U.S. military, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, a a US official said on Saturday.

The famous Black aviator included 450 pilots who fought overseas in segregated units during World War II. Their success in combat helped pave the way for President Harry Truman’s decision to desegregate the armed forces in 1948.

Another video about civilian female pilots trained by the US military during World War II, known as “Women Air Force Service Pilots,” or WASPs, was also removed, 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.

US President Donald Trump 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 that such programs, often supported by Democrats, are necessary 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 prioritize merit.

Reuters reported on Friday that new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers he opposes using race as a factor in evaluating candidates for the elite US military academies.

The Trump administration and its backers in Congress have argued that the US military should also purge generals who support DEI initiatives, which they say are disrupting the war effort.

The U.S. official said the video of the Tuskegee Airmen and other historical materials were taken as the Air Force conducted a review of the course curriculum at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, where new recruits get basic training.

The official emphasized that the videos were not specifically targeted but part of the curriculum that was suspended pending review.

For its part, the Air Force said in a statement that it is committed to complying with Trump’s orders.

“The Department of the Air Force will fully implement and implement all directives set forth in the Executive Orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with the utmost professionalism, efficiency and consistent with national security objectives. ,” an Air Force spokesman said.