Air Force evaluates DEI compliance at nine bases

The U.S. Air Force is sending teams to various bases to check if they are following President Trump's executive orders on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This was announced in a press release on Monday. The teams will consist of about five reviewers and will visit nine Air Force installations to assess the implementation of these orders, according to an Air Force spokesperson. This initiative comes from a memo issued by the Pentagon on January 29. It calls for a task force to oversee the removal of DEI programs in the military. The task force aims to promote "merit-based, color-blind policies" instead. Trump’s executive order claims that DEI programs are harming military effectiveness by leading to "race and sex discrimination." The Air Force's release outlines five main points for the teams to focus on. They need to ensure that the Air Force is not using quotas based on sex, race, or ethnicity in hiring or admissions. Furthermore, it calls for a curriculum that portrays America positively and bans teachings related to critical race theory, gender ideology, and DEI. Additionally, decision-making boards should not address DEI subjects, and promotions should not consider an individual’s sex, race, or ethnicity. The validation teams will carry out their assessments from March 17 to March 28, reviewing documents, analyzing data, and conducting interviews. After their evaluations, the Air Force will continue to monitor compliance with these directives. In a related effort, the Trump administration is working to remove DEI-related content from military websites. Some historic webpages, including those about the first female fighter pilot Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt and WWII-era Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, have already been taken offline.