War heroes, military firsts among 26,000 images flagged in DEI purge

References to a World Battle II Medal of Honor recipient, the Enola Homosexual plane that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan and the primary girls to move Marine infantry coaching are among the many tens of hundreds of photographs and on-line posts marked for deletion because the Protection Division works to purge range, fairness and inclusion content material, in keeping with a database obtained by The Related Press.

The database, which was confirmed by U.S. officers and printed by AP, consists of greater than 26,000 photographs which have been flagged for elimination throughout each army department. However the eventual complete may very well be a lot greater.

One official, who spoke on situation of anonymity to supply particulars that haven’t been made public, stated the purge may delete as many as 100,000 photographs or posts in complete, when contemplating social media pages and different web sites which are additionally being culled for DEI content material. The official stated it’s not clear if the database has been finalized.

Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth had given the army till Wednesday to take away content material that highlights range efforts in its ranks following President Donald Trump’s government order ending these applications throughout the federal authorities.

The overwhelming majority of the Pentagon purge targets girls and minorities, together with notable milestones made within the army. And it additionally removes numerous posts that point out numerous commemorative months — similar to these for Black and Hispanic folks and girls.

However a evaluation of the database additionally underscores the confusion that has swirled amongst companies about what to take away following Trump’s order.

Plane and fish tasks are flagged

In some circumstances, photographs appeared to be flagged for elimination just because their file included the phrase “homosexual,” together with service members with that final identify and a picture of the B-29 plane Enola Homosexual, which dropped the primary atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, throughout World Battle II.

A number of photographs of an Military Corps of Engineers dredging challenge in California have been marked for deletion, apparently as a result of a neighborhood engineer within the picture had the final identify Homosexual. And a photograph of Military Corps biologists was on the checklist, seemingly as a result of it talked about they have been recording information about fish — together with their weight, dimension, hatchery and gender.

As well as, some photographs of the Tuskegee Airmen, the nation’s first Black army pilots who served in a segregated WWII unit, have been listed on the database, however these might probably be protected as a result of historic content material.

The Air Drive briefly eliminated new recruit coaching programs that included movies of the Tuskegee Airmen quickly after Trump’s order. That drew the White Home’s ire over “malicious compliance,” and the Air Drive rapidly reversed the elimination.

Lots of the photographs listed within the database have already got been eliminated. Others have been nonetheless seen Thursday, and it’s not clear if they are going to be taken down in some unspecified time in the future or be allowed to remain, together with photographs with historic significance similar to these of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Requested in regards to the database, Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot stated in an announcement, “We’re happy by the speedy compliance throughout the Division with the directive eradicating DEI content material from all platforms. Within the uncommon circumstances that content material is eliminated that’s out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct elements accordingly.”

He famous that Hegseth has declared that “DEI is lifeless” and that efforts to place one group forward of one other by way of DEI applications erodes camaraderie and threatens mission execution.

Some photographs aren’t gone

In some circumstances, the elimination was partial. The primary web page in a submit titled “Girls’s Historical past Month: All-female crew helps warfighters” was eliminated. However at the very least one of many photographs in that assortment about an all-female C-17 crew may nonetheless be accessed. A shot from the Military Corps of Engineers titled “Engineering pioneer remembered throughout Black Historical past Month” was deleted.

Different photographs flagged within the database however nonetheless seen Thursday included photographs of the World Battle II Girls Air Service Pilots and one among U.S. Air Drive Col. Jeannie Leavitt, the nation’s first feminine fighter pilot.

Additionally nonetheless seen was a picture of then-Pfc. Christina Fuentes Montenegro changing into one of many first three girls to graduate from the Marine Corps’ Infantry Coaching Battalion and a picture of Marine Corps World Battle II Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold Gonsalves.

It was unclear why another photographs have been eliminated, similar to a Marine Corps picture titled “Deadlift contenders elevate the bar pound by pound” or a Nationwide Guard web site picture known as “Minnesota brothers reunite in Kuwait.”

Why the database?

The database of the 26,000 photographs was created to evolve with federal archival legal guidelines, so if the companies are queried sooner or later, they will present how they’re complying with the regulation, the U.S. official stated. However it might be tough to make sure the content material was archived as a result of the accountability to make sure every picture was preserved was the accountability of every particular person unit.

In lots of circumstances, employees are taking screenshots of the pages marked for elimination, however it could be tough to revive them if that call was made, in keeping with one other official, who, just like the others, spoke on the situation of anonymity to supply further particulars that weren’t public.

A Marine Corps official stated each one among its photographs within the database “both has been taken down or might be taken down.” The Marines are transferring on the directive as quick as doable, however as with the remainder of the army, only a few civilian or contractor workers on the Pentagon can carry out content material elimination, the official stated.

Within the Marine Corps, only one protection civilian is offered to do the work. The Marine Corps estimates that particular person has recognized at the very least 10,000 photographs for elimination — and that doesn’t depend greater than 1,600 social media websites that haven’t but been addressed.

A lot of these social media websites have been army base or unit assist teams created years in the past and left idle. Nobody nonetheless has the executive privileges to go in and alter the content material.

The Marine official stated the service goes by way of every website and getting new administrative privileges so it will probably make the adjustments.

On Feb. 26, the Pentagon ordered all of the army companies to spend numerous hours poring over years of web site postings, photographs, information articles and movies to take away any mentions that “promote range, fairness and inclusion.”

In the event that they couldn’t try this by Wednesday, they have been advised to “briefly take away from public show” all content material printed throughout the Biden administration’s 4 years in workplace.

AP reporters Nicholas Riccardi in Denver, Christina Cassidy in Atlanta, Will Weissert and Ayanna Alexander in Washington and Christine Fernando in Chicago contributed to this report.