The Pentagon is removing thousands of photos and online posts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) following Donald Trump’s executive order, which aims to eliminate diversity initiatives across the federal government.
An internal Defense Department database, obtained by the Associated Press, shows that over 26,000 images have already been flagged for deletion, with the total number possibly reaching 100,000 once military social media pages and other platforms are fully reviewed.
Among the images marked for removal are:
- Photos of Black soldiers and historical military units like the Tuskegee Airmen
- Images of female service members breaking barriers, including the first women to complete Marine infantry training
- Mentions of “Gay”, which led to unintended deletions such as images of military members with that last name and the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
- Posts about Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Women’s History Month
- A Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, Pfc. Harold Gonsalves
Military branches are struggling to determine what qualifies as DEI content, leading to random and inconsistent deletions. For example, a Women’s History Month post about an all-female Air Force crew was deleted, while some of the photos in the collection remain online.
Additionally, some photos of the Tuskegee Airmen were initially flagged for removal, though the Air Force later reversed course after backlash.
Each branch of the military is racing to comply with the order. Some units are screenshotting posts before removal, but it remains unclear if they will be properly archived for historical records.
The Marine Corps, for example, has one employee responsible for reviewing over 10,000 flagged images, with more than 1,600 social media accounts still under review.
With Trump’s order in effect, military history is being rewritten in real time, raising concerns that important milestones and achievements could be lost forever.
The Pentagon has acknowledged that some removals may be mistakes and says instructions will be given in those cases. But with thousands of images already deleted, it may be difficult to undo the purge.
