The Air Force is facing challenges in preparing enlisted airmen for promotion evaluations following the removal of a key handbook. This decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive orders, which aim to eliminate diversity education within military ranks.
The handbook in question, Air Force Handbook 1, is over 600 pages long and serves as the primary study guide for the Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) and the Promotion Fitness Examination. It was taken offline late last month, complicating the study process for airmen ahead of the technical sergeant promotion tests beginning on February 15, according to Department of the Air Force documents.
A statement on the Air Force’s study guide website explains, “As part of the ongoing efforts to implement and comply with all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the president, a thorough review of all applicable curriculum is being conducted. As a result of this review, the Air Force Handbook 1 is being temporarily rescinded. We understand this decision may impact your ability to study for the annual and supplemental promotion cycles.”
Despite the handbook’s removal, the Air Force has not announced any changes to the testing schedule. “Although there are no testing schedule changes anticipated at this time, leadership teams will communicate any potential changes to impacted airmen,” an Air Force official stated to Military.com. The Air Force is committed to maintaining the integrity of the promotion process.
Retired Chief Master Sgt. Eric Benken, who led the enlisted force from 1996 to 1999, commented that updates to study materials are not unusual, reflecting the Air Force’s evolving strategies and policies. “It happens probably more often than you think, for various reasons,” Benken noted. “They’ll adjust the tests to match whatever the material is.”
The revisions to Handbook 1 occur amidst Trump’s efforts, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to purge diversity-related training from the military. Military.com reviewed a November 2024 edition of the handbook and found frequent references to diversity and inclusion, emphasizing the Air Force’s commitment to a diverse workforce. “Our work environment today is more diverse than ever. Diversity is a military necessity,” the handbook asserts.
Additionally, the handbook includes sections on respecting individuality, discouraging stereotypes, and recounting the history of the Tuskegee Airmen and female aviators. It highlights the impact of the Tuskegee Airmen, stating, “The Tuskegee Airmen’s actions in the skies over North Africa, the Mediterranean, Sicily, Italy, Austria, Yugoslavia, France, Romania, and Germany dispelled myths, opened eyes, rewrote history, and prepared the USAF for being the first of the U.S. Armed Services to integrate racially.”
Recently, the Air Force faced backlash for removing training materials about the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots and the Tuskegee Airmen from boot camp. Although Hegseth claimed the decision was reversed, the San Antonio Express-News reported that some diversity-related videos remain unused.
Following the executive orders, the Air Force also dismantled its Barrier Analysis Working Groups, which advocated for improvements related to female, minority, and LGBTQ+ airmen, as reported by Military.com. Furthermore, a January 31 memo from the Department of the Air Force announced that the service would not use official resources to commemorate cultural awareness months.
The Air Force’s study guide website has assured service members that alternative study materials are in development and should be available by February 15. “We will provide regular status updates and any potential effects on the testing cycle as soon as we are able,” the website states.
