About three weeks after it was removed Jan. 29, Air Force Handbook 1—a key document for Airmen preparing for promotion tests—reappeared on the Air Force enlisted promotion study guides website on Feb. 19, back-dated to Feb. 15. With less than two weeks to go before tests start for some Airmen, here’s what’s changed.
The 625-page handbook is a primer on the branch’s history, values, standards, structure, doctrine, and other fundamentals. Airmen hoping to make staff sergeant or technical sergeant use the handbook to prepare for the Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) promotion fitness examination (PFE).
Originally published Nov. 1, 2024, the previous version was rescinded “as part of the ongoing efforts to implement and comply with all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued” by President Donald Trump, the Air Force said last month. Trump has issued multiple orders intended to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the government.
The new version removed sections regarding diversity, inclusion, cognitive bias, COVID-19, among numerous tweaks.
The promotion testing window for technical sergeant typically runs from Feb. 15 to April 15, but on Feb. 12, the Air Force delayed the testing window to March 3 through May 1. Air Force regulations require Airmen to have access to study materials at least 60 days before their test date; officials say the handbook complies with that regulation because material was removed and no new material was added.
The actual tests will not be revised; questions related to DEI will be on the exam, the service said in a statement, but they will not be scored.
The window for staff sergeant is unaffected and will run from May 1 to June 30.
Section 14E
The largest change to the new handbook was the removal of section 14E, “Fosters Inclusion.” A three-page subsection of chapter 14, “Developing Others,” 14E called diversity “a military necessity” and “a strength that will impact our future force.”
“At the core, diversity provides collective strengths, perspectives, and capabilities that transcend individual contributions,” the old version said. To foster a diverse team, the section encouraged leaders to increase their awareness of stereotypes, appreciate different perspectives, and build common ground through organizational pride and positive norms.
Of the three pages under “Fosters Inclusion,” only the first page and a half explicitly mentioned diversity, while the rest dealt with building strong organizational culture.
“Norms that support hard work, loyalty, quality, and concern for customer satisfaction are examples of positive norms,” the old version stated.
Inclusion Out
The Air Force ratcheted up its emphasis on diversity matters in 2020, after an Inspector General report indicated disparities in the way Airmen were treated by the service’s justice system. Subsequent Air Force studies confirmed widespread race- and gender-based bias, and senior leaders encouraged Airmen to work together towards a solution.
“Most of the systems in our Air Force have been designed by people like me, for people like me,” said then-Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein in 2020. “So therefore, I’ve got blinders on that are going to keep me from seeing what others with a different life experience and background are going to see.”
Language removed from the handbook include:
- A paragraph in the foreword describing the Air Force as “forged in the crucible of diversity, bound by a shared commitment to excellence.” The paragraph went on to say, “We recognize the strength of our team lies in our differences.” In a recent Pentagon townhall event, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that “I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is ‘our diversity is our strength.’”
- A quote from Gen. Charles Q Brown, Jr., former Chief of Staff and now Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, calling for “leaders of character that are ready to create and foster environments of respect, inclusivity, and trust.”
- A section of the “Professionalism” chapter, which directed Airmen to “maintain professionalism and respect for others regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation.”
- A section under “Basic Communication Tips” that said, “Sometimes we inadvertently exclude members of our audience by falling into communication traps involving references to race, religion, ethnicity, or sex.”
Miscellaneous
The new version of the handbook retains sections about trailblazers like the Tuskegee Airmen, Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.; Col. Eileen M. Collins, Staff Sgt. Esther McGowin Blake, and others. A page about Thomas N. Barnes, the fourth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, still details his work to stand up an Air Force Social Actions Program in 1969 and reduce barriers to service by women.
The revision removes nearly every instance of the words “gender” and “sexual orientation.” For example, where the previous version cited a ban on discrimination against military members based on “race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sex (to include gender identity), and sexual orientation,” while the revised version shortens the list to “race, color, religion, national origin, sex.”
The new version also removed text included under “Developing Ideas” about cognitive bias, which it defined as “common ways of thinking that can cause individuals to make irrational decisions in some circumstances.” Tha section made no mention of diversity or inclusion.
Also erased from the new version is a section that referenced COVID-19 and USAF’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which previously discussed the COVID vaccination mandate and social distancing. The Trump administration has moved to enable members discharged for refusing the vaccine to be reinstated if they wish to return to military service.