Among the initiatives of the new administration in the United States is the fight against diversity programs implemented by federal agencies in previous years. As part of this effort, the Pentagon has begun a large-scale removal of content related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This could be seen as fulfilling the candidate’s campaign promises—after all, previous administrations also introduced changes in line with their political beliefs. However, this case has far exceeded its stated goals, defied common sense, and crossed a line that should not be crossed. In a strikingly Orwellian manner, even the memory of those to whom the country owes its defense has come under attack. A painful topic for many Ukrainians?

According to the Associated Pressapproximately 26,000 images have been marked for removal, but this number could increase to 100,000 by including content on social platforms and other resources. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military departments to destroy all relevant content by Wednesday.

Among the removed photos were images of the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima; photographs of the first women to complete infantry training in the Marine Corps; and a picture of Harold Gonzalves, a World War II soldier awarded the Medal of Honor. Additionally, photos of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first unit of African American military pilots in the U.S. who served in World War II, were also deleted.

It seems that no one analyzed the list, and it was compiled solely on the basis of keywords.

It also includes photos of a water regulation project in California taken by the Army Corps of Engineers. Apparently, they owe this to the name of one of the engineers in the frame, "Gay." Similarly, photos of biologists in a military project that studied fish were marked for elimination: according to the description, the biologists described the gender of the fish in the context of scientific observations (a terrible leftist activity!).

Since many materials about historically significant events were removed, the public protested, leading to the restoration of some content. However, a significant portion has already disappeared from public access.

Critics see this as a dangerous trend toward censorship and the erasure of historical memory. They warn that removing such materials could lead to the forgetting of important achievements, particularly in U.S. military history, where women and minorities have made significant contributions. Experts argue that this policy poses risks for future generations, who may be left without access to crucial historical facts.

The process of content removal itself also raises questions. Military departments have faced a shortage of personnel capable of quickly implementing the order. For example, the Marine Corps has only one civilian employee in charge of this process, which makes it difficult to implement the order. In addition, the administrative rights to a number of outdated social media pages have been lost, and updating them will require additional resources and time. Many military bases and units that have to remove content do not fully understand the selection criteria, which leads to a chaotic process of clearing information.

Despite the Pentagon's official statements that the deletion concerns only DEI programs, the reality shows that numerous archival materials have also been affected by this process. This leads many to question the motives and criteria for the deletion, and also sparks discussions about the possible political motives behind the decision, as the stated goal is clearly not what was expected.

The organization of the process and its results reveal to the general public the scope and specifics of the reforms currently being implemented by the new administration in the United States.