In a service where women were not permitted to fly in combat until 1993, adapting to a growing female population has been slow and hard-fought, advocates say.

A video on the pioneering Black pilots, famed for their World War II exploits, was stripped from an Air Force basic training curriculum this week.

The removal of videos honoring Black and female WWII pilots sparked widespread outrage.The Air Force has since reversed its decision, dismissing the controversy as a "rumor."