GLENDALE, Ariz. — Officials at Luke Air Force Base are investigating text messages published online where an airman allegedly told another they weren't eligible for a squadron position because they didn't have a "white complexion."
In response to the text exchange that was recently posted publicly online, Luke Air Force Base has opened an investigation into allegations of discrimination and mistreatment against one of its service members.
"Without going into specifics of the investigation, we can categorically say
that Luke Airmen are held to a high standard of conduct and that we maintain
a zero-tolerance policy regarding acts of discrimination," a Luke AFB spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday.
The allegations involve text messages that appear to suggest an airman was denied a squadron position because of their race.
"I think the air force is looking for somebody of white complexion and with the image that the air force needs," one of the messages allegedly stated.
The airman texted in response that this wasn't the first time they've been rejected for a job due to their looks.
Identities of the involved airmen have not been disclosed.
A 2020 report published by the Air Force Inspector General uncovered racial disparities in how service members are disciplined by their superiors. Black service members were 57% more likely than white service members to face courts-martial, according to the report.
The study further found that young black enlisted members were almost twice as likely as white members to be involuntarily discharged for misconduct.
Up to a third of surveyed black service members felt the military's disciplinary system was biased against them, the report states.
The messages posted on Facebook additionally reference a "shaving waiver" as another reason why the airman was being denied the squadron position.
The Air Force prohibits men from growing beards but waivers can be given to service members with medical conditions like pseudofolliculitis barbae.
A 2021 study published in Military Medicine found service members with shaving waivers tended to wait longer to obtain a promotion in the Air Force. The study further noted that members with shaving waivers are disproportionately overrepresented by Black members.
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