The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African-American pilots who served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. They were the first African-American military aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces and were known as the 'Tuskegee Heroes of WWII'. The term 'Tuskegee Airmen' refers to all personnel who were involved in the program, including the pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors, and all the personnel who kept the planes in the air.