“The flags we fly must be in accordance with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treat all our people with dignity and respect, and reject the divisive symbols,” Esper wrote in the memo. The guide applies to public displays of flags by Department of Defense service members or civilians “in all Defense Department workplaces, common access areas, and public areas.”
Exceptions to the ban include museum displays, number plates, graves, and artwork “where the nature of the display or performance cannot reasonably be considered an endorsement of the flag by the Department of Defense.”
Trump has made no secret of his opposition to the blanket ban on the Confederate flag, criticizing NASCAR for doing so and saying he considers flying the flag as “freedom of expression.” Trump has also proclaimed his opposition to other military efforts to address racism and diversity, including removing the names of the Confederates from 10 army bases.
The decision not to name a specific banned flag was “to ensure that the department-wide policy was apolitical and withstood potential political challenges of freedom of expression,” a defense official familiar with the decision told reporters ahead of the policy’s launch. .
In recent weeks, Esper has faced mounting pressure from military service leaders to ban the Confederate flag, POLITICO reported for the first time, as protests swept across the nation in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
The Marine Corps this spring took the lead and banned the flag on all Corps properties, followed by the United States Forces of Korea. The Navy later announced that it was preparing its own ban. Esper supports the Marine Corps’ decision in particular to ban the flag, the official said. But the defense secretary had told services to stop these efforts until he can issue a policy for the entire department.
The new policy does not change those initiatives, nor does it limit services to enact their own stricter regulations. The services “are still free to act in other flags,” said the official.
The White House is aware of the policy change, the official said.
“What has always brought us together remains clear: our common mission, our oath to support and defend the Constitution and our American flag,” Esper wrote in the memo. “With this change in policy, we will further improve morale, cohesion, and force readiness in defense of our great nation.”
