Mr. Esper’s memorandum on Friday did not address the issue of bases named in honor of the Confederate generals; A senior military official said this week that the Pentagon would wait until after the November elections before raising the issue. But the memo goes after the many American soldiers, Marines, and airmen who display Confederate flags and other symbols in their barracks and parking lots at military facilities.
“Flags are powerful symbols, particularly in the military community for whom flags embody a common mission, common stories, and the special and timeless bond of warriors,” Esper said in his memo, before quoting former judge John Paul Stevens that United States flag “is a symbol of freedom, equal opportunity, religious tolerance and goodwill for other peoples who share our aspirations.”
Mr. Esper added in his memorandum that “the flags we fly must meet the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treat all our people with dignity and respect, and reject divisive symbols.”
A Defense Department official said the new directive meant that Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ flags would also not be allowed. The ban applies to public and shared spaces; Troops and military officers may display Confederate flags in areas considered private and personal, such as lockers and individual rooms.
“It is absolutely outrageous that Defense Secretary Mark Esper banned the Pride flag, the symbol of inclusion and diversity,” said Jennifer Dane, acting executive director of the defense group Modern Military Association of America. “In which universe is it okay to turn an opportunity to ban a racist symbol like the Confederate flag into an opportunity to ban the symbol of diversity? This decision sends an alarming message to LGBTQ service members, their families and future recruits. “
Next week, senators will continue their own bipartisan effort to strip Confederate symbols of military bases, advancing an amendment to the annual defense bill spearheaded by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, that would require the Pentagon to remove the names. , monuments or confederate symbols of military assets in three years. The House is expected to move forward with a similar measure as lawmakers consider its version of the military policy legislation.
Top Republican leaders in Congress have indicated they would broadly support such measures. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican and Majority Leader, said this week in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that he would not block the effort to rename the bases despite Trump’s promise to veto the defense bill more comprehensive if Warren’s amendment was included. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican and minority leader of the House of Representatives, told reporters last month that he “was not opposed” to renaming the bases.
