By Ayah Elwannas
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper permanently banned displays of the Confederate Battle Flag on U.S. military bases. In a memo released Friday, he said the "flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols."
The decision comes amid a nationwide race and racism conversation spawned by the May police custody killing of a black man, George Floyd. The Pentagon debate started before then when Marine Corps commander Gen. David H. Berger declared in April that he was banning the Confederate battle flag public display on Marine bases.
The strategy was released after a tense time between Trump and Esper, following a request from the president to invoke the Rebellion Act to send active-duty military forces to quench unrest triggered by Floyd's death. Esper and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, opposed the idea, and Trump considered firing his defense secretary, officials in the administration said.
Shortly afterwards, the Marine Corps released its new policy banning the Confederate battle flag, and other senior military officials expressed interest in following suit. Military deliberations came to a halt last month after Trump lashed out on Twitter in response to Army Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy acknowledging that they were open to changing the names of 10 Army facilities carrying the monikers of Confederate officers.
An amendment to the new defense spending bill would require the Pentagon to change the base names and remove other Confederate references, symbols, and paraphernalia from the facilities within three years. Trump has threatened to veto the bill if it contains the amendment.
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