Top Marine General Orders Removal of All Confederate Items from Bases
The commander of the U.S. Marine Corps has issued an order banning Confederate-related items from all Marine installations.
The order from Commandant Gen. David Berger was marked for “immediate execution,” Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Joseph Butterfield said, according to CNN.
Task & Purpose reported that the order would require installations to do away with symbols of the Confederacy.
“Last week, the Commandant of the Marine Corps directed specific tasks be reviewed or addressed by Headquarters Marine Corps staff,” Maj. Eric Flanagan said. “Many of the tasks were published on Twitter Friday. Other tasks not published previously are mostly administrative matters.”
“Any official policy decisions, changes or implementation plans will be published via appropriate orders and messages,” he continued.
Flanagan said that while there was not a large number of Confederate items on Marine Corps installations, it’s “worth commanders taking an additional look.”
Marine Lt. Gen. Charles Chiarotti has been tasked with developing a plan to implement the order. No date was immediately announced, but the ban was expected to take effect in coming weeks, according to ABC.
In its reporting, Stars and Stripes said it was unclear whether the order would apply to items Marines post in the barracks.
The ban brought out diverse opinions on Twitter.
That Top Marine Official needs DEMOTED and or REMOVED FROM MARINES!!! The Confederate Flag has always been a History Flag since Civil War was over in 1860s!!!
— Scott Scrogham ✏? (@Artist_Scrogham) February 27, 2020
How very special & patriotic!! So the flag of Confederate traitors has finally been banned by the Marines. Should have been banned before the USA entered WWII. Think of how many people the Confederates didn’t consider to be human beings, have served, fought, & died in the USMC. https://t.co/HLeB9zTjta
— #primalscreamgrammy (@mary_swilling) February 27, 2020
As Military Endorses Feminism and LGBT Agenda, The Marines Ban All Confederate Symbols https://t.co/W13oWKFtOg
— Big League Politics (@bigleaguepol) February 27, 2020
I want to thank you for directing the removal of all confederate symbols and paraphernalia from all Marines and Marine installations worldwide today. https://t.co/v7QJPdZPKh
— Chief Resistance Officer (@crushthebigots) February 27, 2020
Berger also tweeted about a series of changes that included opening up parental leave to same-sex couples and creating more opportunities for female Marines.
Review and update any service policies for enlistment and officer candidacy to disqualify any applicant with a previous conviction for sex or gender-based violence, to include domestic violence. (2/8)
— David H. Berger (@CMC_MarineCorps) February 21, 2020
Revise the current parental leave policy to include parental leave for adoptive parents, to include same-sex couples. (4/8)
— David H. Berger (@CMC_MarineCorps) February 21, 2020
The Army said it had no plans to eliminate traces of the Confederacy.
“We have no plans to rename any street or installation, including those named for Confederate generals,” an Army spokesperson said, according to Army Times.
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