Pentagon has banned the Confederate flag from being displayed at all United States military installations by excluding it from the list of allowed banners.
While the controversial flag hasn’t been banned directly, Pentagon produced a list of permitted flags on which the Confederate flag has no place, therefore banning its display from military installations.
The memo that lists the permitted flags, and therefore rules out the display of flags that are not on the list, was signed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
“We must always remain focused on what unifies us, our sworn oath to the Constitution and our shared duty to defend the nation,” the Defense Secretary’s memo read according to the reports.
“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.”
As per the new list, the permitted flags include the state and territory flags, flags of partner organizations and ally countries, military service flags, the POW/MIA flag, and various ceremonial or branch flags.
On the list of permitted flags are also presidentially-appointed civilian flags, Senior Executive Service flags, and general officer flags.
According to the new guidance, banners that are not on the list of permitted flags will no longer be allowed to be displayed by civilian employees and military service members in all public places, common access areas, and Department of Defense workspaces.
However, the flags that are not on the new list can still be displayed in “museum exhibits, state-issued license plates, grave sites, memorial markers, monuments, educational displays, historical displays, or works of art, where the nature of the display or depiction cannot reasonably be viewed as endorsement of the flag by the Department of Defense.
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While the Confederate flag has been ditched from all military installations, the order didn’t address the future of the names of U.S. forts and bases named after Confederate generals.
Replaced!