Marine Corps Commandant Orders Removal of Confederate Symbols from Marine Bases

Commandant Berger’s order for the removal of all Confederate symbols from bases is one of his many proposed overhauls (HMQC).

Marine Corps Commandant General David Berger issued a directive the week of February 17 ordering top Marine leaders to remove Confederate-related paraphernalia from Marine bases worldwide.

General Berger has prioritized the removal of Confederate symbols for “immediate execution.” In addition to the removal of  Confederate-related paraphernalia, General Berger has also revised family leave policy to include same-sex couples, and he has focused on increasing available opportunities for women in the Marine Corps, according to his Twitter.  

He issued these orders after the recent House Armed Services Committee hearing titled “Alarming Incidents of White Supremacy in the Military — How to Stop It?” At the hearing, armed services officials and research institution leaders, including Dr. Heidi Beirich,

Co-Founder and C.S.O. of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, testified about how to address the rise of white nationalism among military personnel. 

Topics discussed in the hearing include the distinction between active participation and membership in an extremist group, rates of criminal investigations for military members who commit acts of white nationalism, and vetting processes for military recruitment. Currently, military personnel are permitted to be members of white nationalist groups as long as they do not cross the threshold for active participation, which is at the discretion of each commander, according to Robert Grabosky, deputy director of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. 

Beirich also criticized the “ridiculously low” rates of criminal investigations into extremism across all services over a five-year period. Additionally, vetting processes for military members do not check social media sites or tattoo databases, which would aid in the identification of white nationalists before they enter into the military.

The Military Times conducted a poll of its subscribers to determine the prevalence of white nationalism in the military. According to a poll of 1,630 active-duty Military Times subscribers conducted in 2019, 36 percent of respondents have seen evidence of white supremacist and racist ideologies in the military, a number higher by 14 percentage points than the results of the 2018 poll. This rise in respondents who have seen evidence of white supremacy and racism in the military reflects the House Armed Services Committee’s concern and General Berger’s prioritization of removing Confederate paraphernalia from marine bases.

While Marine Corps General David Berger ordered the removal of Confederate paraphernalia, there are currently no Marine installations affiliated with the Confederacy. In contrast, the Army and the Navy currently have a few installations and several ships with Confederate-affiliated names.