Marine commandant orders removal of Confederate paraphernalia at bases

The Marine Corps is calling for all paraphernalia related to the Confederacy to be removed from its bases around the world. 

Commandant Gen. David Berger made the directive in a memo to senior staff that included a list of initiatives that he is “prioritizing for immediate execution,” according to a copy obtained by Military.com. It is unclear if there is a deadline for removing paraphernalia containing Confederate symbols.

“Last week, the Commandant of the Marine Corps directed specific tasks be reviewed or addressed by Headquarters Marine Corps staff,” Capt. Christopher Harrison, a spokesman, told The Hill. “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 added. 

The move comes as the presence of Confederate memorials and statues continues to spark fierce debate in the U.S. The military has also been at the center of that discussion — 10 Army bases are named after military leaders of Confederate states.

In addition, Military.com noted that the directive came just a week after a congressional hearing focused on a rise in extremism in the military. 

More than a third of all active-duty troops say they have personally witnessed an example of white nationalism or ideologically driven racism from another person within their ranks in recent months, according to survey conducted by The Military Times.

Berger’s memo also called for finding additional ways to move more women into combat roles and instructed officials to review the potential of yearlong maternity leave for female Marines. It also called for parental leave policies to be extended to same-sex partners.