Marine Corps Commandant Explains Ban on Confederate Battle Flag

General David Berger, Commandant of the US Marine Corps, testifies at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 3, 2019. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Invoking the mantra of “team above self,” the head of the U.S. Marines confirmed that he will ban public displays of the Confederate battle flag.

In a letter published on April 23, General David Berger, Commandant of the 186,000-strong Marine Corps, said that the ban was not a judgment on the flag or those who fly it, but a decision made to ensure unity so that the force can fight to win.