Following the national debate on the Confederate flag, the Pentagon said Wednesday it did not expect military bases named after Confederate leaders to see those names replaced.
The Pentagon emphasized Wednesday that it is up to the individual military services to name their bases and said that is not likely to change.
“As of now, there is no discussion of adjusting the naming policy,” said Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren.
Warren made the comments in response to questions from reporters about the Army having in the past named several bases in the South after Confederate generals.
Army Brig. Gen. Malcolm B. Frost, chief of public affairs, said the naming of these bases “occurred in the spirit of reconciliation, not division.”
He also said that “Every Army installation is named for a soldier who holds a place in our military history. Accordingly, these historic names represent individuals, not causes or ideologies.”
There are 10 U.S. military bases that are named after Confederate figures:
- Fort Lee
- Fort Hood
- Fort Benning
- Fort Gordon
- Fort Bragg
- Fort Polk
- Fort Pickett
- Fort A.P. Hill
- Fort Rucker
- Camp Beuregard
The debate about Confederate symbols comes after a shooting in a Charleston, South Carolina, church that left nine African-Americans dead.
The alleged gunman appeared in photos holding a Confederate flag before the massacre last Thursday.
Since the debate began, Walmart, Amazon, eBay and Sears announced bans on the sale of Confederate flag merchandise.
Additionally, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley ordered that four Confederate flags be taken down from a Confederate memorial at the state capitol.