To achieve the goals to attract, train and retain world class warfighters, we must constantly seek to reinforce the notion that our armed forces are maximally inclusive. By continuing to pay homage to Confederate leadership at the very locations that our Soldiers live and train, we are telling any radicals in these ranks that their un-American beliefs are not only acceptable, but officially sanctioned.

We hereby propose the immediate renaming of the following installations:

• Camp Beauregard, LA
• Fort A.P. Hill, VA
• Fort Benning, GA
• Fort Bragg, NC
• Fort Gordon, GA
• Fort Hood, TX
• Fort Lee, VA
• Fort Pickett, VA
• Fort Polk, LA
• Fort Rucker, AL 

In recognition of the traumatizing effects of celebrating insurrection, we further demand that new installation names be selected to honor local, regional, and national Black historical figures.

 

“The Confederate battle flag has all too often been co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups whose divisive beliefs have no place in our Corps.” - United States Marine Corps Twitter 6/5/2020

“The Marine Corps shall remove the Confederate battle flag from all installation public spaces and work areas in order to support our core values, ensure unit cohesion and security, and preserve good order and discipline.” - MARADMIN 331/20 6/5/2020

 

“Memorializations will honor deceased heroes and other deceased distinguished individuals of all races in our society, and will present them as inspirations to their fellow Soldiers, employees, and other citizens.” - Army Regulation 1-33, Section 2, Paragraph 1(b)

We ask white nationalists to disavow their extremist beliefs upon enlistment, then immortalize their terrorist idols on our gates.

 

Army Field Manual 3-24 covers Insurgency and Counterinsurgency.

“The three prerequisites of an insurgency, opportunity, motive, and means, provide a framework for both planners and executers to plan for and prevent an insurgency.” - Army FM 3-24, Section 4, Paragraph 10

The Civil War and the ongoing history of domestic racial violence document each of the prerequisites of declaring white supremacy an insurgency.

“When grievances mobilize a population, they are a root cause of an insurgency.” - Army FM 3-24, Section 4, Paragraph 14

We observed this mobilization of white nationalists in Charlottesville in 2017 and our nation’s capitol in 2020. As extremists grow more emboldened, the Army must reconsider any support they offer these groups.

“Kinship ties are often a fundamental aspect of many terrorist, criminal, and gang organizations. Insurgents often form a networked organization embedded in a sympathetic population. Differentiating between insurgents, insurgent supporters, neutrals, and the host-nation government supporters is difficult.” - Army FM 3-24, Section 4, Paragraph 91

Heritage is a textbook excuse of insurgents. Immortalizing hateful views only further obfuscates this differentiation. The Army literally wrote the book on it.

“Understanding the problem and having key leaders engage the population may be more important than having a large number of troops.” - Army FM 3-24, Section 6, Paragraph 9

 

“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who [...] shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” - United States Constitution Amendment XIV, Section 3

 

“I, (state your name), do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;” - United States Army Oath of Enlistment

 

Signed,

Emanuel Delgado (US Army Veteran)
Ryan McGuffee (US Army Veteran)