Army National Guard units in some southern states have yet to comply with an order to turn over battle streamers connected to the Civil War-era, a new report claimed. Though at least one claims it has already ditched the items.
Units in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and West Virginia have so far not complied with an order to turn over Confederate battle streamers to the Army’s Human Resources Command as the deadline to do so has passed, according to a report from Military.com.
The report comes after at least 48 National Guard units were directed in March to strip their guidons of Confederate streamers and turn them in to be preserved at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. That directive was the result of a decision by Congress to remove references to the Confederacy from military units and installations.
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Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joseph Lewis, commander of the 122nd Army Band, adds campaign streamers from World War II to the unit guidon during a ceremony June 23, 2021, at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio. (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
Streamers attached to the top of unit flags are typically awarded to units for participation in conflicts or wars, with the guidon displaying the unit flag and streamers often being carried at the front of military formations.
The Army has collected 438 of the 491 streamers, according to the report, including those from states like Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. But it is unclear why some units have yet to comply with the order ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline, the report said. It noted some units could already be displaying the streamers in their own museums, while other streamers were possibly lost or taken home by individual service members as collectibles.
Army Human Resources Command did not immediately respond to a Fox News request for comment.
U.S. Army Col. Michael Shields attaches a new battle streamer to the guidon during the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Teams redeployment ceremony at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. (Defense Department)
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Of the states that have yet to turn over their streamers, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi were full members of the Confederacy after seceding from the Union during the Civil War. Maryland and West Virginia, which separated from Virginia in 1863, were border states that remained in the union but did have some units join the Confederate cause.
Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Maryland National Guard said the state’s units had turned over the streamers as required.
The command team of the 122nd Army Band prepares to add campaign streamers from World War II to the unit guidon during a ceremony June 23, 2021, at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio. (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
“Contrary to recent reporting, the Maryland National Guard no longer possesses the battle streamers commemorating Confederate service formerly displayed on unit colors,” the spokesperson said. “These streamers were returned to the U.S. Army on March 21, 2023, well in advance of the mandated deadline. As a professional military organization, we would never intentionally disregard legitimate directives from duly constituted authorities.”
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The other five states did not immediately respond to a Fox News request for comment.
