In March 2016 Ahrar ash-Sham ordered the group to take down the flag of Kurdistan from its headquarters and threatened military force.[20] However, the group's commander, Mahmoud Khallo, denied the incident ever occurred and claimed Ahrar ash-Sham to be its ally. At the time, the Descendants of Saladin Brigade was part of the United States-led Syrian Train and Equip Program, though the group said that the support it received from the United States fell short of what was actually needed.[2]