FORT MEADE, Md. — A former Army specialist who supervised Pfc. Bradley Manning in Iraq testified in his trial on Friday that Private Manning had told her the American flag “meant nothing to him.”

The former specialist, Jihrleah Showman, said Private Manning, who is accused of providing hundreds of thousands of confidential documents to WikiLeaks, told her in a counseling meeting in August 2009 that he had joined the Army for training and “educational opportunities.”

Ms. Showman also testified that Private Manning said he did not have allegiance to the United States or its people. “I was distraught by the statements he made,” she said.

The lead defense lawyer, David E. Coombs, made several attempts to undermine Ms. Showman’s testimony, asking her why she had not documented the comments.