Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered Fort Liberty to be renamed Fort Bragg, signaling the start of efforts to reverse the name changes made to Army bases that once honored Confederate leaders, the Washington Examiner reported.
Hegseth indicated that other bases, including Fort Moore in Georgia, formerly Fort Benning, could also see name reversals.
"We're not done there," he said during a news conference in Germany. "There's a reason I said 'Bragg' and 'Benning' when I walked into the Pentagon on day one.
"But it's not just Bragg and Benning. There are a lot of other service members that have connections, and we're going to do our best to restore it. It's an honor to do so."
The Army renamed nine installations in 2022 and 2023 following recommendations from an official naming commission. The changes, which aimed to remove Confederate ties, sparked controversy, particularly the renaming of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty and Fort Benning to Fort Moore.
Hegseth issued a memo Monday ordering Fort Liberty to return to the Fort Bragg name but clarified that this time, it honors Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a paratrooper who was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart during World War II.
Hegseth detailed Bragg's heroism, saying that during fierce fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, he "saved a fellow soldier's life by commandeering an enemy ambulance and driving 20 miles to transport a fellow wounded warrior to an allied hospital in Belgium."
The decision also recognizes Fort Bragg's long-standing role as the "Home of the Airborne," housing the 82nd Airborne Division. Hegseth said that the name change honors the soldiers who trained and deployed from the base.
In a video posted on X Monday, Hegseth said, "That's right: Bragg is back."
The base was initially named for Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, whose reputation as a poor leader and unpopular commander made him a controversial namesake.
Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, debates over military bases named for Confederate figures intensified, though then-President Donald Trump opposed the renaming efforts.
Despite the official changes, many service members continued to refer to the installation as Fort Bragg.
Hegseth said he met airborne troops who had spent decades at the base and "never called it Fort Liberty because it wasn't Fort Liberty. It's Fort Bragg."
Hegseth criticized the decision to rename the bases, arguing that it disregarded the legacy of those who served there.
"It's a shame what was done to vets, service members, their families, who were born there, deployed out of there, lived there," he said.
Trump had pledged during his most recent presidential campaign to restore Fort Bragg's name, and Hegseth signaled that the move was imminent on his first day at the Pentagon. As he now takes steps to implement that promise, he hinted that further changes may be on the way.
"Junior enlisted have never seen better days," Hegseth added.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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