On Tuesday, President Trump revealed that the Pentagon will revert the names of seven military facilities that had been named after Confederate generals, following the earlier restoration of two others this year.
“To clear up any confusion, we will also rename Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Raton, Fort Polk, Fort Polk again, Fort AP Hill, and Fort Robert E. Lee,” Trump announced to the crowd in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The military bases have already been renamed to Fort Barfoot in Virginia, Fort Cazabos in Texas, Fort Eisenhower in Georgia, Fort Novocell in Alabama, Fort Johnson in Louisiana, Fort Walker in Virginia, and Fort Greg Adams in Virginia.
“There’s really no time for a change,” Trump mentioned to the audience. “I’m a bit superstitious, you know? I prefer to keep things as they are,” he added.
This announcement fulfills one of Trump’s campaign promises to restore the bases’ original names after a committee mandated by Congress recommended new names for nine military installations in 2022.
Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the names of two bases, Fort Liberty and Fort Moore, to revert back to their former names: Fort Bragg and Fort Benning.
Hegseth emphasized the intention behind the original names, stating they honored different individuals rather than the Confederate generals they were initially named after.
In the case of Fort Bragg, the name will now pay homage to a decorated World War II Army air trooper, Roland Bragg, rather than Confederate General Braxton Bragg, who faced several defeats during the Civil War and later ran a sugar plantation using enslaved people. This change was enacted in February.
Similarly, Fort Benning will now honor CPL. Fred G. Benning, who received a notable service cross for his bravery during World War I while serving in France, rather than the Confederate General Henry Benning, who was against free slavery.
This adjustment was made in March and aims to recognize Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, who have made significant contributions to military families. They are still involved with the well-known Survivor Support Network today.
The decision to rename military facilities that celebrated Confederate figures followed years of political debate. In late 2020, a Defense Recognition Bill was enacted, preventing the Department of Defense from using names associated with Confederate symbols.
During his first term, Trump opposed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), but Congress eventually overrode his veto. Following the 2021 NDAA, a committee was instructed to propose new names for nine military bases, which were formally adopted and celebrated in a ceremony throughout 2023.
