Military base name changes are a mess. Honestly, if you’ve been following the news over the last couple of years, you know it's been a whirlwind of signage swaps, political bickering, and a whole lot of money spent on things that seem to change back every six months. It started as a historic reckoning. Then it turned into a bureaucratic headache. Now, it's basically a tug-of-war over American identity.
Think about Fort Bragg. For over a century, that name was synonymous with the epicenter of the airborne world. Then, suddenly, it was Fort Liberty. Now? It’s Fort Bragg again, but—and this is the part that trips everyone up—it’s named after a different Bragg.
It’s confusing. It’s expensive. And it's deeply personal to the people who live and work behind those gates.
The 2023 Wave: Out with the Confederacy
The whole thing kicked off in earnest with the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Congress basically said, "We aren't naming our biggest military hubs after guys who fought against the United States anymore." It was a massive undertaking. The Naming Commission, an eight-member board, was tasked with scrubing Confederate names from everything—ships, buildings, and most famously, the nine major Army posts in the South.
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By mid-2023, the changes were official. Here’s a quick look at what that initial wave looked like:
- Fort Hood became Fort Cavazos, honoring Gen. Richard Cavazos, the Army’s first Hispanic four-star general.
- Fort Benning was rededicated as Fort Moore, a rare double-honor for Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Moore.
- Fort Bragg took the name Fort Liberty, the only base in the group not named after a specific person.
- Fort Gordon shifted to Fort Eisenhower, after the former president and five-star general.
- Fort Lee became Fort Gregg-Adams, honoring two Black pioneers in Army logistics.
- Fort Polk was renamed Fort Johnson for WWI hero Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
- Fort Rucker became Fort Novosel, after Medal of Honor recipient Michael Novosel.
- Fort A.P. Hill turned into Fort Walker, for Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor.
- Fort Pickett became Fort Barfoot, for WWII hero Van T. Barfoot.
It wasn't just about the main gate signs. We’re talking about every piece of stationary, every street sign, and every digital system in the Department of Defense. The Army estimated the cost at roughly $39 million just for those nine posts. Some estimates, like those from the Congressional Budget Office, suggested the total price tag for a full, department-wide rollout could hit $62 million or more.
Why People Got So Worked Up
For some, the changes were long overdue. They saw it as a way to finally honor heroes who actually fought for the flag, not against it. Imagine being a Black soldier stationed at Fort Lee—named after the man who led the Confederate Army. It’s kinda hard to ignore that irony.
But for others, the names weren't about the Civil War at all. They were about "home."
If you spent twenty years at Fort Bragg, you don't think about Braxton Bragg the Confederate general. You think about the 82nd Airborne. You think about the jump towers. You think about the dive bar down the street where you had your retirement party. When the name changed, it felt to some veterans like their history was being deleted.
Retired "COL Z," a veteran who spoke with the Civil War Monitor, put it bluntly: "All of these units... have had their footing swept out from underneath them."
The 2025 Reversal: The "Same Name, New Guy" Strategy
Fast forward to early 2025. The political winds shifted, and the new administration made it a priority to "restore" the original names. But there was a legal snag: Federal law now explicitly bars the military from honoring Confederates.
So, the Pentagon got creative.
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Instead of going back to the Confederate namesakes, they found other American heroes who just happened to have the same last names. It’s a move critics call "slick" and supporters call a brilliant compromise.
In February 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered Fort Liberty to revert to Fort Bragg. This time, however, it honors Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a WWII paratrooper who won the Silver Star.
In March 2025, Fort Moore went back to being Fort Benning. The new namesake? Cpl. Fred G. Benning, a WWI hero who took command of his platoon under heavy fire in France.
By June 2025, the rest followed suit:
- Fort Eisenhower is now Fort Gordon again, named for Master Sgt. Gary Gordon, the Medal of Honor recipient killed in the "Black Hawk Down" incident in Somalia.
- Fort Cavazos returned to Fort Hood, honoring Col. Robert B. Hood, a WWI hero.
- Fort Gregg-Adams is back to Fort Lee, now named for Pvt. Fitz Lee, a Buffalo Soldier and Medal of Honor recipient from the Spanish-American War.
- Fort Johnson reverted to Fort Polk, for Gen. James H. Polk, a WWII leader and former commander of U.S. Army Europe.
- Fort Novosel is back to Fort Rucker, for WWI aviator Capt. Edward W. Rucker.
- Fort Barfoot is back to Fort Pickett, for 1st Lt. Vernon W. Pickett, a WWII hero.
- Fort Walker became Fort A.P. Hill—but with a twist. It’s now technically Fort Anderson-Pinn-Hill, named after three Union soldiers (Private Bruce Anderson, First Sergeant Robert Pinn, and Lieutenant Colonel Edward Hill).
What’s the Real Cost?
This is where it gets frustrating for the taxpayers. Every time a base changes names, the bill goes up. You have to replace the massive stone monuments at the gates. You have to update GPS maps. You have to change the logos on every single base-run social media account.
And the confusion! If you're a contractor trying to ship supplies to "Fort Liberty" and the invoice now says "Fort Bragg," things get lost. Soldiers have to update their resumes. Local businesses that spent money on "Fort Moore" branded gear are now sitting on inventory they can’t sell.
It’s a cycle of "re-branding" that feels more like corporate musical chairs than military tradition.
What This Means for You
If you're a veteran, an active-duty service member, or just someone living in a military town, these changes aren't just trivia. They affect how you identify with your service and how you navigate your daily life.
Actionable Insights for Navigating the Changes:
- Update Your Documents: If you’re a veteran applying for jobs, it’s often smart to list both names on your resume for a few years (e.g., "Fort Bragg [formerly Fort Liberty]"). This ensures ATS systems and human recruiters don't get confused by the timeline.
- Check Your Records: Ensure your official military records (DD-214, etc.) reflect the name of the installation at the time you served. Usually, the Army keeps these historical, but verify during any administrative updates.
- Local Impact: If you live near one of these bases, expect road sign construction to continue through 2026. State departments of transportation are still catching up with the latest directives.
- Follow the Namesakes: Take five minutes to read up on the new namesakes like Gary Gordon or Fitz Lee. Regardless of the politics behind the name "restoration," these individuals have incredible stories that actually represent the values of the modern U.S. military.
The "Great Renaming" might feel like a settled issue now that the old names are back on the gates, but the debate over who we honor—and why—isn't going anywhere. For now, the best we can do is remember the people behind the names, because at the end of the day, a base is just a collection of buildings without the legacy of the soldiers who trained there.