It happened fast, but also took forever. If you drive past the gates of what used to be Fort Bragg in North Carolina today, you aren’t seeing that name anymore. It’s Fort Liberty now. For some, this was a long-overdue housecleaning of American history. For others, it felt like someone was taking a metaphorical eraser to their own personal biographies.
Army base name changes aren't just about swapping out plywood signs at the main gate.
We are talking about a massive, multi-year logistical and cultural overhaul that touched the very core of military identity. In 2021, the Naming Commission was tasked with identifying Department of Defense assets that commemorated the Confederacy. They didn't just look at the big ones. They looked at everything—streets, buildings, even individual parade grounds. By the time the dust settled in late 2023, nine major U.S. Army installations had entirely new identities.
The Naming Commission and the Push for Change
Why now? Or rather, why then?
The momentum really hit a tipping point following the social unrest of 2020. Congress actually overrode a presidential veto to pass the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which mandated the creation of the Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America. It’s a mouthful. Most people just called it the Naming Commission.
The commission was led by retired Navy Admiral Michelle Howard. She’s a powerhouse—the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star admiral. Her team had a specific, localized mission: find names that inspired, rather than names that represented a rebellion against the United States.
Honest talk? Many of these bases were named in the early 20th century, often during the Jim Crow era. They weren't necessarily named to honor military brilliance. Sometimes, it was just about local politics or trying to get buy-in from Southern communities during the massive mobilizations of World War I and World War II.
Which Bases Actually Changed?
It’s a lot to keep track of if you’ve been out of the loop for a few years.
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- Fort Benning became Fort Moore. This was a big deal. It honors Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Compton Moore. If you’ve seen the movie We Were Soldiers, that’s him. It’s the first base named after a married couple, recognizing that the "Army family" actually does the work too.
- Fort Bragg is now Fort Liberty. This is the outlier. It’s the only one not named after a person. The community and the commission couldn't settle on a single figure that captured the "Airborne and Special Operations" spirit quite like the concept of Liberty itself.
- Fort Hood transitioned to Fort Cavazos. Named after Gen. Richard Cavazos, a Texas native and the Army's first Hispanic four-star general. A true "soldier's soldier" from the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
- Fort Gordon is now Fort Eisenhower. Finally, the guy who led the Allied Forces in Europe and became President gets a major Army installation.
Then you have Fort Polk becoming Fort Johnson (honoring Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Harlem Hellfighters), Fort Pickett becoming Fort Barfoot, Fort A.P. Hill becoming Fort Walker, and Fort Rucker becoming Fort Novosel. Fort Lee was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams, honoring Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Charity Adams Earley.
The Logistics of a Name Change
You can’t just flip a switch.
Think about the paperwork. Seriously. Every single map, every digital record, every piece of stationary, and every "Welcome to..." sign had to be replaced. The cost was estimated around $39 million, though some critics argue the secondary costs of updating legacy systems push that higher.
It's not just the Army's problem. The surrounding towns—places like Fayetteville, NC, or Columbus, GA—had to decide if they were going to rename local businesses. You’ve got "Bragg Blvd" and "Benning Road." Some changed. Some didn't. It created this weird, temporary geographical identity crisis where Google Maps said one thing and the street sign said another.
Why People Are Still Salty About It
Change is hard.
For a veteran who spent three tours at Fort Bragg, the name isn't about Braxton Bragg (who, frankly, wasn't even a particularly good general). It’s about the sweat, the blood, and the friends they lost while stationed there. When you change the name, some vets feel like you're disconnecting them from their own history.
On the flip side, you have soldiers of color who had to serve at bases named after men who fought to keep their ancestors enslaved. That’s a heavy psychological weight to carry while you’re wearing the U.S. flag on your shoulder.
The commission tried to bridge this gap by picking "uncontroversial" heroes. It's hard to argue against Hal Moore or Mary Walker (the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor). But in our current political climate, everything is a debate. Even a name on a gate.
The New Names: Who Are These People?
Let’s look at Fort Walker (formerly A.P. Hill). Dr. Mary Walker was a Civil War surgeon. She was captured by Confederates, spent time as a prisoner of war, and spent her whole life pushing for women's rights. She’s a legend.
Then there’s Fort Gregg-Adams. Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg is a fascinating figure because he was actually still alive when the base was renamed—a rare honor. He rose from an enlisted private in a segregated Army to a three-star general. Charity Adams Earley led the only all-Black, all-female battalion overseas during WWII. Their unit, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, cleared a massive backlog of mail for millions of soldiers.
These aren't just "diverse" names. They are high-achievers who represent the actual history of the modern, integrated Army.
What Happens Next?
The physical signs are mostly done. The "Confederate Memorial" at Arlington National Cemetery was even removed as part of this broader push.
But the "mental" rebrand takes longer. You’ll still hear old-timers call it "Hood" for the next twenty years. It’s like when a stadium changes names; everyone still calls it the old thing until a new generation grows up knowing nothing else.
If you are a veteran or a family member looking to update your records, don't worry. The VA and the DoD still recognize the old names for historical service records. Your DD-214 doesn't magically change its text, but for all future business, the new names are the law of the land.
Practical Steps for Navigating the Changes
- Update Your Resume: If you served at Fort Polk, you can list it as "Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk)" to ensure both human recruiters and automated systems recognize the location.
- Check Mailing Addresses: If you are sending packages to active-duty family, ensure you use the new installation name. Mail is still getting through, but using the official name prevents delays in automated sorting.
- Travel and Navigation: Always use the new name in GPS apps. While Google and Apple have updated their databases, some older in-car navigation systems might still require the old name or GPS coordinates.
- Historical Research: If you are digging into genealogy or military history, remember that any records created before 2023 will use the original names. You’ll need a "crosswalk" list (like the one provided above) to track a unit's lineage across the name change.
The Army is moving forward. It’s a different era, and the map finally reflects the values the modern military says it stands for. Whether you love the changes or hate them, the new names are here to stay.