Fort Bragg Renamed, More Military Base Name Changes Coming, Hegseth Says

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that changing the name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg is just the beginning of a larger plan to undo name changes to military bases in the past few years. At a news conference in Stuttgart, Germany, Hegseth said that Fort Moore, which used to be Fort Benning, is next in line for a second look, along with other sites that underwent similar changes.

On Monday, Hegseth told the Army to return the name "Fort Bragg." Instead of honoring the base's Confederate past, it now names itself after Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg. Pfc. Bragg was a paratrooper in World War II. He won the Silver Star and the Purple Heart for his bravery during the Battle of the Bulge, when he took an enemy ambulance and drove 20 miles to an Allied hospital to help a hurt soldier.

Bringing back the name "Fort Bragg" is a tribute to the paratroopers who trained and served from the base, home to the 82nd Airborne Division. Hegseth made it clear that the choice is in line with the installation's long military history. He said in a social media film, "That's right: Bragg is back."

Nine Army bases, including Fort Bragg, were named after Confederate generals when they were first built. In 2022 and 2023, the names were changed based on suggestions from an official naming committee. This process sped up after George Floyd died in 2020. Hegseth has promised to look at those changes again, though.

"We're not done yet," he responded. "Many service members have deep ties to these bases, and we're going to do our best to restore them." Fort Moore is expected to be the next base to change its name, meaning more changes could occur.

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