President Trump announced Tuesday that the Pentagon will restore the original names of seven military bases previously named after Confederate generals, following the earlier reversal of two other base name changes this year.
Speaking at Fort Bragg, N.C., during the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration, Trump listed the bases: Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rutger, Fort Polk, Fort AP Hill, and Fort Robert E. Lee. These bases had been renamed to Fort Barfoot (VA), Fort Cavazos (TX), Fort Eisenhower (GA), Fort Novosel (AL), Fort Johnson (LA), Fort Walker (VA), and Fort Gregg-Adams (VA), respectively.
“It’s no time to change,” Trump said, emphasizing his desire to keep the traditional names.
This move fulfills a campaign promise to revert military bases to their original names after a 2022 Congressional commission recommended new names for nine bases.
Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reversed two name changes by restoring Fort Liberty and Fort Moore to their original names, Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, but repurposed them to honor different individuals unrelated to the Confederacy. For instance, Fort Bragg now honors WWII paratrooper PFC Roland Bragg instead of Confederate General Braxton Bragg, and Fort Benning honors WWI hero Corporal Fred G. Benning instead of Confederate General Henry Benning.
Hegseth also removed the name honoring Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife Julie Moore at Fort Moore, recognizing their military service and support for families.
This reversal comes after years of political debate that began in 2020, when Congress banned the Defense Department from naming assets after Confederate figures.
Trump had vetoed that year’s defense bill partly over the base-renaming requirement, but Congress overrode his veto. The following year, a commission recommended new names for the nine bases, which were officially changed throughout 2023.
