On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo to rename Fort Liberty in North Carolina back to Fort Bragg.
“That’s right. Bragg is back,” Hegseth said in a video posted on X while traveling to Germany on a military transport plane.
However, the new name does not honor the Confederate general it was originally named after. Instead, it now pays tribute to Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II hero who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his bravery in the Battle of the Bulge.
According to Department of Defense press secretary John Ullyot, this renaming reflects the military’s commitment to honoring those who have served with exceptional courage.
The History Behind the Name Change
Fort Bragg was initially named after Gen. Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general from North Carolina, in 1918. He was known for his involvement in the Civil War and for owning slaves. Many military bases were named after Confederate figures during World War I and World War II as part of an effort to reconcile with the southern states.
However, in June 2023, the Biden administration renamed the base to Fort Liberty. This change was part of a larger Pentagon initiative to remove names linked to the Confederacy. The decision was influenced by the 2020 George Floyd protests, leading to the renaming of several military bases. Fort Liberty was unique because it was the only base given a name that did not honor an individual.
Renaming Fort Liberty cost about $8 million. The base is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, home to the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and headquarters for the Army’s Special Operations Command.
Trump’s Campaign Promise Fulfilled
During his 2024 campaign, former President Donald Trump promised to restore the name Fort Bragg. At a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he emphasized the base’s historical significance, saying, “We did win two world wars from Fort Bragg, right? We’re gonna get it back.”
Following through on that promise, Hegseth’s memo directs the Army to create a timeline for implementing the change and to determine any resources needed for the process.
The renaming acknowledges a war hero while reinstating the name that many military personnel and veterans were familiar with, bringing a sense of tradition back to the base.
