In a recent announcement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the reinstatement of the historic special operations base name in North Carolina back to Fort Bragg, asserting that additional name changes are on the horizon. He made these remarks while addressing reporters in Germany, suggesting a significant shift away from the Biden administration’s previous initiative aimed at removing names associated with Confederate leaders, a project that involved nine Army bases. Hegseth’s comments indicate that the potential revamping of base names may encounter legal complexities and financial implications.
Hegseth stated, “As the president has said, and I’ve said as well, we’re not done there,” when discussing the decision to revert from Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg while also expressing intent to explicitly honor a different service member. He mentioned, “I never called it Fort Liberty because it wasn’t Fort Liberty. It’s Fort Bragg.” The Defense Secretary emphasized that the original designation honors the legacy of the troops who served there and denounced the prior changes as detrimental. Additionally, he recalled the intent behind recognizing Fort Bragg and Fort Benning—currently named Fort Moore—on his first day at the Pentagon.
The North Carolina base had been renamed Fort Liberty in 2023. The previous namesake, General Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general linked to slave ownership and significant military losses during the Civil War, was a contentious figure. With the current renaming, Hegseth seeks to honor Private First Class Roland L. Bragg, a World War II soldier recognized for his bravery with honors such as the Silver Star and the Purple Heart during the Battle of the Bulge.
This shift allows the Department of Defense to navigate around legislation restricting base names associated with Confederate figures. It opens the possibility for similar reevaluations of the other eight Army bases that underwent renaming, as they may start identifying service members with aligned last names to facilitate such changes. However, this approach carries risks, as it may unintentionally undermine the legacies of the decorated heroes now associated with those bases. For instance, the former Fort Gordon in Georgia is currently named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a prominent figure of World War II, while Fort Moore honors Lt. Gen. Harold Gregory Moore Jr., renowned for his valor in the Vietnam War.
Army officials have not yet provided any estimates related to the financial implications of reverting the name back to Fort Bragg. On the same day, the Army shared an initial service verification for Pfc. Roland Bragg, with a background as a toxic gas handler from 1943 to 1945. His service included deployment in England and his ultimate discharge at the rank of private first class. Awards attributed to him encompass the World War II Victory Medal, Silver Star, Purple Heart, and various campaign medals, according to Army spokesperson Maj. Travis Shaw.
In a video announcing the name change, Hegseth cheerfully proclaimed, “That’s right. Bragg is back!” It should be noted, though, that throughout the name change process, the location had continued to be informally referred to as Fort Bragg by many. The renaming will raise additional expenses at a time when the administration is under pressure to identify financial savings, particularly through initiatives such as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The 2022 base renaming commission had estimated that reverting the name to Fort Bragg—including modifications to signs, vehicles, and various other updates—would incur costs of at least $6.3 million, with predictions for the total expenses rising to approximately $8 million in 2023.
