Nine Military Bases to be Renamed

In October, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, approved the renaming of nine military bases. This was a result of recent public outcry that some US bases were still named after those who served in the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the 'Confederacy'). 

According to a federal commission, the project is estimated to cost $21 million to rename the nine bases. Furthermore, it would cost $62.5 million to implement all of the recommendations by the commission. This would include: removing or replacing the 1,100 references to those who joined the Confederacy across all military bases. 

This announcement has been come at the chagrin of those who believe the time and money could be spent on more dire problems, such as rampant sexual assault, unliveable barracks, or even maintaining “actual usable government websites to accomplish basic military requirements.”

Each base to be re-named: 

A designated 8-member Naming Commission will oversee these name changes. There is a 90-day waiting period for implementation of said commission’s recommendations, but Austin hopes to implement these new names by the start of 2024. The following bases will be renamed:

• Alabama Army base Fort Rucker will be renamed to Fort Novosel in honor of Vietnam and Korean war veteran Chief Warrant Officer 4, Michael J. Novosel Sr.

• Georgia Army base Fort Benning will be renamed to Fort Moore in honor of Vietnam veteran and author of “We Were Soldiers Once … And Young.” Lt. Gen Hal More and his wife. Julia Moore is credited with a large role in changing how the Army notified families of soldiers killed in combat.

• Georgia Army base Fort Gordon will be renamed to Fort Eisenhower to honor General and former president Dwight D. Eisenhower.

• Louisiana Army base Fort Polk will be renamed to Fort Johnson to honor WWI veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Henry Johnson of the famed Harlem Hellfighters.

• North Carolina Army base Fort Bragg will be renamed Fort Liberty as a reference to the virtue of liberty.

• Texas Army base Fort Hood will be renamed to Fort Cavasos to honor the Korean war veteran and first Hispanic 4-star general Gen. Richard E. Cavasos.

• Virginia Army training center, Fort A.P. Hill will be renamed to Fort Walker to honor Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a surgeon, civil war hero, abolitionist, and only woman to receive the Medal of Honor.  

• Virginia Army command post Fort Lee will be renamed to Fort Gregg-Adams to honor General Arthur J. Gregg and WWII veteran Charity Adams Early.  

• Virginia Army National Guard training center Fort Pickett will be renamed to Fort Barfoot in honor of WWII vet and Medal of Honor Recipient Tech. Sergeant Van T. Barfoot.

Louisiana’s Camp Beauregard was not on this list, as the Louisiana National Guard owns the base, thus it was outside of federal jurisdiction. 

Of the changes, Austin said, “The department’s implementation of the commission’s recommendations … will give proud new names that are rooted in their local communities and that honor American heroes whose valor, courage and patriotism exemplify the very best of the United States military.”

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