Fort Bragg and eight other Army bases may soon have new names following recommendations from an independent commission submitted on Tuesday.
The military has long considered changing the names of military bases named after Confederate officers. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the first black defense secretary, has helped oversee the renaming effort under the Biden administration.
“Today’s announcement highlights the commission’s efforts to propose nine new installation names that reflect the courage, values, sacrifices, and diversity of our military men and women,” he said in a statement following the announcement.
The recommendations could result in the first military bases being named after black soldiers and women, while Fort Bragg could be renamed Fort Liberty.
“Two others would be named after Black soldiers, and three would include women’s names. Fort Gordon in Georgia would get the most well-known name — commemorating President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led allied forces in Europe in World War II,” the Associated Post reported on Tuesday.
“Other proposed renamings would honor lesser-known heroes, including several who received the Medal of Honor, the military’s highest award. Fort Polk, in Louisiana, would be renamed Fort Johnson, after Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black Medal of Honor recipient who served in the Army in World War I,” the report added.
A report is due to Congress by October 1 regarding the proposed costs of changing the names of the Army bases. The new names would go into effect before the end of 2023.
Maryland Democratic Rep. Anthony G. Brown, an Army veteran, shared his positive response to the announcement.
“I learned to fly helicopters at Fort Rucker. I deployed to Iraq from Fort Bragg, and I earned my jump wings at Fort Benning. All these bases honored men who wouldn’t want me or other Black Americans serving in uniform, let alone in Congress,” he said.
“This is about more than names and symbolism; who our military chooses to honor sets a path forward for other necessary reforms to make our armed services more inclusive, diverse and just,” he added.
In addition to the recommended renaming of Army bases, the commission involved has been assigned to identify other military assets with Confederate ties to consider renaming. The full list includes more than 750 names across military locations.
“The Commission established criteria focused on ensuring the names considered for military installations appropriately reflected the courage, values, sacrifices and demographics of the men and women in our armed forces, with consideration given to the local or regional significance of names and their potential to inspire and motivate service members. Full details will be included in the Commission’s final report,” according to the Naming Commission.
The group’s task only includes Department of Defense assets and does not include new names for National Guard installations.