WASHINGTON – The Army announced Tuesday its intention to restore the names of seven Army bases that previously honored Confederate leaders, reversing changes made during the Biden administration.
President Donald Trump stated at Fort Bragg, “We are also going to be restoring the names to Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Polk, Fort A.P. Hill, and Fort Robert E. Lee.” He added, “We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change.” Reverting these names to their original Confederate monikers will require congressional approval.
The Army plans to rename the bases after “heroic Soldiers who served in conflicts ranging from the Civil War to the Battle of Mogadishu.” This move follows actions by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who swiftly rolled back name changes at other Army bases, including Fort Bragg and Fort Benning. Hegseth also ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, which had honored a gay rights activist.
The removal of Confederate names from military bases became a contentious political issue during the final months of Trump’s first term. Although Trump vetoed the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which included a naming commission to recommend new titles for these bases, Congress overrode his veto with bipartisan support. The Department of Defense began implementing the commission’s recommendations in 2023.
The bases slated for name restoration and their new proposed honorees are:
- Fort Pickett (Virginia): To be named after 1st Lt. Vernon W. Pickett, a Distinguished Service Cross recipient from World War II.
- Fort Hood (Texas): To be named after Col. Robert B. Hood, a World War I Distinguished Service Cross recipient.
- Fort Gordon (Georgia): To be named after Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon, a Medal of Honor recipient for his heroism during the Battle of Mogadishu.
- Fort Lee (Virginia): To be named after Pvt. Fitz Lee, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Spanish-American War.
- Fort Polk (Louisiana): To be named after Gen. James H. Polk, a Silver Star recipient from World War II.
- Fort Rucker (Alabama): To be named after Capt. Edward W. Rucker, a World War I Distinguished Service Cross recipient and aviator.
- Fort A.P. Hill (Virginia): To be named after Lt. Col. Edward Hill, 1st Sgt. Robert A. Pinn, and Pvt. Bruce Anderson, all Union soldiers from the Civil War.
Many of these bases had recently been renamed in 2023 to honor diverse military figures, including the first Hispanic four-star general, a Black World War I hero, and the Army’s first female surgeon.
