President Donald Trump has announced that seven Army bases will return to names previously associated with Confederate officers. This decision follows earlier actions to restore the names of Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Benning in Georgia. While the surnames will remain the same, the individuals now being honored have no ties to the Confederacy.
Speaking at Fort Bragg, Trump told service members that he saw no need to change names that had long been linked to military operations. “We’ve had victories out of these forts. I don’t think they should be changed,” he said. Trump also added a personal note, calling himself “superstitious” about tampering with names tied to military tradition.
Rather than reverting to the original Confederate figures, the administration has selected new service members with matching surnames, each with their own legacy of military service:
- A base in Georgia will now carry the name of a soldier recognized for bravery during a mission in Somalia in the 1990s.
- One in Virginia will reflect the stories of three men who served during the Civil War and received top military recognition for acts under fire.
- A Texas installation will now honor an officer known for leading artillery units in Europe during World War I.
- A base in Virginia will be linked to a soldier who helped evacuate wounded men during a campaign in the late 1800s.
- One former Confederate namesake will be replaced by a World War II veteran known for escaping enemy capture and returning to combat.
- A Louisiana base will now carry the name of a commander who played a key leadership role in Europe during the Second World War.
- In Alabama, the renamed base will honor a pilot who flew deep into enemy territory during World War I.
All of the honorees served under the U.S. flag, and none were involved in the Confederate military. The decision to maintain traditional fort names while removing their Civil War-era associations is seen by supporters as a way to preserve familiarity while changing the meaning attached to them.
The original renaming efforts, completed in 2023, followed recommendations from a congressional panel that reviewed symbols tied to the Confederacy. That process brought new names meant to reflect a broader cross-section of American service members, including women and soldiers of color.
Under the current update, no women are among the new honorees. The Defense Department has not released details on the financial or logistical impact of changing signs, uniforms, and official documents for the second time in three years.
The U.S. Army has confirmed it will proceed with the changes immediately under the direction of Secretary Daniel Driscoll.
Image is in the public domain and was created by Jonas N. Jordan, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
