Newly appointed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has changed the name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg—its original name—using a creative loophole.
Originally named for Braxton Bragg—a Confederate general and slave owner widely regarded as one of the Civil War's worst military leaders—the base was renamed Fort Liberty in 2023. The change reflected a 2021 defense policy mandating the removal of Confederate-linked names from military bases.
Bragg is back! I just signed a memorandum reversing the naming of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg. pic.twitter.com/EGgZNHK72x
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) February 11, 2025
In a shrewd workaround, Hegseth reassigned the base's namesake to Roland L. Bragg, a soldier who was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart in World War II. By honoring a different Bragg, Hegseth has effectively reversed the name change while technically complying with the policy's intent.
"That's right—Bragg is back," Hegseth announced in a Pentagon video filmed midair en-route to Germany.
The commission overseeing the changes had intentionally avoided renaming bases after individuals with the same last names as Confederate figures, including Bragg.
The move fulfills a campaign trail promise from President Donald Trump to bring back Bragg and keep "woke generals" out of the Defense Department.
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