Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum on Monday to change the name of North Carolina’s Fort Liberty, restoring it to the original Fort Bragg less than two years after the Biden administration spent $8 million to change it. However, in an unexpected twist, the Army base will now honor Private First Class Roland L. Bragg, a World War II hero, instead of the facility’s original namesake, Confederate General Braxton Bragg.
“There it is,” Hegseth said as he signed the document onboard a military aircraft en route to Germany. “Pursuant to the authority of the Secretary of Defense, Title 10 United States Code Section 113, I direct the Army to change the name of Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. That’s right, Bragg is back!”
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
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During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump alluded to the possibility of reversing the name change, boasting that “we won two world wars from Fort Bragg,” and saying “We’re gonna get it back. We’re gonna bring our country back.”
Established as an artillery training ground in 1918, Fort Bragg is now among the largest military bases in the world, with 52,000 servicemembers stationed there. In addition to being the home of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, the base also serves as the headquarters for the Army’s Special Operations Command.
General Braxton Bragg, the site’s first namesake, was a Confederate general from Warrenton, North Carolina. Bragg was a West Point graduate and was noted for his distinguished service during the Mexican-American War, but his crucial tactical errors during the Civil War proved costly to the Confederacy. Though still regarded as a brave and honorable officer, Bragg was eventually relieved of command by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and his defeats are remembered as having contributed to the eventual Southern defeat.
Bragg also owned an estimated 105 slaves on his Louisiana sugar plantation.
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The United States government established the fort bearing Bragg’s name, along with other similarly named installations, in an effort to reconcile with the Southern population during World War I.
In 2020, during heightened racial tensions following the death of George Floyd, the federal government began removing the names of Confederate leaders from buildings, parks, and other public facilities, while also allowing private groups to remove and destroy Confederate monuments. In June 2023, the Biden administration officially changed Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty. Due to the fort’s massive size, this rebranding cost roughly $8 million.
In a statement released after Hegseth’s memorandum, the Department of Defense clarified that while “Fort Bragg” will be returning, it will not honor the same Bragg it once did.
“The new name pays tribute to Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II hero who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge,” DOD Press Secretary John Ullyot wrote. “This change underscores the installation’s legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation.”
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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