2 years ago
The Naming Commission, a panel created by Congress last year to oversee the removal of Confederate names from Defense Department property, has recommended nine new names for Army bases that commemorate Civil War rebel leaders.
“The Naming Commission sought to find names that would be inspirational to the Soldiers and civilians who serve on our Army posts, and to the communities who support them,” retired Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, the commission’s chair, said in a statement on Tuesday.
The eight-member commission, established in 2021 as part of annual defense policy legislation, released a list of 87 potential names for the nine Army bases in March, after receiving more than 34,000 recommendations during a public comment period.
The group is also going through a much longer list of DoD "assets" to review, which includes streets and buildings on military bases.
The commission is required to submit its final report to Congress by Oct. 1, and the Pentagon will have until early 2024 to carry out the commission’s suggestions.
In developing its recommendations, Howard said the committee sought “to inspire today’s Soldiers and the local communities with names or values that have meaning. These names we are recommending embody the best of the United States Army and America.”
House Armed Service Chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.) praised the commission’s recommendations in a statement on Tuesday. “These new names honor and celebrate the strength and diversity of the service members who serve at each of these nine installations, as well as honoring military families and the values that serve as a cornerstone of our democracy,” he said.
If the commission’s proposal is adopted, the nine Army bases would be renamed as follows:
— Fort Benning in Georgia would be renamed Fort Moore to honor Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and Julia Moore.
— Fort Bragg in North Carolina would be renamed Fort Liberty, in commemoration of “the American value of Liberty,” according to the commission.
— Fort Gordon in Georgia would be renamed Fort Eisenhower, honoring former President and Army Gen. Dwight Eisenhower.
— Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia would be renamed Fort Walker in commemoration of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker.
— Fort Hood in Texas would be renamed Fort Cavazos, to recognize Gen. Richard E. Cavazos.
— Fort Lee in Virginia would be renamed Fort Gregg-Adams, commemorating Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams.
— Fort Pickett in Virginia would be renamed Fort Barfoot, which would recognize Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot.
— Fort Polk in Louisiana would be renamed Fort Johnson, in honor of Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
— Fort Rucker in Alabama would be renamed Fort Novosel, in commemoration of CW4 Michael J. Novosel Sr.
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