The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, ordered on Monday (February 10th) that the name of the military base located in North Carolina be changed back from Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg.
Hegseth signed the decision while flying to Europe on a military plane on Monday. He posted on the social media platform X, saying, “Fort Bragg is back! I just signed a memorandum renaming Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg.” The tweet was accompanied by a video of the signing.
In a statement, the Pentagon Press Secretary, John Ullyot, said that the new name is a tribute to World War II hero Private Roland L. Bragg, who showed exceptional courage and earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart in the Battle of the Bulge.
Ullyot added, “This change highlights the tradition of this military base, which honors those who have made outstanding contributions and sacrifices for the country.”
This action fulfills a promise made by President Trump during his campaign.
Last October, at a rally in North Carolina, Trump criticized the renaming of the base and promised to change the name back to the largest army base to uphold American traditions.
The base was originally named Fort Bragg in honor of Confederate General Braxton Bragg during the Civil War. However, in June 2023, the Biden administration’s Department of Defense initiated the renaming process to eliminate the association with historical figures, ultimately renaming it Fort Liberty. Bragg was a slave owner who led the Confederate army in the American Civil War but was eventually defeated.
Therefore, in reverting to its original name, the Pentagon also replaced the commemorative figure of the base with a World War II hero.
Fort Bragg is the largest U.S. Army base, where the U.S. military airborne and special operations forces are stationed.
Hegseth, who served at Fort Bragg in the past, has publicly expressed, “We should go back because tradition is important.”