The names of Army bases and buildings honoring Confederate officers will officially be scrubbed, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Thursday.
Austin’s decision follows an analysis released in September from the Naming Commission, whose purpose it was to identify name replacements that “inspire,” Austin’s memo stated.
“The names of these installations and facilities should inspire all those who call them home, fully reflect the history and the values of the United States, and commemorate the best of the republic that we are all sworn to protect,” Austin wrote.
Braxton Spivey (C) holds a confederate battle flag dressed in a Confederate army unifrom during a pro-Confederate flag protest by a group called “Flags of the South” in front of The Confederate Defenders of Charleston statue at The Battery in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina on October 17, 2020. (Photo by LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images)
In concurrence with the Naming Commission’s recommendations, nine Army bases will take on new names following a mandatory 90-day waiting period, military.com reported. Fort Bragg, home to the Army’s 82ndAirborne Division, will become Fort Liberty for the “American value of liberty,” according to the Naming Commission’s recommendation. Georgia’s Fort Benning will be become Fort Moore, in honor of famed cavalry officer Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and wife Julia, the outlet noted.
Other bases set to lose their Confederate ties include:
Fort Gordon, GA – Fort Eisenhower
Fort A.P. Hill, VA – Fort Walker
Fort Hood, TX – Fort Cavazos
Fort Lee, VA – Fort Gregg-Adams
Fort Pickett, VA – Fort Barfoot
Fort Polk, LA – Fort Johnson
Fort Rucker, AL – Fort Novosel
The names of several buildings also hit the chopping block after the Commission noted landmarks and memorials honoring Confederate officers at the Army’s West Point Military Academy, military.com reported. (RELATED: 108-Year-Old Arlington National Cemetery Confederate Statue Recommended For Removal)
The Defense Department previously rejected calls for renaming bases and buildings, according to military.com.
“Accordingly, these historic names represent individuals, not causes or ideologies,” the Army’s chief of public affairs Brig Gen. Malcolm B. Frost said in 2015. “It should be noted that the naming occurred in the spirit of reconciliation, not division.”