The news broke today. Two Georgia military bases are among those receiving new names. Fort Gordon’s new name recommendation is Fort Eisenhower. And as for Fort Benning, the new name is Fort Moore.
The Naming Commission released its suggested names for the nine Army installations that were originally named to commemorate the Confederacy. Those nine bases: Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Bragg, NC; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Gordon, Georgia; Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia; Fort Lee, Virginia; and Fort Pickett, Virginia.
The new names will be added to the Commission’s final report to Congress, due by October 1 of this year. Congress will then have final approval over where, when and how the name changes will go into effect.
“In the 21st century, liberty remains the central tenet of America and its Army,” the information sheet for the new Fort Liberty name said. “Liberty graces our currency and our landmarks, and is
essential to our founding documents. Liberty unites our varied politics – although different Americans have always held different ideas about how to best secure the blessings of liberty to the citizenry, they have always agreed that the enjoyment, enlargement, and endorsement of liberty is paramount to our national purpose. Liberty continues to unite the Army. It features on crests, centers the Divisional song of the storied 82d Airborne Division, and anchors the motto of the equally heralded U.S. Army Special Forces.”
The Commission originally narrowed the options down to 87 names, earlier this year. After listening sessions at each installation, and additional public feedback, The Commission got more than 34,000 submissions, including 3,670 unique names. Internal commission discussions narrowed that pool down to the list below. The large majority of the names are legendary American icons, like Dwight Eisenhower, George Marshall, Audie Murphy, Harriet Tubman and a whole host of Medal of Honor recipients.
“It’s important that the names we recommend for these installations appropriately reflect the courage, values and sacrifices of our diverse military men and women,” said retired Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, the chair of the Naming Commission. “We also are considering the local and regional significance of names and their potential to inspire and motivate our service members.”
The Commission is set to deliver a report to Congress later this year that outlines all the costs associated with a name change, as well as the ways it all needs to happen. The plan is currently required to be implemented around the beginning of 2024 at the earliest.
“Following upcoming engagements with installation leaders, personnel and their counterparts in local communities to discuss the names, the Commission will select the final names for recommendation in the naming plan due to Congress by Oct. 1, 2022.”
Here are all nine of the new military base names:
