Trump pushes through another name change as Fort Moore becomes Fort Benning again
The Naming Commission estimated it would cost $4.9 million to rename Fort Benning as Fort Moore
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Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has again reversed a US military base renaming, declaring that Fort Moore in Georgia will revert to its former name, Fort Benning.
This marks the second such reversal, reflecting the Pentagon's ongoing effort to overturn the Biden administration's 2023 decision to remove Confederate leaders' names from nine Army bases. The move necessitates finding alternative namesakes, often with shared surnames.
Fort Benning was originally named for Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning, a Confederate officer and staunch opponent of abolition. Now, it will honour Cpl. Fred G. Benning, a World War I Distinguished Service Cross recipient. The Pentagon cites Benning's heroism in October 1918, leading troops through intense enemy fire after his platoon leader was killed.
These reversals are sparking controversy, effectively undermining the 2023 renaming process that sought to honour figures like Lt. Gen. Harold Gregory Moore Jr. and his wife, Julia. The decision to replace their names with those of individuals sharing surnames with Confederate figures adds another layer of complexity to the debate..
Moore is a revered military leader who earned the Distinguished Service Cross for valor and fought in the Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War. And Julia Moore was key to the creation of teams that do in-person notifications of military casualties.
Hegseth last month signed an order restoring the name of a North Carolina base back to Fort Bragg, and warned that more changes were coming.
The North Carolina base had been renamed Fort Liberty in 2023. Its original namesake, Gen. Braxton Bragg, was a Confederate general from Warrenton, North Carolina, who was known for owning slaves and losing key Civil War battles, contributing to the Confederacy’s downfall.
Now, Bragg is named to honor Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, who the Army said was a World War II hero who earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart for exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge.
It's not clear how much the renaming will cost, but the expense comes as the Trump administration is trying to find savings through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The Naming Commission in its August 2022 report estimated it would cost $4.9 million to rename Fort Benning as Fort Moore, but said there could be additional costs. It put the cost to rename Bragg at around $8 million. Updated costs were not available.
Hegseth said the original Bragg name is a legacy for troops who lived and served there and that it was a shame to change it. And he said he deliberately referred to Bragg and Fort Benning by those names as he entered the Pentagon on his first day in office.
“There’s a reason I said Bragg and Benning when I walked into the Pentagon on day one. But it’s not just Bragg and Benning," he said. "There are a lot of other service members that have connections. And we’re going to do our best to restore it.”
The lower ranks of the new namesakes indicate the exhaustive research being done by Army and defense leaders to find service members with the same names who have also earned some type of award for their military action and bravery.