The 82nd Airborne Division will welcome current and former paratroopers
and the local community May 19-22 for All American Week
according to a news release from the division
With sporting competitions and a Hall of Fame induction
the longstanding tradition is dedicated to maintaining close ties among the division's veterans
ceremonies and receptions will recognize the contributions of former unit leaders
volunteers and community supporters “whose steadfast commitment continues to shape and support the 82nd Airborne Division,” the news release states
“All American Week 2025 is a dynamic celebration of the 82nd Airborne Division’s unwavering identity: 'We’re All American and Proud to Be,’” the news release states
and the enduring strength of America’s Guard of Honor.”
The following events are open to the public:
Event: Junior Paratrooper of the Year and Family Fun Run
Where: 82nd Airborne Division Hall of Heroes
Visitors with a REAL-ID driver’s license or identification can apply for a pass online at pass.aie.army.mil/steps/installation_selection
Visitors without a REAL ID can stop by the Fort Bragg Visitor Access Center by the All American gate from 5 a.m
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528
We keep you informed.
Fort Liberty was changed back to Fort Bragg
sparking conversation on name recognition and commemoration
United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth renamed North Carolina’s Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg
but honoring a different veteran than the fort's original namesake.
was a toxic gas handler during World War II
including the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his service
Major Travis Shaw said in an email statement.
Hegseth wrote that Roland Bragg commandeered an enemy ambulance and drove 20 miles to transport a fellow soldier to an allied hospital
“That’s right,” Hegseth said after signing the memorandum
Fort Bragg was originally named for slaveowner and Confederate General Braxton Bragg. In 2022
the Congressional Naming Commission renamed the base to Fort Liberty
The Commission was formed in 2021 in an effort to remove names that commemorate the Confederate States of America. The recent change follows a campaign promise by President Donald Trump to restore the name Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg was originally established to train soldiers during World War I
The fort houses approximately 57,000 military personnel
11,000 civilian employees and 23,000 family members and is known as “The Home of the Airborne and Special Operations.”
UNC College Republicans President Matthew Trott said he is pleased with the decision to restore the name “Bragg” to the fort
He said he believes the name has become disassociated with Braxton Bragg himself and is instead representative of the community that has grown on the base
“I'm happy that the name has been restored so that those people can have a better sense of home again,” Trott said
Trott also said he supports the decision to name the base after a more modern military figure because he believes more people have connections to World War II than to the Civil War
Naming Commission Vice Chair and retired US Army Brigadier General Ty Seidule said Hegseth’s decision is still in keeping with the commission’s goal not to commemorate Confederates
while he's following the letter of the law
I don't think that this was the spirit of the law that Congress created,” Seidule said
He said that when the Commission changed the fort's name from Bragg to Liberty in 2022
there were suggestions to rename the fort to honor other people named Bragg
but the Commission chose not to pursue that option.
“We thought that it should be fully changed
and so we did not entertain any of the potential of keeping the name and just changing the person because we didn't think that was within the spirit of what Congress told us to do,” Seidule said
Seidule said the base's leadership and community chose the name "Fort Liberty" to represent the values the soldiers fought for
Lee and believing in the idea of the “lost cause,” which was the belief that the Confederates were wrong but ultimately fought for an honorable cause
and they tried to destroy this country that we love
Stephenson Distinguished Professor Joseph Glatthaar said that
the Civil War was ultimately fought over slavery
Glatthaar teaches courses on Civil War history and American military history at UNC
I find it offensive that we name things after individuals who led soldiers who killed United States soldiers," Glatthaar said
Seidule said that many people feel like renaming efforts erase Confederate history
“We're not changing the history,” Seidule said
“We're changing who we commemorate because commemoration reflects our values."
at the time Braxton Bragg was chosen as the fort’s namesake
the South was a “racial police state” in which African Americans were politically oppressed by the segregationist Democratic Party
son of Fort Moore namesakes Hal and Julie Moore
said he was not very supportive of the renaming effort when he first heard about it
He lived at Fort Moore (then Fort Benning) as a child and said he has a strong emotional connection to the base
he said he became more supportive of the idea the more he talked about it and discussed it with his family.
“If future generations can draw a better lesson
can create better value through the naming of a base that reflects what we want our army to be and what we want the values of soldiers to be
then that's where my attitude changes,” Moore said
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the Fort Liberty Public Health Partnership has been improving the health of military personnel and families
Since joining forces six years ago to address important public health needs among military families
the Fort Liberty Public Health Partnership has deployed public health protocols for the good of Army families and nearby communities
Ribisl believes that everyone wants soldiers to be healthy – on or off duty
The partnership began when a Fort Liberty delegation visited UNC-Chapel Hill in 2018 and met with tobacco control policy expert Kurt M. Ribisl
He is the Jo Anne Earp Distinguished Professor in Health Behavior and chair of the health behavior department at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and program leader for cancer prevention and control at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
“Everyone wants our soldiers to be healthy — not just to be ready for active duty when they get the call
but also as they transition back to civilian life,” Ribisl said
“North Carolina is the nation’s most military-friendly state
and UNC is one of the top places in the country for doing cancer control work with the military.”
The partnership’s work focuses largely on cancer prevention
with projects aiming to increase rates of HPV vaccination and cancer screening among military members and to reduce the widespread use of tobacco on base
Research is a critical underpinning of this effort
Studies show that tobacco use affects combat readiness by contributing to greater injury risk
poorer wound healing and worse night vision
Military personnel who use tobacco have worse physical and mental health and are at greater risk of early discharge compared to their nonsmoking colleagues
A 2021 community health assessment reported high levels of tobacco use at Fort Liberty
finding that more than 25% of the soldiers started using tobacco after they arrived there
Annual soldier surveys have since revealed a notable rise in vaping and oral nicotine pouches along with a feeling that tobacco use on base is socially acceptable and does not affect job performance
“Almost 60% of service-member respondents reported current tobacco or vaping use
when looking at respondents that live in the barracks,” said Lt
who recently retired as director of the Fort Liberty Department of Public Health
These survey results led the partnership to implement a tobacco treatment specialist training program to meet the needs of the on-base providers and clinical staff
Carolina public health master’s students can now complete a practicum that allows them to work directly with partnership tobacco control and nutrition programs
“This partnership provides a valuable training experience for our master’s students to get involved in a public health practice project where they can really make a difference,” Ribisl said
a dual-degree student who is from a military family
is the partnership’s military health tobacco prevention and control research assistant
“A partnership like this one develops multifaceted students who will be prepared to function on any team in any interest area because of their exposure to working across organizations,” Austin said
“Working with the partnership has allowed me to apply what I’m learning in class almost immediately.”
As the partnership continues to grow and evolve
UNC-Chapel Hill will continue supporting the most critical public health needs highlighted by its partners on base and in surrounding areas
There are also plans to create a broader military population health initiative at UNC Lineberger to do cancer control work in other branches and installations throughout North Carolina
depends on whether additional funding can be secured to support a broader scope of work
but this is one of the best things we are doing at Lineberger in terms of community outreach and working with public health partners,” Ribisl said
Read more about the Fort Liberty Public Health Partnership.
The dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy talks about her research, rural initiatives and leading the No. 1 pharmacy school in the nation.
The Well compiled all the details you need before attending UNC-Chapel Hill’s May 10 graduation.
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The gravestone of Pfc. Roland L. Bragg is seen Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Nobleboro, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A military photo of Pfc. Roland L. Bragg is seen in a book about the history of Nobleboro, Maine, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Nobleboro. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
In this Jan. 4, 2020, file photo a sign for Fort Bragg, N.C., is shown. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)
Vehicles pass a sign for Fort Liberty, an Army installation near Fayetteville, N.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. The name was changed from Fort Bragg in 2023, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order Monday, Feb. 10, 2024, changing it back, in honor of World War II veteran Roland L. Bragg of Maine. It was originally named for Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, a North Carolina native. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
This undated photo provided by the Bragg family shows Pfc. Roland L. Bragg. A Pentagon spokesman said Monday, Feb. 10 2025, that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was renaming a special operations force base to honor Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, who he said was a World War II hero who earned the Silver Star and the Purple Heart for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge. (Bragg family via AP)
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth talks to the media during his visit to the headquarters of U.S. European Command and Africa Command at the Africa Command at Kelly Barracks in Stuttgart Germany, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
An honor guard displays the colors of Fort Bragg as a part of the ceremony to rename Fort Bragg, June 2, 2023 in Fort Liberty, N.C. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker, File)
The new Fort Liberty sign is displayed outside the base on Friday, June 2, 2023 in Fort Liberty, N.C. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker, File)
Lt. Gen. Christopher T. Donahue, front right, takes part of the Casing of the Colors during a renaming ceremony, June 2, 2023, in Fort Liberty, N.C. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker, File)
Jim Alfieri looks through his town’s history book at the historical society for information about Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Nobleboro, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A memorial for the town’s namesake, Arthur Noble II, is seen in a park across the street from the First Baptist Church in Nobleboro, Maine, Tuesday, Feb.. 11, 2025, in Nobleboro. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A roadside plaque honors soldiers and sailors in Nobleboro, Maine, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Nobleboro. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Is it an honor or a cynical end run? When it comes to the former — and apparently future — Fort Bragg, that’s in the eye of the beholder.
North Carolina state Rep. John Blust, a Greensboro Republican who served as an enlisted soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division at the installation in the 1970s, said he was “tickled pink” about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s action Monday to restore the name Bragg to what is currently Fort Liberty.
Initially named after Southern Gen. Braxton Bragg, the post was stripped of the name in 2023 amid a drive to remove symbols of the Confederacy from public spaces. The new Fort Bragg would ostensibly honor Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine.
“That’s right,” Hegseth said, thrusting the document ordering the name change toward a camera with a defiant look on his face. “Bragg is back.”
It’s unclear if the change will actually take place. It took an act of Congress — overriding President Donald Trump’s 2020 veto — to remove Confederate names from military installations. Hegseth’s order sets up a potentially costly, complicated and delicate process that could run afoul of the law.
Republican state Rep. Donnie Loftis of Gaston County said he was thrilled by Hegseth’s move.
“Military people do not conjure up in their mind history of a Confederate soldier,” said the 30-year veteran of the Army and North Carolina National Guard who spent a lot of time at the southeast North Carolina preserve. “When you hear ‘Fort Bragg,’ you think of Delta Force, you think of JSOC, (Joint) Special Operations Command. You think of 18th Airborne Corps. You think 82nd Airborne.”
But for Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, who supported changing the previous Bragg name, the move makes no real sense.
“It seems to contradict the administration’s commitment to efficiency and cost savings,” said Colvin, who is Black and a Democrat. “Furthermore, the renaming process which included Gold Star families who felt Liberty was a true reflection of what our service men and women defend day in and day out.”
W. Fitzhugh Brundage, a history professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said his first thought was that “someone obviously did a creative name search to identify a Bragg who was not a reviled and incompetent Confederate general.”
“Of course, those who want to continue to commemorate one of the worst generals of the Civil War can continue to do so by ignoring the fact that the base is named after a different ‘Bragg,’” said Brundage, who focuses on the post-Civil War South. “This name alchemy won’t work for some of the other bases, however.”
Roland Bragg’s family was as surprised as Colvin at the news.
Bragg’s daughter, Debra Sokoll, told The Associated Press that she learned of the renaming Tuesday morning from reporters. She later spoke with Army officials, who told her they were honoring her father.
Sokoll said she wasn’t sure what the Army’s motive was for it.
“But I’m awfully glad they are,” she said. “I think it’s amazing.”
She and her husband, Chris Sokoll, say it’s not an honor her father would ever have sought out. He was a hardworking man who lived a quiet life, and there are no markers or monuments honoring him in Nobleboro, Maine, where he is buried under an unassuming headstone.
Gen. Braxton Bragg, a native of Warrenton, North Carolina, was known for owning slaves and losing key Civil War battles. Roland Bragg, who has no known connection to the state of North Carolina or the fort that may soon bear his name, received the Silver Star and a Purple Heart for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge.
Roland Bragg was a resourceful mechanic, building mover and family man whose passion was his children, said Debra Sokoll. During the Great Depression, he would ride his bicycle 20 miles (30 kilometers) to Maine resort towns to sell vegetables to summer tourists, Sokoll said.
According to his 1999 obituary, Roland Bragg — who served with the 17th Airborne Division — was briefly captured by the Germans.
Defense spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement that restoring the name Fort Bragg “underscores the installation’s legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation.”
But that might not sit well with everyone.
Patti Elliott was on the renaming commission that recommended the change to Fort Liberty. Her son, Spc. Daniel “Lucas” Elliott, a 21-year-old military police officer, was killed in 2011 by an improvised explosive device in Iraq.
Because she is now national president of the American Gold Star Mothers, Elliott said she is prohibited from engaging in “political conversations.”
“Since President Trump made that ‘promise’ last year (to restore Confederate names), I have had several news outlets reach out to me asking for my thoughts, and I’ve had to turn them all down,” the Youngsville, North Carolina, woman wrote in an email Tuesday. “Believe me, I have opinions, but at this time, I have restrictions on voicing them.”
The Army said in 2023 that changing the post’s name to Fort Liberty would cost $8 million. So, with Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency scouring federal bureaucracy for places to cut costs, how does Loftis justify spending what will likely be a similar amount to rebrand the fort again?
“Well, we could have saved that, had we not changed it to begin with,” said Loftis, a chairman of the House Homeland Security and Military and Veterans Affairs. “However, it was changed, and I’m pretty sure Elon Musk and the DOGE folks could save us $9 million somewhere from the money we’ve seen through USAID (the Agency for International Development).”
The North Carolina Department of Transportation anticipates its portion of the project would cost over $200,000, DOT spokesperson Andrew Barksdale said. About 80 such signs were replaced or updated to Fort Liberty in 2023, according to DOT. No timeline for completion has yet been set, he said.
Loftis acknowledged that some might see the latest renaming as a political stunt. But he said the end justifies the means, if it avoids a drawn-out administrative process.
And he’s happy to trade a Confederate Bragg for a Yankee one.
“That guy was a hero. He earned his Silver Star,” he said. “That’s what makes America great.”
Lt. Gen. Anderson in the foreground saluting with Pfc. Bragg's daughter Diane Watts (left), Sgt. Maj. Barker (center), and Lu Anderson (right). Photo by Spc. Alexcia Rupert
Tweet When Melanie Witte heard the news that her hometown, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, would undergo a name change to Fort Liberty in 2023
Witte affectionately refers to herself as a “Fort Braggian,” and has lived in the community for almost 25 years — first as a military child and now as the spouse of an active-duty soldier
Her grandfather was also stationed at the installation in the 1960s
Witte said those connected to Fort Bragg lost a part of their identity.
“My children were born here and the first question out of their mouths was ‘do I have to get a new birth certificate that says Fort Liberty?’” she said
It’s like pulling away their legacy in a way.”
In February 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum directing Fort Liberty to be renamed Fort Bragg again
the premiere Army installation removed its ties to the Confederacy and instead took on the namesake of Army Pfc
a World War II veteran who was assigned to the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment
commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps
officiated the post’s renaming ceremony earlier this month
where he provided a brief history about Bragg’s heroism while standing in front of the Silver Star recipient’s children and grandchildren.
“[Bragg’s story] stands as a testament to the bonds forged here in this place
bonds that many who have trained and served here would immediately recognize and feel,” he said
“Over 80 years have passed since Roland Bragg arrived here
Eight decades of soldiers from Fort Bragg have deployed to every major conflict
defending America and her allies across the globe
Eva Daniels is also a military spouse who grew up in the state
She said the removal of “Liberty feels ominous” and that “the Confederacy and its legacy are nothing to cling to.”
“Changing the name back to Bragg doesn’t make sense culturally and is not efficient or cost effective for an administration that claims to prioritize those things,” she explained
“It is ultimately a distraction from other policy changes being forced each day
which will be impactful for military families
our service members and our nation.”
The cost of a second name change is also a concern for Morgan Rose, an Air Force spouse and mortgage loan officer who has been stationed at Fort Bragg for 10 years. Over time, she’s seen how the mortgage rates have climbed, pricing young military families out of off-post living and forcing them into military housing.
“[They live] in substandard housing because the military will not spend money on new housing or renovations,” Rose said. “When I saw they were spending $6 million to change the name [the first time] to Fort Liberty, I thought it was money that could be better spent elsewhere.”
Rose wondered if those who made the decision to change the name — not once but twice — ever considered the people and businesses in the community. She described the renamings as a move that “turned our community into a political pawn.”
“I live up the road from a Fort Bragg Credit Union with a sign that says Fort Liberty Credit Union,” she said. “Are there grants available to support the businesses affected by the name changes?”
Fort Bragg is the Army’s largest installation. The post covers more than 160,000 acres and supports more than 48,000 soldiers, 80,000 family members, 2,000 Department of Defense civilians and nearly 100,000 retirees and their families. The U.S. Army’s Forces Command, Special Operations Command and Reserve Command are headquartered at Fort Bragg. It is also home to the XVIII Airborne Corps, the Joint Special Operations Command and — of course — the 82nd Airborne Division.
Tweet30 Lucretia Cunningham Lucretia Cunningham is a freelance correspondent with U.S
Military Publishing and Air Force Reserve public affairs specialist
After serving over 10 years as an active duty Air Force medic
Lucretia cross-trained to public affairs and obtained her bachelor’s degree in communications from Old Dominion University in Norfolk
Her master’s degree in communication management is from the University of Southern California
She has worked as a journalist in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region
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is being renamed Fort Bragg in honor of Pfc
a Silver Star recipient who served during World War II
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the change in a Feb
10 memo to honor Bragg and “in recognition of the installation’s storied history of service to the United States of America.”
the post was renamed Fort Liberty following the recommendations of an eight-member commission that was tasked by Congress to remove Confederate names
displays and monuments from DoD properties
it was named for Confederate Army officer Braxton Bragg
The return of the name Bragg to the North Carolina post now honors the decorated World War II soldier
Bragg enlisted in the Army and was assigned to the 17th Airborne Division’s 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment
part of the XVIII Airborne Corps at the post that bears his name
He was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroics during the Battle of the Bulge
Bragg is credited with saving another soldier’s life by “commandeering an enemy ambulance and driving it 20 miles” to an Allied hospital in Belgium
“Fort Bragg has a long and proud history of equipping
training and preparing our soldiers to fight and prevail in any operational environment,” Hegseth’s memo says
This directive “honors the personal courage and selfless service of all those who have trained to fight and win our nation’s wars
Bragg and is in keeping with the installation’s esteemed and storied history.”
The memo directs the secretary of the Army to “take all steps necessary and appropriate actions to implement this decision in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.” The Army is to inform the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment of its plans
including timelines and resource requirements
In addition to the 2023 redesignation of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty
eight other Army installations were renamed
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The timeline for renaming Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg was unknown as of Tuesday
and the costs associated with the process could exceed $6 million
The Department of Defense announced Monday evening that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo to change Fort Liberty’s name to Fort Bragg to honor Pfc
Fort Bragg was established as Camp Bragg in 1918 — after World War I — and was initially named for Braxton Bragg
an artillery officer who served in the Mexican-American War and later served as a Confederate general
He is also associated with being a slave owner and losing battles during the Civil War
The installation is the largest in the world by population and home to the Army's airborne and special operation forces and the nation's immediate response force that deploys worldwide within 18 hours of notification
the installation's name was changed to Fort Liberty
after a congressional mandate ordered that all military installations and assets named for Confederates be renamed
The renaming process involved a national and local committee and community input
Hegseth’s Monday night memo states that the secretary of the Army shall take all the necessary steps and appropriate actions to implement the directive in accordance with applicable laws and regulations
The Army shall inform the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment of its plans
including timelines and resource requirements to implement the change
The Office of the Secretary of Defense on Tuesday referred questions about the changes to the Department of the Army
A spokesperson for the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty also referred most questions to the Army
A statement from the 18th Airborne Corps says that renaming Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg is an opportunity to honor one of the Corps’ “own heroes.”
Bragg was assigned to the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment
18th Airborne Corps and was stationed at Fort Bragg during World War II
He served in the European theater of operations
received a Purple Heart for wounds during the Battle of the Bulge and also earned the Silver Star
“We are honored to have our installation in his namesake,” the 18th Airborne Corps statement reads
“We have already begun coordinating with Department of the Army on the way forward
the name Fort Liberty remained on the installation’s website and social media pages
Renaming Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty cost more than $6 million in federal funds
with the bulk of the costs being sign changes and technology costs for the installation’s website
North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesman Andrew Barksdale said the cost to change about 80 state highway and interstate signs from Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty cost about $160,000
Barksdale said that with expansions to Interstate 95
the cost to make a change again would be about $200,000 to the state agency
“We do not have a timeline of when we would make the changes again
and we would still work and coordinate with the DOD about the costs for making these changes again,” he said
In a video statement posted on X
Hegseth said he directed the name change based on Title 10 and Section 113 of the U.S
The code states that the secretary of defense “has authority
and control over the Department of Defense.”
The directive will ultimately require money to implement the name change, and Congress is in charge of the budget, Dr. Christopher Cronin, a political science professor for Methodist University and head of the university’s Social Sciences Division, told The Fayetteville Observer in November
The Army usually starts making its annual budget requests to Congress in March to early spring
The same code that Hegseth cited Monday also includes Congress' 2021 provision in the defense budget that required removing military assets that honor the Confederacy and its leaders
The legislation further prohibits the secretary of defense or secretary of a military department from naming a new asset or renaming an existing asset in honor of the Confederacy
which is why a new Fort Bragg would be in honor of Roland Bragg and not Braxton Bragg
FORT BRAGG — On letterhead declaring it was from Fort Bragg Public Affairs
the Army installation formerly known as Fort Liberty
14 that its return to the name Fort Bragg is "effective immediately."
"This renaming honors the legacy of World War II hero
Bragg and all Soldiers and families who have called Fort Bragg home," the statement said
The brief announcement said the renaming process will include updating all official documentation
signage and digital platforms "in a deliberate and phased manner." It noted the community would be invited to attend an official ceremony at a later date
Three weeks into President Donald Trump's second term in office
newly appointed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum Feb
10 ordering the Army post's name be changed back to Fort Bragg
The order came two years after a bipartisan Congressional mandate during Trump's first term ordered that military installations and assets named for the Confederate soldiers be renamed
The change also kept a promise to restore the Bragg name that Trump made during a campaign stop in Fayetteville in the lead up to the November presidential election
Roland Bragg who was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for actions during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II
the original Fort Bragg name honored Confederate general and slaveowner Braxton Bragg
The change to Fort Liberty in 2022 cost the federal government more than $6 million and the state of North Carolina about $160,000
The total cost to replace all the Fort Liberty signs both on post and on state roads is not yet known
the 18th Airborne Corps noted that Roland Bragg
"Renaming Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg represents an opportunity to honor one of the XVIII Airborne Corps’ own heroes
Bragg who earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions during World War II
Bragg served in the 17th Airborne Division
which was part of the XVIII Airborne Corps
and we are honored to have our installation in his namesake," the statement said
"We have already begun coordinating with Department of the Army on the way forward
Norton can be reached at fnorton@fayobserver.com
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Signs at the Army’s most populated installation are changing back to Fort Bragg
which was renamed Fort Liberty in June 2023 after a congressional mandate ordered that all military installations and assets named for Confederates be renamed
The restoration to the name Fort Bragg went into effect Feb
after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a Feb.10 memo directing the Army to change the name in honor of Pfc
It was previously associated with Braxton Bragg
a Confederate general who was a slave owner and lost battles during the Civil War
Bragg’s family were at Friday’s renaming ceremony
and new Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll
said she learned about the honor three weeks ago and initially thought it was a prank when a reporter from her hometown paper called
Watts said her father was a humble man with a giving heart
Members of Bragg’s family and Fort Bragg officials spoke Friday about the man after whom the post is now named
Watts said her father was drafted during World War II
and his best friend enlisted shortly after
commander of the 18th Airborne Corps and senior commander for Fort Bragg
Bragg deployed to the European Theater during World War II
Bragg and a few other paratroopers were wounded and taken behind enemy lines
The soldiers learned their Nazi captor and one of the American paratroopers were freemasons
and the American soldiers convinced the guard to let them go if Bragg knocked him out with a rifle to “so it looked like he struggled,” Anderson said
Watts said her father stole a Nazi ambulance
because he didn’t want to leave his wounded comrades behind
Anderson said Bragg earned the Silver Star
the military's third-highest decoration for valor in combat
Watts said her father didn’t talk about his time in the military until years later when her mother became ill
She said her father lived for more than 50 years believing the wounded paratroopers in the ambulance perished until he received a letter in the 1990s from a survivor
The survivor told her father that he piled so many people on top of him
but a doctor later told him the weight helped prevent him from “bleeding out.”
said she never heard about her grandfather’s military service from him
father and grandfather who played checkers
made pancakes for his kids and grandchildren and loved going to air shows
which is recounted in a 1988 history book for their hometown
Her grandmother and grandfather dated during the war
she sent him steel pens that he put over his heart and protected him when he was hit by shrapnel
She read an excerpt from the letter during Friday’s ceremony
with Bragg saying where he was at was not fun and caused grief
and that is rank doesn’t mean a thing when you're in a tight spot — it's the one with a little common sense,” Bragg wrote
Amirpour said the last part of the letter about common sense is advice she tells her own children and would encourage soldiers to continue to heed
What Fort Bragg symbolizesAnderson told Friday’s crowd that Fort Bragg supports 48,000 soldiers
and nearly 100,000 retirees and their families
Army Special Operations Command and 82nd Airborne division and is home to the airborne and special operation forces
“We refer to Fort Bragg as the center of the universe
being part of our Army’s ability to deploy without warning anywhere across the globe to help and assist others
to fight and win our nation’s wars,” Anderson said
decades of soldiers have deployed “to every major conflict
defending America and our allies across the globe
“Today we salute a man who answered a call
came to North Carolina and forged the best version of himself … today we honor a hero worthy of the name Bragg
It is synonymous with excellence,” Anderson said
Chad Mixon estimated that the cost to change Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg will be about 70% less than the last name change
which he expects to be complete by the end of May
Army veteran and Fayetteville resident Carl Surom said he thinks the costs of the first name change were a waste of money
Surom first served at Fort Bragg when he completed basic training in the late 1960s
and transferred back in the '70s and '80s after deployments with the 82nd Airborne Division and 118th Military Police Company
we had over 560 of our members show up right here on Bragg
and they are all so glad it’s back to the name,” he said
Anderson said the mission for soldiers serving here remains the same as it has been before
during and after the Fort Bragg and Fort Liberty name changes
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-586-3528
2025 to reflect the Army's announcement that it had officially implemented the name change
Less than two years after Fort Bragg was renamed Fort Liberty to drop the name of a Confederate general
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered that the Army base revert to its former name
Hegseth had telegraphed the move for weeks
even referring to the base as "Fort Bragg" as he talked with reporters in front of the Pentagon after arriving for his his first day on the job
President Donald Trump repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he'd change the name back
But what hadn't been clear until now is how they might go about that
given that Congress has banned the military from naming things for Confederates
The base was originally named for Confederate General Braxton Bragg
and Hegseth's order lists another Bragg as its new namesake – Private Roland L
who was awarded the Silver Star for valor and fought in the notorious Battle of the Bulge during World War II
"Bragg is back," Hegseth said in a brief video released by the Pentagon that showed him signing the order aboard an Air Force jet
the Army said it implemented the order Feb
14 and began referring to the base as "Fort Bragg" immediately
"The renaming process will include updating all official documentation
and digital platforms in a deliberate and phased manner," the statement said
"We look forward to inviting the community to attend an official ceremony at date to be determined in the very near future."
the second name change for the nation's largest Army base is causing some whiplash
"Less than a couple years later we're back changing it again
and what if the next administration comes in and re-changes it
and that just puts our community at a disadvantage," he said
naming it after a concept and idea that we all embrace and believe in is an easy fix to a real
"We're in a country full of diverse people
and at some point we're going to have to embrace that and use it as a strength and not a dividing point."
The base had been called Bragg for more than a century and was among several bases that were founded as part of the military buildup for World War I
The War Department decided to name those in the south for Confederate figures
say Braxton Bragg was one of the worst generals of the Civil War
and they note that he was a slave owner and traitor to the nation
Congress overrode Trump's veto and passed a bill ordering changes to nine Army bases that had been named for Confederate generals
That set off a years-long process that included local community input and the creation of a federal naming commission
Colvin said it's hard not to be suspicious of the way the base's name is being changed back
"Black people in America have been hoodwinked and tricked so many times that at some point you start to lose faith in what this country really stands for in some respects," he said
Connor Williams was lead historian for the naming commission and is co-author of A Promise Delivered: Ten American Heroes and the Battle to Rename Our Nation's Military Bases
an upcoming book on the people the other bases were renamed for
and Latino service members to serve as base namesakes
the official story that the renaming is for a different Bragg is validation
"This confirms the Naming Commission's mission because this was not renamed to commemorate Braxton Bragg
"We were stood up by a bipartisan group in Congress
and our goal was to end Confederate commemoration in the armed forces
and that is still the case with this name change."
that the military do the work of fully explaining how Roland Bragg is the right namesake for an Army base so important its unofficial nickname is the Center of the Military Universe
after great consultation with the staff at the installation
and so now it's really up to the Trump administration to really honor the World War II service that they've said this is commemorating."
He says that as a historian and also as a grandson of a World War II veteran who served for 500 days of continuous combat
he understands the sacrifices soldiers like Roland Bragg made
"I just think that it needs to be clear that this is truly that
and not a wink and a nod to honor one of the Confederacy's worst generals
and often (rated) by military historians as one of the worst generals of the entire Civil War."
There is no question Roland Bragg's service was exemplary
Bragg also was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds he suffered in the Battle of the Bulge
but one of his captors was a fellow Mason and let him escape
said he stole a German ambulance to escape
"They were being fired at the whole time they went," she said
The Pentagon order to give his name to the base said he used the ambulance to drive a wounded American soldier to a hospital
French said she was surprised to learn this week from a reporter of the honor for her father
said it was aware of the new directive to change the base name
"We are certainly leaning forward with that," she said
"We think that renaming Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg is going to represent an opportunity for us to honor one of 18th Airborne Corps' own heroes
which was a part of the 18th Airborne during that time
and we are proud to honor his legacy and really proud to honor all those who have called Fort Bragg home."
noted that the work it takes for a base to change its name is significant
and a reasonable concern is the cost of another a name change
especially given the Trump Administration's highly-publicized focus on reducing government spending
Fort Bragg officials estimated would cost $6.3 million to make this shift," he said
"We thought that price was well worth the cost to end Confederate commemoration in the United States Army
and now one would guess it will cost also $6.3 million to change it back."
A spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Transportation said it spent $160,000 to change about 80 highway signs to "Liberty" and estimated it would take more than $200,000 to switch back because highway improvements have added more signs
He said North Carolina taxpayers paid the entire cost of the first round of changes and the state hopes the military will cover the switch back
The return to Bragg may just be the opening shot in the administration’s efforts to revert to the old base names
Hegseth has said he wanted to change all the names back
he typed a brief post on X: "Bragg now," he wrote
This story was produced by the American Homefront Project
a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans
In keeping with a promise that then-presidential candidate Donald Trump made during a campaign stop in Fayetteville
the Army installation formerly known as Fort Bragg will regain that name
instead of honoring a Confederate general known for losing battles during the Union-won Civil War
Army private awarded the Silver Star in World War II
according to a memorandum signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
which directs the secretary of the Army to restore the Bragg name
undoing the $6 million name change to Fort Liberty enacted in 2022
The change two years ago came after a congressionally mandated commission was tasked with renaming all military installations and assets honoring Confederate soldiers
Despite a veto by then-President Trump of the Defense Authorization Bill which contained the commission mandate
the veto was overrode in a bipartisan vote of Congress
Will other installations named for Confederates be renamed?Hegseth said more of the hundreds of military assets renamed could potentially have that reversed
"As the president has said and I've said as well
There are many — there are other bases that have been renamed that erodes that very same legacy," Hegseth said to a gaggle of reporters before Fox News cameras Feb
"There's a reason I said Bragg and Benning when I walked into the Pentagon on day one
The legacy he referred to is presumably the history of each installation under their former monikers
"For nearly a century as Camp Bragg and subsequently as Fort Bragg
tens of thousands of soldiers trained and deployed to crises and conflicts around the world in defense of our nation," the memorandum states
"This directive honors the personal courage and selfless service of those who have trained to fight and win our nation's wars
and is in keeping with the installation's esteemed and storied history."
Roland Leon Bragg was a paratrooper assigned to the 17th Airborne Division during World War II
He was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart after he drove a stolen Nazi ambulance through gunfire and brought other American soldiers
to safety at an allied hospital in Belgium
Bragg's daughter told the Portland Press in Bragg's home state of Maine that her father never knew if the other soldiers survived until a few years before Bragg died in 1999
The 1994 reunion of Bragg and Martz was reported on by California's North County Times
"John wrote me a letter asking if I knew what happened to him," Bragg
told the newspaper in a story that ran March 14
"I remember sitting at the kitchen table reading that letter and chills went up and down my spine
Bragg's Silver Star was "for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge," Department of Defense Press Secretary John Ullyot said in a news release
commented on the name change while at Fayetteville State University this week signing an agreement with the school to expand existing partnerships
"We received the secretary of defense’s guidance
and we are now working with the Army to plan how this is going to roll out," Anderson said when asked about the name change
who was a paratrooper in World War II in the 17th Airborne Division and won the Silver Star at the Battle of the Bulge
Anderson's comments were preceded Tuesday by an official statement from the 18th Airborne Corps
The Department of the Army did not respond to follow-up questions about when the change goes into effect; if Army personnel are to start calling it Fort Bragg immediately; when sign changes will begin taking place; or if the Army has to make a budget request to Congress for associated costs
When will it happen?Hegseth's memorandum orders the Army secretary to "take all steps necessary and appropriate actions to implement this decision in accordance with applicable laws and regulations
The Army shall inform the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment of its plans including timelines and resource requirements
When the name was changed from Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty the federal cost was more than $6 million
with the bulk going to sign changes and to update unit and installation websites
North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesman Andrew Barksdale said the cost to North Carolina to change about 80 state highway and interstate signs from Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty was about $160,000
Barksdale said that with expansions to Interstate 95 that have happened since 2022
the cost to install new signs would be about $200,000
FORT LIBERTY – If your windows have been rattling recently
Field artillery units on Fort Liberty are conducting training this month
The installation announced Friday that the training exercises will continue through Feb
with additional dates for live fire training on Feb
Officials said the training involves the use of howitzers and high-mobility artillery rocket systems
which can produce loud explosions and reverberations upon detonation
More: How Trump's executive orders could impact Fort Liberty troops
"Although this training is necessary to maintain (the) readiness of our nation’s combat forces
we recognize the noise may inconvenience the surrounding public," the statement said
Fort Liberty public affairs said all field artillery units will comply with existing requirements prohibiting massing fires — the firing of several weapons at a single point — larger than battalion size between the hours of 11 p.m
as this is essential to maintain force readiness
but the quantity of rounds fired during hours of darkness is reduced," the statement said
For more information regarding Fort Liberty noise, visit the "noise abatement" tab located on the installation's website home page at https://home.army.mil/liberty/
Norton can be reached at fnorton@gannett.com
FORT LIBERTY — The Army is exploring changes to how its dining facilities operate
with Fort Liberty among the first five installations to enact the changes
according to an Army request for proposals seeking a contractor to manage the facility
Offers to manage the facilities can be made until March 7, according to documents released Jan
“The Army seeks a food service operation design and business model that is inspired by modern campus dining venues that is agile in its support to various installations that are different in size and scope as well as unit culture,” the documents state
The documents state that the campus-style dining facility will support soldiers
their families and others to create an environment that “impacts our community’s health
as well as enhances unit level cohesion and teambuilding.”
the Army wants to provide an alternative to its legacy dining facility operations
supported by advanced technologies such as online ordering and delivery solutions,” while providing health options for soldiers and the installation community
82nd Airborne Division’s dining facility served 260,226 people during a reporting period
the Army is seeking a contractor who will also provide a building concept for Fort Liberty’s Victory Warrior Restaurant at 4-1437 Normandy Drive
along with a sample menu for a week’s worth of meals
and operational hours that “will support the lifestyle
and workstyle needs of the Fort Liberty community.”
Other Army installations identified for the changes include Fort Stewart
The documents state the contract will be performed for a one-year base period
with the option to extend for four years after for a possible total of five years
The documents state that the contractors are granted the flexibility to use menus and recipes that align with their branding or flavors
but must maintain Army nutritional standards and work with an Army dietitian
and medical meal needs” and promoting the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness program and Department of Defense’s Healthy Base Initiatives
“This concept will most positively impact the Army in several areas such as health and fitness
and retention among many others,” the documents state
“ This relationship and methodology will be modeled by current capabilities that exist on hundreds of institutions of higher learning and corporate businesses."
According to the request for proposals the contractor:
and no existing military or civilian staff at the five identified locations will be transferred or transitioned to the contractor’s oversight or payroll
certified by the American Culinary Federation or equivalent
• Should provide sustainable food sourcing of local
no antibiotics and hormone and growth promotion-free foods
• Is required to digitally display pricing
portion sizes and nutritional content that notes calories per serving and whether items are gluten-sensitive
• Will provide “24/7 access to prepared healthy food based on patron demand at each garrison,” and should consider a variety of meal service options like à la carte
and meal prep or cooking required meals that accommodate patrons with or without access to kitchens
• Will provide operating hours beyond the Army’s traditional breakfast
• Should implement trends that include multiple ordering platforms and methods through mobile and web applications
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the army to change the name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg
Fort Liberty will again bear the name ‘Bragg,’
According to a Department of Defense release
He was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for extraordinary bravery during the Battle of the Bulge
Bragg was born in Maine and served as a toxic gas handler from 1943 to 1945
The original installation name was a nod to General Braxton Bragg a Confederate general from Warrenton North Carolina
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says this won’t be the only post to change
The North Carolina Military installation was renamed Fort Liberty in 20–23
The army will be responsible for implementing any name change to the base
Army officials say they don’t have cost estimates for this latest change
the last change to ‘Fort Liberty’ totaled about 8 million
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum Monday to change Fort Liberty's name to Fort Roland L. Bragg, the Pentagon announced Monday evening
Department of Defense spokesman John Ullyot said the name honors Pfc
a World War II hero who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge
"This change underscores the installation's legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation," Ullyot said in a statement
In a video posted to X
Hegseth said he directed the Army to change the name
and the Senate voted 84 to 13 to approve the National Defense Authorization Act
which included a provision from a bill filed by Sen
Elizabeth Warren seeking to remove Confederate names from installations
Fort Bragg was established as Camp Bragg in 1918 — after World War I — and named after Confederate Braxton Bragg
In June 2023, the installation was renamed to Fort Liberty.
Renaming Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty cost more than $6 million
excluding state Department of Transportation sign changes
members of the national renaming commission traveled to then-Fort Bragg to engage with installation leaders
community leaders and off-post stakeholders for feedback on the renaming process
Fort Bragg received 4,224 renaming recommendations from Sept
The commission reduced the list to 2,380 names
considering criteria such as how the person “distinguished themselves through courageous and valorous acts and/or through a life of service to the United States of America.”
The list was further reduced to 461 names in January 2022
and substitute names like renaming Fort Bragg after Braxton Bragg’s Union cousin
A list of 87 names was released to the public in March 2022
and the commission again met with representatives of each installation for feedback
The list was narrowed to 11: Medal of Honor recipients 1st Lt
was at the post’s June 2022 renaming ceremony
Elliott’s son Spc. Daniel Lucas Elliott was a member of the Army Reserve military police who was killed by a roadside bomb July 15
while deployed with the Cary-based 805th Military Police Company
At the June 2022 renaming ceremony
Elliott told media that at a summer 2021 meeting
she appreciated that each person who proposed a name had a “special interest,” but realized names were being left out
“There had to be a way that we could include everyone and make it significant for those who have come before and those who will come in the future — the legacy that we are building now,” she said
Fort Liberty officially became Fort Bragg again
The North Carolina Army installation had been named for a Confederate general
but now honors a Maine hero who trained there
An attendee takes a photo of the sign that was unveiled when Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
A color guard stands in front of the headquarters building as Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
A color guard stands in front of the headquarters building as Lt
General Gregory Anderson speaks as Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
A soldier stands beside the sign that was unveiled when Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
takes a photo of the sign that was unveiled when Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
holds a shell canister that was fired in her father’s honor as Fort Liberty is rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
as Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
A canon is fired as Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
A color guard stands beside the sign that was unveiled when Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
Ted Budd (R-N.C.) listen to proceedings as Fort Liberty is rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base
The name was changed from Fort Bragg in 2023
but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order Monday
It was originally named for Confederate Gen
(AP) — The short-lived existence of Fort Liberty came to an end Friday when the nation’s largest Army installation officially returned to its former name: Fort Bragg
“Today we honor a hero worthy of the name Bragg,” Lt
Among the attendees were several members of Bragg’s family
who spoke on the family’s behalf during the ceremony
Amirpour described her grandfather as a “strong
hardworking and proud” man who didn’t discuss his military service in World War II very openly
who served with the 17th Airborne Division
received the Silver Star and a Purple Heart for exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge
He was captured by Germans and commandeered an ambulance back to safety with a few wounded paratroopers
“Rank doesn’t mean a thing when you’re in a tight spot,” said Amirpour
who was reading an excerpt from a letter her grandfather had written while recovering from an injury in an Army hospital
Maine — trained at the North Carolina post
some critics saw it as a cynical sop to President Donald Trump
who criticized the removal of Confederate names as “woke” and made restoring them part of his reelection campaign
Fort Bragg’s name being restored was like a “phoenix rising from the ashes,” said retired Maj
who served at Fort Bragg at several points during his service
said he wasn’t bothered by the installation’s initial name origin
he felt connected to the name because it had been that way for more than 100 years
who served at Fort Bragg from 1962 to 1964
said he was “ecstatic” about the name change
who traveled about an hour to attend the ceremony
refused to call the installation Fort Liberty after it was initially renamed
“It should have never been changed to start with
Hegseth signed the order during a flight to Europe and said in a video
It took an act of Congress — overriding Trump’s 2020 veto — to remove Confederate names from military installations
Although several lawmakers complained about the switch back to Bragg and its potential costs
it is unclear whether any lawmaker intends to challenge it
The Liberty-to-Bragg reversion was made without first consulting with Roland Bragg’s family
The Army said in 2023 that changing the name to Fort Liberty would cost $8 million
North Carolina’s Department of Transportation said last month that it anticipated replacing dozens of roads signs at a cost of over $200,000
Changing the name to Fort Liberty was a waste of money to begin with
who served at Fort Bragg through the 1990s
He said a solution to having to pay more to revert Fort Bragg’s name should be cutting politician salaries instead
the money spent on returning to Bragg is a well-spent investment
“Just like coming back home again,” he said
This story has been corrected to reflect that Roland Bragg trained at the North Carolina post
not that he had no known connection to the post
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Fort Liberty honors Liberty University graduates for academic
It takes extreme dedication and perseverance to complete a college degree while serving our country
Liberty University graduates at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg)
Army military installation in North Carolina
were honored at a special graduation ceremony that recognized the academic achievements of veterans
and military spouses from multiple colleges and universities
The ceremony was held at the Fort Liberty Iron Mike Conference Center
The event not only recognized individual accomplishments but also underscored the support and strength within the military community
The keynote address was delivered by LTG Chris Donahue
who commended the graduates for their extraordinary commitment to both their country and their education
Liberty’s Vice Provost of Engineering and Technology & Professional Engagement and interim dean of the School of Business
joined staff from Liberty’s Military Affairs Office at the event
Diddams personally congratulated the students and praised them for their resilience and determination
Diddams said that these graduates were given the choice between an education and serving their country–but they chose both
Liberty’s graduates represented at the ceremony earned certificates
Liberty University is one of the largest supporters of military veteran post-secondary education in the nation and enrolls over 40,000 veterans
and their military family members each year
Army base formerly known as Fort Bragg will once again bear its old name — but this time but in honor of a new namesake
On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum changing the base's name once again
"That's right: Bragg is back," Hegseth said as he signed the document on board a military aircraft, in a video shared by the Department of Defense (DoD)
Bragg, a private first class with the 17th Airborne Division, isn't exactly a household name. The DoD describes him as a "World War II hero who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge."
The memorandum that Hegseth signed suggests the name change is both an ode to Bragg's service and the legacy of the military base at which he was stationed
"This directive honors the personal courage and selfless service of all those who have trained to fight and win our nation's wars
and is in keeping with the installation's esteemed and storied history," it reads
told NPR on Tuesday morning that she was surprised to learn of the renaming just a few minutes earlier when another reporter called to ask about it
said someone from the Army had left them a message on Monday night
and after joining the Army was assigned to the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment
He was stationed at Fort Bragg during World War II and ended up fighting in Europe
He earned a Silver Star for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity," and a Purple Heart for "wounds sustained," during the Battle of the Bulge
the last major German offensive on the Western Front from December 1944 through January 1945
"During these hellish conditions and amidst ferocious fighting
Bragg saved a fellow Soldier's life by commandeering an enemy ambulance and driving it 20 miles to transport a fellow wounded warrior to an allied hospital in Belgium," the memorandum says
Bragg's daughter, Linda French, said in his 1999 obituary that he was briefly captured by the Germans but released because he and his captor were both Masons
'Hit me over the head and take off,' and he did and took off with an ambulance," she said
The vehicle came under heavy fire from both sides
"The Americans were shooting at him because he had a German Jeep
and the Germans were shooting at him because he stole their jeep
and he still made it to the other side," she added
Bragg married and worked as a mechanic and building mover
he didn't know if any of the other passengers had survived the ambulance ordeal
which is recounted in John Eisenhower's 1995 book The Bitter Woods: The Battle of the Bulge
Sokoll said a man from California called her dad shortly in his final years: "He said
you saved my life.' " Bragg flew out West to meet him
says her father had PTSD and didn't speak much about the war until after that point
She has fond childhood memories of taking skating trips with her dad
where they would roast marshmallows and hot dogs out on the ice
"He always took time for his kids," she added
In 2021 — in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd — Congress established a commission to rename DoD properties that were named after Confederate leaders
Trump vetoed the defense policy bill that contained that provision, in part because of the renaming aspect, but Congress voted to override him with considerable bipartisan support
The 2022 Naming Commission Final Report recommended new names for nine military bases
a slave-owning plantation owner and senior Confederate Army officer
is "considered one of the worst generals of the Civil War."
"Most of the battles he was involved in ended in defeat and resulted in tremendous losses for the Confederate Army; highly consequential to the ultimate defeat of the Confederacy," it reads
and widely disliked in the pre-Civil War U.S
Army and within the Confederate Army by peers and subordinates alike throughout his career."
The commission used several criteria to narrow down a list of thousands of replacement names for each base
It ultimately recommended that the base be named Liberty
"after one of America's core values." That change officially took effect in June 2023
though it was slower to catch on informally
The change became a Republican talking point on the presidential campaign trail, with Trump vowing at an October 2024 town hall in Fayetteville that he would change the name back to Fort Bragg
"We did win two world wars from Fort Bragg
And on his first day on the job in late January, Hegseth made a point to refer to two bases by their original names
Fort Bragg and Fort Benning — a sign of what could be to come
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With the national defense budget signed into law by President Joe Biden last month
Fort Liberty stands to receive $47 million for projects
more money for housing and “quality of life investments for our service members and their families.”
"I am proud of the big wins we secured to give our military community the support they deserve,” Hudson said
In addition to a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% raise for all other service members
Hudson said the defense budget benefits Fort Liberty by:
• $47 million in military construction projects
which includes $34 million for special operation forces facilities at Camp Mackall and $13 million for an addition to the special operation forces arms room at Fort Liberty
• Providing service members with direct access to providers of specialty medical care by waiving the TRICARE referral requirement
• Enabling the Department of Defense to recruit and employ additional mental health providers
• Codifying the Military Spouses Career Accelerator
which provides employment support for military spouses
• Expanding access to childcare for military spouses when they are seeking employment
According to the defense budget, $39 million was also requested for a child development center at Fort Liberty but not appropriated for the 2025 fiscal year
The budget also notes extensions of projects authorized in the 2022 fiscal year include $19.46 million for a microgrid and generators and $7.7 million for an emergency water system
If you let Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tell it, we are. He signed a memorandom yesterday that changes the name from Liberty back to Bragg
reversing a federal renaming process that had been years in the making and completed in June 2023
who earned a Silver Star during World War II’s Battle of the Bulge
The decision to name the post after the World War II private gets around the 2020 law
which prohibits naming any military assets after Confederates
The problem is that it preserves the letter of the law and violates the spirit
The point of the name change is that America should not honor people who fought against the United States
people will still call the installation “Fort Bragg” not “Fort Roland L
Bragg,” and generations of people will still think it refers to Braxton
Opinion I oversaw the change to Fort Liberty from Fort Bragg. Here is why there is no better name.
It is a very conscientious wink to lingering racists and pro-Confederates in our country
These people will see the name “Fort Bragg” as continuing to honor their gray-clad “hero,” not the World War II soldier
A soldier who stood to ask a softball question of Trump referred to being stationed at “Liberty” and the crowd bullied him into saying “Bragg” instead
What active-duty soldiers should call the post right now seems to be up in the air
The Fort Liberty website still says Fort Liberty
I know a number of people who served at Bragg and who wanted the name to stay the same had no nefarious reason — they just have a nostalgic attachment to the name that it bore when they served here
But what should gall even them is the process; the way this is playing out now honors no one
The 2020 law change in the defense budget sought to strip the names of Confederates from the former Bragg and other installations and military assets
It was an opportunity to recognize American heroes who actually fought for the country
instead of those who fought against the country for the privilege of holding other human beings as slaves
People in our community worked months, holding community meetings where all sorts of emotions and ideas were wrestled with. We finally reached a compromise on “Liberty” thanks in part to the powerful words of a Gold Star mom.
Only to have it all upended by one person to fulfill a promise his boss made on the campaign trail
Trump and his team ran over our military community for a photo op and a social media told-ya-so
Any way that you slice it, the name change will cost money, and North Carolina taxpayers could get hit coming and going. The change from Bragg to Liberty in 2023 cost $6 million.
In addition to the federal dollars a new name change will require
a change would dump a currently unfunded mandate on North Carolina taxpayers as the state Department of Transportation will have to redo all the road signs it changed less than two years ago
The money wasted on a new name change for purely political purposes illustrates brilliantly that politicians are never interested in reducing spending — they only want to change the focus of spending to enact their priorities and not the other side's
I lamented that the local committee had not chosen anyone to honor from our long roster of worthy candidates
a leader of the 82nd Airborne Division and then-new XVII Airborne Corps in World War II; Cpl
a Korean War vet and Medal of Honor recipient; Gen
who led the 82nd Airborne during the D-Day invasion; and Hugh Shelton
a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Bragg commander
I do wonder now if we had named the post for someone
might it have protected the post from so casual a decision as the Trump Administration has now made
to change the name back would have required stripping the name of a military legend
I have seen online a mix of internet trolls and serious people now calling for all the Confederate names to come back for posts that had former names like Hood
the Trump Administration will have to find another non-Rebel to slyly name the bases after
Or one supposes it can simply just ignore the law
which is also possible and has been the administration’s M.O
with many of its executive orders that move the power of the purse to the president
where the founders wrote that it should be
bobbing back and forth between military installation names is not about honoring heroism anymore
It instead just makes military installations the latest monuments to the country’s broken politics
Opinion Editor Myron B. Pitts can be reached at mpitts@fayobserver.com
(This story has been updated to include the name of the contractor.)
The city has agreed to provide trash services at Fort Liberty after the Fayetteville City Council unanimously approved a motion Feb
10 to enter a contract with the military installation
The agreement aims to solve an issue Fort Liberty has had with waste management on post
and city manager Doug Hewett formally signed the intergovernmental service agreement at the Dorothy Gilmore Recreation Center
City spokesman Loren Bymer said via email that the agreement strengthens the city's partnership with the Army installation and will create jobs for the city
According to the agreement
the city will hire a contractor to collect waste and maintain containers at Fort Liberty and Camp Mackall
said the installation reached out to the city last spring about providing solid waste services due to waste management issues on post
Existing intergovernmental service agreements between the city and Fort Liberty include janitorial services on post and a long-term lease for the construction of the MacArthur Sports Complex on MacArthur Road
Phelps added that after city staff presented the idea in October
the city issued a request for proposals for solid waste collection
Councilman Derrick Thompson said he wanted to make sure there was oversight of the program
said at the meeting that there will be quality control in place to make sure Fort Liberty gets the services they’re paying $6 million for
holding similar standards to the city's own
More: Fayetteville moving forward with update to downtown historic district standards
Thompson also expressed concern over garbage trucks driving on the highway and trash potentially blowing off the backs
“They will have preventative measures in place on their vehicles to prevent spillage and things tipping over,” Redding said
Haire asked who would be responsible if a truck broke down
Phelps said the subcontractor they are planning to work with has experience working with military installations and the contract includes 24-hour roadside service should an incident occur
Phelps said a contract for the solid waste provider will be presented for approval at the Feb
24 meeting with the goal of the contractor beginning work by March
“We understand the value of our partnership with our military neighbors
and we are always looking for opportunities to be a good neighbor
and this is yet another example of that,” Phelps said
Carter can be reached at ccarter@gannett.com
(This story was updated to correct a misspelling.)
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum Monday to change the name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg
Hegseth announced via a statement that Fort Liberty will be renamed for Pfc
a Confederate officer during the Civil War for whom the Army installation near Fayetteville was originally named when it opened in 1918.
Braxton Bragg was known for owning slaves and losing key Civil War battles
contributing to the Confederacy’s downfall
Bragg earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart for service during the Battle of the Bulge
Army base was renamed Fort Liberty in June 2023
and President Trump campaigned on changing the name back to Fort Bragg
Bragg is back! I just signed a memorandum reversing the naming of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg. pic.twitter.com/EGgZNHK72x
in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd
Congress ordered a plan to rename any military posts and federal assets that honored Confederate leaders
Fort Bragg was changed to Fort Liberty and was the only base that wasn’t named after a specific person
Related: Could Fort Liberty be changed back to Fort Bragg under Trump?
“This change underscores the installation’s legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation,” spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement
The choice of the World War II private first class got around a law prohibiting the military from naming a base after a Confederate leader
In a video he posted on X announcing that he was renaming the base
the base had still been widely known as Bragg
On Hegseth's first official day as defense secretary he made a point of calling it Fort Bragg in his first exchange with reporters
The renaming also adds cost when Trump's administration is trying to find savings through it's Department of Government Efficiency
The 2022 base renaming commission estimated that renaming Bragg
paint jobs on police and emergency responder vehicles and other items
In 2023, the base said the total costs were going to be around $8 million
FORT LIBERTY — Road work around Manchester Road near Fort Liberty continues
causing delays for some drivers who have raised concerns at the past two Community Action Council meetings
one audience member asked if the traffic light
“It tends to only last about two minutes to make that right turn onto Vass Road from 87
which tends to cause a significant backup,” she said
A response from the North Carolina Department of Transportation that was read at a meeting Wednesday stated that NCDOT is examining the traffic flow at the intersection
The response stated that any changes to adjust the timing of the light should “allow the most efficient flow of traffic in the area.”
which officials said would be addressed at the February Community Action Council meeting
was an online user asking if a roundabout could be placed at Morrison Bridge and Manchester roads to improve traffic flow
an audience member also asked when drivers can expect Manchester Road work to be completed
Slides from Fort Liberty’s Directorate of Public Works show that the work is projected to be completed by May
station commander for Fort Liberty’s law enforcement center
Work being done nowDuring the November meeting
Director of Public Works Steve Wykel said that work on King Road
was expected to halt once the weather got cold toward the end of December or January
work on King Road started in October and is expected to continue until May
Drivers are encouraged to use Manchester Road during that time
The King Road pavement rehabilitation work is from Plank Road to Morganton Road
Wykel said the second phase will be more noticeable because Manchester Road will be blocked
• The second phase of work will be from Morganton Road to Morrison Bridge Road from May until September
Drivers should use State Highway 690 to Morrison Bridge Road during that time
• The third phase of work will be from Morrison Bridge Road to Blues Road
Drivers should use Morganton to Plank Road of State Highway 690 during that time
• The fourth and final phase will be from Blues Road to Lamont Road
Officials said drivers can check for updates on roadwork by visiting https://home.army.mil/liberty/roads
Fort Bragg's military base name should have never changed to (Fort) Liberty in the first place
I'm proud when I say I was born at Fort Bragg's army base
Definitely another reason why I'm glad I voted for Trump
PHOTOS Take a look as Fort Bragg holds redesignation ceremony in honor of Pfc. Roland L. Bragg
I was stationed at Fort Bragg for a 3-month train up and a 1-month (demobalization) for an Afghanistan deployment from 2006 to 2007. Maj. Hegseth did the Army a service giving the name back. Fort Bragg and the 82nd Airborne have a long proud history defending this nation
and the name-change under Biden was uncalled for
Parts of history are ugly but are there to remind us not to repeat
It should serve as a peace offering to past protests
giving a new more honorable soldier's face to that name
write to letters@faybserver.com or to the Opinion Editor Myron B
The iconic Fort Bragg in North Carolina underwent a big change in 2023 when it was renamed Fort Liberty
But less than two years later one of the largest military complexes in the world could see change again
President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on changing the name back to Fort Bragg
The sprawling military post first opened in 1918
It was named for North Carolina native Gen
“His own troops tried to kill him in the Mexican [-American] War. He was thoroughly loathed by his soldiers in the Civil War, and he almost always lost,” retired Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule said. Seidule is a professor at Hamilton College, and he is coming out with a book about the military bases that received new names.
“The thing the military understands is when it’s given a mission by Congress it’s going to execute it,” said Seidule
who served as the vice-chair of the commission that oversaw the renaming of nine military installations.
The commission spent nearly two years combing through thousands of names sent in by the public
and met with the communities of each of the nine military posts named after Confederate generals
“They suggested 'Liberty' because it was the first line of the song of the 82nd Airborne Division
And a gold star mother said this united us
And they were very united behind that name,” Seidule said
Changing Fort Bragg’s name cost more than $6 million
and for all the bases it was estimated to be more than $20 million
Despite Trump’s campaign promise to change Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg
he may not be able to do it by executive action
“I’m not a lawyer … but there was the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 that said nothing could be named after a Confederate
so I don’t know if they could rename it after a Confederate without changing that law,” Seidule said
Spectrum News reached out to Trump’s transition team for a statement regarding how and when he would try and revert Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg but did not hear back
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, was reported by CNN to have previously said the bases that got new names should be changed back
Copyright 2025 American Homefront Project
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has renamed Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg on Monday
Hegseth's restoration of the Bragg name comes with a slight alteration
a World War II veteran who fought during the Battle of the Bulge
Fort Bragg was initially named in 1918 after Confederate General Braxton Bragg
former President Joe Biden changed the name during his tenure
Watch related coverage: Veteran stunned by DoD ending recognition of cultural identity months
the Department of Defense says this name restoration recognizes the service and sacrifice exhibited by members of the U.S
Biden's initiative to remove Confederate names from U.S
military bases was criticized by many Trump allies
His decision to return the Bragg moniker under a different namesake is a cheeky way of answering those frustrations
Army officials are considering changing the name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg, according to an NBC News report
"I walked in, the first question that I asked - 'should we change the name from Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg," Trump said on Oct. 4
I’m doing it,” he told the crowd at Crown Arena
Fort Bragg was a reference to confederate Gen
The name change came as part of an initiative by the Department of Defense to rename nine military installations bearing the names of confederate soldiers
the changes in 2023 cost about $6.37 million
In 1918 when Camp Bragg was established, it was named for Gen. Bragg in honor of his actions during the Mexican-American war. Although he served in the Confederate army, many historians agree that his poor tactics contributed to many losses during the Civil War
Gen. Bragg is credited by historians with having won one of the most significant Confederate victories at the Battle of Chickamauga--but despite his advantage, he"declined to capitalize on his victory and instead allowed the Union Army to retreat to Chattanooga," according to a historical summary of his military service
the author of Braxton Bragg: Most Hated Man of the Confederacy
Bragg as "having a reputation for incompetence
for wantonly shooting his own soldiers and for losing battles."
"Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, Braxton Bragg lived the life of a genteel planter on a sugar cane plantation in Louisiana where slaves put in back-breaking labor in unspeakable conditions to bring molasses to market and earn Bragg a profit. He met any Northern criticism of slavery with harsh criticism," wrote Michael Newcity in an article on Duke Today
it may seem strange they would honor him by naming a military base after him
Bragg was a born-and-raised North Carolinian
and many of these bases preferred to honor local soldiers who served their state
Another point of interest: Before serving in the Confederate army
winning decisive victories for the US during the Mexican-American war
His contributions to the United States during wartime are the reason Fort Bragg chose him as their namesake
Christened a century ago in honor of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, the post in North Carolina was renamed in 2023 amid a drive to remove symbols of the Confederacy from public spaces
the North Carolina Army installation has become Fort Bragg again
only this time in honor of a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine
A ceremony Friday celebrated the post's new namesake
President Donald Trump made restoring Confederate names a part of his reelection campaign
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the rededication honors an American hero and restores a name that soldiers knew and revered for over a century
But last month Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order reinstating the Bragg name, only this time honoring Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg
a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine
A few hundred people — made up of active service members and the public — gathered under black and yellow tents in front of the base's command center headquarters to watch the renaming ceremony
Among the attendees were several members of Bragg's family
who spoke on the family's behalf during the ceremony
hardworking and proud” man who didn't discuss his military service in World War II very openly
“Rank doesn't mean a thing when you're in a tight spot,” said Amirpour
Fort Bragg's name being restored was like a “phoenix rising from the ashes,” said retired Maj
said he wasn't bothered by the installation's initial name origin
Hegseth announced this week that Georgia's Fort Moore would revert to Fort Benning. Originally named for Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning, it will now honor Cpl. Fred G. Benning
a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross who served in France during World War I
North Carolina's Department of Transportation said last month that it anticipated replacing dozens of roads signs at a cost of over $200,000
He said a solution to having to pay more to revert Fort Bragg's name should be cutting politician salaries instead
Fort Liberty will officially be switched back to Fort Bragg
On Monday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum declaring the Army would rename the post from Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg
Hegseth posted video of him signing the memo on X
“This directive honors the personal courage and selfless service of all those who have trained to fight and win our nation’s wars
and is in keeping with the installation's esteemed and storied history,” Hegseth said in the memo
Fort Bragg will be named after Private First Class Roland L
who served with the Army during World War II
WRAL reporter Shaun Gallagher was the first person to break the news to Roland Bragg’s family about the name change
The family said they missed a call from an Army lieutenant colonel Monday night
The switch to Fort Liberty in 2023 initiated because of the history behind the original Fort Bragg namesake
The name is being changed back to Fort Bragg for Roland Bragg who
drove a stolen German ambulance 20 miles to get a wounded soldier to an Allied Forces hospital in Belgium
Roland Bragg was awarded a Purple Heart and a Silver Star for his actions
his family said he didn’t talk much about it and led a modest life in Maine
but WRAL News asked family members how they think he’d feel knowing the largest Army post in the world bears his name
"He'd be amazed," described Debra and Christopher Sokoll
the daughter and son-in-law of Roland Bragg
I don't think he'd expect any special attention
He wouldn't be the type of fellow who would expect that
he would just be very surprised about it."
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), who represents the congressional district where the installation resides, thanked Hegseth on X after the order was announced
Hudson also provided a statement, saying, "I support the change. I think it’s a good, unifying compromise that is similar to the one I proposed on August 27th, 2021.”
"Retaining the name Fort Bragg is the right call," Knott wrote
"Even after the last administration 'changed the name,' current and former members of the military continually referred to the fort as 'Ft
Purple Heart and Gold Star recipient and valiant paratrooper Pfc
Bragg is a meaningful tribute to the elite Special Ops
and America’s Contingency Corps for which Fort Bragg is notorious."
From 1922 to 2023, the post was named after Braxton Bragg for his actions during the Mexican-American war. While Braxton Bragg was a Confederate general during the Civil War, many historians said his poor tactics contributed to several losses during the war
Discussions for the post's first name change began in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd protests across the nation during President Donald Trump's first term in office
were named after Confederate officers to earn support from local populations in the South during the height of Jim Crow Laws
Congress established the commission to rename the bases in the National Defense Authorization Act in 2021 near the end of Trump's first term
Trump vetoed the legislation but bipartisan support in both congressional chambers overrode his veto
In 2023, the post changed its name to Fort Liberty as part of the commission by the Department of Defense while former President Joe Biden was in office to rename nine military installations bearing the names of Confederate generals
During a campaign stop in Fayetteville
then-Republican nominee Donald Trump campaigned said he would restore the post's original name during the 2024 election
Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin told WRAL News he was surprised by the about face on the name change
adding the order from Hegseth seemed to contradict the administration's commitment to efficiency and cost savings
which included Gold Star families who felt Liberty was a true reflection of what our service men and women defend day-in and day-out," he said
It is unclear how much it will cost to change the name back to Fort Bragg
who said he anticipates the change back to Fort Bragg will cost a similar amount
WRAL News also asked the Army about costs to change the name back to Fort Bragg
"Renaming Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg represents an opportunity to honor one of the XVIII Airborne Corps’ own heroes
Bragg who earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions during World War II," an Army spokesperson wrote
"Bragg served in the 17th Airborne Division
and we are proud to honor his legacy and all those who have called Fort Bragg home
"We have already begun coordination on the way ahead
Hegseth said the Army would “take all the steps necessary and appropriate actions to implement this decision in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.”