List of U.S. Army installations named for Confederate soldiers facts for kids

Many military bases in the United States were once named after generals from the Confederate States Army (CSA). These bases are part of the U.S. Army or Army National Guard. Most of them got their names after World War I and during the 1940s.

In 2021, the United States Congress created a special group called The Naming Commission. This group's job was to suggest new names for military places that honored the Confederacy. By January 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense decided to follow all of the commission's recommendations.

States do not have to rename their own National Guard bases. However, Louisiana chose to rename its state-owned facilities. Other states, like Texas and Virginia, have decided to keep the names of Confederate figures on their state-owned bases for now.

Why Names Changed

During the world wars, the U.S. built many military bases. A lot of these were in former Confederate states. They were often named after Confederate military leaders. Some people believe these names were chosen to help heal the country after the Civil War.

For a long time, there were occasional requests to rename these bases. In 2015, the Pentagon said it would not change any names. They felt the names were meant to bring people together, not divide them.

However, after big protests in 2020 about the murder of George Floyd, the government started to rethink these names. Many people felt that honoring Confederate figures was wrong. President Donald Trump was against renaming the bases. He even tried to stop a law that allowed the changes. But Congress voted to pass the law anyway.

In 2021, Congress officially created The Naming Commission. This commission was tasked with finding new names for military places linked to the Confederacy. The Secretary of Defense had to make sure all names, symbols, and monuments honoring the Confederacy were removed from Department of Defense property within three years.

Active Military Bases Renamed

Nine large U.S. military bases were once named after Confederate leaders. All of these bases are in states that were part of the Confederacy. They were all given new names in 2023:

• Fort Benning (1917), in Columbus, Georgia, was named for Confederate General Henry L. Benning. It was renamed Fort Moore on May 11, 2023. The new name honors General Hal Moore and his wife Julia Compton Moore.
• Fort Bragg (1918), in North Carolina, was named for Confederate General Braxton Bragg. It was renamed Fort Liberty on June 2, 2023. The new name honors the idea of liberty itself.
• Fort Gordon (1917), in Augusta, Georgia, was named for Confederate General John Brown Gordon. It was renamed Fort Eisenhower on October 27, 2023. The new name honors President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• Fort A.P. Hill (1941), in Bowling Green, Virginia, was named for Confederate General A. P. Hill. It was renamed Fort Walker on August 25, 2023. The new name honors Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a Medal of Honor recipient and army surgeon.
• Fort Hood (1942), in Killeen, Texas, was named for Confederate General John Bell Hood. It was renamed Fort Cavazos on May 9, 2023. The new name honors General Richard Cavazos.
• Fort Lee (1917), in Prince George County, Virginia, was named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee. It was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams on April 27, 2023. The new name honors Lieutenant General Arthur J. Gregg and Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams.
• Fort Pickett (1942), in Blackstone, Virginia, was a Virginia National Guard base named for Confederate General George Pickett. It was renamed Fort Barfoot on March 24, 2023. The new name honors Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Van T. Barfoot.
• Fort Polk (1941), in Leesville, Louisiana, was named for Confederate General Leonidas Polk. It was renamed Fort Johnson on June 13, 2023. The new name honors Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant William Henry Johnson.
• Fort Rucker (1942), in Dale County, Alabama, was named for Confederate Colonel Edmund Rucker. It was renamed Fort Novosel on April 10, 2023. The new name honors Medal of Honor recipient Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Novosel.

Former Federal Bases Now State-Owned

Some military bases were once federal but were later given to their states. These bases are now run by the state's National Guard. Because they are not federal property, The Naming Commission did not have the power to rename them.

• Camp Beauregard, near Pineville, Louisiana, was a Louisiana National Guard base. It was named for Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. In September 2022, Louisiana decided to rename it. It became the Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville on October 18, 2023.
• Camp Maxey, near Paris, Texas, is a Texas National Guard base. It was named after Confederate Brigadier General Samuel B. Maxey. As of 2023, Texas has no plans to rename this base.
• Camp Pendleton, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a Virginia National Guard base. It was named after Confederate Brigadier General William N. Pendleton. In January 2021, Virginia's governor asked for a new name. No change was made before he left office. Now, the Virginia National Guard calls it by its original name, "State Military Reservation," instead of Camp Pendleton.

Deactivated Military Bases

Other military bases from the mid-20th century were also named after Confederate generals. These bases are no longer active military sites:

• Camp Breckinridge, in Kentucky, was named for John C. Breckinridge. Part of the former camp is now a job training center.
• Camp Forrest, a large training base from World War II near Tullahoma, Tennessee, was named for Nathan Bedford Forrest. It is now the site of Arnold Air Force Base.
• Camp Van Dorn, another large World War II training base near Centreville, Mississippi, was named for CSA Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. Most of this area is now privately owned.
• Camp Wheeler, in Georgia, was named for Joseph Wheeler. The former camp is now home to an airport and an industrial park.

See also

• List of name changes due to the George Floyd protests