A sign near the front gate of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. US Army photo.
Defense Department officials announced last week they plan to visit 10 Army bases in the coming months as part of the congressionally mandated review and renaming of military bases and other assets whose names are tied to the Confederacy.
The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act mandated the creation of an eight-person commission to lead efforts to remove Confederate names, monuments, or other symbols from DOD property. The Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America, is more often referred to as the Naming Commission, according to a DOD release.
The Naming Commission is tasked with developing criteria for identifying Confederate monuments, recommending procedures, and gathering input from communities. The commission held its first meeting in March, and retired Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, the chairperson of the commission, said in a press conference the commission developed an initial charter to guide the process and will meet with local stakeholders to incorporate local opinions in the renaming process.
Throughout the summer and fall, the naming commission will visit Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Fort Benning and Fort Gordon, Georgia; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Lee, Fort Belvoir, and Fort Pickett, Virginia.
Unlike the other installations, Fort Belvoir was not named for a Confederate general. The base gets its name from a plantation that held slaves and “possibly commemorates the Confederacy,” the DOD release said.
“We have to look at when and where the installation or asset was named, and then what was the purpose behind the naming,” Howard said.
A Navy ship has also been flagged for possible renaming. The USNS Maury, an oceanographic survey ship, was named for Cmdr. Matthew Fontaine Maury, who resigned from the Union Navy to sail for the Confederacy.
The commission is not required to come up with new names for the properties in question, Politico reported earlier this year. If it doesn’t suggest new names, the Army secretary or defense secretary has the authority to launch a process to brainstorm new names, Politico reported.
The commission will brief the House and Senate Armed Services Committees in October and is required to present a briefing and written report to Congress one year after that. The law requires the defense secretary to implement the commission’s plan by Jan. 1, 2024.
Read Next: The US Navy Saved a Boy Fleeing Vietnam — Now, He’s a Navy Doctor
Hannah Ray Lambert is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die who previously covered everything from murder trials to high school trap shooting teams. She spent several months getting tear gassed during the 2020-2021 civil unrest in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not working, Hannah enjoys hiking, reading, and talking about authors and books on her podcast Between Lewis and Lovecraft.
Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.
Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.
A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.
Since the 1920s, a low-tech tabletop replica of an aircraft carrier’s flight deck has been an essential tool in coordinating air operations.
For nearly as long as the Army-Navy football rivalry, the academies’ hoofed mascots have stared each other down from the sidelines. Here are their stories.
Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel the weapon was produced by Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries but gave no other details.
Ambushes make for great action scenes. Here are seven of the best to ever grace the big screen.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the launch occurred Wednesday but gave no further details, such as how far the missile flew.