Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth renamed North Carolina’s Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg. The Biden administration changed the military base’s name to Fort Liberty in 2023.
“Pursuant to the authority of the Secretary of Defense, Title 10, United States Code Section 113, I direct the Army to change the name of Fort Liberty, North Carolina to Fort Bragg, North Carolina,” Hegseth said. “That’s right, Bragg is back.”
“While flying aboard a C-17 from Joint Base Andrews to Stuttgart on February 10, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum renaming Fort Liberty in North Carolina to Fort Roland L. Bragg,” a press release on the name change says. “The new name pays tribute to Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, 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.”
The base was originally named Fort Bragg for a Confederate general.
Hegseth’s memo says 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” during the Battle of the Bulge.
“The directive honors the personal courage and selfless service of all those who have trained to fight and win our nation’s wars, including PFC. Bragg, and is in keeping with the installation’s esteemed and storied history,” the memo says, according to reports.
The former Biden administration sought to change the names of nine military bases.
