Friday 7 October 2022 09:37 PM US Army WILL rename nine forts named after Confederate generals at a cost of ... trends now
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After half-a-decade of debate, the US Department of Defense ha announced it will rename the nine US military bases that bear named of officers of the Confederacy.
The effort will cost the American taxpayers a cool $62.5 million and likely begin early next year.
On Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave the official nod of approval to put into action the final recommendations of the Commission on the Naming of Items of the DoD that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served with the Confederate States of America - a title long enough to sufficiently explicate the complexity of the topic.
The Naming Commission (for short), released a memo Thursday that included recommendations to alter upward of 1,000 installations and facilities, including the nine major Army bases, that were originally named after leaders of the Confederacy.
Those nine Army bases that will soon bear new names are Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in Georgia; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett, and Fort Lee in Virginia. The Naming Commission released a list of potential new names for the bases back in May, names that included ‘Fort Eisenhower’ for Fort Gordon and ‘Fort Liberty’ for Fort Bragg, among others.
The renaming will likely begin in December or the new year, following a congressionally-mandated 90-day waiting period.
Two of the US Army bases named for Confederate generals that are set to be renamed likely early next year
US Army Fort AP Hill in Virginia
Fort Pickett in Virginia was named for Confederate General George Pickett, who is best know for leading the futile battle offensive on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg
'The installations and facilities that our Department operates are more than vital national security assets. They are also powerful public symbols of our military, and of course, they are the places where our Service members and their families work and live,' said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
'The names of these installations and facilities should
