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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum changing the name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg.
Hegseth signed the memo concerning the North Carolina Army base while on a U.S. Air Force C-17 before landing in Stuttgart, Germany, on Monday.
“America is back,” Hegseth said in a video posted to X showing him signing the memo.
“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,” Department of Defense press secretary John Ullyot said in a statement.
“This change underscores the installation’s legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation,” he added.
The twist on the original name changes the name from Gen. Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general from Warrenton, North Carolina, who was known for owning slaves.
President Donald Trump pledged to change the name back during his campaign while on a campaign stop in North Carolina.
“We did win two world wars from Fort Bragg, right?” Trump said at the rally. “We’re going to get it back. We’re going to bring our country back.”
The name change controversy arose after the 2020 George Floyd protests. The Department of Defense later led a name-change initiative to rename several bases which included the names of Confederate soldiers. Fort Bragg was renamed in 2023 under former President Joe Biden.
Other renamed locations included “ Fort Benning, home to the Army’s infantry school, to Fort Moore, after the late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, a Vietnam War commander, and Fort Hood to Fort Cavazos, named after Gen. Richard Edward Cavazos, a four-star general who fought in both the Korean and Vietnam wars,” Fox News reported.
Hegseth was sworn in on Jan. 14 before the Armed Forces Committee as Trump’s selected nominee.
“When President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense,” Hegseth said at the time. “He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on lethality, meritocracy, warfighting, accountability and readiness.”