Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth renames Fort Moore to Fort Benning — but a different one
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has signed a memorandum renaming Fort Moore to Fort Benning, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Monday.
Instead of paying homage to a Confederate officer, as Fort Benning previously did, the new name pays tribute to U.S. Army Cpl. Fred G. Benning, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his “extraordinary heroism in action during World War I with the U.S. Army in France in 1918,” the department’s news release says.
“This change underscores the installation’s storied history of service to the United States of America, honors the warfighter ethos, and recognizes the heroes who have trained at the installation for decades and will continue to train on its storied ranges,” the news release says.
During his remarks in January when he arrived at the Pentagon as the new defense secretary, Hegseth referred to Fort Moore and Fort Liberty as Fort Benning and Fort Bragg.
These were the names of the bases which were renamed following the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The act called for the renaming of Department of Defense-owned assets that honored the Confederacy.
Fort Benning originally was named for Henry Lewis Benning, a lawyer, politician, secessionist and Confederate general.
The post was renamed Fort Moore in honor of U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julie.
Moore’s three-decade military career is highlighted by his heroism as commander at the Battle of Ia Drang during the Vietnam War. The battle was documented in the 1992 bestselling book “We Were Soldiers Once… and Young” and the 2002 movie “We Were Soldiers.”
Julie Moore also was honored in the renaming for her legacy of providing support to soldier families, especially the ones who lost a loved one in battle.
In an interview last year with Ben Shapiro, Hegseth said, “I emailed my company commander from my infantry training, which was at Fort Benning, which is no longer Fort Benning. It’s Fort Moore. And Hal Moore’s a great guy. But, like, there’s also a generational link that breaks when you rename Benning and Bragg. Like, where’d you serve? Bragg. Where’d you serve? Benning. Where’d you serve, now Liberty?
“Like, it’s just, it’s garbage. It’s all, it’s just, let’s just crap all over it.”
Hegseth has advocated for reinstating the previous name of a military base in another instance. He shared this belief in an episode of “The Everyday Warrior Podcast” with Mike Sarraille last year.
“We should change it back, by the way,” Hegseth said while discussing the name change of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty. “We should change it back because legacy matters. My uncle served at Bragg. I served at Bragg. It breaks a generational link.”
The Ledger-Enquirer asked the Department of Defense in January whether the DOD or Hegseth were considering renaming Fort Moore and Fort Liberty back to their former names of Fort Benning and Fort Bragg. The Ledger-Enquirer received the following response: “We don’t have anything to offer on this.”
CNN reported Hegseth, as secretary of defense, could advocate for reverting the bases’ names to their former names, but the changes would require Congressional approval.
But a news release Monday evening from the Fort Moore Public Affairs Office declares, “Fort Moore is renamed Fort Benning, effective immediately.”
“The renaming process will include updating all official documentation, signage, and digital platforms in a deliberate and phased manner,” the news release says. “We look forward to inviting the community to attend an official ceremony at a date to be determined in the very near future.”
Ledger-Enquirer reporter Kelby Hutchison contributed to this story.
This story was originally published March 3, 2025 at 4:50 PM.
