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who is fort bragg named after

Fort Bragg was originally named after Confederate General Braxton Bragg , but today the name officially honors Pfc. Roland L. Bragg , a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient.

Quick scoop: who Fort Bragg is named after

  • Original namesake (1918):
    • The Army post in North Carolina was established as Camp Bragg in 1918 and soon became Fort Bragg.
    • It was named for Braxton Bragg , a former U.S. Army artillery officer who later served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War.
* Local civic leaders supported using his name because he was a prominent North Carolina–born general.
  • Controversy and renaming to Fort Liberty (2023):
    • Because Braxton Bragg was a Confederate general and slave owner, his role as a base namesake drew increasing criticism, especially during national debates over Confederate symbols.
* In 2023, following a congressionally mandated renaming process, the base was redesignated **Fort Liberty** to remove the Confederate association.
  • Reversion back to Fort Bragg (2025) with a new honoree:
    • In February 2025, the Army changed the name back to Fort Bragg , but explicitly not in honor of Braxton Bragg.
* The updated namesake is **Pfc. Roland L. Bragg** , a World War II paratrooper from Maine who served in the 17th Airborne Division and trained at the installation.

* He earned the **Silver Star** and **Purple Heart** for heroism during the Battle of the Bulge, including commandeering an enemy ambulance to drive a wounded comrade about 20 miles to an Allied hospital.

How the namesake changed over time

  • 1918–2023:
    • Fort Bragg’s name referred to Confederate General Braxton Bragg.
  • 2023–early 2025:
    • Renamed Fort Liberty as part of a broader effort to remove Confederate names and symbols from U.S. military bases.
  • Since February 2025:
    • Name reverted to Fort Bragg , now commemorating Pfc. Roland L. Bragg , whose WWII service and decorations are highlighted in Defense Department communications about the redesignation.

So if you’re asking historically “who was Fort Bragg named after,” the answer is Braxton Bragg ; if you’re asking who it is currently meant to honor , it is Pfc. Roland L. Bragg.

TL;DR:

  • Then: Named for Confederate General Braxton Bragg (from 1918).
  • Now: The Fort Bragg name officially honors WWII paratrooper Pfc. Roland L. Bragg after a 2025 redesignation.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.