President Trump announces plan to restore Texas base's name to Fort Hood, reversing 2023 renaming
Just two years after being renamed Fort Cavazos, the U.S. Army base in Central Texas may soon revert to its original name — Fort Hood.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced his intent to restore the names of several military installations that were changed during the Biden administration.
"We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It's no time to change," Mr. Trump said while visiting Fort Bragg ahead of the U.S. Army's 250th birthday celebration.
Fort Cavazos in Killeen, renamed in 2023 to honor Gen. Richard Cavazos, the U.S. Army's first Hispanic four-star general, had previously been named after Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood.
The original renaming was part of a broader national initiative to remove Confederate references from U.S. military sites.
Bases that Mr. Trump would like to rename back, in addition to Fort Hood, include:
- Fort Pickett – Virginia
- Fort Gordon – Georgia
- Fort Rucker – Alabama
- Fort Polk – Louisiana
- Fort A.P. Hill – Virginia
- Fort Robert E. Lee – Virginia
Mr. Trump had previously renamed Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg on March 27.
"So that's a big story," Mr. Trump said, referring to his announcement. "We just announced that today to you for the first time. They said, 'Why didn't you wait till Saturday?' I said, 'I can't wait.' I got to talk to my friends here today."
Fort Hood was renamed Fort Cavazos in 2023 as part of a nationwide initiative prompted by 2021 federal legislation requiring the removal of Confederate names and symbols from Department of Defense assets. The Naming Commission, established to oversee this process, recommended changes to several military installations.
In addition to being the Army's first Hispanic four-star general, Gen. Cavazos, a Texas native, was a decorated veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He also served as the commanding general of III Corps at Fort Hood from 1980 to 1982.
