The United States will rename nine military bases that honor Confederate officers after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed off on the move, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced on Oct. 6.
The decision comes after the Naming Commission, established by Congress last year to plan for the removal of Confederate-linked “names, symbols, displays, monuments, or paraphernalia” that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America, completed its analysis on Sept. 19.
The commission is made up of eight volunteers selected by Congress and the defense secretary.
Following 18 months of work, which included “extensive consultations with experts, historians, and the communities rooted in the bases in question,” it found nine Army bases that were named in commemoration of the Confederacy and its leaders.
New Names ‘Should Inspire All Those Who Call Them Home’
“The names of these installations and facilities should inspire all those who call them home, fully reflect the history and the values of the United States, and commemorate the best of the republic that we are all sworn to protect.”“I am committed to implementing all of the commission’s recommendations as soon as possible,” Austin said, adding that this will happen when a 90-day waiting period expires in December.
The changes “will give proud new names that are rooted in their local communities and that honor American heroes whose valor, courage, and patriotism exemplify the very best of the United States military,” Austin wrote.
A string of nationwide protests across the United States in 2020 in response to police brutality and the murder of George Floyd prompted calls to rename the bases.
It will cost an estimated $21 million to rename the nine bases and $62.5 million to fully implement the recommendations laid out in the report, according to the naming commission.