RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The final decision on the recommendations for the new names of three U.S. army bases — Fort Lee, Fort Pickett and Fort Hill — in Virginia has been announced.
The decision to rename the bases came after Congress overrode the President’s veto of the defense spending bill in 2021. Shortly after, Congress enlisted the help of an independent commission, which was tasked with renaming the bases with names related to the confederacy. The Naming Commission released its final report on recommending the new Army base names — encompassed in Part I of the plan — to Congress on Monday, Sept. 19.
Part I of the three-part final report recommended names for nine military bases, including Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Rucker in Alabama, Fort Polk in Louisiana, Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in Georgia, and Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Lee and Fort Pickett in Virginia.
The Commission said the new names were decided upon by taking several factors into account, such as lists of all service assets based on Commission criteria, consideration of local sensitivities, discussions with elected officials, and direct public input. See the new names below.
Fort Pickett
- New Name: Fort Barfoot
- Selected Candidate: Technical Sergeant Van T. Barfoot
- Estimated Total Cost: $322,900
Fort Lee
- New Name: Fort Gregg-Adams
- Selected Candidate: LTG Arthur J. Gregg and LTC Charity Adams
- Estimated Total Cost: $2,396,600
Fort A.P. Hill
- New Name: Fort Walker
- Selected Candidate: Dr. Mary Walker
- Estimated Total Cost: $1,982,227
Part II of the Naming Commission’s Final Report will address assets of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. Part III will address all Department of Defense assets not covered in the first two parts.
