Army Wraps $95 Million Project Renovating Moldy Fort Liberty Barracks, Demolishing Others

A degraded bathtub pictured at Smoke Bomb Hill is shown to members of the media during the XVIII Airborne Corps media day on Sept. 8, 2022, at Fort Bragg, N.C.

The Army has finished major renovations and demolition of Fort Liberty, North Carolina’s troubled Smoke Bomb Hill Barracks, which the service deemed unlivable after a slew of complaints from soldiers and media scrutiny. Three barracks buildings were renovated and are set to house soldiers again in early 2024. But a dozen barracks were determined to […]

The Shame of Liberty: How the Lazy, Safe Renaming of Fort Bragg Wasted an Opportunity

The new Fort Liberty sign is displayed outside the base in Fort Liberty, N.C.

The renaming of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, mandated by Congress and formalized in a ceremony in June, was an opportunity to remind not only the installation’s current and future troops and families, but also the country, of the social value of our Army. In selecting the name “Liberty,” the Pentagon wasted an opportunity. The shedding […]

DeSantis, Pence Campaign on Reversing Fort Liberty Designation

Fort Liberty Redesignation Ceremony.

Two Republican presidential contenders took aim at the Army’s recent move to rename military bases that for decades honored Confederates who waged war against the U.S., saying that as president they would return to those rebel namesakes. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence promised to restore Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to […]

Army Avoids War Hero Names as Fort Bragg Instead Becomes Fort Liberty

The new Fort Liberty sign is displayed outside the base in Fort Liberty, N.C.

Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was redesignated as Fort Liberty on Friday, marking it as the only major Army base not having a namesake honoring a significant figure in the force’s history. Fort Liberty is broadly considered one of the Army’s highest-profile installations, serving as the home of the service’s 82nd Airborne Division — set to […]