More than 90,000 names submitted by the public to replace Fort Bragg

More than 90,000 people have submitted an idea for a name change for Fort Bragg to the federal government after U.S. Congress ordered that several military installations named after Confederate figures or sympathizers be renamed by 2023.

"There are literally thousands of Americans, me included, that have a connection to Fort Bragg," said WRAL Fayetteville reporter Gilbert Baez. "We served in distinguished units and defended this country all over the world."

Process to rename Fort Bragg begins with public input

The military site was named after Gen. Braxton Bragg, a North Carolina slave owner who fought for the Confederate army during the Civil War to uphold slavery. Fort Bragg was established in 1919, decades after the Civil War.

The public submitted names of women like Harriet Tubman or Eleanor Roosevelt. Many have suggested the post be renamed after Edward S. Bragg, a Union cousin of Braxton Bragg who didn't enslaved people. This way, the military base could still keep its namesake.

Fort Bragg spokesman Col. Joe Buccino, said that a name change won't change the history behind the military base.

"You always hear about it. This is how we did things back at Bragg. And you know, Bragg, the center of the military universe. That's where you think about the notion of readiness and rapid response," he said.

"This is not Fort Bragg's idea to change their name. It's not Fayetteville's idea, it's not Cumberland County's idea or even North Carolina," said Col. Scott Pence, garrison commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, during the public hearing.

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"We were directed to change the name by the U.S. Congress. So it will happen," Pence said.