In 2021, the Naming Commission established by Congress was charged with recommending new names for Army bases that bared the names of Confederate soldiers who took up arms against the Union. Of the nine installations that were renamed, one was Fort Hood, named after Confederate General Joshua Bell Hood. In 2023, it was renamed as Fort Cavazos after Gen. Richard Cavazos, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in the Korean War.
In 2025, Fort Cavazos reverted back to being named Fort Hood, under order from the Secretary of the Army, following guidance issued by the President to return the names of all nine installations which had been changed.
Perhaps some of these bases would benefit from the use of digital signage around their posts, in order to better accommodate the quickly changing naming conventions instituted by political leaders.
However, this name Fort Hood is not being renamed for its original name sake – due to a law against the honoring of Confederates in this manner – but rather in honor of World War I hero Colonel Robert Hood.
"Col. Hood represents the ideal citizen-Soldier, a man who rose to the occasion when his nation needed him most and continued to give back long after the fighting had ceased," Gen. Kevin Admiral, the Fort Hood commanding general, said. "In recognition of his service, Col. Hood’s name will live on as generations of Soldiers who served and will serve here learn about his career and the impact he had on our Army."
Colonel Hood served in the Army for 44 years, and even survived the Pearl Harbor bombing later in his career before retiring in 1961. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for actions near Thiaucourt, France in 1918.
"Col. Hood’s life reminds us that while not every hero becomes a household name, their legacy can be immortalized by the values they live and the lives they touch," Admiral described.