Fort Lee, Virginia, Named for a Confederate General, Will Be Renamed to Honor Black Army Pioneers

Fort Lee in Virginia will be officially renamed Fort Gregg-Adams on Thursday after two Black officers who made significant contributions to the U.S. Army.

The post is one of nine Army bases that will be renamed as part of the process of redesignating bases named after Confederate leaders, according to an Army statement.

“We are deeply honored to have Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams as the new namesakes for our installation,” Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly, commander of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command and senior commander of Fort Lee, said in the statement.

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Two other bases in Virginia — Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Pickett — were also scheduled to be renamed by the congressional Naming Commission. The commission was established in January 2021 to remove names, signs and other items associated with the Confederacy and Confederate soldiers who waged the Civil War, largely to protect and expand the slave trade.

The Naming Commission sought new names that are historically relevant and inclusive, and chose Gregg and Adams for their inspiring leadership, Simerly said.

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