While Biden talks nuclear war, US defense sec. is busy renaming military assets honoring confederacy

As the world faces the risk of nuclear annihilation, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has decided to focus in on what truly matters: Ridding America of Confederate history.

In a memo issued Thursday, Austin formally signed off on an independent, third party commission’s recommendations for all U.S. military assets named after the Confederacy to be renamed based on new “woke” guidelines.

“I concur with all of the Naming Commission’s recommendations, including the renaming plan. In the words of Admiral Michelle M. Howard, the Naming Commission’s chair, the commission’s goal was to inspire Service members and military communities ‘with names or values that have meaning,'” he said.

“The Department’s implementation of the Commission’s recommendations will do just that — and will give proud new names that are rooted in their local communities and that honor American heroes whose valor, courage, and patriotism exemplify the very best of the United States military.”

Austin added, “The names of these installations and facilities should inspire all those who call them home, fully reflect the history and the values of the United States, and commemorate the best of the republic that we are all sworn to protect. … The Commission has chosen names that echo with honor, patriotism, and history — names that will inspire generations of Service members to defend our democracy and our Constitution.”

According to Military.com, the Naming Commission “found some 1,100 Confederate references across the Defense Department,” including nine U.S. Army bases that’ll now be “renamed after a diverse roster of historical figures, including women and minorities, a radical departure from mostly naming bases after white men.”

“Fort Polk, Louisiana, for example will be named after Sgt. William Johnson, a Black Medal of Honor recipient for valor during World War I,” Military.com reported.

“Fort Benning, Georgia, will be renamed Fort Moore in commemoration of Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, a famed cavalry officer depicted in ‘We Were Soldiers,’ and his wife, Julia Moore, who spurred the Army to create casualty notification teams. Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, will honor Dr. Mary Walker, the only female Medal of Honor recipient for her actions treating the wounded during the Civil War. She was also a prisoner of war.”

Below is a list of the remaining U.S. Army bases that are to be renamed:

  • Fort Bragg, North Carolina — Fort Liberty
  • Fort Gordon, Georgia — Fort Eisenhower
  • Fort Hood, Texas — Fort Cavazos
  • Fort Lee, Virginia — Fort Gregg-Adams
  • Fort Pickett, Virginia — Fort Barfoot
  • Fort Rucker, Alabama — Fort Novosel

All the renamings will reportedly cost $62.5 million to implement.

As hard as it may be to believe, the Naming Commission sprung into existence during former President Donald Trump’s presidency, when Democrats and Republicans teamed up to inject it into a defense bill.

To be more exact, it sprung into existence in spite of Trump’s opposition.

“The Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a defense appropriations bill that calls for renaming U.S. military bases that honor Confederate officers — a provision that President Trump has threatened to veto,” NPR reported in July of 2020.

“The Senate’s 86-14 vote to approve the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is more than enough to override a veto, should the president follow through on his threat. The vote comes days after the House passed a similar version of the $741 billion bill.”

The then-president did indeed follow through on his threat, but to no avail.

“Congress on Friday overrode President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense policy bill, a first by lawmakers since he took office nearly four years ago, ensuring that the measure becomes law,” the Associated Press reported months later.

“In an extraordinary New Year’s Day session, the Republican-controlled Senate easily turned aside the veto, dismissing Trump’s objections to the $740 billion bill and handing him a stinging rebuke just weeks before he leaves the White House.”

The veto passed thanks to a majority of Senate Republicans, including then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, joining with Democrats to approve it.

“Only seven GOP senators voted with Trump to oppose the defense bill override. Forty Republicans — including the entire GOP leadership — voted for the override, along with 41 Democrats. [Bernie] Sanders and five other liberals who opposed the defense bill also voted against the override,” according to the AP.

To be clear, Sanders opposed the bill for different reasons, as seen below:

Vivek Saxena

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