| Fort Bragg | |
|---|---|
| Cumberland /Hoke counties (main post), Harnett County (Linden Oaks) nearFayetteville, North Carolina | |
 Barracks of the 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Army |
| Controlled by | United States |
 | |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1918 |
| In use | 1918–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Colonel K. "Chad" Mixon |
| Garrison |  XVIII Airborne CorpsFor tenant units,see below |
CDP in North Carolina, United States | |
  Fort Bragg Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:35°8′21″N78°59′57″W / 35.13917°N 78.99917°W /35.13917; -78.99917 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Cumberland |
| Area | |
• Total | 251.0 sq mi (650.2 km2) |
| • Land | 249.7 sq mi (646.8 km2) |
| • Water | 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km2) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 39,457 |
| • Density | 158.02/sq mi (61.01/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 28307, 28310 |
| Area codes | 910, 472 |
| FIPS code | 37-24260[1] |
Fort Bragg (formerlyFort Liberty) is aU.S. Armymilitary installation located inNorth Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 military personnel.[2]
Covering more than 251 square miles (650 km2), Fort Bragg is home to the Army'sXVIII Airborne Corps and serves as the headquarters[3] of theU.S. Army Special Operations Command, which oversees the1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) and the75th Ranger Regiment. Additionally, it hosts the82nd Airborne Division,U.S. Army Forces Command,U.S. Army Reserve Command, andWomack Army Medical Center. Fort Bragg also operates two airfields:Pope Field, where theU.S. Air Force stations global airlift and special operations units, as well as theAir Force Combat Control School, andSimmons Army Airfield, which supportsArmy aviation units for airborne and special operations missions.
The installation was initially named forConfederate generalBraxton Bragg. In 2023, theU.S. Department of Defense renamed the installation "Fort Liberty" due to controversy surroundingmemorials to Confederate generals. In February 2025, the U.S. Army changed the name of the installation back to "Fort Bragg", but in honor ofWorld War II paratrooperRoland L. Bragg, not of the Confederate general.
Camp Bragg was established in 1918 as an artillery training ground. The Chief of Field Artillery, Major GeneralWilliam J. Snow, was seeking an area having suitable terrain, adequate water, rail facilities, and a climate suitable for year-round training, and he decided that the area met all of the desired criteria. Camp Bragg (laterFort Bragg) was originally named afterBraxton Bragg, a formerU.S. Army artillery commander and West Point graduate who later in life became a well knownConfederategeneral during theAmerican Civil War.[4][5]
The aim was for six artillery brigades to be stationed there and $6,000,000 was spent on the land andcantonments.[6] There was an airfield on the camp used by aircraft and balloons for artillery spotters. The airfield was named Pope Field on 1 April 1919, in honor of First Lieutenant Harley H. Pope,[6] an airman who was killed while flying nearby. The work on the camp was finished on 1 November 1919.[6]
The original plan for six brigades was abandoned afterWorld War I ended[6] and once demobilization had started. The artillerymen, and their equipment and material fromCamp McClellan, Alabama, were moved to Camp Bragg and testing began on long-range weapons that were a product of the war.[6] The six artillery brigades were reduced to two cantonments and agarrison was to be built for Army troops as well as a National Guard training center.[6] In early 1921 two field artillery units, the 13th and 17th Field Artillery Brigades, began training at Camp Bragg. The same year, theLong Street Church and six acres of property were acquired for the reservation.[7] The church was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1974.[8]
Due to the post-war cutbacks, the camp was nearly closed for good when the War Department issued orders to close the camp on 7 August 1921. Brig. Gen.Albert J. Bowley was commander at the camp and after much campaigning, and getting the Secretary of War to visit the camp, the closing order was canceled on 16 September 1921. The Field Artillery Board was transferred to Camp Bragg on 1 February 1922.[citation needed]
Camp Bragg was renamed Fort Bragg, to signify becoming a permanent Army post, on 30 September 1922. From 1923 to 1924 permanent structures were constructed on Fort Bragg, including four barracks.[6]
By 1940, the year afterWorld War II started, the population of Fort Bragg was 5,400 and by the following year had reached 67,000. Various units trained at Fort Bragg during World War II, including the9th Infantry Division,2nd Armored Division,82nd Airborne Division,100th Infantry Division, and various field artillery groups. The population reached a peak of 159,000 during the war years.[9]
Following World War II, the82nd Airborne Division was permanently stationed at Fort Bragg, the only large unit there for some time. In July 1951, theXVIII Airborne Corps was reactivated at Fort Bragg. Fort Bragg became a center for unconventional warfare, with the creation of thePsychological Warfare Center in April 1952, followed by the10th Special Forces Group.[10]
In 1961, the5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was activated at Fort Bragg, with the mission of training counter-insurgency forces in Southeast Asia. Also in 1961, the "Iron Mike" statue, a tribute to all Airborne soldiers, past, present, and future was dedicated. In early 1962 the 326 Army Security Agency Company, de-activated after theKorean War, was reactivated at Fort Bragg under XVIIIth Corps. In August of that year, an operational contingent of that Company was relocated to Homestead AFB Florida, due to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Circa 1963, that contingent was reassigned to the newly created USASA 6th Field Station.[11] More than 200,000 young men underwent basic combat training here during the period 1966–70. At the peak of the Vietnam War in 1968, Fort Bragg's military population rose to 57,840. In June 1972, the1st Corps Support Command arrived at Fort Bragg.[12]
In the 1980s, there was a series of deployments of tenant units to theCaribbean, first toGrenada in 1983,Honduras in 1988, and toPanama in 1989. The 5th Special Forces Group departed Fort Bragg in the late 1980s.[13]
In 1990, the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division deployed toSaudi Arabia in support ofOperation Desert Shield andOperation Desert Storm. In the mid- and late 1990s, there was increased modernization of the facilities in Fort Bragg. The World War II wooden barracks were largely removed, a new mainpost exchange was built, and Devers Elementary School was opened, along with several other projects.[14]
As a result of campaigns inAfghanistan andIraq, the units on Fort Bragg have seen a sizeable increase to their operations tempo (OPTEMPO), with units conducting two, three, or even four or more deployments to combat zones. As directed by law, and in accordance with the recommendations of the2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission,Fort McPherson, Georgia, closed andU.S. Army Forces Command andU.S. Army Reserve Command relocated to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A new FORSCOM/U.S. Army Reserve Command Headquarters facility completed construction at Fort Bragg in June 2011. Forces Command hosted 24 June 2011, an Army "Casing of the Colors" ceremony onFort McPherson and an "uncasing of colors ceremony" on 1 August 2011, at Fort Bragg. On 1 March 2011,Pope Field, the former Pope Air Force Base, was absorbed into Fort Bragg.[citation needed]
On 1 January 2021, theUnited States Senate passed aveto override of theWilliam M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. This new law helped in establishing theNaming commission which would select new names for Department of Defense properties named in honor ofConfederate officials. In the law, Congress determined that those who chose to side with theConfederate Army during the American Civil War were unworthy of being namesakes. In March 2022, the commission published a list of 87[15] potential names for nine Army installations, including Fort Bragg.[16][17]
In May 2022, the commission officially recommended that Fort Bragg be renamed toFort Liberty. The commission gave the Pentagon until October to accept the name change;Secretary of DefenseLloyd Austin did so on 6 October 2022. According to a memorandum published bythe Pentagon at the time, the new name changes cost the Department of Defense $62.5 million. In particular, the change to Fort Liberty was calculated to cost the Department of Defense $6,374,230, making it the most expensive name change.[18][19] In accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act, the local garrison had until early 2024 to complete the name change.[20] On 2 June 2023, Fort Liberty officially adopted its new name in a public ceremony.[21]
On 10 February 2025, Secretary of DefensePete Hegseth issued a memorandum directing the U.S. Army to rename Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg, but this time in honor of Private First ClassRoland L. Bragg, a person other than the original namesake. Bragg was stationed at Fort Bragg duringWorld War II and later fought with distinction in the European theater. He received theSilver Star for gallantry and thePurple Heart for wounds sustained, during theBattle of the Bulge. He was recognized for having saved a fellow soldier's life by commandeering an enemy ambulance.[22] Bragg's name was one of thousands submitted by the public before officials decided to name the base Fort Liberty instead of naming it after an individual.[23] The renaming took effect on 14 February 2025.[24]
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The major commands at the installation are theUnited States Army Forces Command, theUnited States Army Reserve Command, and theUnited States Army Special Operations Command. Severalairborne andspecial operations units of the United States Army are stationed at Fort Bragg, notably the 82nd Airborne Division, the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), and the Delta Force. The latter is controlled by theJoint Special Operations Command, based at Pope Field within Fort Bragg.
Fort Bragg is at 35°8'21" north, 78°59'57" west (35.139064, −78.999143).[25]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the post has a total area of 19.0 square miles (49.2 km2), of which 19.0 square miles (49.1 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it is water. The total area is 0.32% water.
Kiest, Simmons, Boundary Line, McFayden, Hurley and Holland lakes are intensively managed to maintain fish populations. Croatan, Quail, Deer Pen, Overhills, Big Muddy, Little Muddy, Texas,MacArthur, Smith, Mott, and Lindsay lakes are managed, but are not normally treated or restocked since their fish populations are respectable and are maintained naturally.[26] A 1.1 MWfloating solar plant with a 2 MW battery was installed on Big Muddy lake for $36 million.[27][28]
Fort Bragg is the only locality where theendangeredSaint Francis' satyr butterfly (Neonympha mitchellii francisci) is known to occur. St. Francis' satyr is found in wetland habitats dominated bygraminoids andsedges, such as abandonedbeaver dams or along streams with beavers.
Fort Bragg fever, a bacterial zoonotic disease, has been named after it, in reference to an outbreak in 1942.
In 1990, the endangeredred-cockaded woodpecker came under the protection of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This caused a tremendous problem for Fort Bragg, where many of these birds lived. Training stopped, ranges were closed, and troops were temporarily moved to other installations for training.
The Army and the conservationists eventually came to an agreement, which put in place training restrictions around the woodpeckers' habitat. White stripes were painted on trees to indicate the location of the habitats, and restrictions limited the scope and duration of training that could take place within 200 feet (61 m) of these locations.
Today, the clusters of woodpeckers has more than doubled in size (200 to 493), and many of the training restrictions have been lifted.[29]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 46,995 | — | |
| 1980 | 37,834 | −19.5% | |
| 1990 | 34,744 | −8.2% | |
| 2000 | 29,183 | −16.0% | |
| source:[30] | |||
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 29,183 people, 4,315 households, and 4,215 families residing on the base. The population density was 1,540.0 inhabitants per square mile (594.6/km2). There were 4,420 housing units at an average density of 233.3 per square mile (90.1/km2). Fort Bragg was not recorded as a census-designated place for the 2010 census.
In 2000, the racial makeup of the base was 58.1%European American, 25.3%African-American, 1.2%Native American, 1.8%Asian, 0.9%Pacific Islander, 8.3% fromother races, and 4.4% from two or more races. 15.8% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
In 2000, there were 4,315 households, out of which 85.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 88.9% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.3% were non-families. 2.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.72, and the average family size was 3.74.
The age distribution in 2000 was 25.8% under the age of 18, 40.9% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 1.1% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 217.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 293.5 males. All of these statistics are typical for military bases.[citation needed]
The median income for a household on the base at the 2000 census was $30,106, and the median income for a family was $29,836. 10.0% of the population and 9.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.4% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Corvias-managed housing underIMCOM is attracting national attention because of reports of lead contamination, black mold, and asbestos from base residents.[31]
Task & Purpose confirmed on 12 February 2024 that trash pickup at the installation is not occurring on a timely basis;[32] the waste management contractor was terminated for not emptying the waste dumpsters on a timely basis; the garrison command stated that trash pickup at "barracks, child development centers, dining facilities and medical facilities" is now getting higher priority.[33]
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Dependents of staff are educated byDepartment of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools for K–8.[34]
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For high school students attend local public schools based on what county they reside in:[34]Cumberland County Schools for Cumberland County residents,[37] andHoke County Schools for Hoke County residents.[38] The Cumberland County parts of the military reservation are assigned toEE Smith High School.[39]
The Linden Oaks area, within Harnett County, is inHarnett County Schools, and is assigned toOverhills High School.[39]
ActressMartha Raye is buried on Fort Bragg in commemoration of her work with theUSO during World War II and Vietnam.[64]
Geographic data related toFort Bragg atOpenStreetMap United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) | ||
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| United States Army USASOC |  | |
| United States Marine Corps MARSOC | ||
| United States Navy NAVSPECWARCOM | ||
| United States Air Force AFSOC |
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| Special mission units JSOC |
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| Theater Special Operations Commands | ||
Source:SOCOM 2013 Fact Book | ||
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