The letters have come down from the Fort Cavazos sign, marking the first step in the transition back to Fort Hood.
KILLEEN, Texas — The military installation that Central Texas has known for generations will soon be Fort Hood once again. Still, this time the name will honor a World War I hero, rather than a Confederate general.
President Donald Trump announced during a speech at Fort Bragg that seven military bases, including Fort Cavazos, would return to their original names. However, Fort Hood will now commemorate Colonel Robert B. Hood, a WWI veteran who earned the Distinguished Service Cross, rather than Confederate General John Bell Hood.
For longtime Killeen residents like Bernard Gill, who has lived in the area since the 1970s, the announcement feels like coming home.
“I never called it anything else,” Gill said. “It’s been Fort Hood since back when Camp Hood was out there. That’s what it’s always been and that’s what it’s always gonna be.”
The sentiment echoes throughout the tight-knit military community, where many residents continued using the Hood name even after the base was officially renamed Fort Cavazos in 2023.
Marjorie Gill, Bernard’s wife, views the change as addressing past concerns while preserving the community’s identity.
“Even if it is a different Hood, I’m glad that they changed it back to Fort Hood, and that to me satisfied both people,” she said.
All signage, websites, and official correspondence will change to use the Fort Hood name.
The distinction between the two Hoods matters to community members. Colonel Robert B. Hood demonstrated extraordinary courage near Thiaucourt, France, during World War I. When enemy shells destroyed his artillery crew, he quickly reorganized his unit and restored combat effectiveness within minutes under intense fire.
The colonel shares only a surname with Confederate General John Bell Hood, for whom the base was originally named.
Even newcomers to the area appreciate the change. Denise Murray, who recently moved to Killeen, said the transition feels natural.
“I like it because I’ve known it as Fort Hood, so Fort Cavazos was kind of hard for me to always say,” Murray said. “I think it’s gonna be easy, so I don’t think they’re gonna have a hard time.”
When the Execution Order arrived, the impact would extend far beyond the base gates. Officials will coordinate with the Texas Department of Transportation to change highway signs throughout Central Texas. Local businesses and community organizations that have used the Hood name for decades will need to consider their adjustments.
For Marjorie Gill, the change represents more than nostalgia.
“Fort Hood did a lot of good over the many years that it’s been here,” she said. “A lot of the esprit de corps has changed, a lot of the other things have changed too, but I think that is a leadership issue.”