FORT HOOD, Texas — In a significant tribute to history and heroism, Fort Cavazos has officially reverted to its original name, Fort Hood, marking the return to honor Col. Robert Benjamin Hood, a distinguished World War I hero.
During a ceremonial event held on July 28, 2025, at the III Armored Corps Headquarters flagpole, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood commander Col. Mark McClellan, accompanied by U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood Command Sgt. Maj. Loyd Rhoades, cased the Fort Cavazos colors and unfurled the Fort Hood colors, signaling a new chapter in the installation’s story while paying respect to its namesake known for his unwavering dedication and exemplary service.
Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood Commanding General, emphasized Hood’s legacy, stating that he embodied the Army values and represented the ideal citizen-Soldier.
“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,” Admiral remarked.
The ceremony included heartfelt contributions from Hood’s family, particularly his daughter Mitzi Huffman, who described the post’s redesignation in honor of her father as both humbling and overwhelming.
“I’ve been very humbled,” she expressed, noting her father’s reluctance to discuss his military accomplishments, including his receipt of the Distinguished Service Cross.
Reflecting on her childhood memories, Huffman recalled her father’s military bearing and instilled values of honor, service, and integrity that shaped her life and those of her siblings.
“Honor and bravery and selfless service and integrity were very important to him,” she reflected.
Hood was born on April 8, 1891, in Wellington, Kansas, and graduated from Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University) in 1914.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in August 1917, serving with Echo Battery of the 12th Field Artillery Regiment in the 2nd Infantry Division, which remains an active unit today as part of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado.
“Col. Hood was also one of the original Phantom Warriors,” Admiral noted, referring to the division’s deep-rooted history.
Hood was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his extraordinary acts of valor on September 12, 1918, in Thiaucourt, France, during WWI.
“After his initial gun crews were lost to German artillery and machine gun fire, he rapidly reorganized his unit, restoring its combat capability in short order,” Admiral detailed, underscoring the bravery and tactical brilliance displayed by then-Capt. Hood.
After the war, Hood continued to serve, witnessing the attack on Pearl Harbor while stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and later commanded an artillery training unit at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, during World War II.
Hood retired in 1961 as a colonel after 44 years of dedication to military service, passing away on October 12, 1964, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
“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 commented, highlighting the significance of Hood’s character beyond the battlefield.
Renaming the installation after Col. Hood serves as a fitting homage to both the individual and the post’s commitment to preparing and training soldiers for combat.
Admiral elaborated on this sentiment, explaining how Col. Hood’s influence during the Interwar Period was pivotal in the evolution of military doctrine and training, ensuring the U.S. military was poised for action in World War II and beyond.
Established initially as Camp Hood in 1942, the Central Texas post served as a tank destroyer training center during World War II.
Originally set up as a temporary facility, Fort Hood experienced substantial growth throughout the 1940s, leading to its designation as a permanent installation.
“Fort Hood was built to meet the urgent need for a large armor training base,” Admiral stated, illustrating the post’s evolution into one of the largest and most significant military bases in the world, covering over 200,000 acres.
Today, Fort Hood is described not just as a training ground but as a vibrant community comprising thousands of active-duty personnel, their families, and civilians united in support of the Army’s mission.
“The significance of Fort Hood to the U.S. Army and the fabric of our country cannot be overstated,” Admiral remarked, affirming the installation’s longstanding traditions of strength, readiness, and national pride.
Despite the name change, Fort Hood continues to exemplify its unwavering dedication to supporting warriors and their families.
Chaplain (Col.) Kevin E. Wainwright, III Armored Corps chaplain, reinforced this sentiment during the invocation, remarking that Fort Hood stands as a bastion of readiness rooted in sacrifice and community support.
Historically, Fort Hood was renamed Fort Cavazos on May 9, 2023, to honor the late retired Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, who served as a III Corps commanding general from 1980 to 1982.
This renaming was part of a congressionally mandated effort to rename nine Army installations that commemorated Confederate soldiers.
The Naming Commission was established by Congress within the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to oversee the process of modifying or removing names, symbols, displays, and monuments related to the Confederate States of America.
Cavazos, a Silver Star and two-time Distinguished Service Cross recipient, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on January 3, 2025, for valorous actions during the Korean War on June 14-15, 1953.
On June 11, 2025, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll signed an official order to revert Fort Cavazos back to Fort Hood in recognition of military heroes like Col. Hood.
Willie Keller Jr., an Army veteran who served at Fort Hood and currently acts as post commander at Command Sgt. Maj. A.C. Cotton VFW Post 12209 at Fort Hood, described the renaming as a significant event in the military’s historical narrative.
“The military is built on history,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of the ceremony as a means of closing one chapter while opening another in the installation’s storied legacy.
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