There comes a time in every paratrooper’s life when the path leads to the “Center of the Universe,” otherwise known as Fort Liberty, North Carolina. The 2023 redesignations saw the storied Fort Bragg renamed to Fort Liberty (stick with us — we promise you’ll get used to it!). Dubbed the “Home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces,” its major units include the XVIII Airborne Corps, the 82nd Airborne Division, United States Special Operations Command (USASOC), United States Forces Command and Army Reserve Command (FORSCOM), and 1st Special Forces Command — which includes 3rd Special Forces Group and 1st Special Warfare Training Group, a.k.a. the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS or “Swick”).

As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Plan, Pope Air Force Base was absorbed into what was Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty, remember?) and became Pope Field in 2011. The 43rd Airlift Group is the major Air Force unit at Pope Field.

Fort Liberty has a proud culture and rich history dating back to its beginnings in 1918 as Camp Bragg, an artillery training ground named for the Confederate general Braxton Bragg. A reckoning with the installation’s namesake’s lackluster military career landed Fort Bragg on the list of bases to be renamed, and the only name that was found agreeable to both the Airborne and Special Operations communities was not a name at all but a concept. As of June 2023, Liberty is the new Bragg.

Soldiers from Fort Liberty have participated in every war since World War I. ‘All American’ paratroopers from the 82nd are most famous for jumping behind enemy lines during World War II, and the Division has been America’s vanguard in every crisis since.

This massive installation is one of the largest in the world, covering over 251 square miles in four counties in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, and is home to more military personnel than any other Army installation in the United States. Its proximity to the east coast lifeline, I-95, provides easy access to most of the Eastern Seaboard. For trips within NC, you can expect to drive an hour and twenty minutes to Raleigh, a little over two hours to Carolina Beach and Wilmington, and around three hours to Charlotte. Weekend travel to the Mid-Atlantic, New York, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and any of the gorgeous beaches that adorn the Carolina coastline is very feasible and a huge perk of living in this area.

Fort Liberty is Fayetteville’s top employer and the backbone of the region’s economy. There’s an abundance of retail businesses and local and state-sponsored recreation programs, and the area continues to grow and attract new amenities. You’ll find the surrounding communities very supportive of the military and extremely hospitable. The Carolina summers are long, hot, and wiltingly humid. However, the “winters” are generally mild, and that translates to year-round play for golf aficionados. You can live out in the country, in quaint small towns that scream “Americana,” a bustling city, the ‘burbs, or in pine-forested seclusion. There’s truly something for everyone here!