The Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America, more commonly referred to as the Naming Commission, was a United States government commission created by the United States Congress in 2021 to create a list of military assets with names associated with the Confederate States of America and recommendations for their removal.
The commission considered and provided recommendations on U.S. bases named for Confederate soldiers, such as Fort Bragg (now known as Fort Liberty), one of the largest military installations in the world, which was named for Confederate General Braxton Bragg
USS Chancellorsville was named after a victory by the Confederate Army over the U.S. Army
Image: Admiral Michelle J. Howard VCNO
USS Robert Smalls (CG-62) is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser built during the Cold War for the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1989, the warship was originally named USS Chancellorsville for the American Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville. In March 2023, she was renamed for Robert Smalls, a former slave who freed himself and others by commandeering a Confederate transport ship.
Robert Smalls transits the Indian Ocean in 2023
Image: USS Robert Smalls CG 62 ship seal
Chancellorsville sailors pose in 2004 above the gold "Battle E" that shows the ship earned the Navy's prestigious Battle Effectiveness Award for five consecutive years.
Chancellorsville transits alongside the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan for a fueling at sea. (2011)