FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS (KXXV) — The announcement that Fort Cavazos will return to its former name, Fort Hood, has prompted discussion across Killeen, but for most non-post residents and businesses, the change doesn’t feel all that significant.
“It’s more of a legacy effect than for someone that may have owned a business, because if you look at it, Fort Hood Street has never really changed,” said Ronnie Russell, a 2016 Fort Hood retiree and President of Killeen’s Innovation Black Chamber of Commerce.
Russell explained that municipal entities felt the shift more than private businesses, as adjustments were made to the regional airport name, official signage, and post operations. However, he says for non-installation businesses, the impact has been mostly behind the scenes.
“Whatever documentation they had when they made partnerships with leadership on Fort Cavazos, all of that paperwork has to be re-changed,” Russell noted. “It’s more administrative, not really something that people hold dear.”
While businesses directly affiliated with the post needed to adjust branding, many non-post companies never incorporated "Hood" or "Cavazos" into their names, as doing so could have posed legal concerns regarding official association with the installation.
Even among longtime residents, the reaction has largely been indifference.
“It’s not that big of a deal, to me,” Russell said. “I can’t speak for everyone else. But we all knew it was going to happen—when we saw Fort Liberty change back to Fort Bragg, I knew Fort Hood was coming.”
Other locals echoed similar sentiments. One Killeen resident, speaking anonymously, brushed off the change with a laugh.
“I think it’s a waste of money, honestly,” they said. “It doesn’t matter—it’s kind of whatever. Like, everybody knows, Fort Hood.”
Remembering Richard Cavazos’ Legacy
For some, though, the change comes with a sense of loss, particularly regarding General Richard Cavazos, the Army’s first Hispanic four-star general.
“The Cavazos legacy, he has a grandson that’s a service member,” Russell shared. “Now that the Cavazos name will be stripped from the post, his legacy won’t carry forward in the same way. That’s how I see it.”
Despite the debate over historical symbolism, longtime veterans who served on the installation before its renaming say their memories remain tied to Fort Hood, regardless of what’s printed on official documents.
With the Army committed to carrying out the change, Killeen residents will watch how the transition unfolds administratively, but in their daily lives, the return to Fort Hood may feel more symbolic than disruptive.
