Fort Polk naming commission meeting set for Nov. 17, not open to public

FORT POLK, La. (KALB) - At Fort Polk, a meeting originally believed to be open to the public about renaming the military post will now be closed.

The meeting, set for November 17 at 1:15 p.m. at the Warriors Club, will include the naming commission comprised of political and military leaders. Again, this meeting is no longer open to the public. Officials said this is because of limited space and COVID-19 precautions.

The sole purpose of this meeting is to discuss possible names for Fort Polk and get the opinion of community leaders. No official decision of a name will be made on the spot. Leesville mayor and Fort Polk Progress chairman Rick Allen told us Fort Polk will be rebranded. It’s only a matter of time.

“It was passed in law by Congress, and it will happen. Whether we like, they like it or the community likes it or anything else, it is going to change. There is no doubt about that,” he said.

While the meeting is closed to the public, the naming commission is accepting name recommendations online. You can visit their website, thenamingcommission.gov, to have your idea considered. The form will close on December 1 at 4 p.m. The commission has until October 1, 2022, to submit its final recommendations to Congress.

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