As part of efforts to restore warrior culture in America’s armed forces, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to strip gay icon Harvey Milk’s name from a military vessel.
The bold move during Pride Month signals the administration’s commitment to refocusing the military on combat readiness rather than woke agendas.
Hegseth’s directive aims to refocus the Navy with what a Defense Department memo described as “alignment with president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture.”
The USNS Harvey Milk, christened in 2021, was named after the gay rights activist who served in the Navy from 1951 to 1955 before receiving an honorable discharge.
The ship is currently undergoing maintenance in Alabama and is expected to complete repairs by the end of June.
The renaming decision represents a significant shift from Obama-era policies that prioritized diversity initiatives in the military.
Under Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in 2016, the Navy began naming vessels after civil rights activists rather than military heroes or namesakes that honored American military excellence.
Milk, who was assassinated in 1978, became one of the first openly gay men elected to public office in the United States.
While the left celebrates him as an icon, conservatives have questioned whether political activists should be honored with military vessels when so many American heroes remain uncommemorated.
The timing of the announcement during Pride Month follows Hegseth’s earlier directive to cease hosting events tied to heritage or awareness months throughout the Department of Defense.
Democrats have already begun attacking the decision. Nancy Pelosi called the move “shameful” and “vindictive,” demonstrating once again how the left prioritizes identity politics over military readiness.
The renaming aligns with previous military efforts to distance naval vessels from controversial political figures.
The Navy plans to announce the ship’s new name in a ceremony aboard the USS Constitution, America’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat.
Military sources suggest the new name will likely honor an American naval hero or battle.
Other ships targeted for renaming include vessels named after Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Thurgood Marshall, and Harriet Tubman.
While renaming ships is considered rare in Navy tradition, the Defense Department has determined that returning to military-focused naming conventions reinforces the warrior ethos essential to America’s fighting forces.
Military families and veterans’ groups have largely supported the move as part of broader efforts to refocus the armed forces on their primary mission of defending the nation.
The decision represents another step toward rebuilding America’s military might and restoring its values after years of progressive policies that weakened national defense.
