See story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Slj6AJYQQ

I was happy to add my voice in opposition to the planned ship name changes. As time is always limited on these stories, the reporter chose to focus on my words concerning the unnecessary negative impact on military readiness. Those words were true, but they weren’t my only words or thoughts on it.

Some others:

• This is a political move, timed for Pride month. Aimed at pleasing a slice of our electorate. Our military shouldn’t be pawns in a political game.
• Renaming USNS Harvey Milk during Pride month is calculated to insult our gay service members. Insulting our gay service members does nothing to increase our readiness for war.
• The last ships that were renamed were changed because they had been named to honor the Confederacy, an entity dedicated to the break up of our nation.  There’s no comparison between steering clear of the Confederacy, which wanted to destroy our Union, and the ship names being considered today: civil rights leaders.
• If you look at the list of ships that are being considered for renaming, the message seems to be: “Only straight white men are worthy of being honored in a ship name.” Considering our military is made up of far more than straight white men, that is a terrible message to send. Our military ought to represent the nation it serves.
  • See list here: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/03/hegseth-orders-navy-strip-name-of-gay-rights-icon-harvey-milk-ship.html
• There’s nothing efficient about renaming a ship.  It doesn’t increase the warfighting ethos.
  • Renaming a ship isn’t easy, fast, or cheap. None of this prepares the crew for war.  It’s a horrible distraction.
  • Thousands of things will have to be reprinted/embroidered from ship’s ball caps (which are part of the official uniform) to many other unform parts that contain the ship’s name, the ship’s gangway banners, wood plaques, and countless other places and items aboard, the ship’s messaging templates, ship’s instructions, countless things. 
  • Not to mention that the ship’s name isn’t simply painted on the hull, there’s raised steel that spells the name.  The hull will have to be grinded down to rename the ship. 
  • All the time the crew spends on this effort is time NOT spent training for war.