Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has tasked Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to rechristen a fleet oiler named for the late gay rights advocate and Navy veteran Harvey Milk, according to a memo reviewed by USNI News.
The memo outlines an action plan that would have Phelan choose a name on Tuesday for the John Lewis-class oiler to replace USNS Harvey Milk (TAO-205) ahead of a planned announcement on June 13 with the date set at the direction Hegseth. The memo was first reported by Military.com.
The memo sought “alignment with President and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture,” as well as to “Protect SECNAV Title 10 rights.” A defense official told USNI News that the move to rename the ship and the timing was at the direction of Hegseth.
In a Tuesday statement, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did not address the renaming directly but said: “Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DoD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history and the warrior ethos. Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.”
A spokesperson for Phelan did not immediately respond to a request.-greenman
on June 5, 2025, 12:12 pm
