The Secretary of Defense aims to remove names from Navy vessels honoring civil rights figures, reflecting Trump’s directive to dismantle DEI initiatives and reassert traditional military values and symbolism.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has vowed to purge the Department of Defense (DoD) of DEI-related programs and activities, following one of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders after his return to the White House in January. Trump directed the abolishing of diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and the termination of DEI programs across the federal government.
That has included reversing the name changes of several US military bases, including Fort Liberty and Fort Moore, which have been reverted to Fort Bragg and Fort Benning. Yet, instead of being named for former Confederate officers, the bases are now named for US servicemembers who happened to have the same last names.
This week, it was revealed that the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk, named for the slain gay rights leader and US Navy veteran, will receive a different name. The proposal also came during Pride Month, the annual observance for the LGBTQ+ community, which also coincides with the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City.
According to documents that CBS News first obtained, the Pentagon is now reviewing the names of vessels named for Black and Hispanic civil rights activists and prominent women.
The vessels that could have their name changed include “the USNS Thurgood Marshall, named after the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court, the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsberg, named after the late Supreme Court Justice, the USNS Harriet Tubman, named for the woman who helped slaves escape to freedom in the 19th century, the USNS Dolores Huerta and USNS Cesar Chavez, both Hispanic labor leaders, USNS Lucy Stone, a 19th century suffragette and the USNS Medgar Evers, the assassinated 1960s civil rights leader,” NPR reported.
In addition, the John Lewis-class of replenishment ships and the lead vessel of the class, named after the late American politician and civil rights icon, could also be called.
The Navy confirmed that the changes could be named.
“Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DoD installations and assets reflect the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a media statement. “Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.”
Why Is Hegseth Changing the Names of the Ships?
Hegseth has repeatedly said that the US military needs to return to its core warfighting mission. However, it isn’t clear how naming a ship for Supreme Court justices or civil rights activists impacts warfighting ability. USNS vessels aren’t actually “warships,” but civilian-manned vessels that support the mission of the Military Sealift Command.
Beginning with the Nimitz-class, the US Navy has largely named its aircraft carriers after presidents and admirals; however, two currently in service are named after lawmakers in Congress: the USS John C Stennis and the USS Carl Vinson. Rep. Carl Vinson supported the US Navy and was influential in its expansion, even known as the “Father of the Two-Ocean Navy.”
Yet, Senator Stennis never served in the military and did not go out of his way to support any naval programs. The Nimitz-class carrier was named as a political favor by then-President Ronald Reagan.
Likewise, there has been no mention that the USNS Earl Warren, a John Lewis-class replenishment oiler named for the Supreme Court Justice, could be changed. Warren indeed served in the US Army, but military service is not the DoD’s criteria for designating a vessel, which is again noteworthy as the name John Stennis is on a supercarrier. It could also be argued that Harriet Tubman also showed more of a warrior ethos than Stennis.
What Is the History of the Ships’ Names?
USNS vessels are named after those who supported the US Navy or were pioneers in naval exploration and development.
That includes the Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oilers, named for the American industrialist and shipbuilder who played a significant role building the “Liberty Ships” during the Second World War; and the replenish oiler of the USNS Joshua Humphreys, the American builder known as the “Father of the American Navy” and the builder of the US Navy’s original six frigates.
Some of the names do make sense for the Military Sealift Command. The Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ships, USNS Bruce C. Heezen and USNS Marie Tharp, are named for the geologist and oceanographer who mapped the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, respectively. The Missile Range Instrumentation Ship USNS Howard O. Lorenzen was named to honor the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) electrical engineer.
It is unclear if and when the pending name changes could occur.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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