Hegseth Orders Ship Name Removed

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Well, well, well—look who’s putting the military back in military. After years of watching our armed forces turn into a social experiment petri dish, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump are pulling the emergency brake on the woke train and reminding everyone that the U.S. military’s primary job isn’t hosting drag shows or celebrating every progressive holiday—it’s breaking things and winning wars.

Let’s start with the ship in question. You’d be forgiven for forgetting, but yes, the Navy actually named an oiler after Harvey Milk—a gay rights activist who, while he did serve in the Navy, was known far more for his politics than his military record. This wasn’t exactly the USS Audie Murphy. It was a token gesture, made during the Obama era by then–Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who spent more time renaming ships and installing solar panels than strengthening combat readiness.

So when Hegseth ordered Milk’s name stripped from the ship just days into PRIDE Month, it wasn’t some random paperwork reshuffling—it was a declaration. And it landed with all the subtlety of a depth charge. Cue Senator Chuck Schumer sputtering indignantly into a CNN camera, calling the move “disgusting” and “blatant discrimination.” Because apparently, naming warships after political activists is now a sacred tradition we’re all supposed to defend. Forget battleships named after great admirals or Medal of Honor recipients—what we really need is more symbolism and fewer missiles, right?

Meanwhile, back in the real world, the U.S. Army just crushed its recruiting goals four months early. That’s not a small deal. After years of struggling to get new recruits to sign up for a military that seemed more interested in teaching pronoun usage than marksmanship, young Americans are finally stepping up again. And what changed? Leadership. Clarity. Pride in service—not the rainbow kind, but the kind that comes from knowing you’re part of a serious, disciplined, and mission-ready force.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll didn’t mince words. He credited Trump and Hegseth directly, thanking them for the kind of leadership that doesn’t involve hosting sensitivity seminars or issuing climate change memos. And guess what? It worked. The recruiting numbers didn’t spike because of TikTok ads with pastel colors and diversity hashtags. They rose because Americans—especially the younger generation—can smell authenticity. They want to serve a country that stands for something real again.

You won’t see that on MSNBC. They’ll be too busy sobbing over Harvey Milk’s disappearing nameplate and calling anyone who supports the move a bigot. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the military exists to protect this country, not to virtue-signal its way to applause from Hollywood and faculty lounges. It’s a lethal force, not a lifestyle brand. And for the first time in years, that principle is being put back into practice.

Removing the political window dressing isn’t about erasing history—it’s about restoring focus. Want to honor Harvey Milk? Fine, build a statue, name a park, write a book. But don’t stick his name on a military vessel and pretend it’s the same as naming one after a war hero. The armed forces are not a blank canvas for political messaging. They’re a shield for the nation. And when that shield starts to resemble a Pride flag more than a Spartan phalanx, you’ve got a problem.

So, hats off to Secretary Hegseth and President Trump. In one week, they reminded the country that our military should be feared by our enemies, respected by our allies, and free from the ideological shackles that have been weighing it down. The woke era in the Pentagon may not be completely over—but at least someone finally had the guts to say, “enough.”

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