Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the U.S. Navy to rename one of its ships, honoring the late gay rights activist Harvey Milk, as Pride month gets underway.

The Office of the Secretary of the Navy was instructed to rename the oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk, according to a memorandum reviewed by military.com and confirmed by ABC News and CBS News. A defense official confirmed the timing of the announcement during Pride month was intentional.

According to the memo, the reason for renaming the ship is to provide "alignment with president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture."

While a new name for the ship was not revealed, Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan are expected to announce the ship's new moniker aboard the Navy's oldest commis

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