USNS Harvey Milk (T-AEO 206) is the second John Lewis-class auxiliary tanker ship operated by the US Navy's Military Sea Transport Command. Provides refueling of ships on the move. The decision to build both ships was made on June 30, 2016.
In July 2016, US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus informed Congress of his intention to name the John Lewis class tankers in honor of famous leaders of the civil rights movement. The second ship in the series was named after gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Milk served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War as a military diver on the rescue ship USS Kittiwake (ASR-13) and at the time of his honorable retirement had the rank of second lieutenant. The ship was officially named on August 16, 2016 at a ceremony in San Francisco. This is the first US Navy ship named after an openly gay man. Construction of the vessel began on December 13, 2019. Launched on November 6, 2021. This is the sixth Navy ship in a series named after civil rights activists.