# Should the military raise money by selling names of bases and ships? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195 "2015-11-10T15:27:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/1 "2015-11-10T15:27:25Z")
Why not Camp Chrysler? Fort Ford? The USS Peter Paul Mounds Bar? I think it’d be fun! ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/2 "2015-11-10T15:31:32Z")
For a serious answer, no. For a non-serious answer, I say “YES” to “Donald Trump presents the USS Donald Trump, the classiest warship ever to sail the high seas”. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/3 "2015-11-10T15:48:52Z")
Money gives rights. You really want Google to have a say in sensitive military operations? What happens if there’s an accident with the USS Wal-Mart? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/4 "2015-11-10T15:53:16Z")
Based upon the PR marketing arm of our armed services it would more likely be the opposite where the military pays companies for the privilege of putting their name on their ships, bases, etc. > **[The Pentagon Paid Millions to Pro Sports Teams for Military Tributes](https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/11/04/Pentagon-Pays-Millions-Pro-Sports-Teams-Military-Tributes)** > > That time 80 members of the National Guard unfurled an American flag on the turf during an Atlanta Falcons football game? You paid for that. That on-field swearing-in ceremony at a New York Mets game? You paid for that, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/5 "2015-11-10T16:12:26Z")
The Army was going to let us vote on a new name for our firebase for our morale. Then they turned down our choices, “FB Little Big Horn”, “FB Dien Bien Phu II”, and “FB Balaclava” because those would be bad for morale. They let us keep “FB Masada” for a couple of months. _“Now, you mens lissen up! The Major sez your morale is terrible. Until your morale gets better, all leave and liberty is cancelled and there’s gonna be extra duty for everyone e-4 and below. You mens, your shit is flakey. If you don’t get your shit together, the Major and me are gonna jump in your shit! Dismissed!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/6 "2015-11-10T16:19:41Z")
They’re better funded than any other government branch, so no. However, Fort Tampax has a certain flair. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/7 "2015-11-10T16:22:01Z")
I heard it has wings! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/8 "2015-11-10T16:43:26Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > For a non-serious answer, I say “YES” to “Donald Trump presents the USS Donald Trump, the classiest warship ever to sail the high seas”. This was, of course, the first thing I thought of when I read the OP. Also, it’s yoooge. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/9 "2015-11-10T17:10:43Z")
_“Dear Mrs. Smith, it is my sad duty to inform you that your husband has died bravely defending Camp Taco Bell…”_ ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/10 "2015-11-10T17:17:00Z")
Seriously though, the names of ships and bases are ways for the military to maintain traditions and links to their pasts. Ships like the USS Wasp (LHD-1) have ten previous USS Wasps to uphold. Same thing for bases- in almost every case, they’re named after generals or military heroes for much the same reasons. Troops may have some pride in serving on the USS Wasp, or at Fort Lee, or in the 3rd Infantry Division, but I doubt they’d have any if they served on the USS Baconator, or at Fort Speed Stick, or in the Peet’s Coffee Armored Brigade. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/11 "2015-11-10T17:17:04Z")
USS Dick Cheney. That would be fun to attack! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/12 "2015-11-10T17:18:37Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > The Army was going to let us vote on a new name for our firebase for our morale. Then they turned down our choices, “FB Little Big Horn”, “FB Dien Bien Phu II”, and “FB Balaclava” because those would be bad for morale. They let us keep “FB Masada” for a couple of months. > > _“Now, you mens lissen up! The Major sez your morale is terrible. Until your morale gets better, all leave and liberty is cancelled and there’s gonna be extra duty for everyone e-4 and below. You mens, your shit is flakey. If you don’t get your shit together, the Major and me are gonna jump in your shit! Dismissed!”_ _Our Captain has a handicap to cope with, sad to tell: He’s from Georgia, and he doesn’t speak the language very well…_ – T. Lehrer ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/13 "2015-11-10T17:21:08Z")
Yikes! It would the ultimate symbol of the corporate and other vested influence over US foreign policy, though maybe a little too stark for some tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/14 "2015-11-10T18:15:24Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > For a serious answer, no. > > For a non-serious answer, I say “YES” to “Donald Trump presents the USS Donald Trump, the classiest warship ever to sail the high seas”. Didn’t know they could make gold-plated warships ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/15 "2015-11-10T18:21:13Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Didn’t know they could make gold-plated warships It’s that cheap plating like from the Franklin Mint – thinner than aluminum foil. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/16 "2015-11-10T18:38:07Z")
There’s something about “The USS Smoothie King has been deployed to the Area of Operations” that doesn’t exactly fill one with confidence. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/17 "2015-11-10T19:25:10Z")
“Admiralty, United States Second Fleet to USS Activia: Why are you out of position!? Report To Station Immediately…!” ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/18 "2015-11-10T19:31:30Z")
Sure. The individual soldiers should have advertising patches and decals on their uniforms, equipment, and vehicles. Maybe use sponsor-themed paint jobs too. Tonight, I think I will paint one of my AR-15’s black and yellow and slap a DeWalt decal on it. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/19 "2015-11-10T19:45:13Z")
I can see some really horrible PR from the perspective of the corporations – what if your ship is sunk? Or engaged in an extremely controversial battle in which civilians are killed? You could be forever remembered for the Taco Bell U-2 incident. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195/20 "2015-11-10T19:50:33Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > I can see some really horrible PR from the perspective of the corporations – what if your ship is sunk? Or engaged in an extremely controversial battle in which civilians are killed? You could be forever remembered for the Taco Bell U-2 incident. Nah, they’ll spin it into a heroic sacrifice. Just like Jesus. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-military-raise-money-by-selling-names-of-bases-and-ships/737195.md?page=2)