I am sorry for the loss of your brother. That sounds like a deeply impactful event in your life and I can understand when thinking about something so profoundly meaningful, the names of bases and vessels seems rather trivial.

The military I served in, or at least my memory of it, was steeped in tradition, history and values. Remembering and honoring the fallen, living by a code, serving the country, protecting your fellow soldiers and striving for excellence at your job were all parts of my experience.

Then came a slow rolling collision between what I was observing and doing, and my belief in the righteousness of the mission. When I separated from service I felt angry and jaded. Those feelings have diminished over time but I am still stuck with sense that serving ones country today means serving the political interests of those who happened to be in power when you enlist. Perhaps this has always been the case, but this opinion has changed the way I think about military service.

To your point, I completely agree that any soldier, sailor or airmen is going to baulk at the thought of these changes if their foremost thoughts about military life are comprised of unhealed traumas. It simply makes no difference to these Vets lives what any base or vessel is named because they are hurting and suffering, and changing names does nothing to recognize their pain or help them recover.