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United States Navy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| United States Navy | |
|---|---|
 United States Navy portal |
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| Active | October 13, 1775 - today |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch | Navy |
| Type | Navy |
| Size | 332,000 personnel 280 ships, 3,700 aircraft |
| Part of | Department of Defense Department of the Navy |
| Headquarters | The Pentagon |
| Colors | Blue & Gold |
| March | Anchors Aweigh |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations |  Presidential Unit Citation  Navy Unit Commendation _Streamer.jpg.html){kind=small} Meritorious Unit Commendation |
| Commanders | |
| Chief of Naval Operations | ADM Gary Roughead |
| Vice CNO | ADM Patrick M. Walsh |
| Master Chief Petty Officer | MCPON Joe R. Campa |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | F/A-18A/B/C/D, F/A-18E/F, F-35C, S-3 |
| Electronic warfare |
E-2C, EP-3E, E-6, EA-6B, EA-18G |
| Fighter | F/A-18A/B/C/D, F/A-18E/F, F-35C |
| Helicopter | UH-1, SH-3, CH-53D, MH-53E, SH-60, MH-60, CH-60 |
| Patrol | P-3, P-8 |
| Reconnaissance | RQ-2 |
| Trainer | F-5, F-16N, T-2C, T-6, T-34, T-39, T-44, T-45, TH-57 |
| Transport | C-2, C-12, C-20, C-40, C-130 |
The United States Navy (USN) is a branch of the United States armed forces tasked with conducting military operations at sea. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 333,127 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 282 ships in active service and more than 3,700 aircraft.[1]
The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was disbanded shortly thereafter. The United States Constitution provided the legal basis for a seaborne military force by giving Congress the power "to provide and maintain a navy".[2] Depredations against American shipping by Barbary Coast corsairs spurred Congress to employ this power by passing the Naval Act of 1794 ordering the construction and manning of six frigates.[3] The U.S. Navy came to international prominence during the 20th century, especially during World War II. It was a part of the conflict from the onset of American military involvement—the attack on Pearl Harbor—to Japan's official surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri. In the subsequent Cold War, the U.S. Navy evolved into a nuclear deterrent and crisis response force while preparing for a possible global war with the Soviet Union.
The 21st century United States Navy maintains a sizable presence in the world, deploying in such areas as East Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. It is a blue water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward areas during peacetime, and rapidly respond to regional crises, making it an active player in American foreign and defense policy. The United States Navy is the largest in the world with a tonnage greater than that of the next 17 largest combined.[4] The U.S. Navy also possesses the world's largest carrier fleet, with 11 in service and 2 under construction.
The Navy is administratively managed by the Department of the Navy, which is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Navy. The Department of the Navy is, itself, a division of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of Defense. The highest ranking Naval officer is the Chief of Naval Operations.
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[edit] Mission
The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.
—Mission statement of the United States Navy[5]
The United States Navy serves as a seaborne branch of the Military of the United States. prescribes the navy three primary areas of responsibility:
- "The preparation of naval forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war" this includes the maintenance of no less than 11 operational aircraft carriers
- "The maintenance of naval aviation, including land-based naval aviation, air transport essential for naval operations and all air weapons and air techniques involved in the operations and activities of the Navy"
- "The development aircraft, weapons, tactics, technique, organization, and equipment of naval combat and service elements".
U.S. Navy training manuals state the mission of the U.S armed forces is "to prepare and conduct prompt and sustained combat operations in support of the national interest". As part of that establishment, the U.S. Navy's functions comprise sea control, power projection and nuclear deterrence, in addition to "sealift" duties.[6]
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
Without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive
In the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, the establishment of an official navy was an issue of debate among the members of the Continental Congress. Supporters argued that a navy would protect shipping, defend the coast, and make it easier to seek out support from foreign countries. Detractors countered that challenging the British Royal Navy, then the world's preeminent naval power, was a foolish undertaking.[3]
Commander in Chief George Washington commissioned seven ocean-going cruisers to interdict British supply ships, and reported the captures to the Congress, effectively ending the debate in Congress as to whether or not to "provoke" the British by establishing a Navy. Washington's ships had already captured British ships, somewhat a provocation.
While Congress deliberated, it received word that two unarmed British supply ships from England were heading towards Quebec without escort. A plan was drawn up to intercept the ships—however, the armed vessels to be used were owned not by Congress, but by individual colonies. Of greater significance, then, was an additional plan to equip two ships that would operate under the direct authority of Congress to capture British supply ships. This was not carried out until October 13, 1775, when George Washington announced that he had taken command of three armed schooners under Continental authority to intercept any British supply ships near Massachusetts. With the revelation that vessels were already sailing under Continental control, the decision to add two more was made easier;[8] the resolution was adopted and October 13 would later become known as the U.S. Navy's official birthday.[9]
The Continental Navy achieved mixed results; it was successful in a number of engagements and raided many British merchant vessels, but it lost 24 of its vessels[10]and at one point was reduced to two in active service.[11] As Congress turned its attention after the conflict towards securing the western border of the new United States, a standing navy was considered to be dispensable because of its high operating costs and its limited number of roles.[3]
[edit] From reestablishment to the Civil War
We ought to begin a naval power, if we mean to carry on our commerce.
The United States would be without a navy for nearly a decade—a state of affairs that exposed its merchant ships to a series of attacks by Barbary pirates. The sole armed maritime presence between 1790 and the launching of the U.S. Navy's first warships in 1797 was the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service (USRCS), the primary "ancestor" of the U.S. Coast Guard. Although USRCS Cutters conducted operations against these pirates, the depredations far outstripped the abilities of the USRCS and Congress ordered the construction and manning of six frigates on March 27, 1794;[10] three years later the first three were welcomed into service: the USS United States, USS Constellation and USS Constitution.
Following an undeclared Quasi-War with France, the U.S. Navy saw substantial action in the War of 1812, where it was able to defeat three rival British frigates over a six month period, with the loss of only two frigates to the British Navy. Despite this, the U.S. Navy was not strong enough to prevent the British from blockading American ports and landing troops at will.[3] After the war, the U.S. Navy again focused its attention on protecting American shipping assets, sending squadrons to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, South America, Africa, and the Pacific.[10] During the Mexican-American War the U.S. Navy contributed by instituting blockades of Mexican ports, supporting operations ashore and participating in the U.S. military's first large-scale amphibious operation at Vera Cruz.[3] The United States Navy established itself as a player in American foreign policy through the actions of Commodore Matthew Perry in Japan, which resulted in the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854.
Naval power would play a significant role during the American Civil War, where the Union had a distinct advantage over the Confederacy on the seas.[3] A Union blockade on shipping handicapped the Southern effort throughout the conflict. The two American navies would help usher in a new era in world naval history by putting ironclad warships into combat for the first time. The Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862, which pitted USS Monitor against CSS Virginia, became the first engagement between two steam-powered ironclads.[11] Soon after the war, however, the U.S. Navy's fleet slipped into obsolescence because of neglect.
[edit] 20th century
Our ships are our natural bulwarks
A modernization program beginning in the 1880s brought the U.S. in line with the navies of countries such as England and Germany. In 1907, most of the Navy's battleships, with several support vessels, dubbed the Great White Fleet, were showcased in a 14-month circumnavigation of the world. Ordered by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was a mission designed to demonstrate the Navy's capability to extend to the global theater.[10]
The Navy saw little action during World War I, but grew into a formidable force in the years prior to World War II. Though ultimately unsuccessful, Japan attempted to allay this strategic threat with the 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Following American entry into the war, the U.S. Navy grew tremendously as the United States was faced with a two-front war on the seas. It achieved notable acclaim in the Pacific Theater in particular, where it was instrumental to the Allies' successful "island hopping" campaign.[11] The U.S. Navy participated in many significant battles, including the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the Battle of Okinawa. By 1943, the Navy's size was larger than the combined fleets of all the other combatant nations in World War II.[13] By war's end in 1945, the United States Navy had added hundreds of new ships, including 18 aircraft carriers and 8 battleships, and had over 70% of the world's total numbers and total tonnage of naval vessels of 1,000 tons or greater.[14][15]
The potential for armed conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War pushed the U.S. Navy to continued its technological advancement by developing new weapons systems, ships, and aircraft. United States naval strategy changed to that of forward deployment in support of U.S. allies with an emphasis on carrier battle groups.[16] The Navy was a major participant in the Vietnam War, blockaded Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and, through the use of ballistic missile submarines, became an important aspect of the United States' nuclear strategic deterrence policy. The United States Navy conducted various combat operations in the Persian Gulf against Iran in 1987 and 1988, most notably Operation Praying Mantis. The Navy was extensively involved in Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Deliberate Force, Operation Allied Force, Operation Desert Fox and Operation Southern Watch.
[edit] 21st century
When a crisis confronts the nation, the first question often asked by policymakers is: 'What naval forces are available and how fast can they be on station?'
—Admiral C.A.H. Trost[17]
The United States Navy continues to be a major support to American interests in the 21st century. Since the end of the Cold War, it has shifted its focus from preparations for large-scale war with the Soviet Union to special operations and strike missions in regional conflicts.[18] The Navy participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and is a major participant in the ongoing War on Terror, largely in this capacity. Development continues on new ships and weapons, including the CVN-21 aircraft carrier (since renamed the CVN-78/Gerald R. Ford class) and the Littoral combat ship. Because of its size, weapons technology, and ability to project force far from American shores, the current U.S. Navy remains a potent asset for the United States Commander-in-Chief (the President of the United States).
In 2007, the U.S. Navy joined with the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard to adopt a new maritime strategy called A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower that raises the notion of prevention of war to the same philosophical level as the conduct of war. The strategy was presented by the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and Commandant of the Coast Guard at the International Seapower Symposium in Newport, R.I. on October 17, 2007.[19] The strategy recognized the economic links of the global system and how any disruption due to regional crises—manmade or natural—can adversely impact the U.S. economy and quality of life. This new strategy charts a course for the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps to work collectively with each other and international partners to prevent these crises from occurring or reacting quickly should one occur to prevent negative impacts on the United States.
[edit] Organization
The Navy falls under the administration of the Department of the Navy, under civilian leadership of the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). The most senior naval officer is the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), a four-star admiral who is immediately under and reports to the Secretary of the Navy. At the same time, the Chief of Naval Operations is one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which is the second-highest deliberatory body of the armed forces after the United States National Security Council, although it only plays an advisory role to the President and does not nominally form part of the chain of command. The Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations are responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Navy so that it is ready for operation under the command of the Unified Combatant Commanders.
[edit] Operating forces
There are nine components to the operating forces of the U.S. Navy: the Atlantic Fleet, Pacific Fleet, Naval Forces Central Command, Naval Forces Europe, Naval Network Warfare Command, Navy Reserve, Naval Special Warfare Command, Operational Test and Evaluation Forces and Military Sealift Command. Fleets in the United States Navy take on the role of force provider; they do not carry out military operations independently, rather they train and maintain naval units that will subsequently be provided to the naval forces component of each Unified Combatant Command. While not widely publicized, groups of ships departing U.S. waters for operational missions gain a Task force type designation, almost always with the Second or Third Fleets. On entry into another numbered fleet's area of responsibility, they are redesignated as a task group from that fleet. For example, a carrier task group departing the Eastern Seaboard for the Mediterranean might start out as Task Group 20.1; on entry into the Mediterranean, it might become Task Group 60.1.
The United States Navy has six active numbered fleets—Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh—that are each led by a three-star Vice Admiral and the Fourth fleet led by a Rear Admiral. These six fleets are further grouped under Fleet Forces Command (the former Atlantic Fleet), Pacific Fleet, Naval Forces Europe, and Naval Forces Central Command, whose commander also doubles as Commander Fifth Fleet; these four commands are led by four-star full Admirals. The First Fleet existed after the Second World War from 1947, but it was redesignated Third Fleet in early 1973.[20] In early 2008, the United States Navy reactivated the Fourth Fleet to control operations in the area controlled by Southern Command, which consists of US assets in and around Central and South America.[21]
[edit] Shore establishments
Shore establishment commands exist to support the mission of the seaborne fleets through the use of facilities on land. Focusing on logistics and combat-readiness, they are essential for the smooth, continuous and complete operation of naval forces. The variety of commands reflect the complexity of the modern US Navy and range from naval intelligence to personnel training to maintaining repair facilities. Two of the major logistics and repair commands are Naval Sea Systems Command and Naval Air Systems Command. Other commands such as the Office of Naval Intelligence, the United States Naval Observatory, and the Navy War College focus on intelligence and strategy. Training commands include the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center and the United States Naval Academy.
The Navy maintains several "Naval Forces Commands" which operate naval shore facilities and serve as liaison units to local ground forces of the Air Force and Army. Such commands are answerable to a Fleet Commander as the shore protector component of the afloat command. During times of war, all Naval Forces Commands augment to become task forces of a primary fleet. Some of the larger Naval Forces Commands in the Pacific Ocean include Commander Naval Forces Korea (CNFK), Commander Naval Forces Marianas (CNFM), and Commander Naval Forces Japan (CNFJ).
[edit] Military Sealift Command
Military Sealift Command (MSC) serves not only the United States Navy, but the entire Department of Defense as an ocean carrier of materiel. It transports equipment, fuel, ammunition, and other goods essential to the smooth function of United States armed forces worldwide. Up to 95% of all supplies needed to sustain the U.S. military can be moved by Military Sealift Command.[22] MSC operates approximately 120 ships with 100 more in reserve. The command is unique in that its ships are manned not by active duty Navy personnel, but by civil service or contracted merchant mariners.
[edit] Naval Special Warfare Command
U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command was commissioned April 16, 1987, at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, in San Diego, California. It acts as the Naval component of the United States Special Operations Command, headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Naval Special Warfare Command provides vision, leadership, doctrinal guidance, resources and oversight to ensure component maritime special operations forces are ready to meet the operational requirements of combatant commanders. The NSW has 5,400 total active-duty personnel, including 2,450 SEALs and 600 Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen. NSW also maintains a 1,200-person reserve of approximately 325 SEALs, 125 SWCC and 775 support personnel.[23]
[edit] Relationships with other service branches
[edit] United States Marine Corps
Historically, the United States Navy has enjoyed a unique relationship with the United States Marine Corps (USMC), partly because they both specialize in seaborne operations. At the very top level of civilian organization, the USMC is part of the Department of the Navy and reports to the Secretary of the Navy. However, it is considered to be a distinct, separate service branch and not a subset of the Navy; the highest ranking Marine officer, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, does not report to a Navy officer. Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients are awarded the Navy variant and Marines are eligible to receive the Navy Cross. The United States Naval Academy trains Marine Corps commissioned officers while Navy officers undergo instruction by Marine NCO Drill Instructors, in addition to their normal Recruit Division Commander. Naval Aviation includes Navy and Marine aviators, flight officers, and aircrew.
The relationship extends to the operational theater as well. As amphibious assault specialists, Marines often deploy on, and attack from, Navy vessels; while being transported on Navy ships, they must obey the orders of the captain of the vessel. Marine aviation tailhook squadrons train and operate alongside Navy squadrons, flying similar missions and often flying sorties together. Other types of Marine air squadrons operate from amphibious assault ships in support of Marine amphibious operations. Navy and Marine squadrons use the same NATOPS aviation manuals and procedures. The USMC does not train chaplains, hospital corpsmen or medical doctors; thus officers and enlisted sailors from the Navy fulfill these roles. They generally wear Marine uniforms that are emblazoned with Navy insignia and markings to distinguish themselves from Marines. Corpsmen and chaplains enjoy a great sense of camaraderie with the Marines due in part because they work closely with them and often are embedded with Marine units. They operate under the command of the Marine Corps under the auspices of the Fleet Marine Force, often called "green side" corpsman.[24]
[edit] United States Coast Guard
Although the Posse Comitatus Act, which prevents federal military personnel from acting in a law enforcement capacity, applies only to the Army and Air Force, Department of Defense rules effectively require the Navy and Marine Corps to act as if Posse Comitatus did apply, preventing them from enforcing the law. The United States Coast Guard fulfills this law enforcement role in naval operations. It provides Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs) to Navy vessels, where they perform arrests and other law enforcement duties during Navy boarding and interdiction missions. In times of war, or when directed by the President, the Coast Guard operates as a service in the Navy and is subject to the orders of the Secretary of the Navy until it is transferred back to the Department of Homeland Security.[25] At other times, Coast Guard Port Security Units are sent overseas to guard the security of ports and other assets. The Coast Guard also jointly staffs the Navy's Naval Coastal Warfare Groups and Squadrons (the latter of which were known as Harbor Defense Commands until late-2004), which oversee defense efforts in foreign littoral combat and inshore areas.
[edit] Personnel
The United States Navy has nearly 500,000 personnel, approximately a quarter of whom are in ready reserve. Of those on active duty, more than eighty percent are enlisted sailors, and around fifteen percent are commissioned officers; the rest are midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy, NROTC units at over 180 universities around the country and officer candidates at Officer Candidate School.[1]
Sailors prove they have mastered skills and deserve responsibilities by completing Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS) tasks and examinations. Among the most important is the "warfare qualification", which denotes a journeyman level of capability in Surface Warfare, Aviation Warfare, Naval Aircrew, Special Warfare or Submarine Warfare. Many qualifications are denoted on a sailor's uniform with U.S. Navy badges and insignia.
[edit] Commissioned officer
- See also: List of United States Navy staff corps
Commissioned officers in the Navy have pay grades ranging from O-1 to O-10, with O-10 being the highest; those with paygrades between O-1 through O-4 are considered junior officers and O-5 and O-6 as senior officers. Officers in the O-7 to O-10 range are called flag officers or "the admiralty." Promotion through O-8 is based on performance in an officer's current paygrade, which is recorded in "FITREPS" (fitness reports), usually self-written by the officer and edited by superiors. Promotions to Vice Admiral (O-9) and Admiral (O-10) are based on assignment to specific positions and subject to U.S. Senate confirmation. Above the rank of Admiral is Fleet Admiral (O-11), which was awarded to a only four officers in World War II and is intended to be used only during a declared war. In 1899, a special rank called Admiral of the Navy was created for Admiral George Dewey, a war hero of the Spanish-American War, with the condition that it would cease to exist upon his death.[26][27] Commissioned officers originate from the United States Naval Academy, Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), Officer Candidate School (OCS), and a host of other commissioning programs such as the Seaman to Admiral-21 program, the Limited Duty Officer and Chief Warrant Officer Selection Programs, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Commissioned officers can generally be divided into line officers and staff corps; line officers can be further split into unrestricted and restricted communities. Unrestricted Line Officers are the warfighting command element and are authorized to lead ships, aviation squadrons, and special operations units. Restricted Line Officers, on the other hand, concentrate on non-combat related fields, such as engineering and maintenance; they are not qualified to command combat units. Staff Corps officers are specialists in fields that are themselves professional careers and not exclusive to the military, for example: medicine, law, and civil engineering.
Up until Fiscal Year 2005, all officers entering the U.S. Navy were awarded a Reserve commission (they were commissioned as Ensign, United States Navy Reserve). Legislation was signed that all Reserve Officers on Active Duty, designated by a "5" in the last digit of the designator, would be converted over to a Regular Navy commission by close of Fiscal Year 2006.
| Commissioned Officer Rank Structure of the United States Navy | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fleet Admiral | Admiral | Vice Admiral | Rear Admiral (upper half) |
Rear Admiral (lower half) |
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| O-11 (Inactive) | O-10 | O-9 | O-8 | O-7 | ||||||
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| Captain | Commander | Lieutenant Commander | Lieutenant | Lieutenant, Junior Grade | Ensign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-6 | O-5 | O-4 | O-3 | O-2 | O-1 |
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[edit] Chief Warrant Officer
Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) pay grades range from W-2 to the highest rank of W-5. United States Navy CWOs are commissioned officers whose role is to provide leadership and skills for the most difficult and demanding operations in a particular technical specialty. They occupy a niche that is not as well served by the line officer community, who tend to have a broader focus. CWOs come from the senior non-commissioned officer ranks of the enlisted and receive their commission after completing the Chief Warrant Officer Program. They typically become CWOs in specialties that are most related to their previous enlisted rating. Like Staff Corps officers, CWOs wear special insignia above the rank devices on their shoulder boards and sleeves to indicate their field of expertise.
| Commissioned Warrant Officer Rank Structure of the United States Navy | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Warrant Officer Five | Chief Warrant Officer Four | Chief Warrant Officer Three | Chief Warrant Officer Two | |||||||
| W-5 | W-4 | W-3 | W-2 | |||||||
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[edit] Enlisted sailors
- See also: List of United States Navy ratings
Enlisted members of the Navy have pay grades from E-1 to E-9, with E-9 being the highest. All enlisted sailors with paygrades of E-4 and higher are considered Petty Officers while those at E-7 and higher are further named Chief Petty Officers. Unlike commissioned officers, who are given authority by the government, NCOs are promoted through the ranks of the enlisted. Those who demonstrate superior performance are given an increase in paygrade; the official Navy term is to be advanced. Two notable advancements are from Seaman to Petty Officer Third Class (E-3 to E-4) and from Petty Officer First Class to Chief Petty Officer (E-6 to E-7). Advancement to Chief Petty Officer is especially significant and is marked by a special induction ceremony.
Enlisted members of pay grades E-4 and above are said to be "rated," meaning that they possess a rating, or occupational specialty. Members of grades E-1 to E-3 can become "strikers," meaning they have rating designations like Petty Officer (example: a BM3 is a Petty Officer Third Class rated as a Boatswain's Mate; BMSN is a Seaman designated as a Boatswain's Mate striker), but do not necessarily have to be. Whether a designated striker or not, personnel in the pay grades of E-3 and below are all considered "Non-Rates." There are more than 50 ratings covering a broad range of skills and subspecialties.
For example, SA SMITH, MARY. would be considered a Seaman Apprentice. Prior to her rank of SA a rating would be placed. Therefore, her entire title would be ITSA SMITH, MARY. IT indicating Information Systems Technician. As for ENFN THOMPSON, JOHN. EN specifying the occupation as Engineman and FN as Fireman.
| Non-Commissioned Officer and Enlisted Rate Structure of the United States Navy | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy | Fleet/Force Master Chief Petty Officer | Command Master Chief Petty Officer | Master Chief Petty Officer | Senior Chief Petty Officer | Chief Petty Officer | |||||
| E-9 | E-8 | E-7 | ||||||||
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| Petty Officer First Class | Petty Officer Second Class | Petty Officer Third Class | Seaman | Seaman Apprentice | Seaman Recruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-6 | E-5 | E-4 | E-3 | E-2 | E-1 |
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No insignia |
[edit] Uniforms and appearance
The uniforms of the United States Navy are designed "to combine professionalism and naval heritage with versatility, safety, and comfort".[28] The Navy currently incorporates many different styles that are specific for a variety of uses and occasions. In most cases, distinctions are made to distinguish officers and enlisted men in their uniformed appearance. U.S. Navy uniforms can generally be divided into three categories: dress uniforms, service uniforms, and working uniforms.
- Dress uniforms are worn during military-related formal occasions, such as ceremonies and other official functions. Many types of dress uniforms are used in the Navy with the full range of formal requirements represented. Service dress is the least formal dress uniform, full dress is one step higher in formality, and mess dress is the most formal dress available.
- Service uniforms are designed for daily wear and are most often worn in office or classroom-type settings, as well as other occasions in which physical activity is at a minimum.[29] The most visible distinction between officers and enlisted personnel are the color of the service uniform. Only officers and chief petty officers are authorized to wear service khaki; all other personnel must wear winter blue or summer white.
- Working uniforms prioritize comfort and safety first and thus are the most utilitarian of the Navy uniforms. They are intended for use in underway ships and in occasions that involve dirty, physical labor. Many working uniforms are variations of the service uniforms except with less formal requirements. This category includes Navy coveralls, which are authorized to be worn by members of all ranks.
Recently, the Navy completed a project named "Task Force Uniform" to streamline Navy uniforms. Among the changes are that enlisted personnel from Seaman Recruit to Petty Officer First Class (E1-E6) will have one year-round service uniform instead of Winter Blues and Summer Whites. All personnel from Seaman Recruit to Admiral will also have new working uniforms dubbed Navy Working Uniform (NWU) to replace the wash khakis, coveralls, dungarees, and aviation working greens currently in use. The uniform is a digital patterned camouflage in predominantly haze gray and blue hues.[30]
Grooming for both male and female sailors is regulated to a high degree, with exact standards in regards to hair, facial hair, use of cosmetics, and jewelry. New male recruits are given the military crew cut and are prohibited from having hair longer than four inches (102 mm) while in the service. Men are required to be clean shaven at all times, although mustaches are allowed. Women do not have a hair length regulation, however hair cannot fall past the bottom edge of the uniform collar and the style of hair is strictly controlled. Multicolored hair, body piercing, and tattoos on the head are banned for both sexes.[31]
[edit] Bases
The size, complexity, and international presence of the United States Navy require a large number of navy installations to support its operations. While the majority of bases are located inside the United States itself, the Navy maintains a significant number of facilities, either in U.S.-controlled territories or in foreign countries under a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
[edit] Eastern United States
The second largest concentration of installations is in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where the Navy occupies over 36,000 acres (146 km²) of land. Located in Hampton Roads are NS Norfolk, homeport of the Atlantic Fleet, NAS Oceana, a Master Jet Base, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, as well as a number of Navy and commercial shipyards that service Navy vessels. The state of Florida is the location of three major bases, Naval Station Mayport, the Navy's fourth largest, near Jacksonville, Florida, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, a Master Air Anti-submarine Warfare base, and Naval Air Station Pensacola, the primary training base for Navy and Marine Naval Flight Officers and Naval Aircrewman personnel. The main U.S. Navy submarine bases are located in Groton, Connecticut and Kings Bay, Georgia. There are also naval bases in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Brunswick, Maine.[32]
[edit] Western United States and Hawaii
The Navy's largest complex is China Lake, California, which covers 1.1 million acres (4500km²) of land, or approximately 1/3 of the United States Navy's total land holdings.[32]
Naval Base San Diego, California is principal home to the Pacific Fleet (although the headquarters is located in Pearl Harbor). NAS North Island is located on the north side of Coronado, and is home to the West Coast carrier fleet. The Naval Special Warfare Center is the primary training center for SEALs, and is also located on Coronado. The other major collection of naval bases on the west coast is in Puget Sound, Washington. Among them, Naval Station Everett is one of the newer bases and the Navy states that it is its most modern facility.[33] NAS Fallon, Nevada servs as the primary training ground for Navy Strike aircrews, and is home to the Naval Strike Air Warfare Center. The naval presence in Hawaii is centered on Pearl Harbor Naval Base, which hosts the headquarters of the Pacific Fleet and many of its subordinate commands.[32]
[edit] United States territories
Guam, an island strategically located in the Western Pacific Ocean, maintains a sizable U.S. Navy presence. The westernmost U.S. territory, it contains a natural deep water harbor capable of harboring even aircraft carriers in emergencies.[34] Its naval air station was deactivated in 1995 and its flight activities transferred to nearby Andersen Air Force Base. Puerto Rico in the Caribbean formerly housed Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, which was shut down in 2004 shortly after the controversial closure of the live ordnance training area on nearby Vieques Island.[32]
[edit] Foreign countries
The largest overseas base is in Yokosuka, Japan,[35] which serves as the homeport for the Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet and is a significant base of operations in the Western Pacific. European operations revolve around facilities in Italy and Greece with Gaeta as the homeport for the Sixth Fleet and Nisida as the headquarters of Sixth Fleet. In the Middle East, naval facilities are located almost exclusively in countries bordering the Persian Gulf, with Manama, Bahrain serving as the headquarters of Fifth Fleet. Guantánamo Bay in Cuba is the oldest overseas facility and has become known in recent years as the location of a detention camp for suspected al-Qaeda operatives.[36]
[edit] Ships
- See also: List of United States Navy ships
The names of commissioned ships of the U.S. Navy are prefixed with the letters "USS," designating "United States Ship".[37] Non-commissioned, civilian-manned vessels of the Navy have names that begin with "USNS," standing for "United States Naval Ship" The names of ships are officially selected by the Secretary of the Navy, often to honor important people or places. Additionally, each ship is given a letter-based hull classification symbol (for example, CVN or DDG) to indicate the vessel's type and number. All ships in the Navy inventory are placed in the Naval Vessel Register, which tracks data such as the current status of a ship, the date of its commissioning, and the date of its decommissioning. Vessels that are removed from the register prior to disposal are said to be stricken from the register. The Navy also maintains a reserve fleet of inactive vessels that are maintained for reactivation in times of need.
The U.S. Navy was one of the first to install nuclear reactors aboard naval vessels;[38] today, nuclear energy powers most U.S. aircraft carriers and submarines. In the case of the Nimitz-class carrier, two naval reactors give the ship almost unlimited range and provide enough electrical energy to power a city of 100,000 people.[39] The U.S. Navy previously operated nuclear-powered cruisers and destroyers, but all have been decommissioned.
[edit] Aircraft carriers
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Due to their ability to put most nations within striking distance of U.S. air power, aircraft carriers are the cornerstones of the United States' forward deployment and deterrence strategy.[40] Multiple carriers are deployed around the world to provide military presence, respond quickly to crises, and participate in joint exercises with allied forces;[41] this has led the Navy to refer to their Nimitz-class carriers as "4.5 acres of sovereign and mobile American territory."[42] Former President Bill Clinton summed up the importance of the aircraft carrier by stating that "when word of crisis breaks out in Washington, it's no accident the first question that comes to everyone's lips is: where is the nearest carrier?"[43] The power and operational flexibility of a carrier lie in the aircraft of its carrier air wing. Made up of both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, a carrier air wing is able to perform over 150 strike missions at once, hitting over 700 targets a day.[44] Carrier air wings also protect friendly forces, conduct electronic warfare, assist in special operations, and carry out search and rescue missions. The carriers themselves, in addition to enabling airborne operations, serve as command platforms for large battle groups or multinational task forces. U.S. Navy aircraft carriers can also host aircraft from other nations' navies; the French Navy's Rafale has operated, during naval exercises, from U.S. Navy flight decks.[45]
A carrier is typically deployed along with a host of additional vessels, forming a carrier battle group. The supporting ships, which usually include three or four Aegis-equipped anti cruisers and destroyers, a frigate, and two attack submarines, are tasked with protecting the carrier from air, missile, sea, and undersea threats as well as providing additional strike capabilities themselves. Ready logistics support for the group is provided by a combined ammunition, oiler, and supply ship. Aircraft carriers beginning with USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) have been named for politicians important to the Navy or United States history. Previous aircraft carriers were generally named for battles and past famous fighting ships of the Navy.
- Kitty Hawk class (1 in commission, 2 decommissioned)
- Enterprise class (1 in commission)
- Nimitz class (9 in commission, 1 under construction)
- Gerald R. Ford-class (1 under construction, at least 2 more planned)
[edit] Amphibious warfare vessels
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Amphibious assault ships are the centerpieces of US amphibious warfare and fulfill the same power projection role as aircraft carriers except that their striking force comprises land forces instead of aircraft. They deliver, command, coordinate, and fully support all elements of a 2200-strong Marine Expeditionary Unit in an amphibious assault using both air and amphibious vehicles. Resembling small aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships are capable of V/STOL, STOVL, VTOL, tiltrotor, and rotary wing aircraft operations. They also contain a welldeck to support the use of Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and other amphibious assault watercraft. Recently, amphibious assault ships have begun to be deployed as the core of an expeditionary strike group, which usually consists of an additional amphibious transport dock and dock landing ship for amphibious warfare and an Aegis-equipped cruiser and destroyer, frigate, and attack submarine for group defense. Amphibious assault ships are typically named