The United
States Navy
(USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces
responsible for conducting naval operations and is one of seven
uniformed services. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately
332,000 personnel on active duty and 125,000 in the Navy
Reserve. It operates 280 ships in active service and more than
3,700 aircraft.
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". Depredations against American shipping by Barbary Coast
corsairs spurred Congress to employ this power[3] by passing the
Naval Act of 1794 ordering the construction and manning of six
frigates. The U.S. Navy came into international prominence in
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. Its ability to project force
onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward areas
during peacetime, and rapidly respond to regional crises makes
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] and has a
budget of $127.3 billion for the 2007 fiscal year. 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.
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.
Commander in Chief George Washington commissioned seven
ocean-going cruisers to interdict British supply ships, and
reported the captures to the Congress, the letter arriving to be
read on 13 October a.d. 1775, 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
transports. 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; the resolution was
adopted and October 13 would later become known as the United
States Navy's official birthday.
The Continental Navy achieved mixed results; it was successful
in a few individual engagements and raided many British merchant
vessels, but it lost 24 ships and at one point was reduced to
two in active service. 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
national roles. |
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