Department of the Navy in the United States

The primary mission of the Department of the Navy is to protect the United States,
as directed by the President or the Secretary of Defense, by the effective prosecution
of war at sea including, with its Marine Corps component, the seizure or defense of
advanced naval bases; to support, as required, the forces of all military departments of
the United States; and to maintain freedom of the seas.

The United States Navy was founded on October 13, 1775, when Congress
enacted the ?rst legislation creating the Continental Navy of the American
Revolution. The Department of the Navy and the Office of Secretary of the Navy
were established by act of April 30, 1798 (10 U.S.C. 5011, 5031). For 9 years prior
to that date, by act of August 7, 1789 (1 Stat. 49), the conduct of naval affairs was
under the Secretary of War. The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 provided that the Department of the Navy be a military department within
the Department of Defense (63 Stat. 578).

The Secretary of the Navy is appointed by the President as the head
of the Department of the Navy and is responsible to the Secretary of Defens
for the operation and ef?ciency of the Navy (10 U.S.C. 5031). The Department
of the Navy includes the U.S. Coast Guard when it is operating as a Service in
the Navy.

Secretary

The Secretary of the Navy is the head of the Department of the Navy,
responsible for the policies and control of the Department of the Navy, including it
organization, administration, functioning, and ef?ciency. The members of the
Secretary’s executive administration assist in the discharge of the responsibilities of the Secretary of the Navy.

Legal

The Office of the Judge Advocate General provides all legal advice and related services throughout the
Department of the Navy, except for the advice and services provided by the
General Counsel. It also provides legal and policy advice to the Secretary of
the Navy on military justice, ethics, administrative law, claims, environmental
law, operational and international law and treaty interpretation, and litigation
involving these issues. The Judge Advocate General provides technical supervision for the Naval Justice School
at Newport, RI.

For further information, contact the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Department of the Navy,
Washington Navy Yard, Suite 3000, 1322 Patterson Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20374–5066. Phone,
202–685–5190.

Criminal Investigations

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service
provides criminal investigative, counterintelligence, law enforcement
and physical security, and information and personnel security support to Navy
and Marine Corps organizations and personnel worldwide, both ashore and
a?oat. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is comprised of law enforcement
professionals who are investigators, crime laboratory technicians, technical
investigative specialists, security specialists, and administrative support
personnel.

For further information, contact the Director, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Department
of the Navy, 716 Sicard Street SE., Building 111, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 20388–
5000 (phone, 202–433–8800) or the Operations Control Center/Headquarters Duty Officer (phone,
202–433–9323).

Research

The Office of Naval Research encourages, promotes,
plans, initiates, and coordinates naval research; coordinates naval research
and development conducted by other agencies and of?ces of the Department
of the Navy; and supervises, manages, and controls activities within or for
the Department of the Navy relating to patents, inventions, trademarks,
copyrights, and royalty payments.

For further information, contact the Public Affairs Office, Office of Naval Research, Ballston Tower
One, 800 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22217–5660. Phone, 703–696–5031.

Introduction to Department of the Navy

Department of the Navy, one of the three major components of the United States Department of Defense. Created as a separate executive department of the federal government by congressional enactment in 1798, the department was incorporated into the Defense Department organization by the National Security Act Amendments of 1949. It is administered by the secretary of the navy, who is appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate and functions under the direction of the secretary of defense. The department’s aim is to maintain the U.S. Navy as an integrated entity of sufficient strength on the sea and in the air to uphold, in conjunction with the other armed forces, the national and international policies and interests of the U.S., to support its commerce, and to guard the nation and its overseas possessions and dependencies.

The administrative functions of the department are performed by a group of agencies operating within the executive office of the secretary. The chief of naval operations is the principal naval adviser to the president, to the secretary of defense, and to the secretary of the navy in matters relating to the conduct of warfare and the activities of the navy. He is also the navy member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Deputy chiefs of naval operations handle matters relating to personnel and training, policy and operations, logistics, naval warfare, and naval program planning. The navy’s operating forces include several fleets, seagoing forces, and the Military Sealift Command. The following commands provide material support to the navy and the Marine Corps: Naval Air Systems Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Naval Sea Systems Command, and Naval Supply Systems Command. Other specialized functions are handled by the Naval Medical Command and the Bureau of Naval Personnel. Military law is administered by the office of the Judge Advocate General. Also serving under the secretary of the navy is the commandant of the Marine Corps.

A number of agencies operating within the department are responsible for the performance of various specialized and technical functions. The Naval Oceanography Command is charged with making hydrographic and oceanographic surveys in foreign waters and on the high seas and with collecting and disseminating hydrographic and oceanographic information and data. The Naval Space Command is responsible for all navy space-related systems; it is working to prepare the service for extended future involvement in space programs. Other functional field commands deal with telecommunications, cryptology, intelligence, legal services, investigative services, education and training, and information systems. The Naval Observatory performs astronomical observations and is responsible for the dissemination of such data as will afford means of safe navigation to U.S. and other naval vessels and aircraft. The department also operates the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.” (1)

Department of the Navy

In Legislation

Department of the Navy in the U.S. Code: Title 10, Subtitle C, Part I, Chapter 503

The current, permanent, in-force federal laws regulating department of the navy are compiled in the United States Code under Title 10, Subtitle C, Part I, Chapter 503. It constitutes “prima facie” evidence of statutes relating to Navy (including department of the navy) of the United States. The reader can further narrow his/her legal research of the general topic (in this case, Navy Organization of the US Code, including department of the navy) by chapter and subchapter.

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Department of the Navy in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Department of the Navy

In this Section

Federal Departments, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense (including Department of Defense Purpose, Department of Defense Organization, Department of Defense Liaison of Command and Department of Defense Supporting Agencies), Department of Education, Department of Energy

(including Department of Energy Purpose, Department of Energy Organization and Department of Energy Research and Development), Department of Health and Human Services (including Department of Health and Human Services History and Department of Health and Human Services Agencies and Services), Department of Homeland Security (including Department of Homeland Security Organization and Functions, Department of Homeland Security Origins and Department of Homeland Security Supporting Agencies), Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice (including Department of Justice Functions, Department of Justice Structure and Department of Justice Associated Agencies), Department of Labor, Department of National Defence, Department of State (including Department of State Administration and Department of State Bureaus), Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army, Department of the Interior (including Department of the Interior Functions and Department of the Interior Principal Agencies), Department of the Navy, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs (including the Department of Veterans Affairs Service Categories, Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Available and GI Bill of Rights) and Department of War.