Cultural Assessment of the U.S. Navy Essay

The United States of America has not always been the world superpower that it is today. The same goes for its Navy. In the first several years of existence, the United States Navy was not a formidable fighting force. The young nation was hesitant to invest in a navy for many reasons, one of them being to prevent provoking the world powers of the time, France and Britain. On top of that, navies were very expensive to build and required a significant amount of resources to maintain, which the U.S. did not have at the time. To say that the United States Navy was ill prepared for war would be a dramatic understatement. The U.S. had a total of fifteen ships in its entire naval fleet compared to the might of the Royal Navy which possessed over six hundred warships. Even with the odds stacked against the U.S., President Madison declared war on 18 JUN 1812. The lack of size and power of the navy at the time would make it extremely difficult to satisfy the needs of the newly founded nation.

On November 10th, 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution that stated "two Battalions of Marines be raised", which established the Continental Marines, and is now considered the birth date of the Marines. The newly formed Continental Marines served on both land and sea, and took part in many major engagements, which helped establish them as an important branch of the Armed Forces. The first Commandant of the Continental Marines was Captain Samuel Nicholas, who was born in Philadelphia in 1744. He was commissioned to be a “Captain of Marines” by the 2nd Continental Congress on November 5th 1775. Nicholas soon established Tun Tavern as the recruiting headquarters. Tun Tavern’s owner, Robert Mullen, was so successful at recruiting

First off i would like to state a well known quote known by all Marines, "Non Commissioned Officers (NCO's) are the backbone of the United States Marine Corps." Without the NCO's the Marine Corps could not function. This quote alone holds a great deal of history as well as gives a brief discription of what a Marine NCO truely is.

Since its formation during the early years of our nation the United States Navy has always stood out among other militaries, playing a vital role in the protection of our own country as well as the rest of the world. Founded upon the core values of honor, courage, and commitment the Navy has continued to uphold its men and women to exceptionally high moral, mental, and physical standards for nearly 240 years. It is my favorite branch of the military and becoming an officer in it has been a goal of mine for a long time.

General MacArthur, the Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, once said that “I hold no branch [of the military] in higher esteem than the Merchant Marine.” Since its founding in 1775 the Merchant Marine has supported the United States in every single war it has fought. In their missions, mariners play a crucial non-combat role that forces them into enemy fire. For instance during World War II, Merchant Mariners maintained the “supply lines [to Europe and the Pacific] that provided... everything that the Allied armies needed in order to survive.” The New York Times pointed out that the invasion of Normandy “would not have been possible without the Merchant Marine.” Knowing this, German U-Boats intentionally targeted Merchant Marine ships throughout the war, sinking them faster than the United States could build them.8 Alongside marines, sailors, soldiers, and airmen, mariners made the same sacrifices. In total, 3.9 percent or 1 in 26 mariners died as a result of the war, more than any other branch of the military.9 Nearly 10,000 mariners died World War II.10 In fact, “the losses were so high... that the [military] kept casualty rates secret during the war, to avoid creating a shortage of volunteers.” In recognition of their losses, President Roosevelt promised the mariners “veteran status and a Seaman’s Bill of Rights” after the war had ended. Unfortunately, these promises died along with Roosevelt. Ultimately, mariners never received full veterans’ status and benefits like the GI Bill and disability compensation. After the war ended, “many former mariners became derelicts without homes after the war... and some even committed suicide.” Mariners never received the support network of care, respect, prestige, and compensation that helped veterans to readjust to civilian life. Due to

Brodine, C. (2009). A Look at the birth of the Continental Navy. America’s Navy, Retrieved from: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=49113

I believe that the United States Coast Guard consists of people who are the best of the best. Being in the Coast Guard means more than what most people may think. I know joining the armed forces means I have to be willing to serve my country and take any actions necessary to defend it, which may include giving my life to protect others. The Coast Guard’s three core values encompass the mental capacity needed in order to do so. The three values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty are vital to holding any position in the Coast Guard. Honor is more than just a word. It helps define who you are, what you believe in and is a statement of your character. Honor is not something a person can ask for, it must be earned. It is gained alongside with

As the recruiting goals in the Navy continue to increase it would seem as if the Navy’s numbers for First Term Sailor retention (Zone A up to six years) would increase also, this is not the case though. Senior Leaders need to be aware of the amount of Sailors that are discharging prior to or at their first term because it is causing the Navy to have a high turnover rate and not allowing for a strong fleet with continuity. This paper will discuss the attrition of first term Sailors, what is causing these Sailors to discharge early, and how the Navy can take a proactive approach to retain the best Sailors for the future of the Navy.

On May 27, 2011, I sat in the crowd of thousands of people waiting to see the cheer from the football field. No, this wasn’t a professional football game, or even a college game. This was the graduation and commissioning of 1000 men and women from the United States Naval Academy. As the covers of all the former midshipmen went into the air, and the crowd went wild, I stood in awe, speechless. Even as an 11 year old boy, I knew that I wanted to be that young man standing on the ten yard line, in an immaculate white uniform, jumping up and down and hugging his buddy next to him. As I read stories and biographies of men like Marcus Luttrell and Chris Kyle, some of the most courageous men in the world, I realized my calling in life. I was to be an officer in the United States Navy.

Population trends are affecting the U.S. Navy’s education and operations. Over the past few decades, many changes have taken place, not only in the United States

I don’t always realize that a lot of our junior personnel don’t look ahead past their next advancement opportunity. Some of them think that the future of the Coast Guard will be just like it is to them

waterways, making sure traffic flows in a safe and efficient manner.6)Living Marine Resources - Enforces domestic fishing laws through patrols and inspections.7)Ice Operations - Helps transport goods and personnel in connection with scientific and national security efforts in polar regions. Also breaks through ice with specialized ships and keeps track of icebergs to help direct commercial vessels.8) Marine Safety - Sets safety standards and inspects commercial vessels to ensure those standards are being maintained. 9)Marine Environmental Protection - Prevents and responds to oil and chemical spills, stops illegal dumping in U.S. waters and works prevent an invasive plant and animal species.10)Illegal Drug Interdiction - Uses sea vessels and aircraft to intercept illegal drug shipments and collect intelligence.11)Fish Stock Protection - Ensures foreigners don’t raid U.S. fish stocks.

The navy was the largest naval force in the world 400 years ago. They live on the ocean for months and months. They are always on the move to keep the ocean safe from war and possibly terrorist attacks from water bomb. They are always on guard and fighting to get more men to join the navy could be more protective so our citizens would have more protection from many ways the other forces could have attacked. The navy made the pepole of whales brania feel at ease with them selfs from harm.

The U.S. Navy will continue to develop new strategies in counter-piracy operaitions. The experience gained gives an opportunity for Sailors to train and prepare for these situations while at sea. The teamwork and effort from the CTF and ships becomes a standard for suture Sailors to emulate. These experiences link the strong naval heritage of combating piracy in the past with todays technology and partnership to build the in the strupon the experience gained

I am interested in being a soldier because I like to help people that are in need. Another reason is because most of my cousins were in the Army and my sister is currently in the Navy. I aldo want to travel around the world and have new challenges and adventures, but what I really want to do is work in narcotics so that the import of drugs to the U.S. can decrease or at least try to make a difference. After researching the responsibilities, work conditions, salary, and future outlook, a career as a Navy SEAL would be awesome, and their training will prepare anyone for a successful future.