 Seal of the Department of the Navy | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 30 April 1798; 227 years ago (1798-04-30) |
| Headquarters | The Pentagon,Arlington County,Virginia, U.S. |
| Agency executives | |
| Parent agency | United States Department of Defense |
| Child agencies |
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| Website | navy.mil |
| United States Armed Forces |
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| Executive departments |
| Staff |
| Military departments |
| Military services |
| Command structure |
TheUnited States Department of the Navy (DON) is one of the three military departments within theUnited States Department of Defense. It was established by anAct of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging ofSecretary of WarJames McHenry, to provide a government organizational structure to theUnited States Navy (USN).[1] Since 1834, the department has exercised jurisdiction over theUnited States Marine Corps (USMC), and during wartime theUnited States Coast Guard (USCG). These branches remain at all times independent and coequalservice branches within the DON.[2] It is led by thesecretary of the Navy (SECNAV), a statutorycivilian officer.[3]
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The Department of the Navy was anexecutive department, whose secretary served on thepresident's cabinet, until 1949, when amendments to theNational Security Act of 1947established the Department of Defense as a unified department for all military services; the DON, along with theDepartment of the Army andDepartment of the Air Force, became a component of the DoD, subject to the authority, direction and control of thesecretary of defense.
From 2001 to 2019, proposals to rename the Department of the Navy to theDepartment of the Navy and Marine Corps were introduced with wide support in the United States Congress, but failed due to the opposition of senator and former U.S. Navy officerJohn McCain.
The Department of the Navy is headed by thesecretary of the Navy, also known as theSECNAV in naval jargon, who has the authority to conduct all of the affairs of the department, subject to lawful authority, thesecretary of defense, and the president. The secretary of the Navy is appointed by the president with the advice and consent of theSenate.[4] The secretary is assisted by anunder secretary of the Navy, fourassistant secretaries of the Navy and ageneral counsel of the Department of the Navy, who are also appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate.
The highest-rankingmilitary officers in the Department of the Navy are thechief of naval operations and thecommandant of the Marine Corps, who are the principal military advisors to the secretary of the Navy. They supervise their respective military services of the Department of the Navy, and in a separate capacity serve as members of theJoint Chiefs of Staff. They are assisted by avice chief of naval operations and anassistant commandant of the Marine Corps.
The Department of the Navy comprises twouniformed services: theUnited States Navy and theUnited States Marine Corps (sometimes collectively called the "naval services" or "sea services").[5]
The Department of the Navy consists of all elements of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. According toNavy Regulations Section 0204-2, the term "Navy Department" refers only to the executive offices at the seat of government.
The Department of the Navy is composed of the following:[6]
| Department of the Navy | FY 2024 Actuals[7] | FY 2025 Enacted[8] | FY 2026 Disc. Req. | FY 2026 Reconc. Req. | FY 2026 Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military Personnel | 59.1 | 62.2 | 66.0 | 0.3 | 66.3 |
| Operation and Maintenance | 86.3 | 85.3 | 87.2 | 6.5 | 93.7 |
| Procurement | 82.7 | 76.0 | 62.9 | 32.4 | 95.3 |
| RDT&E | 27.6 | 25.9 | 25.7 | 3.5 | 29.2 |
| Revolving and Management Funds | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| Military Construction | 6.3 | 4.3 | 6.1 | 0.7 | 6.9 |
| Family Housing | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Total Department of the Navy | 262.7 | 254.5 | 248.9 | 43.3 | 292.2 |
From 2001 until his death in 2019, CongressmanWalter B. Jones Jr. introduced legislation to rename the Department of the Navy as theDepartment of the Navy and Marine Corps. The legislation would have also renamed the secretary of the Navy to the secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. Congressman Jones put forward the legislation to give the Marine Corps equal recognition with the Navy as part of the Department of the Navy, stating in 2018, "The Marine Corps is an equal member of this department, and therefore, deserves equal recognition in its title."[9] In 2013, theCongressional Budget Office estimated the cost of a name change to be only $500,000 over several years.[10][11]
His proposal had strong support in theHouse of Representatives andSenate, with 98 percent of house members and 80 percent of senators supporting it in 2008. In 2010, it set a record number for cosponsors in the House, with 415 members. The redesignation has been endorsed by Marine Corps and Navy professional associations including theMarine Corps League,Fleet Reserve Association, andVeterans of Foreign Wars.[12] Formercommandants of the Marine Corps generalsAlfred M. Gray Jr.,Carl Epting Mundy Jr.,Charles C. Krulak,James L. Jones,Michael Hagee, andJames T. Conway have endorsed the change. Former famous marines have also voiced support including Lieutenant ColonelOliver North and Gunnery SergeantR. Lee Ermey, who stated in 2010 "When we die, when mama and dada get that letter of condolence, it would be kind of nice if the Marine Corps was mentioned...just change the letterhead. What's the harm in that? These young men and women are fighting and losing their lives for this country. We aren't asking for our own department. We are reasonable people. We are just asking for an honorable mention."[10] Formersecretaries of the NavyPaul Nitze andJohn Howard Dalton have also supported the change.[13]
Despite having consistent support in both the House of Representatives and Senate, the proposal consistently failed to pass due to the intervention of Senator and former Navy officerJohn McCain, who served as the chair of theSenate Armed Services Committee.[10]
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