Structure of the United States Navy
The structure of the
The chief of naval operations presides over the Navy Staff, formally known as the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV).[1][2] The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory organization within the executive part of the Department of the Navy, and its purpose is to furnish professional assistance to the secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) and the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in carrying out their responsibilities.[3][4]
The OPNAV organization consists of:
- The chief of naval operations (CNO)
- The vice chief of naval operations (VCNO), the principal deputy of the chief of naval operations, delegated complete authority to act for the CNO in all matters not specifically reserved by law to the CNO.
- The director of the Navy Staff (DNS).
- Several deputy chiefs of naval operations (DCNOs)two-star rank, heading functional directorates.
- (N1) DCNO Manpower, Personnel, Training, & Education/Chief of Naval Personnel
- (N2/N6) DCNO Information Warfare/Director of Naval Intelligence
- (N3/N5) DCNO Operations, Plans, & Strategy
- (N4) DCNO Installations & Logistics
- (N8) DCNO Integration of Capabilities & Resources
- (N7) DCNO Warfighting Development
- (N9) DCNO Warfare Systems
- (N00D) The master chief petty officer of the Navy (MCPON), appointed by the chief of naval operations to serve as a spokesperson to address the issues of enlisted personnel to the highest positions in the Navy.
- (N00N) The director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, a unique eight-year posting held by a 4 star admiral, which was originally created and served in by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. The appointment as Director is both a military and civilian position as it is the head of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program in the Department of the Navy and deputy administrator for the Office of Naval Reactors of the National Nuclear Security Administration in the Department of Energy.[6][7][8]
- (N093) The surgeon general of the Navy, the most senior officer in the Medical Corps who heads the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED).
- (N095) The chief of Navy Reserve/commander, Navy Reserve Force.
- (N097) The chief of chaplains.
- In addition, there are officials who are by either law or regulation part of the Office of the Secretary of the Navy(also known as the Secretariat), but who advise the CNO and OPNAV, on an additional duty basis, within their area of specialty, these include:
- (N09C) Special Assistant for Public Affairs Support, additional duty for the Chief of Information(CHINFO).
- (N09G) Special Assistant for Inspection Support, additional duty for the Naval Inspector General (NIG).
- (N09J) Special Assistant for Legal Services, additional duty for the Judge Advocate General of the Navy (JAG).
- (N09L) Special Assistant for Legislative Support, additional duty for the Chief of Legislative Affairs (CLA).
- (N09N) Special Assistant for Naval Investigative Matters and Security, additional duty for the Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
- (N09C) Special Assistant for Public Affairs Support, additional duty for the
Policy documents emanating from the CNO are issued in the form of OPNAV Instructions.
OPNAV is one of the three headquarters staffs in Department of the Navy mainly based at the Pentagon, with the others being the Office of the Secretary of the Navy and Headquarters Marine Corps.
Operating forces
The operating forces consists of nine components:[9]
- United States Fleet Forces Command/Naval Forces Northern Command
- United States Pacific Fleet
- United States Naval Forces Central Command
- United States Naval Forces Southern Command
- United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa
- U.S. Fleet Cyber Command
- United States Navy Reserve
- United States Naval Special Warfare Command
- Operational Test and Evaluation Force
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
Numbered fleets
The United States Navy currently has seven active numbered fleets. Various other fleets have existed, but are not currently active.
U.S. Navy Numbered Fleets (2015) Numbered Fleet Status Parent Command Geographic Region Notes 1st Fleet Inactive Pacific Fleet N/A The First Fleet was created in 1947. It was deactivated when the Third Fleet assumed its responsibilities in early 1973.[11] The United States Coast Guard is sometimes believed to act as the First Fleet in wartime; however, the United States has never officially used this reference and it is informal at best.[12] 2nd Fleet Active Fleet Forces Command Western North Atlantic Ocean The Second Fleet was redesignated from the Second Task Fleet in 1950 as part of the then- United States Atlantic Fleet. It was deactivated in 2011,[13]then reactivated on 4 May 2018.3rd Fleet Active Pacific Fleet Eastern Pacific Ocean The Third Fleet was active during World War II and was deactivated in 1945. It was reactivated in early 1973 when it assumed the responsibilities previously assigned to the First Fleet.[11] 4th Fleet Active Naval Forces Southern Command Southern Atlantic Ocean The Fourth Fleet was active during World War II and deactivated in 1950 when its responsibilities passed to Second Fleet. It was reactivated in 2008. 5th Fleet Active Naval Forces Central Command Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and part of Indian Ocean The Fifth Fleet was deactivated in 1947 after serving during World War II. It was reactivated in 1995 to assume responsibilities in the Persian Gulf previously assigned to Seventh Fleet. 6th Fleet Active Naval Forces Europe Eastern North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean The Sixth Fleet was redesignated from Sixth Task Fleet in 1950 and has been continuously active in the Mediterranean since 1950. 7th Fleet Active Pacific Fleet Western Pacific Ocean & Indian Ocean The Seventh Fleet was activated in 1943, redesignated Naval Forces Western Pacific in 1947, Seventh Task Fleet in 1949 and to its current designation in 1950. 8th Fleet Inactive Atlantic Fleet N/A The Eighth Fleet was established in 1943 from Northwest African Force. It operated in the Mediterranean Sea during World War II, with its forces briefly reassigned to Twelfth Fleet. From 1946-47 served as the heavy striking arm of the United States Atlantic Fleet before being redesignated Second Task Fleet and later Second Fleet.[14]9th Fleet Inactive Atlantic and Pacific N/A Before 15 March 1943, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe served as Commander Task Force 99, of the 9th Fleet, which was under the direct command of Admiral King. Naval Forces Far Eastused 90-series task forces in Korea.10th Fleet Active Fleet Cyber Command Global The Tenth Fleet was active during World War II and reactivated in 2010 for assignment to Fleet Cyber Command.[17] 11th Fleet Inactive Pacific Fleet and Atlantic Fleet N/A Redesignated on 15 August 1943 from 9th Fleet and subsequently transferred to Atlantic Fleet 12th Fleet Inactive Naval Forces Europe N/A The Twelfth Fleet was active in European waters during World War II. It was redesignated United States Naval Forces Mediterranean in 1946, which later became Sixth Task Fleet.[18]
Additional numbered fleets have existed; for a period after World War II, the Sixteenth and Nineteenth Fleets were assigned as the reserve elements for Atlantic and Pacific Fleets.[19]
Organization
The organization of the Navy has changed incrementally over time. During World War II administrative organization for many ship types included divisions, for example
The Navy is currently organized as such:
- U.S. Fleet Forces Command / Naval Forces Northern Command
- Type commands, including Submarine Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Surface Forces Atlantic, and Naval Air Forces Atlantic
- Fleet Forces Command, providing force training and exercises of assigned maritime forces and providing combat-ready Naval forces to support Service missions and global requirements. Second Fleet works with the Combined Joint Operations from the Sea/Center of Excellence to complete its mission.
- 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.[20] MSC operates approximately 120 ships with 100 more in reserve. Ships of the command are not crewed by active duty Navy personnel, but by civil service or contracted merchant mariners.
- Naval Construction, Maritime Civil Affairs, Expeditionary Training, Expeditionary Logistics, Expeditionary Intelligence, Combat Camera, and Expeditionary Combat Readiness. The Maritime Expeditionary Security Force's (MESF) (formerly known as Naval Coastal Warfare) primary mission is force protection conducted through fleet support with operations around the world. Two Maritime Expeditionary Security Groups in San Diego and Portsmouth, Va. supervise integration of coastal warfare assets trained to operate in high density, multi-threat environments. Coastal and harbor defense and protection of naval assets are placed under the jurisdiction of two Naval Coastal Warfare Groups: one for the Pacific Fleet and one for the Atlantic Fleet.
- Type commands, including
- U.S. Naval Forces Europe - Naval Forces Africa / Sixth Fleet
- The Sixth Fleet is deployed in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, under the administrative direction of U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR), and the operational command of USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20). Sixth Fleet also provides the Mt Whitney as an Afloat Command Platform for Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, a Naples-based Maritime headquarters that serves as a deployable Maritime Component Commander as directed by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).
- The Sixth Fleet is deployed in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, under the administrative direction of U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR), and the operational command of
- U.S. Pacific Fleet
- Type commands, including Submarine Forces Pacific, Surface Force Pacific, and Naval Air Forces Pacific
- San Diego, California and is a part of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command(INDOPACOM).
- Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan with USS Blue Ridge(LCC-19) as its flagship.
- Naval shore commands: Commander Naval Forces Japan(CNFJ).
- U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) / Fifth Fleet
- Fifth Fleet's area of responsibility is the Middle East, including the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Consisting of around 25 ships, including a carrier strike group and an expeditionary strike group, Fifth Fleet is effectively fused with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, which is the naval component of USCENTCOM. Fifth Fleet is headquartered at Manama, Bahrain.
- NAVCENT includes a number of Task Forces which are not part of the Fifth Fleet. These include Combined Task Force 150, carrying out maritime surveillance activities in the Gulf of Oman and around the Horn of Africa, and Task Force 152, covering the southern Persian Gulf with the same role. Both Task Forces report to Commander NAVCENT in his role as Combined Maritime Forces Component Commander.
- U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / Fourth Fleet
- The Fourth Fleet has operational responsibility for U.S. Navy assets assigned from east and west coast fleets to operate in the U.S. Southern Command area. The Fourth Fleet will conduct varying missions including a range of contingency operations, counter narcoterrorism, and theater security cooperation (TSC) activities. TSC includes military-to-military interaction and bilateral training opportunities as well as humanitarian assistance and in-country partnerships.
- U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command's (USNAVSO), the Navy component command for U.S. Southern Command, mission is to direct U.S. naval forces operating in the Caribbean, and Central and South American regions and interact with partner nation navies to shape the maritime environment.
- U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / Tenth Fleet
- The Tenth Fleet has functional responsibility to achieve the integration and innovation necessary for warfighting superiority across the full spectrum of military operations in the maritime, cyberspace and information domains. Tenth Fleet has operational control of Navy cyber forces to execute the full spectrum of computer network operations, cyber warfare, electronic warfare, information operations and signal intelligence capabilities and missions across the cyber, electromagnetic and space domains. Tenth Fleet also partner with and support other fleet commanders to provide guidance and direction to ensure coordinated, synchronized and effective preventative and response capability in cyberspace. U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / Tenth Fleet is a subcomponent of U.S. Cyber Command.
- U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command
- Commissioned on 16 April 1987, at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, in Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen. NSW also maintains a 1,200-person reserve of approximately 325 SEALs, 125 SWCC and 775 support personnel.[21]
- Commissioned on 16 April 1987, at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, in
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.[citation needed] Such commands are answerable to a Fleet Commander as the shore protector component of the afloat command. In times of war, Commander Naval Forces Korea becomes a Task Force (Task Force 78) of the United States Seventh Fleet. Other Naval Force Commands may similarly augment to become number fleet task forces.
The Shore Establishment
- "The shore establishment provides support to the operating forces (known as "the fleet") in the form of: facilities for the repair of machinery and electronics; communications centers; training areas and simulators; ship and aircraft repair; intelligence and meteorological support; storage areas for repair parts, fuel, and munitions; medical and dental facilities; and air bases."[22]
The following shore-based bureaus, commands and components are directly subordinate to the Chief of Naval Operations:"[22]
- Naval Sea Systems Command
- Naval Air Systems Command
- Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command
- Naval Supply Systems Command
- Naval Information Warfare Systems Command
- Strategic Systems Programs
- United States Naval Academy
- Naval Education and Training Command
- Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
- Office of Naval Intelligence
- Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center
- Naval Security Group
- Naval Legal Service Command
- United States Naval Observatory
- Naval Safety Command
Relationships with other service branches
United States Marine Corps
Per sections 8001(a)(2), 8061, 8061(4), and 8063 of title 10, U.S. Code, the United States Marine Corps is (1) a separate branch of the naval service from the U.S. Navy; (2) the Department of the Navy and the U.S. Navy are distinct legal entities; (3) is, along with the U.S. Navy (and U.S. Coast Guard, when assigned) a component of the Department of the Navy; and (4) a branch of U.S. military service, separate from the U.S. Navy, within the Department of the Navy. Furthermore, per sections 8001(a)(1), 5061(4), and 5062(a) of title 10, U.S. Code, (1) the United States Navy does not include the United States Marine Corps (2); the U.S. Marine Corps is a separate component service, from either the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Coast Guard within the Department of the Navy; and (3) the U.S. Marine Corps is not a component of the U.S. Navy.[clarification needed]
In 1834, the
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
Because of the lack of full-scale amphibious operations in recent conflicts, there has been pressure to cut the "gator navy" below the two-regiment requirement of the Marines.
The relationship between the US Navy and US Marine Corps is also one of mutual respect, and that respect is manifested in various policies and procedural regulations. For example, per US Marine and Navy drill manuals, in a formation consisting of both Marine and Navy units, per MCO P5060.20, Marine Corps Drill and Ceremonies Manual, Paragraph 15001. "ARRANGEMENT OF UNITS IN FORMATION 1. In ceremonies involving the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy units, the Marine unit shall be on the right of line or head of the column. The senior line officer, regardless of service, functions as the commander of troops." (As this is a Department of Defense/Department of the Navy regulation, no further 10 U.S. Code authority, other than already cited above, is required for the Secretary of the Navy, who supervises both the U.S Navy, and the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard whenever it is assigned to the Department of the Navy, to specify that the Marine Corps takes precedence over the Navy and Coast Guard in Naval formations, parades, and ceremonies. This same military precedence is specified in DoD Instruction 1005.8 and U.S. Navy Regulations, Chapter 10, Paragraph 1007.) This is a symbol of the special status and honor granted to US Marines, and is a unique aspect of the Navy-Marine relationship.
United States Coast Guard
Although the
References
- ^ navy.mil Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Chief of Naval Operations − Responsibilities. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
- ^ "10 U.S. Code § 5033 - Chief of Naval Operations: general duties". Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "10 U.S. Code § 5031 - Office of the Chief of Naval Operations: function; composition". Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "10 U.S. Code § 5032 - Office of the Chief of Naval Operations: general duties". Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ 10 U.S. Code § 5036 - Deputy Chiefs of Naval Operations
- ^ "NNSA Leadership". www.energy.gov. United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ^ "Powering the Navy". www.energy.gov. United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ^ "National Nuclear Security Administration". National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy 2009. Department of Energy www.Energy.gov. Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
- ^ "Navy Organization - The Operating Forces". Official Website of the United States Navy. Washington, DC. 23 June 2004. Archived from the original on 9 August 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2006.
- S2CID 213678034.
- ^ "Numbered Fleets". Military Analysis Network. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 8 April 2006.
- Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 1 October 2011.
- Metuchen, NJ, and London, 1980.
- ^ "HyperWar: Administrative History of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe, 1940-1946 [Chapter V, Part I]". Ibiblio.org. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
- ^ "United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945". History.navy.mil. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
- ^ Navy Stands Up Fleet Cyber Command, Reestablishes U.S. 10th Fleet, NNS100129-24
- ^ Peter M. Swartz, Captain, USN (Retired), Colloqium on Contemporary History, September 2003. Retrieved June 2008.
- ISBN 0-7603-0870-5, p.79, via Google Books.
- ^ "Military Sealift Command". Official U.S. Navy Website. Retrieved 24 July 2006.
- ^ "Naval Special Warfare Command". Official U.S. Navy Website. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
- ^ "Marine Corps Manual - General Administration and Management - Organization of the Marine Corps" (PDF). Official U.S. Marine Corps Website. Washington, DC: Department of the Navy. 1980. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ Peterson, Bryan A. (2 March 2007). "Recon Marines seek green-side corpsmen". Letherneck. Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ Ewing, Philip (13 June 2009). "Gator fleet a likely target for QDR, cuts". Navy Times.
- ^ "Amphibious Ship Building". Global Security. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ "14 USC 3 - Department in which the Coast Guard operates". Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School. Retrieved June 1, 2015.