Founded in 1775, the US navy has played a significant role in US foreign policy during both war and peacetime. The mission of the USN is to maintain, train and equip combatready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the scas. The USN employs over 360,000 active duty personnel and almost 200,000 reservists. These officers and enlisted personnel are stationed at bases throughout the US and the world, while operating over 300 ships and 4,000 aircraft.

The USN, like the army and air force, is controlled by the president through the Department of Defense, to whom the Secretary of the Navy reports. These appointed civilian positions oversee the military career positions of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. During times of war, the US Coast Guard may also fall under the command of the Secretary of the Navy if directed to do so.

Individuals working in the navy are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

This body of law replaces the Constitution as the governing authority of conduct, crimes and punishment. This is one of the more significant areas that differentiates an individual “in the military” versus a “civilian.” In addition to full-time work with benefits that include medical coverage and retirement provisions, many enter the navy for educational opportunities. The USN offers many programs that provide on-the-job skill training and collegelevel classes. The US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs for active-duty personnel.

People also join for opportunities for travel, the chance to fill the call of patriotic duty and the rewards of belonging to part of an extended tradition. It is not uncommon to find families that have had several generations that have either served or completed careers in this branch of the armed forces.

The navy has figured prominently in mass-media representations of military both as patriotic propagandists and in lighter pieces emphasizing travel and port activities. In addition to innumerable war films, serious modern naval works of stage and screen include The Caine Mutiny (1954) and Mr Roberts (1955).