28-980: The Office of Naval Inspector General for the United States Department of the Navy was established during World War II to make investigations as directed by the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations . The current mission of the Naval Inspector General is "to inspect, investigate, or inquire into matters of importance to the Department of the Navy and maintain the highest level of public confidence". In February 1942, while undergoing conversion in New York harbor, USS Lafayette caught fire and subsequently capsized. In addition to one person being killed in
56-565: A 'troubleshooting' unit for the chief of naval operations (CNO) by conducting inquiries and reporting on all matters which affected the efficiency and economy of the Navy; and by conducting inspections and investigations into any naval matter as required by the secretary of the Navy, CNO, Congress, or by law. The Goldwater-Nichols Act in 1986 transferred the NIG from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to
84-520: The Department of the Navy , a military department within the United States Department of Defense . By law, the secretary of the Navy must be a civilian at least five years removed from active military service. The secretary is appointed by the president and requires confirmation by the Senate . The secretary of the Navy was, from its creation in 1798, a member of the president's Cabinet until 1949, when
112-658: The Joint Chiefs of Staff . They are assisted by a vice chief of naval operations and an assistant commandant of the Marine Corps . The Department of the Navy comprises two uniformed services : the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps (sometimes collectively called the "naval services" or "sea services"). The Department of the Navy consists of all elements of the United States Navy and
140-660: The Marine Corps League , Fleet Reserve Association , and Veterans of Foreign Wars . Former commandants of the Marine Corps Generals Alfred M. Gray Jr. , Carl Epting Mundy Jr. , Charles C. Krulak , James L. Jones , Michael Hagee , and James T. Conway have endorsed the change. Former famous marines have also voiced support including Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and Gunnery Sergeant R. 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
168-601: The Office of the Secretary of the Navy . United States Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy ( DON ) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America . It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging of Secretary of War James McHenry , to provide a government organizational structure to
196-453: The United States Marine Corps . According to Navy 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: From 2001 until his death in 2019, Congressman Walter B. Jones Jr. introduced legislation to rename the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps . The legislation would have also renamed
224-513: The United States Navy (USN). Since 1834, the department has exercised jurisdiction over the United States Marine Corps (USMC), and during wartime the United States Coast Guard (USCG). These branches remain at all times independent and coequal service branches within the DON. It is led by the secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), a statutory civilian officer . The Department of the Navy
252-533: The secretary of defense . From 2001 to 2019, proposals to rename the Department of the Navy to the Department 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 officer John McCain . The Department of the Navy is headed by the secretary of the Navy , also known as the SECNAV in naval jargon, who has
280-630: The Department of the Navy for acquisition, auditing, financial and information management, legislative affairs, and public affairs. Pursuant to SecNavInst 5090.5F, the Department of the Navy Environmental Programs Manual , the secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations recognize a number of commands annually for achievements in such areas as environmental quality , environmental cleanup , natural resources conservation , cultural resources management , pollution prevention , and recycling . The chief of naval operations and
308-571: The House of Representatives and Senate, the proposal consistently failed to pass due to the intervention of Senator and former Navy officer John McCain , who served as the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee . Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy ( SECNAV ) is a statutory officer ( 10 U.S.C. § 8013 ) and the head ( chief executive officer ) of
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#1733086090938336-485: 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." Former secretaries of the Navy Paul Nitze and John Howard Dalton have also supported the change. Despite having consistent support in both
364-507: The Navy & the Marine Corps, including the authority to convene general courts-martial and to commute sentences. The principal military advisers to the SECNAV are the two service chiefs of the naval services: for matters regarding the Navy the chief of naval operations (CNO), and for matters regarding the Marine Corps the commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC). The CNO and the Commandant act as
392-670: The Navy has the same powers and duties with respect to the Coast Guard as the secretary of homeland security when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy. The Office of the Secretary of the Navy , also known within DoD as the Navy Secretariat or simply just as the Secretariat in a DoN setting, is the immediate headquarters staff that supports the secretary in discharging his duties. The principal officials of
420-512: The Secretariat include the under secretary of the Navy (the secretary's principal civilian deputy), the assistant secretaries of the Navy (ASN), the general counsel of the Navy , the judge advocate general of the Navy (JAG), the Naval inspector general (NIG), the chief of Legislative Affairs , and the chief of naval research . The Office of the Secretary of the Navy has sole responsibility within
448-468: 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." In 2013, the Congressional Budget Office estimated
476-404: The affairs of the Department of the Navy", i.e. as its chief executive officer, subject to the limits of the law, and the directions of the president and the secretary of defense. In effect, all authority within the Navy and Marine Corps, unless specifically exempted by law, is derivative of the authority vested in the secretary of the Navy. Specifically enumerated responsibilities of the SECNAV in
504-401: The aforementioned section are: recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, training, mobilizing, and demobilizing. The secretary also oversees the construction, outfitting, and repair of naval ships, equipment, and facilities. SECNAV is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and programs that are consistent with the national security policies and objectives established by
532-425: The authority to conduct all of the affairs of the department, subject to lawful authority, the secretary of defense , and the president. The secretary of the Navy is appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate . The secretary is assisted by an under secretary of the Navy , four assistant secretaries of the Navy and a general counsel of the Department of the Navy , who are also appointed by
560-455: The cost of a name change to be only $ 500,000 over several years. His proposal had strong support in the House of Representatives and Senate , 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
588-513: The disaster, the loss of such a prestigious and well-known ship was a tremendous embarrassment to the Navy. Congress launched an investigation into the disaster to determine if the ship's loss was an act of foreign sabotage or merely negligence. In its report, Congress expressed frustration with the multiple investigative agencies within the Navy. The committee felt that the Navy Department needed an office of Inspector General to "be charged with
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#1733086090938616-695: The duty of keeping Congress and the secretary of the Navy informed as to the conditions of the naval service. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox established the Office of Naval Inspector General (NIG) on 18 May 1942 with General Order 173. Initially, the Naval Inspector General was part of the staff of the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet . The initial staff included one deputy and three assistant inspectors. The office served throughout World War II as
644-579: The president or the secretary of defense. The secretary of the Navy is a member of the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB), chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics . Furthermore, the secretary has several statutory responsibilities under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with respect to the administration of the military justice system for
672-454: The president with the advice and consent of the Senate. The highest-ranking military officers in the Department of the Navy are the chief of naval operations and the commandant 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
700-412: The principal executive agents of the SECNAV within their respective services to implement the orders of the secretary. The United States Navy Regulations is the principal regulatory document of the Department of the Navy, and all changes to it must be approved by the secretary of the Navy. Whenever the United States Coast Guard operates as a service within the Department of the Navy, the secretary of
728-519: The secretary of the Navy (and the secretaries of the Army and Air Force ) were by amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 made subordinate to the secretary of defense . On August 7, 2021, Carlos Del Toro was confirmed as secretary of the Navy. From 2001 to 2019, proposals to rename the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps, which would have also renamed
756-560: The secretary of the Navy to the secretary 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 retired U.S. Navy officer John McCain . The Department of the Navy (DoN) consists of two uniformed services : the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps . The secretary of the Navy is responsible for, and has statutory authority ( 10 U.S.C. § 8013 ) to "conduct all
784-506: Was an executive department , whose secretary served on the president's cabinet , until 1949, when amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 established the Department of Defense as a unified department for all military services; the DON, along with the Department of the Army and Department of the Air Force , became a component of the DoD, subject to the authority, direction and control of
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