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United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
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United States Navy
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The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U. S. Navy is the largest, most capable navy in the world, the U. S. Navy has the worlds largest aircraft carrier fleet, with ten in service, two in the reserve fleet, and three new carriers under construction. The service has 323,792 personnel on duty and 108,515 in the Navy Reserve. It has 274 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of October 2016, the U. S. Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was effectively disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. It played a role in the American Civil War by blockading the Confederacy. It played the role in the World War II defeat of Imperial Japan. The 21st century U. S. Navy maintains a global presence, deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean. The Navy is administratively managed by the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Navy is itself a division of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of Defense. The Chief of Naval Operations is an admiral and the senior naval officer of the Department of the Navy. The CNO may not be the highest ranking officer in the armed forces if the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, the United States Navy is a seaborne branch of the military of the United States. The Navys three primary areas of responsibility, The preparation of naval forces necessary for the prosecution of war. The development of aircraft, weapons, tactics, technique, organization, U. S. Navy training manuals state that the mission of the U. S. Armed Forces is to prepare and conduct prompt and sustained combat operations in support of the national interest, as part of that establishment, the U. S. Navys functions comprise sea control, power projection and nuclear deterrence, in addition to sealift duties. It follows then as certain as that night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, the Navy was rooted in the colonial seafaring tradition, which produced a large community of sailors, captains, and shipbuilders. In the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, Massachusetts had its own Massachusetts Naval Militia, the establishment of a national navy was an issue of debate among the members of the Second Continental Congress. Supporters argued that a navy would protect shipping, defend the coast, detractors countered that challenging the British Royal Navy, then the worlds preeminent naval power, was a foolish undertaking. Commander in Chief George Washington resolved the debate when he commissioned the ocean-going schooner USS Hannah to interdict British merchant ships, and reported the captures to the Congress
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Admiral (United States)
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Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below fleet admiral in the Navy, the Coast Guard and the Public Health Service do not have an established grade above admiral. Admiral is equivalent to the rank of general in the uniformed services. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps has never had a hold the grade of admiral. However,37 U. S. C. §201 of the U. S. Code established the grade for the NOAA Corps in the case a position is created that merits the four-star grade. The United States Navy did not have any admirals until 1862 because many felt the title too reminiscent of royalty, such as the British Royal Navy. Others saw the need for ranks above captain, among them John Paul Jones and he also felt there must be ranks above captain to avoid disputes among senior captains. Two years later Congress authorized the appointment of an admiral from among the nine rear admirals. Another bill allowed the President of the United States to appoint Farragut to admiral on July 25,1866, when Farragut died in 1870, Porter became admiral and Stephen C. Rowan was promoted to vice admiral, there was one admiral in the interim, however. In 1899, Congress recognized George Deweys accomplishments during the Spanish–American War by authorizing the President to appoint him Admiral of the Navy and he held that rank until he died in 1917. Nobody has since held that title, in 1944, Congress approved the five-star grade of fleet admiral. The first to hold it were William D. Leahy, Ernest J. King, the Senate confirmed their appointments December 15,1944. Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey got his star in December 1945. The rear admiral got his two-inch stripe and one half-inch stripe in 1866, the sleeve stripes had been more elaborate. When the rear admiral rank started in 1862 the sleeve arrangement was three stripes of three-quarter-inch lace alternating with three stripes of quarter-inch lace and it was some ten inches from top to bottom. The vice admiral, of course, had even more stripes, on their dress uniforms the admirals wore bands of gold embroidery of live oak leaves and acorns. The admirals of the 1860s wore the number of stars on their shoulders as admirals of corresponding grades do today. During the 20th century, the ranks of the modern U. S. admiralty were firmly established, an oddity that did exist was that the navy did not have a one-star rank except briefly during World War II when Congress established a temporary war rank of commodore
4.
Naval Inspector General
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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, while only one person was killed in 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 loss was an act of foreign sabotage or merely negligence. In its report, Congress expressed frustration with the investigative agencies within the Navy. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox established the Office of Naval Inspector General 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 Goldwater-Nichols Act in 1986 transferred the NIG from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to the Office of the Secretary of the Navy. Jones, September 1952-March 1954 Vice Admiral Stuart S. Murray, April 1954-August 1956 Vice Admiral Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, kelly, September 1963-November 1963 Rear Admiral George S. Patrick, November 1963-June 1964 Captain J. C
5.
Distinguished Service Medal (United States Navy)
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The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The medal is presented to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorious service to the United States while serving in a duty or position of great responsibility. The award is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal was originally senior to the Navy Cross, until August 1942 when the precedence of the two decorations was reversed. Currently, it is worn after the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, at the start of World War I, the Navy had the Medal of Honor as the only decoration with which to recognize heroism. The law made the award retroactive to 6 April 1917, the first award of the decoration was a posthumous presentation to Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen, USMC, on 13 March 1919. Originally, senior in precedence to the Navy Cross, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal assumed its current place below the Navy Cross by congressional action on 7 August 1942. To justify this decoration, exceptional performance of duty must be clearly above that normally expected, generally, the Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to officers in principal commands at sea, or in the field, whose service is of a manner to justify the award. However, this does not preclude the award of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to any individual who meets the service requirements, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a gilt bronze medallion 1.25 inches in diameter. The obverse of the medal depicts an American bald eagle in the center displaying its wings, the eagle holds an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left talons. The eagle is surrounded by an enameled ring with the words, • UNITED • STATES • OF • AMERICA • at the top. Surrounding the blue ring is a gold border of scroll waves depicted moving in a clockwise direction. The medal is surmounted by a white five-pointed star, point up, in the center of the star is a blue anchor, while gold rays radiate between the arms of the star. The reverse of the medal depicts a trident surrounded by a laurel wreath, the wreath is surrounded by a blue enamel ring containing the inscription FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE. Like the obverse, the blue ring on the reverse is surrounded by scroll waves. The medals suspension and service ribbon is blue with a single central stripe of yellow. Additional awards of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal are denoted by gold and silver 5/16 inch stars worn on the medals suspension, awards and decorations of the United States military
6.
Naval Reactors
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Naval Reactors is an umbrella term for the U. S. government office that has comprehensive responsibility for safe and reliable operation of the United States Navys nuclear propulsion program. A single entity, it has authority and reporting responsibilities within both the Department of the Navy and the Department of Energy. Program responsibilities are delineated in Presidential Executive Order 12344 of February 1,1982, and prescribed by Public Laws 98-525 of October 19,1984, and 106-65 of October 5,1999. Soon after his U. S. Navy service during World War II, the office was originally a joint activity of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission and the U. S. Navys Bureau of Ships, when the AEC was abolished, Naval Reactors became a joint effort of the Navy and the Energy Research and Development Administration, which partly replaced the AEC. In 1977, ERDA was combined with the Federal Energy Administration to form the U. S. Department of Energy, within seven years of its inception, the organization that developed from this concept would put into operation the nations first power reactor. The following four years would see three more submarines and two reactor plant prototypes operating and another seven ships and two prototypes being built. To date, more reactors have been built and safely operated by the NR program than any other US program. He was promoted successively, partially as a result of Congressional involvement, until he reached the rank of full Admiral, the Director of Naval Reactors also serves as a Deputy Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration. NR alumni have founded or led numerous corporate and industrial organizations, for example MPR Associates. The Rickover Effect, How One Man Made a Difference, Theodore Rockwell, Naval Institute Press,1992 Nuclear Navy, 1946-1962, Francis Duncan and Richard G
7.
John M. Richardson (admiral)
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John Michael Richardson is an admiral in the United States Navy who currently serves as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations. He previously served as the Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program from November 2,2012 to August 14,2015, on May 13,2015, United States Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter, announced Richardsons nomination to succeed Admiral Jonathan Greenert as Chief of Naval Operations. Richardson began serving as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations on September 18,2015, Richardson was commissioned into the United States Navy upon his graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1982. During his tenure, Richardson has served primarily with submarine operations, serving on the USS Parche, the USS Salt Lake City, and the USS George C. Marshall. Prior to being Director of Nuclear Propulsion, Richardson headed the U. S. Navys Atlantic submarine force, COMSUBLANT, Richardson has also commanded the USS Honolulu, Submarine Development Squadron 12, Submarine Group 8, and Submarine Allied Naval Forces South. Richardson served as the Chief of Staff for U. S. Naval Forces Europe as well as U. S. Naval Forces Africa, Naval Aide to the President of the United States and Director of Strategy and Policy at U. S. Richardson also attended and received degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. On Wednesday, May 13,2015, Richardson was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the Chief of Naval Operations, was confirmed August 5, in 2001, Richardson received the James Bond Stockdale Leadership Award. Media related to John M. Richardson at Wikimedia Commons
8.
Legion of Merit
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The Legion of Merit is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the seven uniformed services of the United States as well as to military and political figures of foreign governments. The Legion of Merit is one of only two United States military decorations to be issued as an order and the only United States military decoration which may be issued in award degrees. The Legion of Merit is sixth in the order of precedence of U. S. military awards and is worn after the Defense Superior Service Medal, in contemporary use in the U. S. S. However, this degree was awarded by President Roosevelt to some Allied World War II theater commanders, Commander, Equivalent of a U. S. military chief of staff or higher position, but not to a head of state. Legionnaire, All recipients not included above, when the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Uniformed Services of the United States, it is awarded without reference to degree. The performance must have such as to merit recognition of key individuals for service rendered in a clearly exceptional manner. Performance of duties normal to the grade, branch, specialty, or assignment, for service not related to actual war, the term key individual applies to a narrower range of positions than in time of war and requires evidence of significant achievement. In peacetime, service should be in the nature of a requirement or of an extremely difficult duty performed in an unprecedented. However, justification of the award may accrue by virtue of exceptionally meritorious service in a succession of important positions, the degrees and the design of the decoration were influenced by the French Legion of Honour. Although recommendations for creation of a Meritorious Service Medal were initiated as early as September 1937, no formal action was taken toward approval. Proposed designs prepared by Bailey, Banks and Biddle and the Office of the Quartermaster General were provided to Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel Colonel Heard) by the QMG on January 5,1942. The Assistant Chief of Staff, in a response to the QMG on April 3,1942, the design of the Legion of Merit would be ready for issue immediately after legislation authorizing it was enacted into law. The medal was announced in War Department Bulletin No, executive Order 9260, dated October 29,1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, established the rules for the Legion of Merit and required the Presidents approval for the award. The Legion of Merit is similar to the French Legion of Honor in both its design, a five armed cross, and in that it is awarded in multiple degrees, unlike the Legion of Honor, however, the Legion of Merit is only awarded to military personnel. Additionally, it is the award in the world with multiple degrees of which the higher degrees cannot be awarded to citizens of the country of the awards origin. She received the award for her service during the defense of the Philippines, LTJG Bernatitus was also the first recipient of the Legion of Merit authorized to wear a Combat V with the medal. General Eisenhower was presented the Legion of Merit by President Roosevelt, while he was en route to the Tehran Conference, in Cairo, in 1943, at the request of Army Chief of Staff General George C
9.
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
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Normally, the acts or services rendered must be comparable to that required for the Legion of Merit but in a duty of lesser, though considerable, responsibility. Within the U. S. Army, according to AR 600-8-22, Paragraph 3-16, in the Army, an MSM recommendation that is downgraded will be approved as an Army Commendation Medal. In the U. S. Army and U. S, the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps and U. S. In the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard, the authority for the MSM must be either a Flag Officer or General Officer holding the pay grade of O-7 or above. It is most common for Navy and Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officers, to receive this medal the individual must exhibit exceptionally meritorious service at that level of responsibility. The Meritorious Service Medal is a medal,1. The reverse has the encircled inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and MERITORIOUS SERVICE. The suspension ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the stripes, 1/8 inch Crimson 67112, 1/4 inch White 67101, center 5/8 inch Crimson, 1/4 inch White. Additional awards of the Meritorious Service Medal are denoted by oak leaf clusters in the U. S. Army and U. S. Air Force. And gold 5/16 inch stars in the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps and these devices are also authorized for wear on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal. In certain instances, the U. S. Coast Guard also authorizes an Operational Distinguishing Device for the medal, an ad hoc committee was formed by the Secretary of Defense to select a name. On November 8,1968, the unanimously approved the name Meritorious Service Medal. President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Meritorious Service Medal per Executive Order 11448, the Executive Order was amended by President Ronald Reagan per Executive Order 12312, dated July 2,1981, to authorize award to members of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations. The medal was designed by Mr. Jay Morris of the Institute of Heraldry, the ribbon design purposely follows the colors used for the Legion of Merit to reflect the parallel between the two medals. The eagle, symbol of the United States, stands on laurel branches denoting achievement, the star is used to represent the military service and the rays emanating therefrom denote the constant efforts of individuals to achieve through excellent and meritorious service. Meritorious Civilian Service Award – a comparable award given to employees of the United States Departments of Defense. US Army Institute of Heraldry, Meritorious Service Medal
10.
Hyman G. Rickover
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Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, U. S. Navy, directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of Naval Reactors. In addition, he oversaw the development of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, a naval officer who served in a flag rank for nearly 30 years – from 1953 to 1982 – Rickover was promoted to four-star admiral after 51 years of commissioned service. Vessels are now decommissioned and others are under construction, Rickover is the only person who has ever been awarded two Congressional Gold Medals. Rickover was born Chaim Godalia Rickover, to Abraham Rickover and Rachel Rickover and his parents later changed his name to Hyman, which, like Chaim, is derived from Chayyim, meaning life. He did not use his name, Godalia, but when required to list one for the Naval Academy oath. The family name Rickover is derived from the village and the estate of Ryki, located within 100 kilometres of Warsaw, decades later, the entire remaining Jewish communities of Ryki and Maków Mazowiecki were killed or otherwise perished during the Holocaust. Rickover took his first paid job at nine years of age and he graduated from grammar school at 14. While attending John Marshall High School in Chicago, Rickover held a job as a telegraph boy delivering Western Union telegrams. Congressman Adolph J. Sabath, himself a Czech Jewish immigrant, through the intervention of a family friend, Sabath nominated Rickover for appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Rickover was only an alternate for appointment, but through disciplined self-directed study and good fortune. Rickovers active duty career began in 1918, during a time when attending military academies was considered active duty service. On 2 June 1922, Rickover graduated 107th out of 540 midshipmen and was commissioned as an ensign and he joined the destroyer La Vallette on 5 September 1922. Rickover impressed his commanding officer with his work and efficiency. At Columbia, he met Ruth D. Masters, a Christian and graduate student in international law, shortly after marrying, Rickover wrote to his parents of his decision to become an Episcopalian, remaining so for the remainder of his life. Columbia was the first institution that encouraged me to think rather than memorize and my teachers were notable in that many had gained practical engineering experience outside the university and were able to share their experience with their students. I am grateful, among others, to Professors Morecroft, Hehre, much of what I have subsequently learned and accomplished in engineering is based on the solid foundation of principles I learned from them. I am therefore especially gratified by your invitation to return and speak this evening, Rickover preferred life on smaller ships, and he also knew that young officers in the submarine service were advancing quickly, so he went to Washington and volunteered for submarine duty. His application was turned down due to his age, at that time 29 years, fortunately for Rickover, he ran into his former commanding officer from Nevada while leaving the building, who interceded successfully on his behalf
United States
U.S. Navy
Admiral
Silver SSBN Deterrent Patrol insignia (5 awards)
Command at Sea insignia
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Navy document "United States Navy Biography, Vice Admiral James F. Caldwell Jr., Naval Inspector General". Retrieved on 2014-11-22.