ABSTRACT
The role of the U.S. Navy is to control the seas during periods of conflict and maintain freedom of the seas in peacetime. The United States Navy was born on October 13, 1775, when Congress first authorized a naval committee and then ordered the purchase and fitting of several ships. The Navy has fought in many wars over time and has been influenced by many people. It has changed from sail to steam, from coal to fuel oil, and then to nuclear power. Evolution has brought the corps from wood to steel, from only surface ships to submarines and aircraft, and from a Navy of just men to one of both men and women. The fascination and intrigue of the ocean and the irresistible urge to explore over the horizon has beckoned many to risk the unknown and seek adventure. Even though the smell of tar and linseed oil is all but gone, this sense of adventure still calls to the men and women who join the ranks of the Navy today.
