| United States Navy |
Navy Opportunity Information Center,
P.O. Box 9406,
Gaithersburg,
MD
20897-9810 |
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www.navy.mil
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(800) USA-NAVY
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The U.S. Navy is even older than the United States itself. Established several months before the writing of the Declaration of Independence, the Navy has grown and adapted over time; once it used cannons, now it uses computer coordinated missile tracking systems. The Navy is a huge fighting force, with homeports, boats, and submarines around the world. It is one of the most versatile of the five branches of the U.S. armed forces, not only encompassing the water but the air and land as well. Currently, the Navy's resources and power are concentrated on the triple threat of the Navy's aviation, amphibious (including nuclear submarine) forces, and missile power. In recent years, the Navy has taken steps to include women in almost every aspect of the Navy's operations. Women today command warships and pilot combat jets, but are still prohibited from 33,000 positions on submarines, in the SEALs, and in jobs that directly support Marine combat forces.
Despite the unequal opportunities for men and women, the Navy has been successful in recruiting, surpassing goals even as the rest of the military is not meeting theirs. In addition to human troops, the Navy's Marine Mammal Program uses dolphins, sea lions, and whales to find underwater explosives and patrol near key installations. In 1970 Navy dolphins protected a pier that was repeatedly blown up by North Vietnamese frogmen. After the dolphins arrived in the scene, the attacks stopped. Despite the success of the program, the Navy is repeatedly subjected to claims of animal cruelty. The Navy claims that the dolphins are not trained to kill, are never in contact with mines, are well treated, and are trained by animal lovers.
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As a self-sufficient, full-service community, the Navy needs everyone from lawyers to doctors to mechanics to cooks. Of course, "getting hired" by the Navy is quite a different proposition from what it is in any sort of civilian job. Applicants must be prepared for a required tour, the rigors of basic training, and the possibility of combat. In exchange, the Navy offers comprehensive job training in almost every field. In order to qualify to be a Naval officer, applicants must be at least 19 years of age, be U.S. citizens, have completed a bachelor's degree, and pass the Navy's physical fitness exam.
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Life for commissioned officers in the Navy is quite different from what it is for the enlisted personnel. While enlisted personnel have the opportunity to "rise through the ranks," veterans say that it can be easier to complete college and then apply for a specialized commission. The Navy offers training and travel opportunities in exchange for commitment. After joining the Navy, those who decide it is "not for them" are "out of luck." Those who complete their tours and take advantage of the Navy's training programs, however, "have excellent success building a career in the civilian workforce," officers say. For people of color, the Navy offers "less racial discrimination by far than the civilian real world." Women, on the other hand, must confront a "mixed bag." In the wake of the Tailhook and other sexual harassment scandals, the Navy has been trying to correct the excesses of its "obnoxiously macho" culture. Current personnel, though, disagree on whether this climate will change any time soon.
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Human Resources
(800) USA-NAVY
Defense of United States
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