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Archive for the ‘Navy’ Category

The Navy Turns 247 Today – And It’s Launching a New Campaign Aimed at Gen Z “Nevers”

Thursday, October 13th, 2022

MILLINTON, TN (OCTOBER 13, 2022) Today, October 13, America’s Navy is celebrating its 247th birthday. Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) is commemorating the day by premiering its latest “Forged by the Sea” marketing campaign, developed to change Gen Z’s current mindset about Navy service.

The Navy primarily recruits 17-to-24-year-olds, whose perceptions about military service have changed dramatically in the last few years due to many issues, including COVID, a strong job market, and a lack of personal connection to military life. Today, just 2 percent of the youth market is eligible and motivated to serve, and many of the remaining 98 percent say “never” to a Navy career before ever exploring the possibilities. This lack of propensity is creating a challenging recruiting environment for all the military branches.

The new campaign features current Sailors sharing life-changing experiences and opportunities Gen-Zers are missing out on by not considering a Navy career. (See links below.) Among the new creative elements are one 60-second film, two 30-second films, three 6-second films, and two 15-second films, all of which will be part of a paid media campaign on the digital and social media platforms most popular with Gen Z. Fellow WPP agency Wavemaker will oversee paid-media placements. Complementary content will be featured on Navy.com and the #AmericasNavy social media channels, and the key themes will be strategically integrated into experiential, direct, and public relations efforts. (See links below)

“Since our founding, the Navy has empowered Sailors from all walks of life to exceed what they thought possible in terms of their own personal and professional accomplishments,” said Rear Admiral Alexis “Lex” Walker, Commander, Navy Recruiting Command. “We want to share with Gen Z the life-changing opportunities the Navy provides, and to help them understand the vital role the Navy plays in all of our lives, defending against our adversaries and ensuring our global economy travels over free and open seas. These are opportunities to serve a cause greater than any individual, one that requires core values of honor, courage, and commitment.” 

:60 Film:
Never: youtu.be/z6KHvdjvWIU

:30 Films:
Strong Enough:  youtu.be/b_FL2yiCJSE
What Matters:  youtu.be/-8GcrnIQMLc

Midshipmen Test the Waters – Second IW Summer Cruise Underway

Saturday, September 3rd, 2022

The second annual Information Warfare (IW) Community summer cruise got underway in Suffolk, Va., in early June with the first of three waves of U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) First Class Midshipmen touring various IW commands.


Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, commander of Naval Information Forces, welcomes U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen on their first day of the 2022 Information Warfare (IW) Community Cruise. Midshipmen will tour various commands throughout the week and see first-hand how the IW enterprise broadly impacts the Navy. Naval Information Forces generates, directly and through leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped and certified combat-ready Navy Information Warfare forces to ensure our Navy will decisively deter, compete and win in today’s strategic competition. (U.S. Navy Photo by Robert Fluegel/Released)

Designed to fully explore how fleet-wide IW capabilities underpin all other warfighting operations, the Midshipmen took a deep dive in each of the IW disciplines:  Cryptologic Warfare (CW), Cyber Warfare Engineer (CWE), Information Professional (IP), Intelligence (Intel), and Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC).  This firsthand look at real-world environments and speaking directly to IW Community officers prepared the midshipmen for service selection week.  The goal is to have the IW Community make a strong, positive impression on the midshipmen to help them decide if a career in IW is right for them, and then select which strand of IW is the best fit.

Each wave of the IW Community Cruise started with Core Week, during which Midshipmen collectively received briefings and visited various IW commands in Hampton Roads.  The first welcome brief was presented by Rear Adm. Michael Vernazza, then commander, Naval Information Warfare Development Center (NIWDC).  Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, Commander, Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), made the next two presentations.  Vernazza and Aeschbach, both Intelligence officers, delivered a unified message to each group of midshipmen. 

“In today’s environment, we are in constant competition with our adversaries, and in every fight, information warfare is and will continue to be constantly in demand,” said Aeschbach. “It will be you who will lead our Navy into the next generation of IW, leading the charge for the next wave of critical thinking and problem-solving for the Navy. I encourage you to learn, ask questions, and be curious as you see firsthand over the next few weeks what IW brings to the fight.”

The welcome brief was held at the joint Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC) / Naval Network Warfare Command (NNWC) building in Suffolk, Va.  There the midshipmen toured the joint watch floor and discussed NCDOC’s mission priorities, which included the Navy Red Team that tests the Navy’s networks for vulnerabilities.  NNWC – conducting vulnerability assessments of Navy networks to reduce risk to the DoDIN-N, or DoD Information Networks – Navy – was also a topic.  Additionally, the midshipmen learned about the cloud watch floor charged with ensuring a secure migration of all NMCI accounts to a cloud-based platform that works in conjunction with Microsoft.  Between the two commands, the touring midshipmen learned about the hand-in-hand working relationship with the Fleet in exercises, operations, and for network compromises. 

MIDN Michael Schaefer capsulized the intent of the IW Summer Cruise.  “I am cleared for either Intel or CW, so I desire to know about both and what they do on any given day,” Schaefer said.  “I want to see how well I can keep up with that day-to-day life as that’s an important part of learning about a community.”

Throughout the three-week experience, each block of Midshipmen toured a combination of commands, ships and squadrons in the Hampton Roads area that included Fleet Weather Center Norfolk (FWC-N); U.S. Fleet Forces Maritime Operations Center (FFC MOC); Navy Expeditionary Intelligence Command (NEIC); Naval Special Warfare; Naval Computer & Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic (NCTAMS LANT); and various ships and squadrons. 

Capt. Erin Acosta, commanding officer of FWC-N, outlined how meteorology and oceanography plays a major role in naval operations and explained the capability Naval Oceanography brings to the Fleet. “Equally as important is how we integrate with the larger IW enterprise,” said Acosta.  “It is wonderful to see our Sailors, both enlisted and officers, and civilians interact and teach these future leaders how we do our job at the Weather Center.”

After the brief, the midshipmen toured the FWC watch floor to get a feel for a day in the life of a METOC officer.  “The visit provides the midshipmen an excellent opportunity to ask questions and to assist them in making an informed career decision.  Every Sailor is a recruiter and my team did an amazing job hosting the midshipmen,” said Acosta, a class of 2000 USNA graduate.  “I’m blown away by the talent and diversity of these future officers.  I am truly excited for them and for the Navy.”

After Core Week, the midshipmen splintered off into Strand Week.  The length of this part of the IW Community Cruise lasted from one to two weeks, depending on the chosen designator.  Some midshipmen remained in the Hampton Roads area while others headed to Fort Meade, Md.  Commands toured in the Maryland area included Fleet Cyber Command / 10th Fleet and their MOC watch floor; Office of Naval Intelligence; Cryptologic Warfare Group SIX; Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group, and Defense Special Missile and Aerospace Center.

USNA’s Class of 2023 is the second to participate in the IW Cruise, and the experience was well received, according to Midshipman 1st Class Kristofer Gamalong Medina, who embarked on the IW Cruise with the intent of continuing in the CW community.  “I’ll stay with my choice of designator (CW).  As a prior enlisted Sailor, Cryptologic Technician Technical, I had only seen CW on a tactical level,” said Medina.  “But learning how we affect the national scale was mind blowing to me.  I was fascinated by the type of people leading those missions, the information we find, and how we can make an impact on the bigger picture of naval warfare.”

Of the IW Cruise overall Medina said, “The most beneficial part was seeing the different applications all the communities had.  I did not know that there were so many divisions that focused on different things, and that they relied on each other to create the best picture for the warfighters.”

The IW Community Cruise is an annual event, divided into two or three blocks to allow for maximum participation.  This year the last wave included three Recruit Officer Training Command (ROTC) students.  Midshipman 1st Class Tai T. Nguyen, a University of Southern California ROTC student, stated in his biography, “I always wanted to work in the field of cyber security for its intellectually challenging mission, which is to stop foreign cyber threats to the United States.  Therefore, becoming a cyber warfare engineer is my dream job.”

NAVIFOR’s mission is to generate, directly and through our leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped, and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively DETER, COMPETE, and WIN.

For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NavalInformationForces or the public web page at www.navifor.usff.navy.mil.

Future Sailors, Prior-Service Members Eligible for Bonuses and Loan Repayment up to $115,000

Wednesday, August 17th, 2022

Future Sailors and Prior Service Members, either Navy Veterans or Other Services Veterans (NAVETs/OSVETs), are now eligible for enlistment bonuses and loan repayment up to $115,000, according to a message released by Navy Recruiting Command.

 “The maximum current enlistment bonus is $50,000, and the maximum loan repayment is $65,000,” said Rear Adm. Lex Walker, Commander Navy Recruiting Command. “They are not mutually exclusive, so if a Future Sailor maximizes both, that adds up to a life-altering $115,000, and the opportunity to serve in the world’s finest Navy.”

To qualify for the bonuses, Future Sailors and NAVET/OSVET applicants must be able to ship by Sept. 30, 2022.

NAVET/OSVET applicants must enter Active Duty in pay grade E-4 or below, meet specific bonus eligibility, and not have received a bonus in their first enlistment.

NAVETs are applicants whose last tour of active duty or active duty for training (AD/ACDUTRA) was in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Navy Reserve, have been discharged or released more than 24 hours, and who completed a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks of AD/ACDUTRA. OSVETs are applicants whose last tour of AD/ACDUTRA was in a branch of service other than the U.S. Navy (Army, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard) meeting the same requirements.

“If you are a Sailor, Marine, Airman, Soldier, Guardian, or Coast-Guardsman who recently separated, this is an opportunity without precedent,” said Walker. “And if you have student loan debt, you could be eligible for the Loan Repayment Program if you ship in any month of any fiscal year while the program remains active.”

NAVETs re-accessing into active duty do not attend Navy recruit training but are ordered to Recruit Training Command Great Lakes for in-processing, while OSVETs are not required to attend Navy recruit training but are required to complete a three week Naval Orientation Course at RTC Great Lakes. They must pass the same evolutions a typical recruit at boot camp would finish such as ship handling, live-fire, swim qualifications and firefighting.

The message also has something new for high school seniors. The Active component EB High School (EBHS) includes $10,000 available for High School Seniors who enter the delayed entry program by Oct. 31, 2022, and graduate from High School prior to shipping in July 2023.

For more information on bonuses and the NAVET/OSVET program, visit www.navy.com to find a local recruiter.

SCUBAPRO Sunday – First Submarine Commando Raid

Sunday, August 14th, 2022

On August 17, the USS Nautilus and USS Argonaut were off the coast of Makin Atoll in the pacific. They were carrying 221 Marine Raiders. The Raider’s objectives were to destroy the Japanese garrison and installations, take prisons so they could be interrogated, and finally, the Gilbert Islands must be reconnoitered. It was also meant to divert Japanese attention and reinforcements from the Allied amphibious invasions on Guadalcanal and Tulagi.

Even with two 100-meter super-subs, A and B Company could only fit 221 men, so they left without a platoon from each. Maj. James Roosevelt, the president’s 35-year-old son, was one of Carlson’s targets. After serving as FDR’s political consultant and covert diplomat, the young Roosevelt joined the Marines. As a Raider enthusiast, he convinced his father to let him join.

Raiders were stuffed inside vacant torpedo tubes during travel. Submarine ventilation techniques couldn’t prevent thin air and high temperatures. The boats would surface for ten minutes twice a day to let the Raiders exercise and breathe fresh air before ducking back into the Pacific to avoid air assault.

The two submarines surfaced outside Makin’s coral reef at midnight on August 16–17 to find turbulent conditions. The first two LCRL rubber boats sank in the surf. The remaining launches’ uninsulated 6-horsepower engines were flooded with seawater and failed to ignite. Carlson felt his two-pronged approach would be too difficult to accomplish in the inclement weather and ordered A and B company to land together. In the chaos, the boat carrying Lt. Oscar Peatross and 11 Raiders missed the orders and headed west.

Carlson’s Raiders landed about 5 AM after battling the waves for an hour, with some troops scattered but undetected. Carlson’s invention was to divide his squad into three fireteams, each with one rifleman with a semi-automatic M1 Garand for distance shooting, another with a Thompson submachinegun for close-range firepower, and a Browning Automatic Rifle gunner to give covering fire. Heavy armaments included.30 caliber light machine guns and.55 caliber Boys anti-tank rifles were requisitioned from the Canadian Army by Carlson.

On landing, a Raider unintentionally fired his BAR, ruining any chance for surprise. The garrison’s commander, Chief Petty Officer Kyuzaburou Kanemitsu, had been alert days earlier. His men deployed by bike and truck to fight the American invaders. Misadventures continued when the Raiders kidnapped a Japanese soldier but shot him when he escaped.

Carlson met Makin locals who spoke pidgin English. They were pleased to help the Americans and said 160 to 300 Japanese were on the island, and they were ready. The Raiders maintained their march until 6 AM when Lt. Le Francois’ scouts sighted Japanese forces dismounting from vehicles.

Le Francois ambushed his platoon in a breadfruit grove on high ground. Sgt. Clyde Thomason adjusted the men’s positions as Japanese skirmishers neared. When the Japanese got close, the marines opened fire, killing the closest attackers and exploding the truck’s engine with an anti-tank rifle.

The Japanese answer was fatal. Four Type 92 Lewis machine guns raked Raider positions, killing Sgt. Thomason and injuring Le Francois. Posthumously, Thomason became the first enlisted Marine to win the Medal of Honor. Camouflaged shooters killed Lt. Jerry Holtom and four radio operators among palm palms.

Carlson quickly added the 2nd Platoon, which lost nine men in 15 minutes, and B Company. Raider machine gunner Cpl. Leon Chapman fired 400 rounds into a Japanese machine gun nest at 200 meters. After inspecting the silenced weapon, Chapman “nearly threw up” when he discovered he had slain a dozen Japanese who had sacrificed themselves to man it.

Twelve of Peatross’ forces landed at the second landing zone and proceeded uncontested into the barracks and the defender’s command position. An isolated squad shot six astonished Japanese before being held down by an LMG crew. Pvt. Vernon Castle was struck multiple times as he advanced, but he threw a grenade and killed three before dying.

After that, Peatross’ marines fired a car speeding towards the command post, blew up a radio and a truck full of ammo, and retreated to the Nautilus, losing two more troops. In the chaos, they killed Kanimetsu, who destroyed confidential documents and conveyed the message, “We are dying defending the island.”

The Nautilus began bombarding Japanese positions with two dozen shells when Carlson learned from natives that hostile ships were in the lagoon. Unwilling to risk a shore battery’s fire, the Nautilus arced 65 6-inch shells into the lagoon. By luck, indirect fire sank two ships, igniting a transport and a patrol boat and mistaking a hostile plane for a bird, the submarine dove, ending naval gunfire support. The Japanese assaulted the Raiders, attempting to swarm them failed, and the assailants were all killed at close range. Undeterred, the bugle played again, and the Japanese launched a second suicide strike, wiping out Kanimetsu’s marine platoon. A few dozen survivors continued to shoot intermittently. Fearing more reinforcements, Carlson chose not to strike the Japanese position. At 1:30, air support arrived. Twelve Mitsubishi F1M floatplanes bombed and strafed the island for an hour, driving the Raiders fleeing but not inflicting any fatalities. Then an F1M and a Kawanishi flying boat landed in the lagoon. The Raiders fired machine guns and anti-tank rifles at the aircraft, setting it on fire. The seaplane with scores of men managed to land. The intensity of incoming fire must have given the pilot second thoughts as he taxied on the water and took off again before landing.

The colonel decided to withdraw to submarines at 7 PM as planned. When they returned to the ocean, his troops discovered their boats’ motors had stopped working, and the waves and weather made it difficult to paddle back to the submarines. Exhausted Raiders dropped their ineffective launch motors and spent five hours trying to force through severe waves, losing most of their weapons and supplies. Eleven of 18 boats reached the American subs. By nightfall, Carlson, Roosevelt, and 70 injured Raiders remained on Butaritari. Individual boats continued to battle the waves the following day, including one with Roosevelt onboard. A five-person crew led by Sergeant Allard volunteered to row back to the atoll with a rope the Raiders could use to board the submarine. A squadron of Japanese jets bombed the Nautilus halfway through its launch. The subs crash-dove, and the jets strafed the rescue squad, killing them. After reassessing the situation, Carlson opted to finish the mission on Makin. The Raiders scavenged Japanese weapons to replace those washed away and sabotaged a derelict seaplane facility while avoiding air assaults. They burned much of the facility and 1,000 aviation fuel drums. Carlson decided his forces had a greater chance of reaching the submarines from the lagoon because it had no shore armament.

He encouraged the Nautilus’s captain to enter the lagoon using a semaphore lamp and a dinner chat they had earlier. The Raiders paddled on a raft of three launches, two working outboard engines, and local canoes as outriggers. The Indians gave them a canoe and buried their dead in exchange for USMC combat knives. The new boat reached the submarines, and the Raiders set sail for home. Among the 17 wounded soldiers, four surgeries were performed on the submarine’s mess table. The injured soldiers all survived.

On August 27, Carlson’s Raiders returned to Pearl Harbor to a hero’s welcome. They reported 18 dead and 12 MIAs and killed 160 enemies. According to Japanese records, 46 base personnel and an undisclosed number on Japanese boats and planes died.

Steadicopter Reports Winning Yet Another Significant Tender With Its Black Eagle Electric systems, For The Israeli Navy

Monday, August 1st, 2022

The Black Eagle Electric are the first unmanned helicopters to be powered by an electric motor and have a MTOW of up to 50 kg, adapted for use in advanced maritime missions, and many other applications.

27 July, 2022. Steadicopter – a leader in the Rotary Unmanned Aerial Systems (RUAS) industry – announces another win in a significant tender, this time for the Israeli Navy, for its Black Eagle Electric systems. The Black Eagle Electric family is the first family of unmanned helicopters that are powered by an electric motor, are capable of carrying several payloads and sensors, and can be adapted to diverse applications, including complex maritime missions. Just recently, the company announced the signing of a contract to supply the systems to another Naval customer.

The Black Eagle 5O Electric helicopter has a maximum take-off weight of 50 kg, a useful load weight of 30 kg – including payload and batteries, and a flight time of two hours. These capabilities enable high performance as well as maximum operational flexibility for military applications such as intelligence, coastal security, search & rescue, and advanced maritime missions.

The electrically-powered engine significantly reduces the weight of the platform, thereby enabling the installation of additional payloads that are required for a variety of missions. Weighing just 20kg as a platform, the helicopter can carry additional batteries for longer flights, heavier mission payloads, and more. As such, the system enables the widest variety of missions, including covert operations.

The dual-electric propulsion helicopter is economical, simple to operate, easy to maintain, and needs no fuel storage, making it environmentally friendly and safe. It is based on the proven capabilities of the gasoline-powered Black Eagle, including vertical take-off and land, long hover durations, and advanced mission sensors for any mission scenario, whether day or night. In addition, like other Steadicopter platforms, it is adapted to high-altitude flights.

“In the past year, we have expanded the Black Eagle family with the addition of a hybrid and electric system of up to 50kg,” says Noam Lidor, VP Sales, Marketing & Business Development at Steadicopter. “We are proud that just one year after the launch, we have already announced the winning of several significant contracts, for both systems, the latest of which is for the Israeli Navy – considered one of the most advanced forces in the world. There is a growing global need for unmanned systems with vertical landing and takeoff capabilities. The Black Eagle family meets this need with a unique low-weight technology, which enables it to carry several payloads, for flexibility and mission success. We expect that the company will be reporting further deals in the near future.”

www.steadicopter.com

Naval Special Warfare Basic Communications Accessory Suite Solicitation

Thursday, July 14th, 2022

Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) has issued a small business set-aside solicitation for a basic communications accessory suite designed primarily for use by support personnel. According to the solicitation, it is not intended to replace current advanced USSOCOM communications accessory suites; rather, it is intended to be a simplified capability with limited environmental hardening and interoperable with current USSOCOM-fielded manpack and handheld multi-band radios.

Key minimum specifications from the solicitation are:

– IP67 rating

– Compatible with common 19-pin and 6-pin radios

– Use of common connectors such as the TP-120/NATO 4-pin

– Simple and easy to use

– Able to monitor dual nets

– Provide noise protection (steady state and impulse)

– Use commercial power sources

– Able to be configured for use on ARC rails or over the head

Companies interested in participating should note that NSWC is requiring offerors to deliver two product demonstration models with their quotes by the closing date of the solicitation (August 12, 2022). NSWC intends to conduct an evaluation of each offer that meets minimum product descriptions, then make a best value five-year indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) award. NSWC intends to purchase approximately 2,500 systems over the life of the contract, not including sustainment and spares.

Questions of a technical nature can be directed to NSWC N83 Combat and Survival Programs at warcom-N83@socom.mil. Note the solicitation number in the subject of the email (H9224022Q0003).

Read the full solicitation here.

 

Considerable Order in the USA: Rheinmetall to Develop 30mm x 173 Airburst Solution for the U.S. Navy

Thursday, June 30th, 2022

Rheinmetall to develop a new medium caliber ammunition for the U.S. Navy: The Group’s subsidiary American Rheinmetall Munitions, Inc. based in Stafford, VA has been awarded a $14.3 million (€13.5 million) contract under a U.S. Navy other transaction agreement (OTA) to prototype a low-cost engagement capability that increases the effectiveness of existing and future Naval gun weapon systems against air and surface threats.

The resulting prototype system will lead to an Initial Operating Capability for the 30mm x 173 MK 340 MOD 0 Kinetic Energy Electronically Timed (KEET) airburst munition. The MK 340 KEET is derived from the NATO-qualified Rheinmetall 30mm x 173 Kinetic Energy Timed Fuze (KETF) cartridge currently fielded by the Australian, German, and Hungarian militaries. The system will provide significant lethality improvements and a reduction in rounds fired due to the increased first-round hit probability.

“We are excited to deliver our next-generation lethality solutions to the U.S. Navy for the first time. This award further demonstrates American Rheinmetall’s ability to bring innovative technologies into the hands of our U.S. Joint Force,” said American Rheinmetall Munitions CEO John Somich.

The company is presently expanding its role as a major supplier of innovative, next-generation weapons and ammunition in the U.S., drawing on a global portfolio of world-class munitions and armaments offered by Rheinmetall and its affiliates. For example, American Rheinmetall Munitions is currently producing game-changing solutions including 40mm airburst fuzing for the U.S. Army and the PGU-48/B Frangible Armor Piercing cartridge for the U.S. Air Force F35A Joint Strike Fighter. The company has been producing and supplying high-performance practice and direct fire service ammunition for American military and law enforcement customers for several decades.

American Rheinmetall Munitions is part of the American Rheinmetall family of U.S. defense companies which includes American Rheinmetall Systems in Biddeford, ME, American Rheinmetall Vehicles in Sterling Heights, MI, and U.S. corporate parent American Rheinmetall Defense in Reston, VA.

SCUBAPRO Sunday – Navy Corpsman Birthday

Sunday, June 12th, 2022

In my 26 years in the US Navy, I came across some of the best Corpsman you could possibly imagine. Almost all have gone on to become doctors, not that that is a measure of anything. But the Rips the Doc Conza, Doc Henao, and Smiths of the SEAL teams would break their backs to make sure you were good to go. To all of them, Happy Birthday to all the Docs that patch us mortals up. The Rules for the Regulation of the Navy of the United Colonies of North America of 1775 contained only one article that directed the formation of Navy medicine. “A fitting area shall be set apart for sick or hurt men, to be removed with their hammocks and bedding when the surgeon shall advise that it is necessary: and members of the crew shall be designated to attend to and serve them, as well as to maintain the space clean,” according to Article 16.

Between 1775 and 1814, the period covered America’s first maritime conflicts, and little changed medical techniques and structure. Feeding and personal care of the non-combat wounded and injured were among the less dramatic obligations of caring for them. Untrained personnel was sure to bring down the minimal daily feed of porridge or “loblolly” to those in the medical section. On March 2, 1799, Congress passed an act that exacted the language of the Continental Congress’s medical department article 16 of 1775. As a result, enlisted medical personnel still lacked a title or job description. The term “loblolly lad” had been around for so long that it was adopted as an official title in the Navy Regulations of 1814. A new senior enlisted medical rate, surgeon’s steward, was established in the decades that followed. The phrase appeared in Navy pay charts for the first time in 1841; however, the new billet was only available on larger ships. The Navy Department issued an order on April 1, 1843, that allowed surgeon’s stewards to be attached aboard brigs and schooners. The relative relevance of medical Sailors was raised as a result of this. Surgeon’s stewards would be second only to the master-at-arms in seniority among the ship’s petty officers. With the tremendous rise in the Navy and the onset of the civil war in 1861, improvements and developments in the medical sector were bound to occur. On June 19, 1861, a Navy Department circular order gave the loblolly boy a new moniker.

The United States Navy Hospital Corps was not formally created as a unit inside the Navy’s Medical Department until June 17, 1898. The Spanish-American War was looming on the horizon at the time, and the U.S. Navy and Marines needed a well-trained medical section. Since that time, Hospital Corpsmen have served with their fellow Sailors and Marines on every continent, on every warship, submarine, and ocean.

Modern hospital corpsmen can pursue additional training to become highly skilled medical specialists, specializing in areas such as laboratory technologists, dive medicine, or aerospace medicine.

On August 29, 1916, Congress enacted the following significant change in the structure of the Hospital Corps. Hospital apprentices, second class and first class (both of whom wore a red cross on their sleeve), pharmacist’s mates, third, second, and first, and chief pharmacist’s mate would be the rates under this model. The two warrant officer grades of pharmacist and chief pharmacist would be included in the Hospital Corps’ officer contingent. The restructure would allow the Hospital Corps to grow by five times its current size. The Hospital Corps’ greatest manpower, diversity of duties, and example of sacrifice occurred during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, the ranks of this modest organization increased from about 4,000 at pre-war levels to over 132,000. This raise was necessary to meet new tasks that required new technology at new duty sites. The Hospital Corps’ reputation for efficacy and bravery would be cemented in the face of severe difficulty.

The Hospital Corps has a long history of courage and sacrifice. Hospital corpsmen have also responded to natural disasters, military mishaps, and peacetime emergencies. They’ve also kept their Sailors and Marines healthy by immunizing, practicing preventative care, and holding sick calls. 23,000 regular and 6,000 reserve Navy Hospital Corps troops serve globally. They operate in naval hospitals, clinics, ships, and submarines. Search-and-rescue missions and Seabee deployments. Not to mention their deployments with the Marine Corps and SEAL teams.

Corpsmen have always been responsible for shipmates’ health. Their endless acts of heroism, exposing themselves to risk to save lives, were essential. Because they cared about their shipmates, their bravery is notable.

During the United States Navy Hospital Corps’ 124-year history, it has risen to become the most decorated rating in the U.S. military. 22 Medals of Honor, 179 Navy Crosses, 31 Navy Distinguished Service Medals, 959 Silver Stars, and almost 1,600 Bronze Stars with Vs. for heroism have been awarded to Corpsmen. In addition, 14 Naval Vessels have been named after Hospital Corpsmen, and other hospitals and clinics have been named after brave individuals who gave their lives in the service of our country and freedom.