From the NFRW Armed Services Committee

By CAPT (ret) Mary Smart (HI)

The U.S. Navy celebrates its 247th birthday on October 13, 2022. Members of the Navy can choose from over 150 career paths on land and sea, under the sea, and in the air with all professional fields open to men and women. Serving in foreign lands is also a possibility with assignments in Europe, Japan, Korea, Marianas, Singapore, Bahrain, Djibouti, and Diego Garcia.

Six recent American presidents served in the Navy, including John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush. 

The Navy’s Birthday is not a national holiday but is often celebrated by Navy active duty, reserves, veterans, family and friends with a formal Birthday Ball, a birthday cake, or entertainment. For this year’s celebration in the nation’s capital, the Navy League of the United States is hosting an event on October 15 at the Fairview Park Marriott. Individuals can register online and even become a sponsor of the event by contacting the Vice President of Corporate Affairs Leticia Click at lclick@navyleague.org. 

For those who can’t travel to Washington D.C., there are other ways to celebrate the Navy’s birthday, including visiting a naval museum, reading a book or watching a movie about an historical naval event, or visiting a local naval base.  With a theme of "Resilient and Ready," the Navy has played an important role in securing the sovereignty of our nation.