The Military Family Research Institute is proud to salute the United States Navy, which has spent this week celebrating its 237th birthday. Since Monday, celebrations of the birthday have been taking place across the nation.
On Thursday, Secretary of the Navy Ray Maybus issued a statement promising “we will continue to take care of our sailors and their families to make sure they have all they need to take care of our nation."
The Navy was created by an act of the Continental Congress on Oct. 13, 1775. Meeting in Philadelphia, Penn., the Congress outfitted two ships and charged them with the mission of intercepting munitions and stores for the British army. The ships soon deployed, manned by crews of 80 service members. Other vessels, authorized under subsequent legislation, deployed around the same time.
Today, there are more than 433,000 active duty and reserve service members in the U.S. Navy – more than 17 percent of the nation's armed forces. More than half are married (54 percent of active duty; 58 percent of reserve), and collectively Navy families are raising more than 340,000 children in cities, towns and bases across the world.MFRI joins the celebration of sailors and their families and thanks them for their service on behalf of our nation.