How Much Do You Really Know About the Navy?

The United States Navy has been around since 1775, when it was known simply as the Continental Navy. This means that the Navy was founded before the United States of America became a country.

The USA has 11 aircraft carriers. While that may not seem like a lot, there are only 44 of these giant ships on the planet. These are operated by 13 different countries, with the USA having the most.

Rising through the ranks of the Navy is a goal that many people have when they enlist. There are many ranks you can rise through, but none higher than Admiral of the Navy. It is equivalent to General of the Armies.

Blue and gold are the Navy's two colors. This doesn't mean those in the Navy always wear uniforms that feature these colors, but these are the official colors and have been for a long time.

The USS Gerald Ford is the largest aircraft carrier in the USA's fleet. It has a displacement of approximately 100,000 tonnes. Displacement measures how much water is pushed aside while the ship is floating.

The U.S has the largest and one of the most impressive navies on the planet. It has approximately 336,000 active duty personnel and many other employees in civilian jobs.

While the Navy's official motto is "Always Courageous," it also has an unofficial motto. This motto is "non sibi sed patriae," which stands for "not for self, but for country.".

While you might think NCIS is just a show, it's not. The Naval Criminal Investigative service operates 191 different locations around the world. There are offices in 41 countries.

Dozens of president's have served in the military in some capacity, but only six have served in the Navy or the Naval Reserve. All six actually served in the same war, World War II.

The very first admiral in the U.S Navy was David Farragut. Farragut became an admiral after the Civil War. The Navy operated for many decades before ever naming anyone an admiral.

The Pentagon is the Navy's headquarters, as well as the headquarters of other U.S military branches. The Pentagon is located in Virginia, which was one of the earliest states to join the nation.

That's right, a ship that first launched in 1797 is still commissioned to this day. The USS Constitution only cost $300,000, which is a tiny fraction of the cost of most ships built today or in recent decades.

Navy SEALs are the Navy's primary special forces team. While many people think this is a reference to a real seal. But SEAL is actually an acronym for Sea, Air and Land. The SEALs have been around since 1962.

Basic training and boot camp for the Navy takes eight weeks. Basic training prepares individuals for life as a sailor and gets them accustomed to what they will face during combat and times of peace.

The Navy's birthday is October 13. That is the date on which the original Navy was founded in 1775. This means the Navy is very close to celebrating its 250th anniversary.

Loretta Perfectus Walsh is best known as the very first woman to enlist in the U.S Navy. She enlisted in 1917 and was the first woman to ever serve in the U.S armed forces as something other than a nurse. Her rank was Chief Yeoman.

While the U.S Navy is now the most powerful in the world, that wasn't always the case. During the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy was outnumbered 40 to 1 by the British navy and its many ships.

Everyone who works on a Navy submarine is someone who has volunteered or asked to be there. Submarines are quite small, and people on them might be there for weeks or months at a time.

While the Navy, and most of the armed forces, are still primarily made up of males, there is a growing number of females joining the service. In particular, the Navy is made up of around 19% women.

"Anchors Aweigh" is the Navy's official song. It was composed in 1906 and became the official song in 1907. The original lyrics were revised in 1997.

The only enlisted basic training location for the Navy in the country is located in Illinois, just outside of Chicago. The location is called the Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes.

The person in charge of naming new ships for the Navy is the secretary of the Navy. This is done under the direction of the President of the United States, and there are many rules to follow, as well.

If you want to join the Navy, you need to be between the ages of 17 to 39. If you are only 17, however, you need parental permission before you are allowed to enlist into the armed forces.

Bill the Goat is the mascot for the U.S. Naval Academy. It is a live goat, and the animal was first seen as the mascot in 1893. So far, there have been more than 30 "Bills" throughout Navy history.

There are many submarines in the Navy, but they fall in only three different classes or types. These are attack submarines, cruise missile submarines and ballistic missile submarines.

The attacks on Pearl Harbor were incredibly sad and horrific. In total, the attack in 1941 led to the complete destruction of 188 aircraft. More than 150 others were also damaged.

Before he became an astronaut, Neil Armstrong served in the Navy. Armstrong is best known for being the first person to walk on the moon.

The USS Long Beach was the very first Navy surface combat ship to use nuclear power. Named after the city in California, the ship was initially launched in 1959 and was decommissioned in 1995.

Ever since he assumed the position on August 3, 2017, Richard V. Spencer has been the U.S Secretary of the Navy. He is also a former U.S. Secretary of Defense and served in the Marines from 1976 to 1981.

The official motto of the U.S Navy SEALs is "The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday." Mottos are important to military organizations as motivation as well as to convey values or missions.

in 1972, Alene Duerk became the very first female Navy officer. She was also the director of the U.S Navy Nurse Corps from 1970 to 1975. She served for decades and decades and is incredibly decorated.

John Paul Jones was known as a naval commander during the American Revolutionary War. He, along with a few others, share the distinction of being called the "Father of the Navy."

The Blue Angels are a flight demonstration squad that have been around since 1946, making them one of the oldest flight demonstration teams on the planet. They fly in dozens of shows and events every year.

While the Navy usually deals with boats and submarines, it also has a relatively large fleet of aircraft. In total, the Navy has a fleet of over 3,700 operational aircraft. Some are operated by the Navy, others by the Marines.

USS stands for United States Ship. Every ship that is commissioned by the U.S Navy will have a USS at the beginning of its name. Once a ship is decommissioned, the USS is dropped from its name.