A 13 October 1775 resolution of the Continental Congress established what is now the United States Navy with “a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three months….” After the American War of Independence, the U.S. Constitution empowered the new Congress “to provide and maintain a navy.” Acting on this authority, Congress established the Department of the Navy on 30 April 1798.
As noted by the Navy: 13 October 2021 will mark the Navy’s 246th Birthday. The central theme of this year’s 246th Navy Birthday and Heritage week is “Resilient and Ready”, which speaks to the Navy’s history of being able to shake off disaster, such as the loss of a ship or a global pandemic, and still maintain force lethality and preparedness. It allows the messaging to showcase readiness, capabilities, capacity, and of course the Sailor—all while celebrating our glorious victories at sea and honoring our shipmates who stand and have stood the watch.
Here is the SECNAV’s birthday message:
And a much more entertaining video showing the battleship USS Missouri firing her huge 16-inch guns at sea back in 1991.
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