[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15376-15377]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               CELEBRATING THE U.S. NAVY'S 236th BIRTHDAY

  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, tomorrow, the U.S. Navy celebrates its 
236th birthday.
  On Friday, October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress, representing 
the citizens of 13 American colonies, passed a resolution to acquire 
the first two warships for the Continental Navy. It stated ``that a 
swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportional 
number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted with all possible 
dispatch, for a cruise of three months, and that the commander be 
instructed to cruise eastward, for intercepting such transports as may 
be laden with war-like stores and other supplies for our enemies, and 
for such other purposes as the Congress shall direct.''
  The Founders recognized the essential nature of a Navy to the 
strength and longevity of the Nation by authorizing Congress ``to 
provide and maintain a Navy'' in article I of the Constitution. A Naval 
Committee was established to build a fitting Navy for our fledgling 
country, acquire and fit out vessels for sea, and draw up regulations. 
The Continental Navy began a proud tradition, carried out for 236 years 
by our U.S. Navy, to protect our Nation and pursue the causes of 
freedom we hold so dear.
  For the past 236 years, the central mission of the Navy has been to 
protect the interests of our Nation around the world on the high seas, 
to fight and win the wars of our Nation, and to maintain control of the 
sea lines of communication enabling this Nation and other free nations 
to grow and prosper. Whether in peace or at war, U.S. citizens around 
the world can rest assured that the U.S. Navy is on watch, ever 
vigilant, and ready to respond.

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  U.S. sailors, as both ambassadors and warriors, have won 
extraordinary distinction and respect for the Nation and its Navy. The 
core values of ``Honor, Courage, and Commitment'' are the guides by 
which the U.S. sailors live and serve. Today, the U.S. Navy is the most 
capable, most respected, and most effective sea service in the world.
  Seventy-five percent of land in the world is bound by water and 75 
percent of the population of the world lives within 100 miles of the 
sea, assuring that our naval forces will continue to be called upon to 
respond to emerging crises, to maintain freedom of the sea, to deter 
would-be aggressors, and to provide our allies with a visible 
reassurance of support of the United States of America.
  As we celebrate our Navy's 236th birthday, America's sons and 
daughters continue to stand the watch on the frontlines of the war on 
terror at sea and on foreign shores. While we look at the current 
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan as predominantly ground engagements, 
our Navy is there too. Twelve hundred Navy personnel are on the ground 
in Iraq (200 of these are Reservists), with a total of 21,800 deployed 
to the region aboard ships at sea, on bases, and air stations in the 
region supporting Iraq operations. Forty-six hundred sailors and 
officers are on the ground in Afghanistan and a total of 7,700 are 
deployed aboard ships at sea, on bases, and air stations in the region 
supporting Afghanistan operations (Operation Enduring Freedom). One 
thousand four hundred and thirteen Navy personnel have been killed in 
action in these conflicts, 576 in Operation Enduring Freedom, 820 in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom and 17 in Operation New Dawn as the Pentagon 
now refers to the Iraq war.
  This year marks not only the 236th Navy birthday, but also the 100th 
anniversary of naval aviation. On May 8, 1911, Cpt Washington Irving 
Chambers, USN, Officer-in-Charge of Aviation, prepared the requisition 
for the Navy's first aircraft to be purchased from aviator and inventor 
Glenn H. Curtiss. The Navy is commemorating that historic event 
throughout the year at its ``Navy Weeks,'' one of which was held in 
Indianapolis in August.
  The 20 Navy Weeks conducted annually across the Nation exemplify the 
respect and proud heritage that the U.S. Navy commands. Navy Week gives 
the Navy a chance to show off its heritage and hardware and allows 
Americans to learn more about their Navy and its heroes.
  No matter the cause, location or magnitude of future conflicts, the 
Nation can rely on its Navy to produce well-trained, well-led, and 
highly motivated sailors to carry out the missions entrusted to them.
  As a Navy veteran myself, I speak with no small measure of pride in 
calling attention to the significance of the 236th birthday of the U.S. 
Navy and expressing the appreciation of the people of the United States 
to the Navy and its men and women who have dedicated 236 years of 
service. The honor, courage, commitment, and sacrifice that generations 
of Americans have made throughout the history of the Navy and the 
sacrifices shared by the extended Navy family of civilians, family 
members, and loved ones who have served for the past 236 years are 
extensive and greatly appreciated.

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