[United States Government Manual]
[May 31, 1996]
[Pages 213-217]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



Office of the Secretary of the Navy

Secretary of the Navy

The Secretary of the Navy is the head of the Department of the Navy. 
Under the direction, authority, and control of the Secretary of Defense, 
the Secretary of the Navy is responsible for the policies and control of 
the Department of the Navy, including its organization, administration, 
functioning, and efficiency. The members of the Secretary's executive 
administration assist in the discharge of the responsibilities of the 
Secretary of the Navy.
    During the temporary absence of the Secretary of the Navy, the Under 
Secretary of the Navy is next in succession to act as the Secretary of 
the Navy. The Under Secretary functions as deputy and principal 
assistant to the Secretary, and acts with full authority of the 
Secretary in the general management of the Department.

Civilian Executive Assistants

The Civilian Executive Assistants to the Secretary are the principal 
advisers and assistants to the Secretary of the Navy on the 
administration of the affairs of the Department of the Navy as a whole 
and are assigned departmentwide responsibilities for areas essential to 
the efficient administration of the Department of the Navy.
    The Civilian Executive Assistants to the Secretary of the Navy are 
the Under Secretary of the Navy, the Assistant Secretaries of the Navy, 
and the General Counsel of the Navy. It is the policy of the Secretary 
to assign departmentwide responsibilities essential to the efficient 
administration of the Department of the Navy to the Civilian Executive 
Assistants.
    Each Civilian Executive Assistant, within an assigned area of 
responsibility, is the principal adviser and assistant to the Secretary 
on the administration of the affairs of the Department of the

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Navy. The Civilian Executive Assistants carry out the duties in harmony 
with the statutory positions of the Chief of Naval Operations, who is 
the principal military adviser and executive to the Secretary regarding 
naval matters, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, who is the 
principal military adviser and executive regarding Marine Corps matters. 
Each is authorized and directed to act for the Secretary within his 
assigned area of responsibility.

The Staff Assistants

The Staff Assistants to the Secretary of the Navy are the Naval 
Inspector General, the Auditor General of the Navy, and the Chief of 
Information. The heads of such other offices and boards established by 
law or by the Secretary for the purpose of assisting the Secretary or 
one or more of the Civilian Executive Assistants in the administration 
of the Department of the Navy are detailed as follows.
Judge Advocate General  The Judge Advocate General is the senior officer 
and head of the Judge Advocate General's Corps, and the Office of the 
Judge Advocate General. The Judge Advocate General provides or 
supervises the provision of all legal advice and related services 
throughout the Department of the Navy, except for the advice and 
services provided by the General Counsel. He also performs functions 
required or authorized by law; provides legal and policy advice to the 
Secretary of the Navy on military justice, ethics, administrative law, 
claims, environmental law, operational and international law and treaty 
interpretation, and litigation involving these issues; and acts on other 
matters as directed by the Secretary.
    The Judge Advocate General also supervises the administration of 
military justice throughout the Department of the Navy, performs 
functions required or authorized by the Uniform Code of Military 
Justice, and provides technical supervision for the Naval Justice School 
at Newport, RI.
    The Judge Advocate General maintains a close working relationship 
with the General Counsel on all matters of common interest and liaisons 
with other departments and agencies of the Government as appropriate.
    The Deputy Judge Advocate General performs the duties of the Judge 
Advocate General when there is a vacancy in that office, or during the 
absence or disability of the Judge Advocate General. The Deputy Judge 
Advocate General is also Commander of the Naval Legal Service Command 
which includes Naval Legal Service Offices, their detachments, and the 
Naval Justice School.
    Officers of the Judge Advocate General's Corps and judge advocates 
of the Marine Corps provide a variety of legal services to both 
individual servicemembers and naval commands and activities. Legal 
assistance service to qualified servicemembers and their dependents 
includes advice on tax, adoption, divorce, contracts, and landlord/
tenant matters. Individual servicemembers are provided personal 
representation for courts-martial, and may be provided assistance for 
nonjudicial punishment, complaints pursuant to Article 138 of the 
Uniform Code of Military Justice, and petitions to the Board for 
Correction of Naval Records.
    Unified, specified, and naval commands are provided legal service on 
such diverse matters as investigations, claims, environmental law, 
admiralty, operational and international law and treaty interpretation, 
courts-martial, nonjudicial punishment, civilian personnel law at field 
activities (under the overall coordination and policy guidance of the 
Office of Civilian Personnel Management), military personnel law, 
Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act, service of process, and the 
authority of installation commanders.

(Public Affairs Officer, Office of the Judge Advocate General, 
Department of the Navy, 200 Stovall Street, Alexandria, VA 22332-2400. 
Phone, 703-614-7420.)

Naval Criminal Investigative Service  The Director, Naval Criminal 
Investigative Service, commands a worldwide organization with

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representation in more than 160 geographic locations to provide criminal 
investigative, counterintelligence, law enforcement and physical 
security, and information and personnel security support to the Navy and 
Marine Corps, both ashore and afloat. The Naval Criminal Investigative 
Service is comprised of law enforcement professionals who are 
investigators, crime laboratory technicians, technical investigative 
specialists, security specialists, and administrative support personnel.

(Director, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Department of the Navy, 
Washington, DC 20388-5000. For general information, call 202-433-8800, 
or contact the Operations Control Center/Headquarters Duty Officer, 202-
433-9323.)

Research and Technology  The Office of Naval Research, established by 
act of Congress on August 1, 1946 (10 U.S.C. 5150-5153), is headed by 
the Chief of Naval Research, who is authorized to act for the Secretary 
of the Navy on all assigned matters.
    The Office is integrated headquarters of the Navy for science and 
technology investment. Within the science and technology structure, 
funding for basic research, exploratory development, advanced technology 
development, manufacturing technologies, and small business support is 
merged under the management of the Chief of Naval Research. The Office 
of Naval Research integrates the Navy's science and technology 
investments, and accelerates research results into technology 
development and manufacturing processes on U.S. production lines.

(Office of Naval Research, Ballston Tower 1, 800 North Quincy Street, 
Arlington, VA 22217-5660. Phone, 703-696-5031.)

Personnel Boards  The Naval Council of Personnel Boards, comprised of 
the Naval Discharge Review Board, Naval Complaints Review Board, Naval 
Clemency and Parole Board, and the Physical Evaluation Board 
administers, under the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and 
Reserve Affairs), personnel services and support as indicated by each 
component board's title.
    The Naval Discharge Review Board reviews, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 
1553, upon its own motion or upon request by or on behalf of former Navy 
and Marine Corps members, the type and reason for discharge or dismissal 
received by that former member, except a discharge or dismissal by 
reason of the sentence of general court-martial. It determines whether, 
under reasonable standards of naval law and discipline, a discharge or 
dismissal should be changed and, if so, what change should be made.
    The Naval Complaints Review Board reviews, upon request, decisional 
documents and/or index entries created by the Naval Discharge Review 
Board after April 1, 1977. The Naval Complaints Review Board determines 
whether decisional documents conform to those applicable regulations of 
the Department of Defense and the Department of the Navy.
    The Naval Clemency and Parole Board reviews, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 
953-954, Navy and Marine Corps court-martial cases referred to it and 
grants or denies clemency; and, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 952, reviews and 
directs that parole be granted or denied in cases referred to it for 
review.
    The Physical Evaluation Board organizes and administers disability 
evaluations within the Department of the Navy, pursuant to 10 U.S.C., 
chapter 61, and other applicable provisions of law and regulation. It is 
comprised of the Record Review Panel, regional hearing panels at 
Bethesda, MD, and San Diego, CA, and disability evaluation system 
counselors located at major medical centers. The system considers 
evidence concerning disabilities of personnel and determines the 
appropriate disposition in each case.

(Naval Council of Personnel Boards, Department of the Navy, Room 905, 
801 North Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 22203. Phone, 703-696-4356.)

Naval Records  The Board for Correction of Naval Records is a statutory 
civilian board established, pursuant to the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 
1552, to relieve the Congress of the burden and necessity of considering 
private relief legislation for the

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correction of errors and injustices suffered by members and former 
members of the Navy and Marine Corps. The Secretary of the Navy, acting 
through this board of civilians of the executive part of the Department, 
is authorized to take action consistent with law and regulation to 
correct naval or military records of the Department of the Navy where 
such action is necessary or appropriate to correct an error or to remove 
an injustice. The Board represents the highest echelon of review of 
administrative errors and injustices. The Board reviews, on application, 
actions taken by various boards and officials in the Department.

(Board for Correction of Naval Records, Department of the Navy, Room 
2432, Navy Annex, Washington, DC 20370-5100. Phone, 703-614-1402.)