Navy Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia

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Naval Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia USNR Qualification Pin.jpg
Naval Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia
Strategic Sealift Officer Warfare Insignia United States Navy Strategic Sealift Officer Warfare Insignia badge.png
Strategic Sealift Officer Warfare Insignia

Naval Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia was a breast insignia of officers in the United States Merchant Marine who also served in the United States Navy or United States Navy Reserve. The insignia was replaced by the Strategic Sealift Officer Warfare Insignia (SSOWI) in June 2011, per OPNAVINST 1534.1D. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

United States Merchant Marine U.S. civilian mariners

The United States Merchant Marine refers to either United States civilian mariners, or to U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, and engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine primarily transports cargo and passengers during peacetime; in times of war, the Merchant Marine can be an auxiliary to the United States Navy, and can be called upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military. Merchant Marine officers may also be commissioned as military officers by the Department of Defense. This is commonly achieved by commissioning unlimited tonnage Merchant Marine officers as Strategic Sealift Officers in the Naval Reserves.

United States Navy Naval warfare branch of the United States Armed Forces

The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most capable navy in the world and it has been estimated that in terms of tonnage of its active battle fleet alone, it is larger than the next 13 navies combined, which includes 11 U.S. allies or partner nations. with the highest combined battle fleet tonnage and the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with eleven in service, and two new carriers under construction. With 319,421 personnel on active duty and 99,616 in the Ready Reserve, the Navy is the third largest of the service branches. It has 282 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of March 2018, making it the second-largest air force in the world, after the United States Air Force.

United States Navy Reserve Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy

The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are enrolled in the Selected Reserve (SELRES), the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), the Full Time Support (FTS), or the Retired Reserve program.

Contents

The Merchant Marine Reserve had its beginnings in 1913 when it was called the Naval Auxiliary Reserve. The original merchant marine insignia was prescribed in "Changes in Uniform Regulations, United States Navy, 1913 No. 10." Uniforms for the entire Naval Reserve were authorized by Congress on 31 March 1915 as the possibility of U.S. involvement in World War I increased.

Merchant Marine Reserve

The Merchant Marine Reserve, founded in 1913 as the Naval Auxiliary Reserve consists of members of the United States Merchant Marine who are also members of the United States Navy. Officers in the Merchant Marine Reserve are entitled to wear the Navy Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia.

The Naval Auxiliary Reserve, comprising officers and unlicensed seamen, was the beginning of the present Merchant Marine Reserve Program. Merchant marine officers at that time wore their steamship line or company uniform with the Naval Auxiliary Reserve device on the collar of the military coat, or on the lapels of the box coat. The Naval Auxiliary Reserve device was a miniature of the commissioned officers cap device.

History

In 1925, the Naval Auxiliary Reserve was renamed the Merchant Marine Naval Reserve. The name was changed to the current Merchant Marine Reserve in 1938. The breast insignia of the present Merchant Marine Reserve, U. S. Naval Reserve (Eagle and Scroll) was approved for wear on merchant marine uniforms on 7 April 1938, by Secretary of the Navy, Claude A. Swanson. It replaced the miniature cap device. The authorization for the insignia was the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which states:

"Licensed officers who are members of the United States Naval Reserve shall wear on their uniforms such special distinguishing insignia as may be approved by the Secretary of the Navy."

In April 1938, at a conference chaired by Captain Chester W. Nimitz, U.S. Navy, Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, the new insignia was presented to the four heads of the state maritime school ships. The insignia was accepted at this meeting along with the inclusion of naval subjects in the regular course of instruction at the schools. This was the beginning of the Naval Science Departments at the maritime academies.

Chester W. Nimitz United States Navy fleet admiral

Chester William Nimitz, Sr. was a fleet admiral of the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, commanding Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II.

Regulations require the insignia to be a "gold embroidered or bronze gold plated metal pin consisting of a spread eagle surcharged with crossed anchors and shield." It is underset with a scroll bearing the letters "U.S." on one side of the shield and "N.R." on the other side. Originally, this insignia was to be worn on the merchant marine uniform.

The eagle design is based on the original eagle carved into the stern of the USS Constitution, which reflected the country's determination to remain free. The scroll pattern was often found on the sterns of ships and contained the ships' names. The shield has 13 stars and stripes with crossed anchors and was taken from the U.S. Navy officer's cap device which was first authorized in 1869. Following the design of the cap device, the original merchant marine insignia had the eagle looking to its own left. In 1941, Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox decreed that all Navy insignia bearing eagles were to have the heads facing to their own right.

USS <i>Constitution</i> 1797 heavy frigate of the United States Navy, oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat

USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy named by President George Washington after the United States Constitution. She is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. She was launched in 1797, one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794 and the third constructed. Joshua Humphreys designed the frigates to be the young Navy's capital ships, and so Constitution and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period. She was built at Edmund Hartt's shipyard in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts. Her first duties were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.

Current usage

The Naval Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia was authorized for wear by students at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) who are Midshipmen, Merchant Marine Reserve, in 1942. Presently, all Midshipmen, USNR at the United States Merchant Marine Academy wear the modified device of the former USNR/MMR insignia that no longer has the "USNR" letters on it. The new SSOP rules do not allow USMMA students to wear the new SSOP insignia like the previous USNR/MMR insignia.

United States Merchant Marine Academy U.S. service academy

The United States Merchant Marine Academy, one of the five United States service academies, is located in Kings Point, New York. It is charged with training officers for the United States Merchant Marine, branches of the military, and the transportation industry. Midshipmen are trained in marine engineering, navigation, ship's administration, maritime law, personnel management, international law, customs, and many other subjects important to the task of running a large ship.

According to U.S. Navy Instructions, in order to qualify for the new SSOWI, candidates shall: [4]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ U.S. Navy Uniform Regulation, Chapter 5, Section 5201, Breast Insignia, website updated 11 September 2012, last accessed 31 December 2012
  2. ↑ ‘Sea chicken’ pin to be replaced, NavyTimes, by Sam Fellman, dated 2 July 2011, accessed 27 December 2012
  3. ↑ NAVADMIN 164/12, from Chief of Naval Operations, dated 18 May 2012, accessed 19 August 2012
  4. 1 2 OPNAV INSTRUCTION 1534.1D Strategic Sealift Officer Program, dated 10 June 2011, last accessed 31 December 2012
  5. ↑ U.S. Navy Uniform Board Update, accessed 19 August 2012
  6. ↑ Merchant Marine Reserve Gets New Name, N1 Monthly Newsletter, page 4, dated 1 August 2011, last accessed 31 December 2012
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