The Citizen's Guide to the U.S. Navy
The Citizen's Guide to the U.S. Navy

Author: Thomas J Cutler

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2012-04-15

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 161251099X

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Today’s Navy is a massive and complex organization, with hundreds of ships, thousands of aircraft, hundreds of thousands of people, and an annual budget in the billions of dollars that make the U.S. Navy a powerful and important component of the American defense establishment, playing a vital role in maintaining our national security, protecting us against our enemies in time of war, and guarding our economic lifelines and supporting our foreign policy in peacetime. Despite its obvious importance, most Americans know very little about their Navy, and learning about it has been a daunting task. Until now. Derived from another Naval Institute Press book by the same author, NavCivGuide: A Handbook for Civilians in the United States Navy (which is used by civilians who work for the Department of the Navy), this informative book is a highly accessible guide that explains the strange ways of the Navy in terms that non-Sailors can understand. In ten short chapters, the author reveals such things as the many titles that military people have, the various alphanumeric designations that military personnel use to identify and distinguish themselves, the organization of the Navy and the Department of Defense, the origins and practices of such things as saluting, flag etiquette, side boys, and odd language (such as “aye-aye”), and an explanation of the many missions of the Navy. Also included is an introduction to the Navy’s colorful history, a primer on the various ships and aircraft that make up today’s fleet, a guide to “reading” a uniform, and the demystification of such things as the phonetic alphabet and military time. Designed to be an easy read for those who want the whole story, The Citizen’s Guide to the Navy is also a useful reference work. Each chapter ends with a section called “QuickRefs,” which are lists of the essential facts presented in the chapter itself. While not everyone need be an expert on the Navy, there is a middle ground that this book serves by providing a readable, edifying, and often entertaining explanation of this important but sometimes mysterious branch of the U.S. armed forces.

NavCivGuide
NavCivGuide

Author: Thomas J Cutler

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2008-09-01

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 1612510191

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The success of the U.S. Navy in its more than two centuries of existence is due not only to the essential contributions of Sailors on active duty and in the reserve, but to the civilians who have worked as part of the Navy since its earliest days. But active and reserve Sailors go to boot camp or officer candidate school to prepare them for their new (unique) occupation. And the Navy has long provided The Bluejacket’s Manual to incoming Sailors to serve as an introduction and as a continuing reference so that they will feel more comfortable in a new and otherwise alien world, where floors suddenly become decks, where 1337 is a time in the here-and-now instead of a date from ancient history, and where uniforms are anything but! While it is impractical to send all civilian workers to a centralized indoctrination course, it is possible to provide a common reference, specially designed to acquaint civilians with this very special world they have entered. This book is that common reference guide designed specifically for those civilians, who like the Sailors in the Fleet, serve the nation and the Navy, and who need help in understanding where they are and what it is all about. All organizations and occupations have their own idiosyncrasies, and a big step toward “fitting in” has always been learning how to “talk the talk and walk the walk.” Like The Bluejacket’s Manual, this guide provides the words and steps needed to serve as an introduction for new employees and as a ready reference for veteran workers.

Patton’s Fighting Bridge Builders
Patton’s Fighting Bridge Builders

Author: Joseph C. Fitzharris

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2006-12-01

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1585445509

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These words may seem to have been written by an advance infantry unit or a combat brigade, carrying out an assault against entrenched enemy troops. Instead, this hair-raising narrative comes from the diary of “B” Company of the 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment, a “non-combat” unit attached to Patton’s Third Army during his epic pursuit of the retreating German forces across France during August, 1944. Though the 1303rd (called “the thirteen-third” by its soldiers) was supposed to perform its duties outside the zone of armed conflict, these men found themselves acting as the southern flank of Patton’s rapid advance. More than once, they had to re-build bridges the Germans had hastily destroyed in order to permit the continued advance of American troops—often doing so under enemy fire. Twice they were called upon to deploy as infantry in holding back German attacks. Careful editing and annotation by military historian Joseph C. Fitzharris corrects occasional lapses in the diary, clarifies references, and provides important context for following the movements and understanding the importance of Company B, the 1303rd, and its sister regiments. Patton’s Fighting Bridge Builders rewards its readers with a new understanding of both the messiness and the bravery of the Second World War.