121-504: United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka ( 横須賀海軍施設 , Yokosuka kaigunshisetsu ) or Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka ( 司令官艦隊活動横須賀 , Shirei-kan kantai katsudō Yokosuka ) is a United States Navy base in Yokosuka , Japan . Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan , Seventh Fleet and other operating forces assigned in
242-497: A seaplane base, and a naval air station. On 30 August 1945, Vice Admiral Michitaro Totsuka , last Japanese commander of the Yokosuka Naval District, surrendered his command to Rear Admiral Robert Carney , and the base was peacefully occupied by U.S. Marines of the 6th Marine Division , British Royal Marines , and U.S. Naval personnel. Commander Fleet Activities (COMFLEACT) Yokosuka was created shortly after
363-427: A $ 200 fare, which he had incurred returning from Tokyo. He had been stationed aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG-63) , but was absent without leave at the time of the murder and considered a deserter. Both murders resulted in the U.S. Navy severely restricting the liberty of all sailors in the fleet. Personnel and ships from the base assisted with Operation Tomodachi following and during
484-520: A 14-month circumnavigation of the world. Ordered by President Theodore Roosevelt , it was a mission designed to demonstrate the Navy's capability to extend to the global theater. By 1911, the U.S. had begun building the super-dreadnoughts at a pace to eventually become competitive with Britain. The 1911 also saw the first naval aircraft with the navy which would lead to the informal establishment of United States Naval Flying Corps to protect shore bases. It
605-488: A Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization overhaul at Long Beach, California , completed 31 January 1963. She again deployed to WestPac from February to September 1963 and from June to December 1964. On the morning of 1 November 1961, while on a five-day port call to Hong Kong, Piedmont collided with the ferry boat Lo Kee near North Point Ferry Pier in Victoria Harbour . The ferry, carrying 19 passengers and
726-647: A change in their rating from their previous rating (i.e., MMCM) to CMDCM. The stars for Command Master Chief are silver, while stars for Fleet, and gold stars for Force. Additionally, CMCs wear a badge, worn on their left breast pocket, denoting their title (Command/Fleet/Force). Insignia and badges of the United States Navy are military "badges" issued by the Department of the Navy to naval service members who achieve certain qualifications and accomplishments while serving on both active and reserve duty in
847-580: A collision with a carrier while refueling, came alongside 1 May. The most badly battered of the battle-damaged ships serviced by Piedmont at Ulithi was USS Hazelwood (DD-531) which came alongside 4 May. Her entire bridge superstructure was a mass of tangled wreckage, a bomb explosion had blown a 15-by-15-foot hole in her starboard side, main deck; her forward stack had been completely destroyed; extensive bomb damage extended down to her second platform, and her interior and fleet radio room had been destroyed. Numerous dead had still to be removed from
968-485: A crew of two to Ngau Tau Kok , capsized and sank. Piedmont and other nearby vessels quickly mounted a rescue operation, but two women passengers drowned and three others were seriously injured. Piedmont did not sustain damage. Three months of the latter tour were spent at Subic Bay servicing destroyers and other 7th Fleet ships serving in the Tonkin Gulf and off Vietnam. During her 1968 WestPac tour Piedmont
1089-466: A formidable force in the years prior to World War II , with battleship production being restarted in 1937, commencing with USS North Carolina (BB-55) . Though ultimately unsuccessful, Japan tried to neutralize this strategic threat with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Following American entry into the war , the U.S. Navy grew tremendously as the United States
1210-651: A frequent actor in American foreign and military policy. The United States Navy is part of the Department of the Navy , alongside the United States Marine Corps , which is its coequal sister service. The Department of the Navy is headed by the civilian secretary of the Navy . The Department of the Navy is itself a military department of the Department of Defense , which is headed by the secretary of defense . The chief of naval operations (CNO)
1331-642: A major effect on naval planning is the Pivot to East Asia . In response, the Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus stated in 2015 that 60 percent of the total U.S. fleet will be deployed to the Pacific by 2020. The Navy's most recent 30-year shipbuilding plan, published in 2016, calls for a future fleet of 350 ships to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive international environment. A provision of
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#17328024009261452-488: A military hospital were established nearby in the course of its history, turning the area around the arsenal into a major fleet base. During World War II , activities at the Yokosuka Navy Yard reached their peak. By 1944, it covered 280 acres (1.1 km) and employed over 40,000 workers. In addition to the shipbuilding plant, the yard also had a gun factory, ordnance and supply depots, a fuel storage facility,
1573-635: A national navy was debated in the Second Continental Congress . Supporters argued that a navy would protect shipping, defend the coast, and make it easier to seek support from foreign countries. Detractors countered that challenging the British Royal Navy , then the world's preeminent naval power, was a foolish undertaking. Commander in Chief George Washington resolved the debate when he commissioned
1694-502: A navy able to reform those enemies to mankind or crush them into non-existence. Naval power . . . is the natural defense of the United States. The Navy was rooted in the colonial seafaring tradition, which produced a large community of sailors, captains, and shipbuilders. In the early stages of the American Revolutionary War , Massachusetts had its own Massachusetts Naval Militia . The rationale for establishing
1815-643: A number of unique capabilities, including Military Sealift Command , Naval Expeditionary Combat Command , and Naval Information Forces . The United States Navy has seven active numbered fleets – Second , Third , Fifth , Sixth , Seventh and Tenth Fleets are each led by a vice admiral , and the Fourth Fleet is led by a rear admiral . These seven fleets are further grouped under Fleet Forces Command (the former Atlantic Fleet), Pacific Fleet, Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and Naval Forces Central Command, whose commander also doubles as Commander Fifth Fleet;
1936-867: A quarter of whom are in ready reserve. Of those on active duty, more than eighty percent are enlisted sailors and around fifteen percent are commissioned officers ; the rest are midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy and midshipmen of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at over 180 universities around the country and officer candidates at the Navy's Officer Candidate School . Enlisted sailors complete basic military training at boot camp and then are sent to complete training for their individual careers . Sailors prove they have mastered skills and deserve responsibilities by completing Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS) tasks and examinations. Among
2057-465: A senior non-commissioned officer in the other services, and must have a minimum 14 years in service. Sailors in pay grades E-1 through E-3 are considered to be in apprenticeships. They are divided into five definable groups, with colored group rate marks designating the group to which they belong: Seaman, Fireman, Airman, Constructionman, and Hospitalman. E-4 to E-6 are non-commissioned officers (NCOs), and are specifically called Petty officers in
2178-497: A service member may choose to further their career by becoming a Command Master Chief Petty Officer (CMC). A CMC is considered to be the senior-most enlisted service member within a command, and is the special assistant to the Commanding Officer in all matters pertaining to the health, welfare, job satisfaction, morale, use, advancement and training of the command's enlisted personnel. CMCs can be Command level (within
2299-404: A single unit, such as a ship or shore station), Fleet level (squadrons consisting of multiple operational units, headed by a flag officer or commodore), or Force level (consisting of a separate community within the Navy, such as Subsurface, Air, Reserves). CMC insignia are similar to the insignia for Master Chief, except that the rating symbol is replaced by an inverted five-point star, reflecting
2420-528: A suicide plane during the Mindoro landings of November 1944, was patched, refloated, and towed to Ulithi for temporary repairs by Piedmont which would permit the vessel's return to the United States under her own power. On 20 April USS McDermut (DD-677) made port with a 3-by-5-foot hole in her sheer strake, port side, for repair by Piedmont . USS Hale (DD-642) , having suffered extensive damage to her port side bridge structure during
2541-594: A tier of bunks. Fortunately, neither bomb exploded and remarkably enough, personnel in both compartments escaped injury. Lingayen Gulf operations scheduled for early 1945 demanded the presence of all available tender strength at Ulithi in the Caroline Islands . Early in January Piedmont stood out of Manus Island for Ulithi with Service Squadron 10. January through April saw Piedmont in her most sustained effort. Those same months which witnessed
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#17328024009262662-623: A vital role in maintenance and repair of the U.S. Seventh Fleet during both the Korean War and Vietnam War . In March 1952, the geographical boundaries of Naval Forces Far East were changed to exclude the Philippines, Marianas , Bonin and Volcano Islands . In December 1952, the headquarters were shifted from Tokyo to Yokosuka. The expanded Supply Department of Fleet Activities became Naval Supply Depot, Yokosuka in August 1952. In 1960,
2783-721: Is a distinct, separate service branch with its own uniformed service chief – the Commandant of the Marine Corps, a four-star general. The Marine Corps depends on the Navy for medical support (dentists, doctors , nurses, medical technicians known as corpsmen ) and religious support (chaplains). Thus, Navy officers and enlisted sailors fulfill these roles. When attached to Marine Corps units deployed to an operational environment they generally wear Marine camouflage uniforms, but otherwise, they wear Navy dress uniforms unless they opt to conform to Marine Corps grooming standards. In
2904-729: Is immediately under and reports to the Secretary of the Navy. At the same time, the Chief of Naval Operations is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , which is the second-highest deliberative body of the armed forces after the United States National Security Council , although it plays only an advisory role to the President and does not nominally form part of the chain of command . The Secretary of
3025-420: Is the most senior Navy officer serving in the Department of the Navy. To recruit, train, equip, and organize to deliver combat ready Naval forces to win conflicts and wars while maintaining security and deterrence through sustained forward presence. The U.S. Navy is a seaborne branch of the military of the United States . The Navy's three primary areas of responsibility: U.S. Navy training manuals state that
3146-596: The 1966 Palomares B-52 crash incident and the subsequent search for missing hydrogen bombs, and Task Force 71 of the Seventh Fleet's operation in search for Korean Air Lines Flight 007 , shot down by the Soviets on 1 September 1983. The U.S. Navy continues to be a major support to U.S. interests in the 21st century. Since the end of the Cold War, it has shifted its focus from preparations for large-scale war with
3267-662: The American Civil War , in which the Union had a distinct advantage over the Confederacy on the seas. A Union blockade on all major ports shut down exports and the coastal trade, but blockade runners provided a thin lifeline. The Brown-water navy components of the U.S. navy control of the river systems made internal travel difficult for Confederates and easy for the Union. The war saw ironclad warships in combat for
3388-602: The Battle of Okinawa . By 1943, the navy's size was larger than the combined fleets of all the other combatant nations in World War II. By war's end in 1945, the U.S. Navy had added hundreds of new ships, including 18 aircraft carriers and 8 battleships, and had over 70% of the world's total numbers and total tonnage of naval vessels of 1,000 tons or greater. At its peak, the U.S. Navy was operating 6,768 ships on V-J Day in August 1945. Doctrine had significantly shifted by
3509-900: The Bureau of Naval Personnel , the Office of Naval Research , the Office of Naval Intelligence , the United States Naval Academy , the Naval Safety Command , the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center , and the United States Naval Observatory . Official Navy websites list the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Chief of Naval Operations as part of the shore establishment, but these two entities effectively sit superior to
3630-759: The Continental Navy ) The United States Navy ( USN ) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States . It is the world's most powerful navy and the largest by tonnage, at 4.5 million tons in 2021 and in 2009 an estimated battle fleet tonnage that exceeded the next 13 navies combined. It has the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with 11 in service , one undergoing trials, two new carriers under construction, and six other carriers planned as of 2024. With 336,978 personnel on active duty and 101,583 in
3751-547: The Ready Reserve , the U.S. Navy is the third largest of the United States military service branches in terms of personnel. It has 299 deployable combat vessels and about 4,012 operational aircraft as of July 18, 2023. The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy , which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was effectively disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. After suffering significant loss of goods and personnel at
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka - Misplaced Pages Continue
3872-615: The Tokugawa Shogunate Government, decided that "If Japan is to assume an active role in world trade, she must have proper facilities to build and maintain large seagoing vessels." He called upon the French Consul General, Léon Roches , and asked for the assistance of the French government to build a shipyard and various basing facilities capable of handling large ships. French engineer Léonce Verny
3993-439: The limited duty officer (LDO) in the Navy. Warrant officers perform duties that are directly related to their previous enlisted service and specialized training. This allows the Navy to capitalize on the experience of warrant officers without having to frequently transition them to other duty assignments for advancement. Most Navy warrant officers are accessed from the chief petty officer pay grades, E-7 through E-9, analogous to
4114-418: The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act called for expanding the naval fleet to 355 ships "as soon as practicable", but did not establish additional funding nor a timeline. The U.S. Navy falls under the administration of the Department of the Navy , under civilian leadership of the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). The most senior naval officer is the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), a four-star admiral who
4235-563: The Barbary pirates, blockaded the Barbary ports and executed attacks against the Barbary' fleets. The U.S. Navy saw substantial action in the War of 1812 , where it was victorious in eleven single-ship duels with the Royal Navy. It proved victorious in the Battle of Lake Erie and prevented the region from becoming a threat to American operations in the area. The result was a major victory for
4356-534: The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt , authorized the Navy to celebrate its birthday on 13 October to honor the establishment of the Continental Navy in 1775. The United States was without a navy for nearly a decade, a state of affairs that exposed U.S. maritime merchant ships to a series of attacks by the Barbary pirates . The sole armed maritime presence between 1790 and the launching of
4477-560: The China Service Medal for the periods from February to 30 March 1947, from 2 to 10 March 1948, and from 16 May to 30 May 1950. During the Korean War , she earned battle stars for: North Korean Aggression (25 September to 15 October 1950), Second Korean Winter (to 10 January 1952 and 6 to 7 February 1952), Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 (23 September to 3 October 1952 and 19 to 23 November 1952), and Third Korean Winter (28 to 30 December 1952 and 24 to 25 January 1953). For
4598-563: The Coast Guard may be called upon to operate as a service within the Navy. At other times, Coast Guard Port Security Units are sent overseas to guard the security of ports and other assets. The Coast Guard also jointly staffs the Navy's naval coastal warfare groups and squadrons (the latter of which were known as harbor defense commands until late-2004), which oversee defense efforts in foreign littoral combat and inshore areas. The United States Navy has over 400,000 personnel, approximately
4719-735: The Lebanon crisis in the Middle East erupted, Piedmont steamed 15 July for Subic Bay to stand ready and alerted to participate, if needed, in the Middle East action. On 28 August 1958 Piedmont steamed to Kaohsiung , Taiwan, to tend 7th Fleet units engaged in convoy and patrol duty in the Taiwan Straits to prevent Communist capture of the off-shore island of Quemoy . After returning to Yokosuka via Hong Kong, Piedmont steamed for San Diego on 12 January 1959. Between 1960 and 1962 Piedmont made two more cruises to WestPac. She received
4840-649: The March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima I nuclear accidents . During the crisis, around 3,000 U.S. family members left the base, preferring to be outside Japan during a time of uncertainty. Destroyer Squadron 15 (COMDESRON 15) During the late 1960s and 1970s, the Yokosuka Microwave Communications Site was part of the telephone communications network in the Tokyo area. The building and 106.7 meter tall microwave tower
4961-795: The Mediterranean, where it participated in the Second Barbary War that ended piracy in the region, South America, Africa, and the Pacific. From 1819 to the outbreak of the Civil War, the Africa Squadron operated to suppress the slave trade , seizing 36 slave ships, although its contribution was smaller than that of the much larger British Royal Navy. After 1840 several secretaries of the navy were southerners who advocated for strengthening southern naval defenses, expanding
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka - Misplaced Pages Continue
5082-619: The Naval Communications Facility was redesignated U.S. Naval Communications Station, Japan. In 1952, US occupation of Japan formally ended and Japanese rearmament commenced, with its naval forces formally organized as Japan Maritime Self Defense Force by 1954. Some parts of the former Yokosuka Naval District were ceded back to house a new base for JMSDF, now known as JMSDF Yokosuka Naval Base . On 5 October 1973, USS Midway , with Carrier Air Wing Five and her accompanying task group, put into Yokosuka, marking
5203-734: The Navy and Chief of Naval Operations are responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Navy so that it is ready for operation under the commanders of the unified combatant commands . There are nine components in the operating forces of the U.S. Navy: the United States Fleet Forces Command (formerly United States Atlantic Fleet), United States Pacific Fleet , United States Naval Forces Central Command , United States Naval Forces Europe , Naval Network Warfare Command , Navy Reserve , United States Naval Special Warfare Command , and Operational Test and Evaluation Force . Fleet Forces Command controls
5324-461: The Navy reactivated the Fourth Fleet to control operations in the area controlled by Southern Command, which consists of US assets in and around Central and South America. Other number fleets were activated during World War II and later deactivated, renumbered, or merged. Shore establishments exist to support the mission of the fleet through the use of facilities on land. Among the commands of
5445-424: The Navy. Petty Officers perform not only the duties of their specific career field but also serve as leaders to junior enlisted personnel. E-7 to E-9 are still considered Petty Officers, but are considered a separate community within the Navy. They have separate berthing and dining facilities (where feasible), wear separate uniforms, and perform separate duties. After attaining the rate of Master Chief Petty Officer,
5566-545: The Pacific Fleet destroyer tenders as the one to move into Tokyo Bay with the first naval units for the occupation of Japanese ships. On 16 August the ship departed Eniwetok to rendezvous with the U.S. 3rd Fleet at about one day's steaming from Japan. The long-awaited event took place on 28 August when Piedmont dropped her anchor in Sagami Wan , Honshū , Japan. Early on the 30th, she moved into Tokyo Bay and on
5687-675: The Philippines for most of the 7 months. The return to stateside was a protracted trip including a week of R&R layover in Hong Kong anchored in the channel. Then on to another week in Yokosuka, Japan. The northern circle route was taken from Yokosuka, nearing the Aleutian Islands, and returning to the new homeport of Long Beach, CA in February 1971. Received rework at dry docks of Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco in
5808-666: The Piedmont crew replaced 5” gun barrels on several destroyers. Returned to Long Beach in December 1972. In August 1973 Piedmont left for its last Westpac before changing homeport to Naples. Ports visited were Pearl Harbor Hawaii, Yokosuka Japan, Okinawa, Kaohsiung Taiwan, Hong Kong, Subic Bay Philippines, and Sasebo Japan. Our stay in Kaohsiung was cut short by an approaching typhoon and the USS Piedmont left port to ride out
5929-723: The Soviet Union to special operations and strike missions in regional conflicts. The navy participated in Operation Enduring Freedom , Operation Iraqi Freedom , and is a major participant in the ongoing War on Terror , largely in this capacity. Development continues on new ships and weapons, including the Gerald R. Ford -class aircraft carrier and the Littoral combat ship . Because of its size, weapons technology, and ability to project force far from U.S. shores,
6050-697: The States, Piedmont went to a dry dock in San Pedro, California for refurbishing in preparation to change home port to Naples from Long beach. Piedmont left in late fall/early winter for Naples via Panama Canal and Norfolk, Virginia. Piedmont was present in Subic Bay Naval Base in the Summer of 1979. After an extensive refit in San Pedro, California, Piedmont transferred to the Atlantic fleet and
6171-722: The Turkish navy's register in 1994 and scrapped a year later. For service in World War II, Piedmont earned the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal . Piedmont earned the Navy Occupation Service Medal, Pacific, for the periods from 2 September 1945 to 24 February 1946, from 11 June 1946 to 2 February 1947, and from 12 September 1948 to 15 September 1948. Piedmont also earned
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#17328024009266292-410: The U.S. Army at the Niagara Frontier of the war, and the defeat of the Native American allies of the British at the Battle of the Thames . Despite this, the U.S. Navy could not prevent the British from blockading its ports and landing troops. But after the War of 1812 ended in 1815, the U.S. Navy primarily focused its attention on protecting American shipping assets, sending squadrons to the Caribbean,
6413-402: The U.S. Navy and its decisive victory over the outdated Spanish Navy in 1898 brought a new respect for American technical quality. Rapid building of at first pre-dreadnoughts, then dreadnoughts brought the U.S. in line with the navies of countries such as Britain and Germany. In 1907, most of the Navy's battleships, with several support vessels, dubbed the Great White Fleet , were showcased in
6534-465: The U.S. Navy's first warships in 1797 was the U.S. Revenue-Marine , the primary predecessor of the U.S. Coast Guard . Although the United States Revenue Cutter Service conducted operations against the pirates, the pirates' depredations far outstripped its abilities and Congress passed the Naval Act of 1794 that established a permanent standing navy on 27 March 1794. The Naval Act ordered the construction and manning of six frigates and, by October 1797,
6655-569: The U.S. Navy, Piedmont was transferred to the Turkish Navy, where she served from 1982 to 1994 as TCG Derya . The ship was decommissioned from the Turkish Navy in 1994 and scrapped the following year. Early in February 1944, Piedmont stood out from Tampa, Florida, on her shakedown cruise . On 6 March she sailed for the Panama Canal , San Diego, and Pearl Harbor , Hawaii. Less than 24 hours after her arrival at Pearl Harbor, Piedmont had taken her first United States Pacific Fleet destroyer alongside. Piedmont remained at Pearl Harbor throughout
6776-533: The U.S. Navy. In February 1956 she returned from a six-month tour of duty in the Far East which included visits to the Philippines, Hong Kong, Formosa, and Japan. In January 1957 Piedmont again departed CONUS for his annual tour of duty in WestPac , visiting U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay , Hong Kong, Singapore, Sasebo , Kobe , and Yokosuka before returning again to San Diego, California, in August 1957. On 23 June 1958 Piedmont departed San Diego and steamed for Yokosuka via Pearl Harbor, arriving there 12 July. When
6897-421: The U.S. Navy. In recent years, a number of high-profile international incidents involving U.S. sailors occurred around the base. The most notable were two murders which occurred in 2006 and 2008. One of them was the murder was committed by Seaman Olantunbosun Ugbogu, a Nigerian citizen who had joined the U.S. Navy, but had not yet received citizenship. Ugbogu stabbed a taxi driver to death in order to avoid paying
7018-401: The U.S. economy and quality of life. This new strategy charts a course for the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps to work collectively with each other and international partners to prevent these crises from occurring or reacting quickly should one occur to prevent negative impacts on the U.S. In 2010, Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, noted that demands on the Navy have grown as
7139-430: The USS John F. Kennedy CV-67.On Piedmonts return to the US, 1976 Piedmont made a Bi Centennial port visit to Portsmouth England. Piedmont was supposed to sail to the equator and then on to New York to participate in the First Operation Sail up the Hudson River. Those two cruises were canceled due to losing a main reduction gear leaving Piedmont to head home on one screw limping into Norfolk Virginia D&S Piers. Piedmont
7260-445: The United States Navy grew under an ambitious ship building program associated with the Naval Act of 1916 . Naval construction, especially of battleships, was limited by the Washington Naval Conference of 1921–22, the first arms control conference in history. The aircraft carriers USS Saratoga (CV-3) and USS Lexington (CV-2) were built on the hulls of partially built battle cruisers that had been canceled by
7381-499: The United States Navy. Most naval aviation insignia are also permitted for wear on uniforms of the United States Marine Corps . As described in Chapter 5 of U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations, "badges" are categorized as breast insignia (usually worn immediately above and below ribbons) and identification badges (usually worn at breast pocket level). Breast insignia are further divided between command and warfare and other qualification . USS Piedmont USS Piedmont (AD–17)
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#17328024009267502-442: The United States Seventh Fleet, including the only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier , USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) , the group she heads, Carrier Strike Group Five , and Destroyer Squadron 15 . When Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Japan in 1853, using naval pressure to open up Japan to foreign trade, Yokosuka was a quaint, native fishing village. In 1860, Lord Oguri Kozukenosuke , Minister of Finance to
7623-559: The Western Pacific. CFAY is the largest strategically important U.S. naval installation in the western Pacific. Fleet Activities Yokosuka comprises 2.3 km (568 acres) and is located at the entrance of Tokyo Bay , 65 km (40 mi) south of Tokyo and approximately 30 km (20 mi) south of Yokohama on the Miura Peninsula in the Kantō region of the Pacific Coast in Central Honshu , Japan. The 55 tenant commands which make up this installation support U.S. Navy Pacific operating forces, including principal afloat elements of
7744-508: The burden of retaliating against the Japanese on the small number of aircraft carriers. During World War II some 4,000,000 Americans served in the United States Navy. The potential for armed conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War pushed the U.S. Navy to continue its technological advancement by developing new weapons systems, ships, and aircraft. U.S. naval strategy changed to that of forward deployment in support of U.S. allies with an emphasis on carrier battle groups. The navy
7865-419: The capture of California with large-scale land operations coordinated with the local militia organized in the California Battalion . The Navy conducted the U.S. military's first large-scale amphibious joint operation by successfully landing 12,000 army troops with their equipment in one day at Veracruz , Mexico. When larger guns were needed to bombard Veracruz, Navy volunteers landed large guns and manned them in
7986-411: The current U.S. Navy remains an asset for the United States. Moreover, it is the principal means through which the U.S. maintains international global order, namely by safeguarding global trade and protecting allied nations. In 2007, the U.S. Navy joined with the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard to adopt a new maritime strategy called A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower that raises
8107-459: The decision was a mutual agreement between the United States and Japan. Hiroyuki Hosoda, spokesman for Japan's government, said, "We believe that the change (of the carriers) will lead to maintaining the solid presence of the U.S. Navy and contribute to keeping Japan's security and international peace into the future." On 25 September 2008, George Washington arrived in Yokosuka, making it the only forward-deployed, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in
8228-464: The end of the war. The U.S. Navy had followed in the footsteps of the navies of Great Britain and Germany which favored concentrated groups of battleships as their main offensive naval weapons. The development of the aircraft carrier and its devastating use by the Japanese against the U.S. at Pearl Harbor, however, shifted U.S. thinking. The Pearl Harbor attack destroyed or took out of action a significant number of U.S. Navy battleships. This placed much of
8349-402: The explosion, numerous 5-inch (130 mm) projectiles and steel fragments flew over Mindanao and landed on Piedmont's decks and superstructure, most of them ricocheting off. One man suffered fatal injuries from a direct hit by the base of a 5-inch (130 mm) shell. One 250 pound aerial bomb penetrated the movie locker on the boat deck while another pierced the forecastle and plowed through
8470-405: The face of the expiration of budget relief offered by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 and CNO Jonathan Greenert said that a ten ship carrier fleet would not be able to sustainably support military requirements. The British First Sea Lord George Zambellas said that the USN had switched from "outcome-led to resource-led" planning. One significant change in U.S. policymaking that is having
8591-428: The first forward deployment of a complete carrier task group in a Japanese port. This was the result of an accord reached on 31 August 1972 between the U.S. and Japan. In addition to the morale factor of dependents housed along with the crew in a foreign port, the move had strategic significance because it facilitated the continuous positioning of three carriers in the Far East at a time when the economic situation demanded
8712-654: The first three commands being led by four-star admirals. The United States First Fleet existed after World War II from 1947, but it was redesignated the Third Fleet in early 1973. The Second Fleet was deactivated in September 2011 but reestablished in August 2018 amid heightened tensions with Russia. It is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, with responsibility over the East Coast and North Atlantic. In early 2008,
8833-566: The first three were brought into service: USS United States , USS Constellation , and USS Constitution . Due to his strong posture on having a strong standing Navy during this period, John Adams is "often called the father of the American Navy". In 1798–99 the Navy was involved in an undeclared Quasi-War with France. From 1801 to 1805, in the First Barbary War , the U.S. Navy defended U.S. ships from
8954-424: The first time at the Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862, which pitted USS Monitor against CSS Virginia . For two decades after the war, however, the U.S. Navy's fleet was neglected and became technologically obsolete . A modernization program beginning in the 1880s when the first steel-hulled warships stimulated the American steel industry, and "the new steel navy" was born. This rapid expansion of
9075-491: The first uniform regulations for officers were issued in 1802 on the formation of the Navy Department. The predominant colors of U.S. Navy uniforms are navy blue and white. U.S. Navy uniforms were based on Royal Navy uniforms of the time and have tended to follow that template. Navy officers serve either as a line officer or as a staff corps officer . Line officers wear an embroidered gold star above their rank of
9196-505: The fleet has shrunk and that in the face of declining budgets in the future, the U.S. Navy must rely even more on international partnerships. In its 2013 budget request, the navy focused on retaining all eleven big deck carriers, at the expense of cutting numbers of smaller ships and delaying the SSBN replacement. By the next year the USN found itself unable to maintain eleven aircraft carriers in
9317-705: The fleet, and making naval technological improvements. During the Mexican–American War the U.S. Navy blockaded Mexican ports, capturing or burning the Mexican fleet in the Gulf of California and capturing all major cities in Baja California peninsula. In 1846–1848 the Navy successfully used the Pacific Squadron under Commodore Robert F. Stockton and its marines and blue-jackets to facilitate
9438-488: The following day moored to the dock at the Yokosuka Naval Base . While moored at Yokosuka, Piedmont supplied provisions and clothing to the landing forces and to the hospital ships standing by to care for released allied prisoners of war . Piedmont remained in the Tokyo area supporting the occupation forces until sailing for the United States, arriving at Alameda, California , 15 March 1946. Piedmont
9559-644: The hands of the Barbary pirates from Algiers , the United States Congress passed the Naval Act of 1794 for the construction of six heavy frigates , the first ships of the Navy. The United States Navy played a major role in the American Civil War by blockading the Confederacy and seizing control of its rivers. It played the central role in the World War II defeat of Imperial Japan . The United States Navy emerged from World War II as
9680-472: The huge Task Force 58, which was supporting the Marianas campaign, returned to Eniwetok for rest, replenishment, and repairs. Unlike the duty at Pearl Harbor, all jobs were now a race against the calendar and, in addition, shore facilities were no longer available. During the month of July, 99 ships were provisioned with 888 tons of stores. The month of August turned out much the same with ships returning from
9801-585: The invasion of Guam . In September 1944, with the Central Pacific campaign virtually completed, Piedmont sailed into the Southwest Pacific with the rest of the fleet in preparation for the Philippines campaign. By early December, damaged ships began returning to Manus and USS Saufley (DD-465) and USS Killen (DD-593) , both severely damaged by Japanese suicide planes , were assigned to Piedmont for repairs. On
9922-468: The mission of the U.S. Armed Forces is "to be prepared to conduct prompt and sustained combat operations in support of the national interest." The Navy's five enduring functions are: sea control , power projection , deterrence , maritime security , and sealift . It follows then as certain as that night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable and glorious. Would to Heaven we had
10043-537: The months of April and May during the feverish preparations for the Marianas campaign . At one time, Piedmont had seven destroyers alongside and was working on jobs for more than 50 other destroyers moored in the stream. Piedmont sailed from Pearl Harbor to join the fleet in the Marshall Islands in mid-June. July and August were months of great fleet activity at Eniwetok . Periodically, task groups from
10164-599: The morning of 10 November 1944, while anchored in Seeadler Harbor , Piedmont heard two explosions to port. USS Mount Hood (AE-11) , lying about 3,500 yards (3,200 m) away, had blown up. No trace of Mount Hood remained. Between Mount Hood and Piedmont , USS Mindanao (ARG-3) was anchored and took terrible punishment from the explosion. Fire and rescue parties were immediately dispatched from Piedmont to Mindanao and ships alongside. Though Piedmont suffered only superficial damage from
10285-529: The most common ground since aircrews are guided in their use of aircraft by standard procedures outlined in a series of publications known as NATOPS manuals. The United States Coast Guard , in its peacetime role with the Department of Homeland Security , fulfills its law enforcement and rescue role in the maritime environment. It provides Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs) to Navy vessels, where they perform arrests and other law enforcement duties during naval boarding and interdiction missions. In times of war,
10406-476: The most important is the "warfare qualification", which denotes a journeyman level of capability in Surface Warfare, Aviation Warfare, Information Dominance Warfare, Naval Aircrew, Special Warfare, Seabee Warfare, Submarine Warfare or Expeditionary Warfare. Many qualifications are denoted on a sailor's uniform with U.S. Navy badges and insignia . The uniforms of the U.S. Navy have evolved gradually since
10527-597: The most powerful navy in the world. The modern United States Navy maintains a sizable global presence, deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific , the Mediterranean , and the Indian Ocean. It is a blue-water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward deployments during peacetime and rapidly respond to regional crises, making it
10648-495: The naval service dress uniform while staff corps officers and commissioned warrant officers wear unique designator insignias that denotes their occupational specialty. Warrant and chief warrant officer ranks are held by technical specialists who direct specific activities essential to the proper operation of the ship, which also require commissioned officer authority. Navy warrant officers serve in 30 specialties covering five categories. Warrant officers should not be confused with
10769-719: The notion of prevention of war to the same philosophical level as the conduct of war. The strategy was presented by the Chief of Naval Operations , the Commandant of the Marine Corps , and Commandant of the Coast Guard at the International Sea Power Symposium in Newport, Rhode Island on 17 October 2007. The strategy recognized the economic links of the global system and how any disruption due to regional crises (man-made or natural) can adversely impact
10890-410: The number two official in the Navy Department during World War I, appreciated the Navy and gave it strong support. In return, senior leaders were eager for innovation and experimented with new technologies, such as magnetic torpedoes, and developed a strategy called War Plan Orange for victory in the Pacific in a hypothetical war with Japan that would eventually become reality. The U.S. Navy grew into
11011-563: The occupation in 1945. As the Base became organized, the shipyard was deactivated and much of the equipment was sent to other countries as part of reparations. The repair ship Piedmont took charge of ship repair and maintenance, the hospital became a Naval Dispensary , later Naval Hospital Yokosuka Japan , and the Supply Department was organized to provide support to the fleet and shore-based activities. The Public Works Department
11132-539: The ocean-going schooner USS Hannah to interdict British merchantmen and reported the captures to the Congress. On 13 October 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the purchase of two vessels to be armed for a cruise against British merchantmen; this resolution created the Continental Navy and is considered the first establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Continental Navy achieved mixed results; it
11253-427: The operational environment, as an expeditionary force specializing in amphibious operations, Marines often embark on Navy ships to conduct operations from beyond territorial waters. Marine units deploying as part of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) operate under the command of the existing Marine chain of command. Although Marine units routinely operate from amphibious assault ships, the relationship has evolved over
11374-451: The other organizations, playing a coordinating role. In 1834, the United States Marine Corps came under the Department of the Navy. Historically, the Navy has had a unique relationship with the USMC, partly because they both specialize in seaborne operations. Together the Navy and Marine Corps form the Department of the Navy and report to the Secretary of the Navy. However, the Marine Corps
11495-464: The reduction of carriers in the fleet. In August 1991, Midway departed Yokosuka and was replaced by Independence as the forward-deployed carrier in Yokosuka. In August 1998, Kitty Hawk relieved Independence as the 7th Fleet forward-based carrier. On 1 December 2005, the U.S. Navy announced that in 2008 Kitty Hawk would be replaced by the nuclear-powered Nimitz -class aircraft carrier George Washington . A U.S. Navy spokesman said
11616-475: The seaborne invasions of Lingayen , Iwo Jima , and Okinawa , found the repair department averaging more than 1,000 completed job orders and almost 100,000-man-hours of work each month. During the long, bitter weeks of the Iwo-Okinawa operations, the United States fleet suffered more damage than at any other time in its history. USS Gansevoort (DD-608) , beached and abandoned after being hit by
11737-718: The senior command meant that naval forces were not contributed until late 1917. Battleship Division Nine was dispatched to Britain and served as the Sixth Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet. Its presence allowed the British to decommission some older ships and reuse the crews on smaller vessels. Destroyers and U.S. Naval Air Force units like the Northern Bombing Group contributed to the anti-submarine operations. The strength of
11858-1052: The shore establishment, as of April 2011 , are the Naval Education and Training Command , the Navy Installations Command , the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command , the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command , the Naval Facilities Engineering Command , the Naval Supply Systems Command , the Naval Air Systems Command , the Naval Sea Systems Command , the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery ,
11979-647: The storm. After several days at sea, the USS Piedmont pulled into Sasebo. Most of the cruise was spent in Subic doing ship repair on other Westpac ships. The USS Piedmont was relieved by the Prairie in Yokosuka, Japan and upon leaving was ordered to replenish and refuel destroyers on station off the coast of Russia. After a 7 month cruise, the Piedmont arrived back in Long Beach in February 1974. Upon returning to
12100-588: The successful bombardment and capture of the city. This successful landing and capture of Veracruz opened the way for the capture of Mexico City and the end of the war. The U.S. Navy established itself as a player in United States foreign policy through the actions of Commodore Matthew C. Perry in Japan, which resulted in the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854. Naval power played a significant role during
12221-534: The summer of 1971. Did 3 weeks of coastal maneuvers upon return to Long Beach. Left for Westpac tour April 1, 1972, for ship repairs of all kinds on ships of all kinds. Ports visited were Subic Bay for most of the 9-month tour. Other ports visited were Hong Kong for R & R, Kaohsiung, Taiwan and Yokosuka, Japan and Da Nang, Vietnam and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Pearl was for loading weapons on way to Asia and offload of weapons on return to States. While in Da Nang harbor
12342-735: The support of South Korea . The Navy Dispensary was enlarged and expanded and was commissioned a U.S. Naval Hospital in 1950. The Naval Communications Facility, Yokosuka, was commissioned in January 1951. In April 1951, the Ship Repair Department became a component command. It was redesignated the Ship Repair Facility. As the major naval ship repair facility in the Far East, the Yokosuka Facility assumed
12463-482: The treaty. The New Deal used Public Works Administration funds to build warships, such as USS Yorktown (CV-5) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) . By 1936, with the completion of USS Wasp (CV-7) , the U.S. Navy possessed a carrier fleet of 165,000 tonnes displacement , although this figure was nominally recorded as 135,000 tonnes to comply with treaty limitations. Franklin Roosevelt ,
12584-532: The wreckage. All repairs effected were temporary and on 24 May Hazelwood sailed for the United States and a Navy yard rebuilding. With the cessation of all organized resistance on Okinawa in June Piedmont moved to the Naval Base at Leyte , Philippine Islands, for much-needed rest and repairs. However, her stay was short and on 30 June she sailed for Eniwetok again. At Eniwetok, the repair department
12705-604: The years much as the Commander of the Carrier Air Group/Wing (CAG) does not work for the carrier commanding officer, but coordinates with the ship's CO and staff. Some Marine aviation squadrons, usually fixed-wing assigned to carrier air wings train and operate alongside Navy squadrons; they fly similar missions and often fly sorties together under the cognizance of the CAG. Aviation is where the Navy and Marines share
12826-615: Was decommissioned on 30 September 1982 and leased to the Turkish navy on 18 October 1982 and renamed Derya (A-576). On 6 August 1987 Piedmont was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and purchased outright by Turkey. On 17 August she was transferred to Turkey under the Security Assistance Program (SAP), Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) Section 516, Southern Region Amendment. She was deleted from
12947-685: Was a Dixie -class destroyer tender built during World War II for the United States Navy . Her task was to service destroyers in, or near, battle areas and to keep them fit for duty. She served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, the Cold War , the Korean War , and the Vietnam War . For her work in battle areas, the ship was awarded four battle stars for her Korean War efforts and one for Vietnam War service. She
13068-588: Was a major participant in the Korean and Vietnam Wars , blockaded Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis , and, through the use of ballistic missile submarines , became an important aspect of the United States' nuclear strategic deterrence policy. The U.S. Navy conducted various combat operations in the Persian Gulf against Iran in 1987 and 1988, most notably Operation Praying Mantis . The Navy
13189-589: Was established. Yokosuka Submarine Base was founded in September 1945. In May 1946, the Marines at Yokosuka were redesignated Marine Barracks, U.S. Fleet Activities, Yokosuka. In April 1947, the Ship Repair Department was organized, and the shops and dry docks were reactivated to maintain the ships of the U.S. Fleet in the Pacific. With the onset of the Korean War on 25 June 1950, Yokosuka Navy Base suddenly became very important and extremely busy. The U.S., still an occupying power in Japan, turned its full efforts to
13310-493: Was extensively involved in Operation Urgent Fury , Operation Desert Shield , Operation Desert Storm , Operation Deliberate Force , Operation Allied Force , Operation Desert Fox and Operation Southern Watch . The U.S. Navy has also been involved in search and rescue/search and salvage operations, sometimes in conjunction with vessels of other countries as well as with U.S. Coast Guard ships. Two examples are
13431-714: Was faced with a two-front war on the seas. It achieved notable acclaim in the Pacific Theater , where it was instrumental to the Allies' successful " island hopping " campaign. The U.S. Navy participated in many significant battles, including the Battle of the Coral Sea , the Battle of Midway , the Solomon Islands Campaign , the Battle of the Philippine Sea , the Battle of Leyte Gulf , and
13552-610: Was homeported in Naples, Italy from December 1974 until June 1976. While in the Mediterranean, Piedmont provided services to the fleet and to the navies of Spain, France, Turkey, and Tunisia. Piedmont transferred to Norfolk, Virginia , in June 1976. Piedmont during the ship's stay in Naples made Port Visits to Turkey, and Spain. November 1975 Repair Crews were sent to the USS Belknap CG-26 for repairs after her collision with
13673-747: Was laid down by the Tampa Shipbuilding Company , Inc., in Tampa , Florida, on 1 December 1941; launched 7 December 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Elsa Kauffman; and, commissioned 5 January 1944. The ship's mascot was the Doc , one of the dwarfs in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . Due to the mascot being a male character, Piedmont was officially referred to as "He", rather than "She", as are other ships. After being decommissioned from
13794-981: Was moored off Tsingtao, China in the winter of 1946-1947, as part of Operation Beleaguer . When the Korean War's campaign began on 27 June 1950, Piedmont was on station in Japan carrying out her normal schedule providing tender services to ships of the U.S. 7th Fleet where she remained until relieved in November. During the Korean campaign Piedmont completed four tours in the Western Pacific: 4 September 1950 to 27 October 1950; 1 August 1951 to 12 February 1952; 9 September 1952 to 9 March 1953 and 11 April 1954 to 27 July 1954; when she acted as flagship for Commander United Nations Blockading and Escort Force and provided tender services to ships of Canada, Colombia, New Zealand, South Korea and Thailand as well as those of
13915-671: Was not until 1921 US naval aviation truly commenced. During World War I , the U.S. Navy spent much of its resources protecting and shipping hundreds of thousands of soldiers and marines of the American Expeditionary Force and war supplies across the Atlantic in U-boat infested waters with the Cruiser and Transport Force . It also concentrated on laying the North Sea Mine Barrage . Hesitation by
14036-453: Was occupied chiefly with the construction and development of fleet recreation facilities ashore in anticipation of the fleet turn-around which had been scheduled for late August. The fleet did not return to Eniwetok for the anticipated August availability as on 14 August the Japanese government accepted Allied peace terms. On top of this electrifying news, the ship received orders to prepare for getting underway. Piedmont had been selected from
14157-559: Was on the highest hill on the U.S. Navy base. Komatsu , a historic restaurant near the naval base, became famous for serving Japanese navy personnel before 1945 and the U.S. Navy after. It was destroyed by fire in 2016. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools include: Ikego Elementary School is located in the Ikego Housing Area. 35°17′36″N 139°40′17″E / 35.2932°N 139.671293°E / 35.2932; 139.671293 United States Navy 13 October 1775 (249 years, 1 month) (as
14278-462: Was sent to Japan to accomplish the task. After the inspection of several sites, it was discovered that Yokosuka topographically, if on a smaller scale, resembled the port of Toulon , France. It was decided to establish the shipyard here. It would be called the "Yokosuka Iron Works". In 1871, the name was changed to the "Yokosuka Navy Yard". It was French engineer Louis-Émile Bertin who reorganized "Yokosuka Navy Yard" completely from 1886. Yokosuka
14399-454: Was still servicing ships in Subic Bay, as well as Kaohsiung , Taiwan. In January 1969, Piedmont made a return trip to Southeast Asia in support of the Vietnam war. After a visit to Hawaii, She serviced Destroyers in Subic Bay and Kaohsiung, making a port call to Hong Kong. Left for Westpac tour August 1970, for ship repairs of all kinds on ships of all kinds, a stop was made in Pearl Harbor to load weapons and then on to Subic Bay Naval Base in
14520-403: Was successful in a number of engagements and raided many British merchant vessels, but it lost twenty-four of its vessels and at one point was reduced to two in active service. In August 1785, after the Revolutionary War had drawn to a close, Congress had sold Alliance , the last ship remaining in the Continental Navy due to a lack of funds to maintain the ship or support a navy. In 1972,
14641-496: Was to become one of the main arsenals of the Imperial Japanese Navy into the 20th century. Battleships such as Yamashiro , and aircraft carriers such as Hiryu and Shokaku were built there. Major naval aircraft were also designed at the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal . In addition, numerous other facilities, including the headquarters of various naval units, administration buildings, military training schools, airfields, communication facilities, barracks, armories and
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