Updated November 8, 2018
Defense Primer: Department of the Navy
One Military Department with Two
A few DON appropriation accounts include funding for
Military Services
both the Navy and Marine Corps, even though their titles
The Department of the Navy (DON) is a single military
refer only to the Navy. For example, the Aircraft
department that includes two military services—the Navy
Procurement, Navy (APN) appropriation account funds the
and the Marine Corps. As such, DON has a single civilian
procurement of both Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, and
leader, the Secretary of the Navy, and two four-star military
the Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Navy
service chiefs—an admiral whose title is the Chief of Naval
(RDTEN) account includes research and development
Operations (CNO), and a general whose title is the
funding for both the Navy and Marine Corps. The
Commandant of the Marine Corps. Although the title
Procurement of Ammunition, Navy/Marine Corps
“Secretary of the Navy” includes only the term “Navy,” the
(PANMC) account includes funding for procuring both
secretary serves as the civilian leader for both the Navy and
Navy and Marine Corps ammunition.
Marine Corps. The CNO and the Commandant of the
Marine Corps are members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Navy’s shipbuilding account, known formally as the
(JCS).
Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy (SCN) appropriation
account, funds the procurement of various types of ships,
“Naval” Refers to Both the Navy and
including amphibious ships. Although amphibious ships are
Marine Corps
Navy ships operated by Navy crews, the primary function
Although the term “naval” is often used to refer specifically
of amphibious ships is to transport Marine Corps personnel
to the Navy, it more properly refers to both the Navy and
and equipment and support Marine Corps ship-to-shore
Marine Corps, because both the Navy and Marine Corps are
movements and Marine Corps operations ashore. The
naval services. Even though the Marine Corps sometimes
Navy’s amphibious ships are sometimes referred to
operates for extended periods as a land fighting force (as it
informally as the “Gator Navy,” a shortening of the term
has done in recent years, for example, in Afghanistan and
alligator, an animal that, like the Marine Corps, can move
Iraq), and is often thought of as the country’s second land
from the water to land, and then back into the water.
army, it nevertheless is, by law, a naval service. 10 U.S.C.
5001(a)(3) states that “The term ‘member of the naval
The Coast Guard in Relation to the
service’ means a person appointed or enlisted in, or
Department of the Navy
inducted or conscripted into, the Navy or the Marine
Unlike DON, which is part of DOD and is covered (along
Corps.” DON officials sometimes refer to the two services
with the Departments of the Army and Air Force) in the
as the Navy-Marine Corps team.
U.S. Code primarily in Title 10, the Coast Guard is part of
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is
“Navy” in DOD Budget Documents Can
covered primarily in Title 14. Even though the Coast Guard
Mean Department of the Navy
is not part of DOD, Title 14 states that the Coast Guard
DOD budget documents that divide the DOD budget into
“shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces
four military departments often label those departments as
of the United States at all times.” (14 U.S.C. 1) Title 14
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defense-Wide. In using data
states that the Coast Guard “shall be a service in the
from such documents, it is important to remember that the
Department of Homeland Security, except when operating
category called “Navy” in these cases refers to the
as a service in the Navy” (14 U.S.C. 3(a)), and that
Department of the Navy, and thus includes funding for both
Upon the declaration of war if Congress so directs
the Navy and Marine Corps.
in the declaration or when the President directs, the
“Blue Dollars” and “Green Dollars” in
Coast Guard shall operate as a service in the Navy,
the Department of the Navy Budget
and shall so continue until the President, by
People who work with the DON budget sometimes refer to
Executive order, transfers the Coast Guard back to
“blue dollars,” meaning funding in the DON budget for the
the Department of Homeland Security. While
Navy, and “green dollars,” meaning funding in the DON
operating as a service in the Navy, the Coast Guard
budget for the Marine Corps. Of the more than two dozen
shall be subject to the orders of the Secretary of the
appropriation accounts that form DON’s budget, many
Navy, who may order changes in Coast Guard
contain funding specifically for either the Navy or Marine
operations to render them uniform, to the extent
Corps. For example, the Operation and Maintenance, Navy
such Secretary deems advisable, with Navy
(OMN), appropriation account contains operation and
operations.” (14 U.S.C. 3(b))
maintenance funding for the Navy, while the Operation and
The last time the Coast Guard operated as a service in the
Maintenance, Marine Corps (OMMC), appropriation
Navy was during World War II. The possibility that the
account contains operation and maintenance funding for the
Coast Guard might at some point operate as a service in the
Marine Corps.
Navy is why legislation concerning the Coast Guard
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Defense Primer: Department of the Navy
sometimes uses phrases such as “the Secretary of the
National Fleet policy statements on the coordination of their
Department in which the Coast Guard is operating.”
procurement and operational activities.
The four-star admiral who heads the Coast Guard, called
The Three Sea Services
the Commandant of the Coast Guard, is not a member of
The Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are sometimes
the JCS.
referred to collectively as the sea services. The three
services in recent years have from to time issued joint
Unlike the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, the
maritime strategy documents.
Coast Guard is not only a military service and a branch of

the armed forces, but also a law enforcement agency. For
Relevant Statutes
this reason, Navy ships whose operations create a distinct
possibility of encountering potential law enforcement
Title 10, U.S. Code, Subtitle C – Navy and Marine Corps
situations sometimes embark detachments of Coast Guard
Title 14, U.S. Code, Chapter 1 – Establishment and Duties of the
personnel.
Coast Guard
The Coast Guard’s budget is funded primarily through the

annual DHS appropriations act. DON’s budget sometimes

includes small amounts of funding to support the Coast
Other Resources
Guard’s national defense mission. In addition, the
procurement of one of the Coast Guard’s polar icebreakers
Department of the Navy, Highlights of the Department of the Navy
FY2019 Budget, accessed August 6, 2018, at
(Healy) was funded primarily through the SCN account, in
http://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/Documents/19pres/Highlight
FY1990, and 33 of the Coast Guard’s 49 Island-class 110-
s_book.pdf
foot patrol boats were procured under a Navy contract that
included FY1990 SCN funding. The Coast Guard’s reserve
Department of the Navy Budget Materials, accessed August 6,
end strength (but not its active end strength) is authorized in
2018, at http://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/Pages/Fiscal-Year-
the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
2019.aspx
The Navy and Coast Guard have mechanisms, including a

Navy and Coast Guard (NAVGARD) Board, to coordinate
matters of joint interest. The Navy and Coast Guard on at
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
least three occasions (2002, 2006, and 2013) have issued
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Defense Primer: Department of the Navy



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