Navy Supply Corps Celebrates 217th Anniversary

By Debbie Dortch, NAVSUP Corporate Communications

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (NNS) -- The Navy Supply Corps celebrated its 217th anniversary Feb. 23, commemorating a history that traces back to 1795.

At its inception, the Supply Corps supported the Navy's six frigates. Since that time, the duties and responsibilities of the Supply Corps have evolved to keep pace with the expanding scope of the Navy's global mission.

"Today's Supply Corps is a key enabler of the Navy's global force for good at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels," said Rear Adm. Mark Heinrich, chief of Supply Corps and commander, Naval Supply Systems Command. "By delivering logistics capabilities to the Navy and joint warfighter, the Supply Corps provides mission-essential supplies that keep ships, aircraft, submarines, and expeditionary forces ready for tasking."

There are more than 3,500 active and Reserve component naval officers serving on nearly every afloat platform and in a full range of expeditionary environments, as well as at hundreds of shore installations located worldwide. They are trained and employed in three principal lines of operation: supply chain management, acquisition management, and operational logistics. Complementing these lines of operations are skills in comptrollership, operations research, and business management.

All Supply Corps officers are graduates of the Navy Supply Corps School, now located in Newport, R.I. It is here where officers are educated in disciplines such as supply management, expeditionary logistics, inventory control, disbursement, financial management, contracting, information systems, operations analysis, material and operational logistics, fuels management, physical distribution, and food service.

"As we celebrate 217 years of proud service to the fleet, all of us who wear the oak leaf can take great pride in our history, in our traditions, and in a community that has always been an enabling part of the CNO's (chief of naval operations) tenets-warfighting first; operate forward; be ready," Heinrich said. "As we face challenges of a dynamic world environment, which will tax our capabilities to their limit, the logistics expertise and business acumen that Navy Supply Corps officers bring to the table is a skill set more coveted than ever. For 217 years we have been 'ready for sea,' and I am proud to be celebrating this birthday as the chief of the Navy's premiere staff corps."