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BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NAVY RESERVE
In 1805, Thomas Jefferson proposed a national naval
militia. However, the country remained without such
a force throughout most of the 19th century. By May
of 1888, Massachusetts had established a naval battalion
within its militia. By 1897, 16 other states created
a naval militia. When the Spanish-American War broke
out a year later, 4,216 militia men were furnished
to the Navy.
In 1914 the Division of Militia Affairs was established
by the Navy Department, and a year later in 1915 Congress
established the Federal Naval Reserve. Since that
time, Navy Reservists have made many vital contributions
to national defense.
During World War I, more than 300,000 Navy Reservists
served, including 12,000 women. More than two million
Navy Reservists served in World War II, including
former Presidents
John F. Kennedy and George H. W. Bush. On any given day, over 20,000 Navy Reservists, or approximately 30% of the Selected Reserve Force, are on some type of orders providing fully integrated global operational support to the Fleet and Combatant Commanders. |
