1. An Interview with Navy ____________________________
About America’s Navy
Q Most Americans recognize the Navy as a military force on ships protecting us from attack
from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but it really is a lot more than that isn’t it?
A Certainly it is true that our ships are present on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the
Caribbean and Baltic sea, and other bodies of water that border our shores, but your Navy
operates on the water, under the water and above the water in oceans and seas around the world,
and we operate on land as well. It is because of that extensive presence that the Navy is typically
the first responder both to aggression and to natural disasters anywhere in the world. We really
mean it when we describe America’s Navy as A Global Force for Good.
Q When you say that we have a presence around the world, how far- reaching is that, and is
it always a military presence?
A Since 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by water, you can count on us having
vessels in major ocean bodies adjoining each continent, including in the Arctic Ocean and off the
coast of Antarctica. We are present to protect America’s people and since 80 percent of the
world’s population lives near an ocean, we are confident that we can protect most of those
American interests.
As far as identifying that as a “military presence,” that might be a little more difficult to define
because our capability and our typical daily activities are two different things. We are always
ready to deliver aggressive force and firepower, and support combat operations, when and where
those are required, but it is much more likely that you will see us protecting shipping lanes in
open waters to assure the free flow of goods around the world. 90 percent of the world’s goods
travel by water, so it is essential that we maintain those trade routes.
Q Does maintaining trade routes mean escorting convoys?
A It could be an escort, but mostly we work to spot and deter elements that threaten ships
transporting goods, such as the pirates off the coast of Somalia. We are there and elsewhere on
the world’s oceans every day offering that protection, but that’s only one location where our
presence is known. Actually, we have a strong presence everywhere in the world.
Q Why is the Navy spread out so far? Wouldn’t it be just as good to simply operate close to
our own shores?
A Navy’s official maritime strategy is clearly to maintain a presence everywhere so that we
can protect American interests everywhere and, when necessary, take the fight to our enemies to
keep aggression away from our shores. Our widespread presence also assures that we can

2. respond to natural disasters such as the tsunami in Japan, the earthquake in Haiti and hurricanes
such as Katrina.
Q How does the Navy have a role in a place like Afghanistan that is far inland?
A For starters it is important to point out that we often have had nearly 15,000 sailors on the
ground there in Afghanistan at one time. Just as in our other service branches, some have been in
combat roles and others in support roles, and many have been attached to Army and Marine
units. At the same time, our ships and our aircraft are instrumental in delivering ordinance to the
region.
Q I forgot about the aircraft in addition to the ships. All of this requires a lot of equipment.
How many ships and aircraft does the Navy have?
A Including aircraft carriers, cruisers, frigates and a host of other ships, plus the 80 or so
submarines, America’s Navy has nearly 300 ships and subs of which about two-thirds are
underway at any one time. Including fighter jets, other specialized airplanes and helicopters, the
Navy has nearly 4,000 aircraft at work, roughly the same number as the regular US Air Force has
(not counting Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard).
Q With all of this happening all over the world, we also know that it takes a lot of people to
maintain all of this. How many people are in the Navy?
A Right now, there are about 325,000 sailors in the Navy, stationed around the world -- on
the sea, in the air, under the ocean and also on land.
Q It is easy for us to recognize that there are sailors involved in actually sailing the ships
and flying the planes, but there probably are a lot of other jobs involved, aren’t there?
A Well, with all of the equipment we need to keep at the ready every day, it should also be
apparent that Navy needs people to fill all sorts of jobs from steelworkers, aircraft maintenance
people, cryptologists and healthcare professionals to dentists, clergy, nuclear power technicians
and electronics technicians and missile technology people. We also have needs for special
warfare and other highly specialized people.
Q How does one get started pursuing some of these opportunities?
A Actually, the best first step is to contact the local recruiting station to find out about any
and all of the jobs that we have available. To reach us, simply contact our station by calling
______________, or stop in most afternoons at __________________________________. If
you or an out of-town friend want to locate another station near them, visit www.navy.com and

3. click on “find a recruiter” on the right side of the home page, then enter your zip code number. A
call to 800-4go –Navy will do the trick as well.
Additional comment:
To put the Navy’s role in perspective, you need to recognize that 70 percent of the world is
covered by ocean, 80 percent of the world’s population lives along coasts and 90 percent of the
world’s commerce travels by water. Protecting all of that is our job, and that makes America’s
Navy a global force for good.
Sailors serve on land and from the sea; from ships on the water, submarines under the water, and
planes and helicopters over the water – all to meet America’s threats far away so that those
threats cannot harm us here. We welcome the best men and women to join us in accomplishing
today’s missions and meeting tomorrow’s challenges.
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