United States Navy bureau system
Encyclopedia
The "bureau system" of the United States Navy was the Department of the Navy's material-support organization from 1842 through 1966. The bureau chiefs were largely autonomous, reporting directly to the Secretary of the Navy and managing their respective organizations without the influence of other bureaus. In 1966, the bureaus were gradually replaced by unified commands (generally known as "systems commands" or SYSCOMs) reporting to the Chief of Naval Operations
.
, it became clear that this system was not sufficient for the Service's needs.
On February 7, 1815, Congress established a three-member Board of Naval Commissioners
to handle material-support matters. As part of the Navy Secretary's office, the Board's jurisdiction generally extended only logistical matters such as supply and construction. The Secretary of the Navy remained in control of many operational aspects of the Navy.
The first five bureaus were established by Act of Congress on August 31, 1842. They were the:
. By an act of Congress of July 5, 1862 , the existing bureaus were reorganized and increased to eight. As reorganized, these included the:
The increasing role of Naval aviation
, for example, led Congress in 1921 to consolide technical authority under a new Bureau of Aeronautics
(BuAer), with responsibility for the procurement of naval aircraft
. Previously, this responsibility had been divided among several other Navy bureaus.
Other changes were more superficial, as in 1892 when the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing was renamed the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts
(BuSandA).
World War II brought about several other changes. The Bureau of Ships
(BuShips) was established in 1940, through the merger of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and the Bureau of Engineering. In 1942, the Bureau of Navigation was renamed the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BuPers), to reflect its change in mission.
" approach—an approach that did not fit well with the bureau systems' semi-independence. Other problems related to jurisdiction; the Bureau of Aeronautics' work on unmanned aircraft, for example, overlapped to some degree with the Bureau of Ordnance's work on guided missiles. This particular controversy was resolved in 1959 with the establishment of the Bureau of Naval Weapons (BuWeps), which merged BuAer and BuOrd.
The bureau system largely came to an end in the mid-1960s, in the midst of the Defense Dept.'s overhaul of its entire planning and budgeting system. The bureaus were replaced with "systems command
s," or SYSCOMs, which consolidated their functions into broader "systems." The Bureau of Naval Weapons, for example, was replaced by the Naval Air Systems Command, with responsibility for all aircraft, aerial weapons, and related systems, and by the Naval Ordnance Systems Command. BuShips was replaced with the Naval Ship Systems Command (which was later combined with the Naval Ordnance Systems Command to form the Naval Sea Systems Command), with responsibility for all naval shipbuilding. With modifications, the systems-command model remains in place today.
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
.
Before the bureaus
For the first several decades of the Navy Department's existence, all procurement and material matters were handled directly by the Office of the Secretary of the Navy. As the Navy expanded during the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, it became clear that this system was not sufficient for the Service's needs.
On February 7, 1815, Congress established a three-member Board of Naval Commissioners
Board of Navy Commissioners
The Board of Naval Commissioners was a United States Navy administrative body in existence from 1815 to 1842, with responsibility for the Navy's material support. The three-member Board was created as part of an expansion of the U.S. Navy Department at the end of the War of 1812. The system was...
to handle material-support matters. As part of the Navy Secretary's office, the Board's jurisdiction generally extended only logistical matters such as supply and construction. The Secretary of the Navy remained in control of many operational aspects of the Navy.
Establishment of the bureau system, 1842
Ultimately, the Board system was unable to provide the Navy with the necessary technical and management control. Among other things, naval technology was becoming increasingly complex during the first half of the 19th century, and required more specialized oversight. In the early 1840s, Congress decided to abolish the Board of Naval Commissioners and replace them with a more specialized bureaucracy based on broad functional areas such as shipbuilding.The first five bureaus were established by Act of Congress on August 31, 1842. They were the:
- Bureau of Naval Yards and Docks
- Bureau of Construction, Equipment, and Repairs;
- Bureau of Provisions and Clothing;
- Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography; and
- Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Reorganization, 1862
The system was reorganized during the early years of the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. By an act of Congress of July 5, 1862 , the existing bureaus were reorganized and increased to eight. As reorganized, these included the:
- Bureau of Yards and DocksBureau of Yards and DocksThe Bureau of Yards and Docks was the branch of the United States Navy responsible from 1842 to 1966 for building and maintaining navy yards, drydocks, and other facilities relating to ship construction, maintenance, and repair....
; - Bureau of Provisions and Clothing;
- Bureau of OrdnanceBureau of OrdnanceThe Bureau of Ordnance was the U.S. Navy's organization responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval ordnance, between the years 1862 and 1959.-History:...
(BuOrd); - Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting;
- Bureau of Construction and RepairBureau of Construction and RepairThe Bureau of Construction and Repair was the part of the United States Navy which from 1862 to 1940 was responsible for supervising the design, construction, conversion, procurement, maintenance, and repair of ships and other craft for the Navy...
; - Bureau of Steam EngineeringBureau of Steam EngineeringBureau of Steam Engineering was set up by act of 5 July 1862, receiving some of the duties of the former Bureau of Construction, Equipment and Repair. It became, by the Naval Appropriation Act of 4 June 1920, the Bureau of Engineering...
(later the Bureau of Engineering); - Bureau of Navigation (BuNav); and
- Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Late 19th century through World War II
The bureau system dominated the Navy's procurement for the rest of the 19th century and into the World War II years. There were a few changes, often brought about by changes in technology or changing missions.The increasing role of Naval aviation
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
, for example, led Congress in 1921 to consolide technical authority under a new Bureau of Aeronautics
Bureau of Aeronautics
The Bureau of Aeronautics was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for Naval Aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" for the design, procurement, and support of Naval aircraft and related systems...
(BuAer), with responsibility for the procurement of naval aircraft
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
. Previously, this responsibility had been divided among several other Navy bureaus.
Other changes were more superficial, as in 1892 when the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing was renamed the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts
Bureau of Supplies and Accounts
The Bureau of Supplies and Accounts was the United States Navy's supply organization between 1892 and 1966. Established in 1842 as the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing, the bureau was responsible for the procurement, receipt, storage, shipment, and issuance of food, fuel, clothing, general...
(BuSandA).
World War II brought about several other changes. The Bureau of Ships
Bureau of Ships
The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships was established by Congress on June 20, 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and the Bureau of Engineering. The new Bureau was to be headed by a Chief and Deputy-Chief, one selected from the engineering...
(BuShips) was established in 1940, through the merger of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and the Bureau of Engineering. In 1942, the Bureau of Navigation was renamed the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BuPers), to reflect its change in mission.
Post-World War II through the 1960s
The bureaus' traditional autonomy became hard to maintain after World War II, with the Armed Services' greater emphasis on "Jointness." The complexity of post-war weapons systems was promoting a "systems engineeringSystems engineering
Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering that focuses on how complex engineering projects should be designed and managed over the life cycle of the project. Issues such as logistics, the coordination of different teams, and automatic control of machinery become more...
" approach—an approach that did not fit well with the bureau systems' semi-independence. Other problems related to jurisdiction; the Bureau of Aeronautics' work on unmanned aircraft, for example, overlapped to some degree with the Bureau of Ordnance's work on guided missiles. This particular controversy was resolved in 1959 with the establishment of the Bureau of Naval Weapons (BuWeps), which merged BuAer and BuOrd.
The bureau system largely came to an end in the mid-1960s, in the midst of the Defense Dept.'s overhaul of its entire planning and budgeting system. The bureaus were replaced with "systems command
Systems command
Systems command, abbreviated as SysCom or SYSCOM, generally refers to a military unit charged with procuring and maintaining systems engineering.-United States:*United States Joint Forces Command...
s," or SYSCOMs, which consolidated their functions into broader "systems." The Bureau of Naval Weapons, for example, was replaced by the Naval Air Systems Command, with responsibility for all aircraft, aerial weapons, and related systems, and by the Naval Ordnance Systems Command. BuShips was replaced with the Naval Ship Systems Command (which was later combined with the Naval Ordnance Systems Command to form the Naval Sea Systems Command), with responsibility for all naval shipbuilding. With modifications, the systems-command model remains in place today.
See also
- Board of Naval CommissionersBoard of Navy CommissionersThe Board of Naval Commissioners was a United States Navy administrative body in existence from 1815 to 1842, with responsibility for the Navy's material support. The three-member Board was created as part of an expansion of the U.S. Navy Department at the end of the War of 1812. The system was...
- Naval Air Systems CommandNaval Air Systems CommandThe Naval Air Systems Command provides material support for aircraft and airborne weapon systems for the United States Navy. NAVAIR was established in 1966 as the successor to the Navy's Bureau of Naval Weapons . Current Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, is Vice Adm. David Architzel since May...
- Naval Sea Systems CommandNaval Sea Systems CommandThe Naval Sea Systems Command is the largest of the U.S. Navy's five "systems commands," or materiel organizations...
- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command
- Naval Facilities Engineering Command
- Naval Supply Systems CommandNaval Supply Systems CommandThe Naval Supply Systems Command is a command of the United States Navy. Its primary mission is to provide the Navy with quality supplies and services....
External links
- National Archives - Guide to Federal Records