Navy Supply Corps (United States)

The Supply Corps of the United States Navy traces its beginnings to February 23, 1795 when the nation's first Purveyor of Public Supplies, Tench Francis, Jr., was appointed by President George Washington. The Supply Corps is one of the oldest staff corps in the U.S. Navy. Supply Corps officers are concerned with supply, logistics, combat support, readiness, contracting and fiscal issues. The official motto of the Supply Corps is "Ready for Sea" - reflecting the Supply Corps' longstanding role in sustaining warfighting.

Commissioned officers in the Supply Corps are schooled and experienced in a variety of disciplines such as supply management and expeditionary logistics, inventory control, disbursement, financial management, contracting, information systems, operations analysis, material and operational logistics, fuels management, food service and physical distribution.

Supply Corps officers can be members of a ship or shore activity's supply department or can be billeted into supply units/commands - such as the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group (NAVELSG), Fleet Logistics Centers (FLCs) or Navy Special Warfare (SPECWAR) Logistics Groups which support the United States Navy SEALs. Supply Corps officers can command supply units. A Supply Corps officer is always the Commanding Officer of a Naval Cargo Handling Battalion - groups charged with stevedoring and logistics whose constituent companies are led by both Supply Corps and Civil Engineer Corps officers. Supply Corps officers also serve in forward deployed land-based units - such as the Seabees - working alongside Civil Engineer Corps officers and in a joint capacity with Marine Corps.

Navy Supply Corps School
New Supply Corps junior officers attend the Navy Supply Corps School (NSCS) in Newport, RI.

NSCS was first opened as the Navy Supply Corps School of Application in 1921, located at the Navy Department in Washington, D.C. After just three years the school was closed, and for the next ten years supply officers learned their profession on the job, at sea from senior supply officers and through formal, but independent coursework.

A more formal arrangement was achieved when the Naval Finance and Supply School was opened at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in September 1934, for instruction of regular Navy Supply Corps officers. The training of reserve officers did not become available until 1940, when the Supply Corps Naval Reserve Officers School was established in Washington, D.C. After ten months the two schools were merged, creating the Navy Supply Corps School, located at the Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

During U.S. involvement in World War II, 13,000 officers graduated from NSCS at Harvard. In 1944, the Naval Supply Operational Training Center was established at the Naval Supply Depot in Bayonne, New Jersey. It was redesignated the Navy Supply Corps School in 1946, but within a few years it outgrew its facilities. Through the efforts of two Georgia politicians, U.S. Senator Richard B. Russell Jr. and U.S. Representative Carl Vinson, the school was moved to Athens, Georgia in 1954.

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round determined that NSCS will be relocated to Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island in 2011.

Professional qualifications
Supply Corps officers can earn one or more of four community warfare insignias:
 * The Surface Warfare Supply Corps Officer (SWSCO) pin for supply officers serving on board a ship
 * The Submarine Supply Officer pin for supply officers serving on Independent Duty as the SUPPO on a sub
 * The Naval Aviation Supply Officer (NASO) pin for supply corps officers serving on board a Carrier/Amphib or at a Naval Air Station (NAS) Aviation Supply Detachment (ASD)
 * The Seabee Combat Warfare Officer insignia for supply officers assigned to a Navy Construction Battalion NCB/NMCB units.
 * The Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps insignia for supply officers assigned to Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (COMNAVEXPDCMBTCOM) or Naval Special Warfare Command (COMNAVSPECWARCOM)

Earning a warfare qualification is often a prerequisite for promotion to senior officer ranks of Commander (O-5) and higher. A Supply Corps officer's future career promotion and assignment prospects can be negatively impacted if he/she served at an operational unit or on board a ship, but failed to earn a warfare pin.

Current Navy policy dictates that Supply Officers complete two operational tours and obtain a warfare pin for consideration for Lieutenant Commander (O-4) boards.

Additional information
Supply Corps officers are sometimes called "SUPPO," although this term is the billet of Supply Officer which is the supply department head and senior Supply Corps officer of a command. Other nicknames include "Pork Chop" (due to the shape of the Supply Corps staff insignia). Aboard submarines, the Supply Officer is called "Chop". While "Supply Officer" is a specific billet which an officer may fill, there are also many other positions open to Supply Corps officers as this is an inherently multi-disciplinary career field. These include: ASUPPO, or Assistant Supply Officer; Stock Control Officer; Aviation Stores Officer; FSO, or Food Service Officer; Sales Officer; DISBO, or Disbursing Officer. At larger commands, sometimes Hazardous Materials Officer, Postal Officer, and Wardroom Officer are primary billets for Supply Corps officers vice being collateral duties at smaller commands.

Enlisted ratings that compose the Navy supply community are: SHs (Ship's Servicemen), who assist Supply Officers in managing shipboard retail and service activities; LSs (Logistic Specialists), who assist Supply Officers in managing inventories of parts, supplies and mail; PSs (Personnel Specialists, a recent merger of the former Disbursing Clerk (DK) and Personnelman (PN) ratings), who assist with the disbursement of funds; CSs (Culinary Specialists, formerly known as Mess Management Specialists (MSs)), who manage and execute all food service operations. In October, 2009, the Storekeeper and Postal Clerk ratings were combined into Logistics Specialists (LS).

Advancement
Three stars (Vice-Admiral) is the highest rank a Supply Corps officer in the U.S. Navy can attain. Nineteen Supply Corps Officers have advanced to that rank: William J. Carter, E. G. Morsell, Edwin Dorsey Foster, Charles W. Fox, Murrey L. Royar, A. A. Antrim, Stephen R. Edson, Robert F. Batchelder, Joseph M. Lyle, Kenneth R. Wheeler, George E. Moore II, Vincent A. Lascara, Eugene A. Grinstead, Little Eddie Straw, Keith W. Lippert, Justin D. McCarthy, Alan S. Thompson, Mark Harnitchek and William "Andy" Brown.

Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps Officer
The Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps Officer program is designed to recognize significant contributions made by Supply Corps officers while serving in operational expeditionary billets. Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps officer qualification represents a level of expeditionary knowledge that distinguishes an officer of the Supply Corps from his or her peers. The Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps officer qualification program is mandatory for all Supply Corps officers serving in designated billets as determined by Commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (COMNAVEXPDCMBTCOM) and Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command (COMNAVSPECWARCOM).

Commanders and above with other Supply Corps professional qualification (e.g., Naval Aviation Supply Corps officer or Surface Warfare Supply Corps officer) may elect not to participate, but Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps officer qualification is encouraged for these officers.

Notable U.S. Navy Supply Corps officers



 * Roy Anderson ; President, Lockheed Corporation
 * John Bello &mdash; founder and CEO SoBe Beverages; President NFL Properties 1986-93
 * Norman Cahners &mdash; business publisher and inventor of the four-way pallet
 * Eddie Carlson; CEO, United Airlines
 * Benjamin Edwards &mdash; President, Chairman, CEO, A.G. Edwards, Inc.
 * Roger Enrico &mdash; CEO, Pepsico
 * A.G. Lafley &mdash; CEO, Procter & Gamble
 * Bruce Laingen &mdash; U.S. Ambassador to Malta
 * Melvin R. Laird &mdash; Secretary of Defense, 1969–1973
 * Leonard Lauder &mdash; CEO, Estée Lauder
 * Bill Marriott &mdash; CEO, Marriott Hotels
 * James J. Mulva; Chairman, President, CEO, Conoco-Phillips
 * Regis Philbin &mdash; television personality
 * Roger Staubach &mdash; NFL quarterback