U.S. Navy and Air Force: Military History and Technological Growth

Introduction

In many ways, the history of the U.S. military parallels that of the United States itself. The country was initiated in a martial conflict with England, and it was only with the support of a fledgling military force that the colonists were able to win the Revolutionary War. As the country developed and its processes became more sophisticated, so did those pertaining to the military. One of the most demonstrable ways in which this tendency is apparent is by tracing the history of the various branches of the U.S. armed forces. Specifically, this paper will delineate the history of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force to indicate how military sophistication has paralleled the developments in technology and applications of knowledge in America itself.

U.S. Naval History

The history of the U.S. Navy begins with the American Revolution. As that conflict waged on, it became imperative for the colonists to counter the effects of the relatively large and agile British naval fleet. The source of conflict for this martial encounter was the fact that the colonists — the majority of whom were British subjects — desired independence from a British government they viewed as tyrannical and financially disadvantageous. Experiences of Americans captured by the British during this encounter reinforced these perceptions (Dzurec, 2013, p. 32). The colonists' financial grievances began in earnest following the conclusion of the French and Indian War, in which the British incurred significant debt and attempted to exact a heavy financial toll from their colonies through a variety of taxes. The necessity of formulating a fledgling navy for the new nation was due in part to the fact that England was supplying its soldiers via the seaways; impairing that capability with a colonial fleet could seriously diminish England's military prowess.

The U.S. Navy's future was uncertain at one point, until the value of its long-term contribution to the armed forces became clear. After the success of the Revolutionary War, "the Continental Navy was demolished in 1785 by an economy-minded Congress. The dormancy of American sea power lasted barely a decade when, in 1794, President George Washington persuaded…Congress to authorize a new naval force to combat the growing menace of piracy on the high seas" (U.S. Navy, 2015).

The War of 1812 and the Naval Academy

Perhaps it was the victory and the role of the War of 1812 that contributed to the Navy's status as a lasting fixture of the U.S. military. This war, which reprised both partisans from the Revolutionary War, was partially started due to the unpopular British tactic of impressment (Deeben, 2012), by which the British fleet would seize control of U.S. ships and compel those on board to become British citizens. Additionally, privateer and piracy efforts on the part of the British in their encounters with the U.S. on the seaways contributed to the conflict as well. The U.S. victory was largely attributed to its navy's efforts, which factored into the creation of a formal naval academy. The first naval school was established by George Bancroft in 1845 and represented the first attempt to modernize naval training by giving it a scientific and educational foundation to accompany its field requirements.

The size and enrollment of the Naval Academy continued to grow throughout the 20th century. It is now a fully developed postsecondary institution offering varied curricula, bachelor's degrees, and a range of majors — evidence of its ongoing adaptation to the times and to the technological needs of America's military.

Conclusion

An examination of the history of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force readily reveals that the military prowess of America has increased in sophistication due to technological developments and the growing capability of the country itself. From the outset of America's history with the Revolutionary War, through the nation's vital contributions in World War II at the midpoint of the 20th century, the U.S. military has expanded its prowess in accordance with the means and technologies of each era. This fact is evinced in several ways, not the least of which is that both the Navy and the Air Force endured periods in which they were not official branches of the military — periods that ended only after each proved its worth in combat. Additionally, each branch now has dedicated educational institutions that prepare service members for the areas of technical expertise integral to their operation. Consequently, both branches have increased in sophistication as the country itself has.

References

Deeben, J. P. (2012). Stoking the fires: The impressment of Seaman Charles Davis by the U.S. Navy. Prologue Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2012/summer/1812-impressment.html

Dzurec, D. (2013). Prisoners of war and American self-image during the American Revolution. War in History, 20(4), 430–451.

National Archives. (2010). Teaching with documents. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/369th-infantry/

United States Naval Academy. (2015). A brief history of USNA. Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu/USNAHistory/

U.S. Air Force Academy. (2012). Air Force Academy history. Retrieved from http://www.usafa.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9409

Y'Blood, W. (2001). Any place, anytime, anywhere: The 1st Air Commando Group in World War II. Power History, 48(2), 4–17.