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, petroleum management, food service and physical distribution. In comparison among all functional areas, petroleum management is the most important.
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 with the Marine Corps.
Navy Supply Corps School
NSCS Seal
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 Athens, Georgia in 1954.
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round determined that NSCS would be relocated to Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island in 2011.
Professional qualifications
Supply Corps officers can earn one or more of five community warfare insignias:
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
Expeditionary Warfare Supply Officer Inignia
The Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps Officer (NESCO) program identifies Supply Corps officers who are trained to serve 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.[1]
The Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps Officer (NESCO) insignia is a 2 3/4-inch by 7/8-inch gold metal pin showing a Supply Corps oak leaf centered, superimposed on a crossed sword and M16A1 rifle, on a background of ocean swells. A 1 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch metal insignia is available for uniforms requiring miniature medals. [2]
Notable U.S. Navy Supply Corps officers
Supply Corps coat of arms
-
Roy Anderson ; President, Lockheed Corporation
-
John Bello — founder and CEO SoBe Beverages; President NFL Properties 1986-93
-
Norman Cahners — business publisher and inventor of the four-way pallet[3]
-
Eddie Carlson; CEO, United Airlines
-
John Whitehead; Chairman, Goldman Sachs
-
Benjamin Edwards — President, Chairman, CEO, A.G. Edwards, Inc.
-
Roger Enrico — CEO, Pepsico[4]
-
A.G. Lafley — CEO, Procter & Gamble
-
Bruce Laingen — U.S. Ambassador to Malta
-
Melvin R. Laird — Secretary of Defense, 1969–1973
-
Leonard Lauder — CEO, Estée Lauder
-
Bill Marriott — CEO, Marriott Hotels [5]
-
James J. Mulva; Chairman, President, CEO, Conoco-Phillips
-
Regis Philbin — television personality [6]
-
Roger Staubach — NFL quarterback
-
Edward M.Straw — President, Global Operations, Estee Lauder; President, Ryder Integrated Logistics; SVP Compaq Computer Inc.
See also
References
-
^ "PNAV INSTRUCTION 1412.15". The United States Department of the Navy. 21 December 2012.
-
^ NAVADMIN message 025/14, available athttp://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/NAVADMINS/NAV2014/NAV14025.txt
-
^ Pallets: The Single Most Important Object in the Global Economy
-
^ Naval Supply Corps celebrates 216th birthday
-
^ Naval Supply Corps celebrates 216th birthday
-
^ Naval Supply Corps celebrates 216th birthday
External links
-
The Supply Corps' Official Website
-
U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command - Mechanicsburg, PA Official Website
-
Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps Officer Qualification Program