Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council Navy League of the US

We are the Navy League of The United States Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council. Our council area is located in the state of Washington on the Olympic Peninsula between Seattle and the Pacific Ocean with Canada to the North across the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Our council is a member of the Northwest Coastal Area within the Northwest Region of the Navy League of the United States. Naval Base Kitsap, Naval Magazine Indian Island, and U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles lie within our area.

Our History

The Navy League of the United States was founded in 1902 as a civilian maritime organization, and grew rapidly with the strong encouragement and support of President Theodore Roosevelt, who stated: “It seems to me that all good Americans, interested in the growth of their country and sensitive to its honor, should give hearty support to the policies which the Navy League is founded to further. For the building and maintaining in proper shape of the American Navy, we must rely upon nothing but the broad and farsighted patriotism of our people as a whole, and it is of great importance that there should be some means by which this patriotism can find an effective utterance. Your society offers just the means needed.”

The Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council was formed in 1948 under President J. Edward Adams and has continued to carry out the mission of the Navy League since. The Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council supports the following Vision, Mission, and Goals of the Navy League of the United States:

VISION STATEMENT

The Navy League of the United States will be the preferred resource for the education of both the United States Congress and the American Public on our sea services.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Navy League of the United States is a civilian organization dedicated to informing the American people and their government that the United States of America is a maritime nation and that its national defense and economic well being are dependent upon strong sea services – United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard and United States Merchant Marine.

GOALS

Educate national leaders and the nation.
Support the men and women of the sea services.
Provide assistance to sea service families.
Support youth programs.

WHAT DOES OUR NAVY LEAGUE COUNCIL DO?

A partial list

We adopt ships & commands, which means that we provide financial & logistical support to those units. Included has been getting a signed NFL football by Pete Carroll of the Seahawks to both the USS Bremerton & the USS Washington, getting a special Seahawks 787 jersey for the USS Washington, obtaining 787 logo stickers and merchandise for the USS Washington.

– We support youth activities: South Kitsap High School NJROTC, Bremerton High School NJROTC, Port Angeles High School NJROTC and Scorpion Squadron Navy Sea Cadets

– We  supply refreshments for the quarterly Port Angeles Coast Guard meeting.

– We donate to the FRG or MWR organizations of the adopted units (within the guidelines of the JAG requirements.)

– Council members attend Changes of Command for our adopted units.

– We provide welcoming receptions for ships coming into port.

– We support and participate in the nation’s largest & longest running Armed Forces Day celebration, including the parade in Bremerton & the Gala banquet.

– We sponsor a senior enlisted dinner at Kiana Lodge during Armed Forces week.

– We support the county’s Veteran’s Day program at the Kitsap Fair Grounds.

– We sponsor the Memorial Day remembrance at the Turner Joy

– We support the Navy’s CORE program, which is very helpful to senior military wives in learning to cope with the issues that help them support our military families. With our financial support, they recently have also been able to include more junior officer’s wives.

– We hold monthly luncheons at the ballroom at Naval Base Kitsap – Bangor, where we give Sailor/Marine/Coast Guard of the Quarter or Year awards and we host speakers who keep us informed about local and national sea service issues

– We provide judges and scholarships for the Washington State Science & Engineering Fair

– We provide gift cards for the children at unit Christmas parties.

– Host military families for dinners and other activities

– Support local commands at community forums and speaking out in support of the Sea Services

– Provide meals & gift baskets for families of service members at Thanksgiving & Christmas

– Donate books, Pillowcases and Baby supplies

– Provide gifts to local commands, such as a pool table for one of the barracks, coffee makers & microwaves for other barracks, Ferrari & Corvette rides for military members

– We arrange tours of many various submarines, aircraft carriers and local commands, as well as some distant commands like San Diego base, Seal Training facility, Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, and Astoria Coast Guard commands.