Of the Navy’s varied mission groups, some get more attention, and glory than others. Named for the reptile it emulates, the Gator Navy is one of the more low-profile pieces of the U.S. military machine. That is partly by design.
As the alligator surprises prey with its speed and agility, so too can the Gator Navy surprise the enemy with its ability to quickly get close to shore.
Each community in the Navy has its own personality, and the Gator Navy is no exception. One special characteristic is the blend of sailors and Marines, but there is also a flexibility not seen on all Navy vessels. Gators tend not to sweat the silly stuff – there’s too much other stuff to focus on.
The ships simultaneously carry tanks, Humvees, artillery pieces, radar systems, armored vehicles, and of course a lot of Marines.
The ships require a unique host of Navy skills to load and launch the Marines, while also navigating and performing the myriad other functions required to keep a warship in fighting shape.
The Navy-Marine Corps partnership stretches back to 1775, when the Continental Congress created the Marines. The cooperative tradition continues to grow with each generation.
Gators sometimes joke to Marines that they are just a taxi service, or that they are looking forward to putting the Marines ashore so that the lines will be shorter at chow time. After working side-by-side in work detail after work detail, sailors and Marines begin to influence one another. But as each day brings the ships closer to sending the Marines ashore for another possible date with history, the jokes become more and more a tough guy way to say goodbye to shipmates. Gator Navy veterans know what it really means when the Marines get off the boat.