Instant Alert: 34 awesome pictures of the US Navy throughout history

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   34 awesome pictures of the US Navy throughout history by Amanda Macias on Oct 13, 2015, 12:39 PM Advertisement America's Navy is an unquestionable global powerhouse with a fleet of roughly 430 ships in active or reserve service and 328,186 active personnel. The Navy is expected to play an increasing role in coming decades, given the US' Pacific pivot and emerging reluctance to deploy ground troops. The Navy gives the US the ability to project power around the globe even without frequent ground deployments, and is already an indispensable aspect of American policy and national security.  To celebrate the 240th birthday of the US Navy, we've pulled out some of the coolest photos from the archives. Gus Lubin contributed to this report. SEE ALSO: 32 powerful pictures of the US Marines through history In the decades after the Civil War, America began a new era of foreign intervention with the Navy leading the way. This 1899 photo shows sailors eating on the USS Olympia, which was the US' flagship during the Spanish-American War of the previous year. The USS Holland, seen in this photo from 1900, was the Navy's first commissioned submarine. President Theodore Roosevelt ordered a fleet of US ships to circumnavigate the globe from 1907-1909. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011