WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – Naval History and Heritage Command announced the digital release of its expanded edition of “On Course Through History: The U.S. Navy at 250”, June 24, 2026.
In this publication NHHC historians and partners from around the U.S. Navy explore the service’s professional communities, their people, and historic events that have contributed to the Navy’s warfighting readiness at sea, on land, in the air, and deep in the depths of the world’s oceans.
“For 250 years, American sailors have stood watch at sea in the name of freedom. Against pirates, empires, and superpowers, their devotion to duty has never wavered even as their operating environments have expanded to the depths of the ocean and the skies above it” said NHHC Director, Rear Adm. Samuel J. Cox, USN (retired), in the book’s introduction. “The complexity of modern naval warfare has required the Navy to develop new capabilities and establish countless new specialties since its founding, but the constant element throughout the Navy’s history is the ethos of service and the commitment to winning at sea. Every American sailor is a warfighter, and collectively they can draw upon their service’s rich legacy for insight and inspiration as they uphold its honorable tradition of defending the nation.”
This expanded edition builds on the original publication released in Oct. 2025 and now encompasses the contributions of those in additional Navy specialties, to include naval intelligence and information warfare, logistics, diving and salvage, medicine, civil engineering, and the Navy legal community.
To download the digital editions of this publication, visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/77185
To download other NHHC publications, visit: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/publications/publications-by-subject.html
NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy's unique and enduring contributions through our nation's history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC is composed of many activities including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, ten museums, USS Constitution repair facility and the historic ship Nautilus.
For more news from NHHC, visit http://www.history.navy.mil