The Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) in the

United States Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy (DON) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging of Secretary of War James McHenr ...

is similar to the

human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ' ...

department of a corporation. The bureau provides administrative leadership and policy planning for the

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations The structure of the United States Navy consists of four main bodies: the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, the operating forces (described below), and the Shore Establishment. Office of the Chief of ...

(OPNAV) and the U.S. Navy at large. BUPERS is led by the

Chief of Naval Personnel The Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) is responsible for overall personnel readiness and manpower allocation for the United States Navy. The CNP serves in an additional duty capacity as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Personnel, Manpower, ...

(CHNAVPERS), who serves in an additional duty capacity as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Personnel, Manpower, and Training (DCNO N1). As of 2024, the Bureau of Naval Personnel serves as an echelon II parent command to Navy Personnel Command (NAVPERSCOM). Commander, Navy Personnel Command (COMNAVPERSCOM) is assigned additional duty as the Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel (DEP CHNAVPERS). Most BUPERS offices are located in

Millington, Tennessee Millington is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and is a part of the Memphis metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 10,176. Millington was granted the title "Flag City Tennessee" by the Tennessee St ...

, with a small BUPERS staff directly supporting the CHNAVPERS in

Arlington County, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

History

Naval personnel matters were originally handled by the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

until the establishment of the Navy Department on April 30, 1798. It was not until 1815 that the

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

took control of personnel matters. In 1861, the Office of Detail was created and functions related to the detailing of officers and the appointment and instruction of volunteer officers, as well as the purchase of ships and related matters were transferred. The Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting was concurrently established to handle enlisted recruiting and service record maintenance. The Bureau of Navigation was established in 1862 and three years later the Office of Detail was placed under it. In 1889, the Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting transferred its enlisted personnel activities to the Bureau of Navigation as well. On May 13, 1942, the command's name changed to the Bureau of Naval Personnel, and in 1982 it changed to Naval Military Personnel Command. In 1991, the name changed back to the Bureau of Naval Personnel or "BUPERS" for short. In the late 1990s, BUPERS relocated to Millington, Tennessee, based on the recommendation of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC). DEP CHNAVPERS relocated to Millington as well and assumed primary duties as COMNAVPERSCOM. A support staff remained in the Washington, D.C. area to support CHNAVPERS. As a result, CHNAVPERS and DEP CHNAVPERS reside in separate locations.OPNAVINST 5430.354

Chiefs of the Bureau

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control 1861 establishments in the United States Naval Personnel