Madam Speaker, August 19, 2007 will mark 100 years since the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office issued its first broadcast of a navigational warning. This event began its mission of broadcasting information concerning hazards to navigation to ships at sea during an age when limited communication methods and the lack of an international system made receiving this information difficult. In recognition of this one-hundredth anniversary of broadcasting safety of navigation information, we honor all who have contributed to broadcasting maritime safety information.
On April 14, 1912, the sinking of the Titanic focused the world’s attention on navigation safety at sea. Following this tragedy, an international committee was formed to which the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office became a major contributor. This committee monitored ice conditions along the major Europe-to-America shipping routes, established specific lifeboat capacity for passengers, and most importantly, mandated that all vessels at sea maintain a 24-hour radio watch. In 1921, the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office began broadcasting navigational safety warnings worldwide for all commercial and military shipping.
In 1977, the International Hydrographic Organization and the International Maritime Organization established the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS) to coordinate global radio broadcast service for information about hazards to navigation that might endanger international shipping. The WWNWS divided the world into 16 Navigation Warning Areas. The United States has been designated the coordinator for the two areas along the Atlantic and Pacific Coast. As the responsible WWNWS coordinator on behalf of the United States, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, annually processes over 130,000 messages, guaranteeing the continuous operation of the WWNWS for the world’s ships.
On this 100th Anniversary, we recognize the importance of maritime safety information and the NGA for supporting safety of life at sea through the broadcast of navigational warnings. We also recognize the men and women of the NGA who carry on this legacy today.