Editing Sea Org (section)

{{Short description|Fraternal order of Scientology}}
{{use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox organization
| image               = Sea Org logo.svg
| size                = 120px
| caption             = 
| logo_size           = 
| name                = Sea Org
| full_name           = Sea Organization
| formation           = 1967
| type                = 
| status              = 
| purpose             = 
| headquarters        = [[Gold Base]], California (Church of Scientology headquarters)
| location            = Los Angeles; Clearwater, Florida; London; [[Saint Hill Manor]]; Copenhagen; and on the ''[[Freewinds]]''
| leader_title        = 
| leader_name         = [[David Miscavige]] (Captain)
| founder             = [[L. Ron Hubbard]] (Commodore)
| formerly            = Sea Project{{r|reitman|page=90}}
| num_staff           = 
| num_volunteers      = 
| parent_organization = [[Church of Scientology]]
| budget              = 
| publication         = ''High Winds''
| website             = 
}}
{{Scientology sidebar}}
The '''Sea Organization''' or '''Sea Org''' is the senior-most status of [[Scientology officials|staff]] within the [[Church of Scientology]] network of corporations, but is not itself incorporated. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Sea Org was started as [[L. Ron Hubbard]]'s private navy, and adopted naval uniforms and ranks.{{r|miller|page=263}}{{r|urban|page=124}} Today, all Scientology management organizations are exclusively staffed with Sea Org members.{{r|nrmarlia2003}} The Sea Org maintains strict codes for its members, beginning with a billion-year pledge of service to [[Scientology]] upon initiation.{{r|urban|page=125}} [[David Miscavige]], the leader of Scientology, is the highest-ranking Sea Org officer with the rank of captain. The higher rank of commodore is permanently reserved for the reincarnation of the late L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology.{{r|reitman|page=139}} Some ex-members and scholars have described the Sea Org as a [[totalitarian]] organization marked by intensive surveillance and lack of freedom.{{r|urban|page=125}}
<!--Note: The first lead paragraph (above) is excerpted into the [[Church of Scientology]] article-->

In a 1992 memorandum by the [[Church of Scientology International]], the following information was provided to the [[Internal Revenue Service]] with regards to the nature of the Sea Org:<ref>[https://www.scribd.com/document/267513033/Church-of-Scientology-Nov-23-1992-Third-Set-of-Responses-to-the-IRS Church of Scientology, Nov. 23, 1992: Third Set of Responses to the IRS in support of Scientology's application for 501(c)(3) tax exemption.]</ref>
{{blockquote|[The Sea Org] does not have an ecclesiastical organizing board or command channels chart or secular existence such as an incorporated or unincorporated association.{{nbsp}}[...] Although there is no such "organization" as the Sea Organization, the term Sea Org has a colloquial usage which implies that there is. There are general recruitment posters and literature for "The Sea Org" which implies that people will be employed by the Sea Org when in reality they will join, making the billion year commitment, at some church that is staffed by Sea Org members and become employees of that church corporation.{{nbsp}}[...] The Sea Org exists as a spiritual commitment that is factually beyond the full understanding of the [Internal Revenue] Service or any other but a trained and audited Scientologist.}}