Editing Sea Org (section)

== History ==

The Sea Org was established on August 12, 1967, by [[L. Ron Hubbard]], the founder of [[Dianetics]] and [[Scientology]], initially aboard three ships, the ''Avon River'', the ''Enchanter'', and ''[[HMS Royal Scotsman]]''. Hubbard later rechristened the three vessels the ''Diana'', the ''Athena'', and the ''Apollo''. The Apollo served as the flagship, or simply called "Flag", and Hubbard was referred to as Commodore.{{r|reitman|page=93}}<ref name="lewis-ch1">{{cite book |title=Scientology |title-link=Scientology (Lewis book) |year=2009 |editor-first=James R. |editor-last=Lewis |editor-link=James R. Lewis (scholar) |isbn=9780199852321 |ol=16943235M |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |chapter=Birth of a Religion |pages=17–34 |first=J. Gordon |last=Melton |author-link=J. Gordon Melton |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195331493.003.0002 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MtW90YkkB3gC&pg=PA26}}</ref>{{Rp|26}}

In 1971, the Sea Org assumed responsibility for the delivery of the upper levels of its auditing and training, known as the [[Operating Thetan]] or "OT" levels.{{r|melton2003|pages=46–47}} In 1981, under the aegis of the [[Commodore's Messenger Organization]] led by David Miscavige, Sea Org members dissolved the [[Office of Special Affairs#History|Guardian's Office]] (GO) and assumed full responsibility for the church's international management, later reassigning the GO's duties to the [[Office of Special Affairs]] in 1983 during the corporate restructuring of the Church.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xenu.net/archive/go/gohist.htm |title=Scientology's Secret Service 2. The Guardian Office (1966-83) |first=Chris |last=Owen |date=August 1997 |website=[[Operation Clambake]] |publisher=[[Andreas Heldal Lund]] |access-date=8 July 2013}}</ref>

It moved to land-based organizations in 1975, though maritime customs persist, with many members wearing naval-style uniforms and addressing both male and female officers as "sir".<ref name=reitman-rs>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/inside-scientology-103288/ |title=Inside Scientology |date=February 23, 2006 |first=Janet |last=Reitman |author-link=Janet Reitman |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430200426/http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology/print |archive-date=April 30, 2009}}</ref> In 1985, the church purchased a {{convert|440|ft|m|adj=on}} [[motor ship|motor vessel]], the ''[[Freewinds]]'', which docks in [[Curaçao]] in the southern Caribbean and is used as a religious retreat and training center, staffed entirely by Sea Org members.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/03/world/scientology-cruise-ship/index.html |title=Here's what happens on Scientology's cruise ship, the Freewinds. It sounds pretty intense. |first=Daniel |last=Burke |date=May 4, 2019 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> Sea Org members make a lifetime commitment to Scientology by signing a billion-year contract officially described as a symbolic pledge.{{r|melton2003|page=53}} In exchange, they are given free room and board, as well as a small weekly allowance. Sea Org members agree to strict codes of discipline, such as disavowing [[premarital sex]], working long hours (on average at least 100 hours per week)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/07/scientology_sea_org_15_year_olds.php |title=Scientology's Own Promotional Material Attests to 15-Year-Olds in the Sea Org |date=July 4, 2012 |first=Tony |last=Ortega |author-link=Tony Ortega (journalist) |website=Runnin' Scared |publisher=[[Village Voice]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108034048/http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/07/scientology_sea_org_15_year_olds.php |archive-date=2014-01-08 }}</ref> and living in communal housing called [[berthing]].<ref>{{Citation| last = Headley| first = Marc | year=2009 | title = Blown for Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology | publisher = BFG Books | page = 358 | url = http://blownforgood.com/?page_id=39 | access-date = 8 July 2013 |isbn=9780982502204}}</ref> They are allowed to marry, but must leave the Sea Org if they have or want to raise children.{{r|wright-apostate}}