What are Navy Unit Identification Codes used for?

The Navy Unit Identification Code, or UIC, is used to identify active and reserve units of the U.S. Navy. The Unit Identification Code protocol is used by all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Navy UIC is a six-character alphanumeric code that helps to identify and facilitate financial and manpower allocation within the Navy, as well as other armed forces. The first character represents a specific entity within the Department of Defense. For instance, “N” stands for Navy, “F” stands for Air Force, and "M" stands for Marines. The next three characters give information about the type of unit and are called the Parent Unit Designator. The last two characters are a descriptive designator, which details the specific characteristics about the particular unit.