Senior Officer Present Afloat

Senior Officer Present Afloat, usually referred to as SOPA, is a U.S. Navy term to indicate the most senior officer present in a harbor occupied by more than one U.S. Navy vessel.

SOPA is a useful administrative function in foreign ports visited by U.S. Navy vessels.

Rear Admiral William R. Furlong was Senior Officer Present Afloat at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked on December 7, 1941.

RADM Furlong commanded Battle Forces Pacific and was on board his flagship, the old minelayer USS Oglala when the attack began.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.