The US Navy allowed the production team to film scenes aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Halsey and USS Dewey as well as the USS Iowa museum ship. The destroyers were sailed several days out to sea so that the cameras could shoot 360 degrees without having to worry about coastlines, buildings, and other ships appearing in the background. Many of the sailors in the background were the crews of those ships going about their duties as cameras rolled.
The USS Halsey acts as the stand-in for the USS Nathan James for the most part. The ship's dog, on the show, is called Admiral Halsey.
In June 2016, before a screening of the season three premiere in Washington, DC, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus presented the producers, cast and crew with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award. The honor reflected the show's accomplishment of, in Secretary Mabus's words, "getting the Navy right." While it's a fictional portrayal of a Navy ship and crew, Mabus praised the show's ability to capture the culture of the Navy and the dedication of its people to their core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
The gold anchor on the bow of the USS Nathan James is a Retention Excellence Award for crew re-enlistment.