The Navy's new working uniform features a version of a flag with a rattlesnake and the phrase the "Don't Tread on Me" on the left shoulder.
But the First Navy Jack is similar to the Rattlesnake Jack and Gadsden flag, which has been labeled by some as a controversial symbol co-opted by the far-right.
"The rattlesnake emerged as a symbol of the English colonies of North America about the time of the Seven Years War, when it appeared in newspaper prints with the motto 'Join or Die,'" according to the Navy.
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"By the time of the War of Independence, the rattlesnake, frequently used in conjunction with the motto 'Don't Tread on Me,' was a common symbol for the United States, its independent spirit, and its resistance to tyranny."
Bard Cosman, an expert on the Gadsden flag, believes it may even have its origins with Moses in the Old Testament. The first modern use of the yellow flag, designed by Col. Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina in 1775, was by Commodore Esek Hopkins. The commander of the Continental Navy Fleet used it as his personal battle standard in 1776. The red-and-white-striped Navy Jack would go on to be used by various Revolutionary-era military forces.
"It's been a symbol of liberty and defiance ever since," Cosman told the Washington Examiner.
