Everything about United States Armed Forces totally explained
The
United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed during the
Continental Congress and was permanently established after
World War II.
Its component branches are:
All branches are part of the
United States Uniformed Services and are under
civilian control with the
President serving as
Commander-in-chief. All branches except the Coast Guard are part of the
Department of Defense, which is under the authority of the
Secretary of Defense, who is also a civilian. The Coast Guard falls under the authority of the
Department of Homeland Security. During wartime, the Coast Guard may be placed under the Department of Defense through the
Department of the Navy. There are also other military forces in the United States which fall solely under the individual control of each state, the
State Defense Forces, which are not part of the Department of Defense.
As of May 2007, about 1,426,705 people are on active duty in the military with an additional 1,458,400 people in the seven
reserve components. As it's currently a
volunteer military, there's no
conscription. Women are not allowed to serve in some combatant positions, but they do serve in combat areas where they can and do come under enemy fire.
Much of U.S. military capability is involved in
logistics and transportation, which enable rapid buildup of forces as needed. The
Air Force maintains a large fleet of
C-5 Galaxy,
C-17 Globemaster, and
C-130 Hercules transportation aircraft with a substantial fleet of
aerial refueling tankers. The
Marine Corps maintains
Marine Expeditionary Units at sea with the
Navy's Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. The Navy's 11 active
aircraft carriers, combined with a
military doctrine of power projection, enables a flexible response to potential threats.
Organization
Under the
United States Constitution, the
President of the United States is the
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. To coordinate military action with diplomacy, the President has an advisory
National Security Council headed by a
National Security Advisor. Under the President is the
United States Secretary of Defense, a
Cabinet Secretary responsible for the
Department of Defense. Both the President and Secretary of Defense are advised by the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, which includes the service branch chiefs led by the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
History
Prior to and during the founding of the United States, military forces were supplied by untrained militia commanded by the states. When the
Continental Congress first ordered a Continental Army to be formed, it was to be made up of militia from the states. That army, under the command of
General George Washington, won the
Revolutionary War, but afterwards was disbanded.
However, it soon became obvious that a standing army and navy were required. The United States Navy began when Congress ordered several frigates in 1794, and a standing army was created, however it was still only minimal and it relied mostly on contributions from state militia in times of war.
Between the founding of the nation and the
Civil War, American military forces fought and won against
Barbary Coast pirates; fought the
War of 1812 against the British, which ended in the
status quo; and won several southwestern territories from the Mexicans in the
Mexican-American War.
In 1861, with the beginning of the
Civil War, many military forces, including many of the nation's best generals, became part of the
Confederate military, and both armies fought a long, bloody struggle which consumed 600,000 lives and ended in
Union (U.S.) victory in 1865.
In the period between the Civil War and the 1890s, the military was allowed to languish, although units of the U.S. Army did fight
Native Americans as settlers moved into the center of the United States. By the end of the century, though, America was rapidly becoming a new world power. The military fought the
Spanish-American War and the
Philippine-American War, along with several Latin American interventions, and
Teddy Roosevelt sent the
Great White Fleet around the world in a display of American power. In addition, the
Militia Act of 1903 established the
National Guard.
The United States entered
World War I in 1917 and played a major role in the Allied victory. It languished in the interwar period, but as tensions mounted leading up to
World War II, the force was put back into shape. U.S. Army troops were a large component of the forces that took
North Africa,
Italy, and landed in
France at
D-Day, and U.S. Navy, Marine, and Army troops were heavily involved in the
Pacific campaign against
Japan and its allies.
The end of World War II was the start of the
Cold War, a large but ultimately non-violent struggle between the United States and its
NATO Allies against the
Soviet Union and its
Warsaw Pact allies. Hundreds of thousands of U.S.
troops were deployed to Europe in anticipation of a struggle that never came.
However, U.S. troops did participate in
proxy wars in
Korea and
Vietnam. The Korean War, with
North Korea and
China against
South Korea, the U.S., and other
UN troops, ultimately returned the
status quo ante. The Vietnam War between
North Vietnam and
South Vietnam and the U.S. resulted in a cease-fire; after U.S. troops were pulled out of the country
North Vietnam invaded
South Vietnam.
In the 1980s, the U.S. military fought
Operation Just Cause in
Panama and
Operation Urgent Fury in
Grenada. The United States conducted various combat operations in the Persian Gulf against Iran, most notably
Operation Praying Mantis. In addition, the
Goldwater-Nichols Act completely reorganized the military.
By 1989, it was clear the Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse. However, when
Iraq invaded
Kuwait in 1991, the United States entered the
Persian Gulf War. The coalition of US military forces and other nations easily defeated the
Iraqi Army with minimal losses, proving the viability on a large scale of the all-volunteer military. After this brief war and the breakup of the Soviet Union, the U.S. military was used in a variety of roles throughout the remainder of the 1990s, including
Yugoslavia,
Kosovo,
Somalia and other "hot spots".
War on Terrorism
After the
September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001, U.S. military forces have been extensively engaged in the War on Terror. U.S. and NATO forces
invaded Afghanistan in 2001; and in 2003, the U.S. and several other countries
invaded Iraq. In both operations, U.S. forces comprise the vast majority of the soldiers and equipment. While the initial invasion of Iraq was swift and successful, the occupation quickly bogged down after the defeat of the conventional Iraqi forces, with daily violence and terrorist attacks. However, some milestones have been reached, such as the capture and execution of
Saddam Hussein and democratic elections.
Personnel
In absolute dollar terms, the U.S. military budget is by far the highest of any country in the world. By 2008, with the US spending substantial sums in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, US national defense spending surpassed the combined spending of the rest of the world.
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The United States military is
the second-largest in the world, after the
People's Liberation Army of
China, and has troops deployed around the globe.
In early 2007, Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates proposed to the President to increase the overall size of the military by approximately 92,000 troops over the course of five years. Specifically, the proposal calls for an Army troop cap of 545,000 to 550,000 active duty soldiers and a troop cap of 202,000 to 205,000 active duty Marines. The total active duty force of the United States after the buildup will be about 1,479,000.
As in most militaries, members of the U.S. Armed Forces hold a
rank, either that of
officer or
enlisted, and can be promoted.
Personnel in each service
As of October 31, 2007 (women as of September 2006)(External Link)
| Service |
Total Active Duty Personnel (Percent of Total) |
Percentage Female |
Enlisted |
Officers |
| Army |
517,998 (36%) |
14% |
433,300 |
84,698 |
| Navy |
373,830 (26%) |
14.9% |
322,565 |
51,265 |
| Marine Corps |
186,209 (13%) |
6.2% |
166,674 |
19,535 |
| Air Force |
328,270 (23%) |
20.1% |
262,860 |
65,410 |
| Coast Guard |
39,121 (3%) |
10.7% |
31,286 |
7,835 |
| Total |
1,445,428 (100%) |
14.9% |
1,216,685 |
228,743 |
Personnel stationing
Overseas
As of December 2007, U.S. Forces were stationed at more than 820 installations in at least 39 countries. Some of the largest contingents are:
As of May 5, 2007, there were about 160,000 U.S. troops in
Iraq, according to Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of day-to-day operations for
Operation Iraqi Freedom. About 19,500 U.S. troops are engaged elsewhere throughout the
Middle East, with the bulk in
Operation Enduring Freedom in
Afghanistan.
Within the United States
Including U.S. territories and ships afloat within territorial waters
A total of 1,079,059 personnel are on active duty within the United States and its territories (including those afloat):
Types of Personnel
Junior Enlisted
Prospective servicemembers are
recruited often from high school and college, the target age being 18 to 28 year olds. With parent/guardian permission, applicants can enlist at the age of 17 and participate in the
Delayed Entry Program (DEP). In this program, the applicant is given the opportunity to participate in locally sponsored military-related activities, which can range from sports to competitions (each recruiting station DEP program will vary), led by recruiters or other military liaisons.
After enlistment, new recruits undergo
Basic Training (also known as
boot camp in the Navy and Marines), followed by schooling in their primary
Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at any of the numerous MOS training facilities around the world. Each branch conducts basic training differently. For example, Marines send all non-infantry MOSs to an infantry skills course known as
Marine Combat Training prior to their technical schools, while Air Force Basic Military Training graduates attend Technical Training and are awarded an
Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) at the apprentice (3) skill level. The terms for this vary greatly, for example, new Army recruits undergo
Basic Combat Training (BCT), followed by
Advanced Individual Training (AIT), while the Navy send its recruits to Recruit Training and then to "A" schools to earn a
rating.
Initially, recruits without higher education or college degrees will hold the paygrade of E-1, and will be elevated to E-2 usually soon after the completion of Basic Training (with a minimum of six months Time-In-Service). Different services have different incentive programs for enlistees, such as higher initial ranks for college credit and referring friends who go on to enlist as well. Participation in DEP is one way recruits can achieve rank before their departure to Basic Training.
There are several different authorized paygrade advancement requirements in each junior enlisted rank category (E-1 to E-3), which differ by service. Enlistees in the Army can attain the initial paygrade of E-4 (Specialist) with a full four-year degree, but the highest initial entry paygrade is usually E-3. Promotion through the junior enlisted ranks is generally noncompetitive, with promotions occurring upon attaining a specified number of years of service, a specified level of technical proficiency, and/or maintenance of good conduct.
Noncommissioned Officer
With very few exceptions, becoming a
non-commissioned officer (NCO) in the United States military is accomplished by progression through the lower enlisted ranks. Unlike promotion through the lower enlisted tier, however, promotion to NCO is generally competitive. NCO ranks begin at E-4 or E-5, depending on serviceand are generally attained between three and six years of service. Junior NCOs function as first-line supervisors and squad leaders, training the junior enlisted in their duties and guiding their career advancement.
While by law considered part of the
non-commissioned officer corps, senior noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) referred to as
Chief Petty Officers in the Navy and Coast Guard, or staff noncommissioned officers in the Marine Corps, perform duties more focused on leadership rather than technical expertise. Promotion to the SNCO ranks (E-7 through E-9 in the Navy and Coast Guard; E-6 through E-9 in the Marine Corps) is highly competitive. Manning at the pay grades of E-8 and E-9 are limited by Federal law to 2.5% and 1% of a service's enlisted force, respectively. SNCOs act as leaders of small units and as staff. Some SNCOs manage programs at headquarters level, and a select few wield responsibility at the highest levels of the military structure. Most unit commanders have a SNCO as an enlisted advisor. All SNCOs are expected to mentor junior commissioned officers as well as the enlisted in their duty sections. The typical enlistee can expect to attain SNCO rank at between 10 and 16 years of service.
Each of the five services employs a single senior enlisted advisor at departmental level. This individual is the highest ranking enlisted member within his respective service and functions as the chief advisor to the service secretary, service chief of staff, and
Congress on matters concerning the enlisted force. These individuals carry responsibilities and protocol requirements equivalent to general and flag officers. They are as follows:
Sergeant Major of the Army
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
Warrant Officer
Additionally, all services except for the U.S. Air Force have an active Warrant Officer corps. Above the rank of Warrant Officer One, these officers may also be commissioned, but usually serve in a more technical and specialized role within units. More recently though they can also serve in more traditional leadership roles associated with the more recognizable officer corps. With one notable exception (helicopter and fixed wing pilots in the U.S. Army), these officers ordinarily have already been in the military often serving in senior NCO positions in the field in which they later serve as a Warrant Officer as a technical expert. Most Army pilots have served some enlisted time, it's also possible to enlist, complete basic training, go directly to the Warrant Officer Candidate school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and then on to flight school.
The Air Force ceased to grant warrants in 1959 when the grades of E-8 and E-9 were created. Most non-flying duties performed by warrant officers in other services are instead performed by senior NCOs in the Air Force.
Commissioned Officer
There are five common ways to receive a commission as an officer in one of the branches of the U.S. military (although other routes are possible).
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
Officer Candidate School (OCS): This can be through active-duty OCS academies, or, in the case of the National Guard, through state-run academies.
Service Academies (United States Military Academy at West Point, New York; United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland; United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado; the United States Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut; and the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York.)
Direct commission - civilians who have special skills that are critical to sustaining military operations and supporting troops may receive direct commissions. These officers occupy leadership positions in the following areas: law, medicine, dentistry, nurse corps, intelligence, supply-logistics-transportation, engineering, public affairs, chaplain corps, oceanography, and others.
Battlefield commission - Under certain conditions, enlisted personnel who have skills that separate them from their peers can become officers by direct commissioning of a commander so authorized to grant them. This type of commission is rarely granted and is reserved only for the most exceptional enlisted personnel; it's done on an ad hoc basis, typically only in wartime. No direct battlefield commissions have been awarded since the Vietnam War. The Air Force and Navy don't employ this commissioning path.
Officers receive a commission assigning them to the Officer Corps from the President (with the consent of the Senate).
Through their careers, officers usually will receive further training at one or a number of the many U.S. military staff colleges.
Company grade officers (pay grades O-1 through O-3) function as leaders of smaller units or sections of a unit, typically with an experienced SNCO assistant and mentor. Field grade officers (pay grades O-4 through O-6) lead significantly larger and more complex operations, with gradually more competitive promotion requirements. General officers, or flag officers, serve at the highest levels and oversee major portions of the military mission.
Five Star Ranking
These are ranks of the highest honor and responsibility in the armed forces, but they're not usually given during peacetime service:
General of the Army (United States)
Admiral of the Navy
General of the Air Force (United States)
No corresponding rank exists for the United States Marine Corps or the United States Coast Guard.
The rank of General of the Armies is considered senior to General of the Army, but was never held by active duty officers at the same time as persons who held the rank of General of the Army. It has been held by two people: John J. Pershing who received the rank in 1919 after World War I, and George Washington who received it posthumously in 1976 as part of the American Bicentennial celebrations. While it's unclear whether Pershing's acknowledged seniority to the World War II era Generals of the Army was due to his rank being superior or because his appointment was earlier, in Washington's appointment by, General of the Armies of the United States was established as having "rank and precedence over all other grades of the Army, past or present," clearly making it superior to General of the Army.
Doctrines
Full-spectrum dominance
Education and training
United States military academies
United States military staff colleges
People
Awards and decorations of the United States military
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance
TRICARE - Health care plan for the U.S. uniformed services
Lists
List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
List of land vehicles of the U.S. Armed ForcesFurther Information
Get more info on 'United States Armed Forces'.
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