
responsible for land-based military
operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services
. The modern army has its roots in the Continental Army
which was formed on 14 June 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War
. The Congress of the Confederation
officially created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 after the end of the Revolutionary War to replace the disbanded Continental Army.
1775 American Revolutionary War: the Continental Army is established by the Continental Congress, marking the birth of the United States Army.
1789 The United States Department of War first establishes a regular army with a strength of several hundred men.
1806 Pike expedition: United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike begins an expedition from Fort Bellefontaine near St. Louis, Missouri, to explore the west.
1835 Osceola leads his Seminole warriors in Florida into the Second Seminole War against the United States Army.
1856 American Old West: On the Sonoita River in present-day southern Arizona, the United States Army establishes Fort Buchanan in order to help control new land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase.
1861 American Civil War: Baltimore riot of 1861, a pro-Secession mob in Baltimore, Maryland, attacks United States Army troops marching through the city.
1861 American Civil War: Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the United States Army in order to command the forces of the state of Virginia.
1861 The United States Army abolishes flogging.
1861 American Civil War: Citing failing health, Union General Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the United States Army.
1873 A group of Modoc warriors defeat the United States Army in the First Battle of the Stronghold, a part of the Modoc War.
responsible for land-based military
operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services
. The modern army has its roots in the Continental Army
which was formed on 14 June 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War
. The Congress of the Confederation
officially created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 after the end of the Revolutionary War to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The army considers itself to be descended from the Continental Army and thus dates its inception from the origins of that force.
The primary mission of the army is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities ... in support of the National Security and Defense Strategies." The Army is a military service within the Department of the Army
, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense
. The army is headed by the Secretary of the Army
, and the top military officer in the department is the Chief of Staff of the Army
. The highest ranking army officer is currently the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
. During fiscal year 2010, the Regular Army reported a strength of 561,979 soldiers; the Army National Guard
(ARNG) reported 362,015 and the United States Army Reserve
(USAR) reported 205,281 putting the combined component strength total at 1,129,275 soldiers.
Mission
The United States Army serves as the land-based branch of the U.S. military. §3062 of Title 10 US Code defines the purpose of the army as:- preserving the peace and security and providing for the defense of the United States, the Commonwealths and possessions and any areas occupied by the United States
- supporting the national policies
- implementing the national objectives
- overcoming any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States
History
Origins
The Continental Armywas created on 14 June 1775 by the Continental Congress
as a unified army for the states to fight Great Britain
, with George Washington
appointed as its commander. The army was initially led by men who had served in the British Army or colonial militias and who brought much of British military heritage with them. As the Revolutionary War progressed, French aid, resources, and military thinking influenced the new army, while Prussian assistance and instructors, such as Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
, had a strong influence.
George Washington used the Fabian strategy
and used hit-and-run tactics
, hitting where the enemy was weakest, to wear down the British forces and their Hessian mercenary allies. Washington led victories against the British at Trenton
and Princeton
, and then turned south. With a decisive victory at Yorktown
, and the help of the French
, the Spanish and the Dutch
, the Continental Army prevailed against the British, and with the Treaty of Paris
, the independence of the United States was acknowledged.
After the war, though, the Continental Army was quickly disbanded as part of the American distrust of standing armies, and irregular state militias became the new nation's sole ground army, with the exception of a regiment
to guard the Western Frontier
and one battery of artillery guarding West Point's arsenal. However, because of continuing conflict with Native Americans
, it was soon realized that it was necessary to field a trained standing army. The first of these, the Legion of the United States
, was established in 1791 and disbanded in 1796.
19th century
The War of 1812, the second and last American war against Britain, was less successful than the Revolution had been. An invasion of Canada failed, and U.S. troops were unable to stop the British from burning the new capital of Washington, D.C.
. However, the Regular Army, under Generals Winfield Scott
and Jacob Brown
, proved they were professional and capable of defeating a British army in the Niagara campaign
of 1814. Two weeks after a treaty was signed, though, Andrew Jackson
defeated the British invasion of New Orleans
.
However this had little effect; as per the treaty both sides returned to the status quo
.
Between 1815 and 1860, a spirit of Manifest Destiny
was common in the U.S., and as settlers moved west the U.S. Army engaged in a long series of skirmishes and battles with Native Americans that the settlers uprooted. The U.S. Army also fought and won the Mexican–American War
(1846–1848), which was a defining event for both countries. The U.S. victory resulted in acquisition of territory that eventually became all or parts of the states of California
, Nevada
, Utah
, Colorado
, Arizona
, Wyoming
and New Mexico
.

was the most costly war for the U.S. in terms of casualties. After most states in the South seceded
to form the Confederate States of America
, CSA troops opened fire on the Union-held Fort Sumter
in Charleston, South Carolina
, starting the war. For the first two years Confederate forces solidly defeated the U.S. Army, but after the decisive battles of Gettysburg
in the east and Vicksburg in the west, combined with superior industrial might and numbers, Union troops
fought a brutal campaign through Confederate territory and the war ended with a Confederate surrender at Appomatox Courthouse in April 1865. The war remains the deadliest conflict in American history, resulting in the deaths of 620,000 soldiers. Based on 1860 census figures, 8% of all white
males aged 13 to 43 died in the war, including 6% in the North
and 18% in the South
.
Following the Civil War, the U.S. Army fought a long battle with Native Americans, who resisted U.S. expansion into the center of the continent. By the 1890s the U.S. saw itself as a potential international player. U.S. victories in the Spanish-American War
and the controversial and less well known Philippine-American War
, as well as U.S. intervention in Latin America
and the Boxer Rebellion
, gained America more land and power.
20th century

was having a civil war, peasant rebels fighting government soldiers. The army was deployed to American towns near the border to ensure safety to lives and property. In 1916, Pancho Villa
, a major rebel leader, attacked Columbus, New Mexico, prompting a U.S. intervention in Mexico
until February 7, 1917. They fought the rebels and the Mexican federal troops until 1918. The United States
joined World War I
in 1917 on the side of Britain
, France
, Russia
, and other allies
. U.S. troops were sent to the front and were involved in the push that finally broke through the German lines. With the armistice in November 1918, the army once again decreased its forces.
The U.S. joined World War II
after the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor
. On the European front
, U.S. Army troops formed a significant portion of the forces that captured North Africa
and Sicily
. On D-Day
and in the subsequent liberation of Europe and defeat of Nazi Germany
, millions of U.S. Army troops played a central role. In the Pacific
, army soldiers participated alongside U.S. Marines in capturing the Pacific Islands
from Japanese control. Following the Axis
surrenders in May (Germany) and August (Japan) of 1945, army troops were deployed to Japan and Germany to occupy the two defeated nations. Two years after World War II, the Army Air Forces separated from the army to become the United States Air Force
in September 1947 after decades of attempting to separate. Also, in 1948 the army was desegregated
.
However, the end of World War II set the stage for the East-West confrontation known as the Cold War
. With the outbreak of the Korean War
, concerns over the defense of Western Europe rose. Two corps, V and VII, were reactivated under Seventh United States Army in 1950 and American strength in Europe rose from one division to four. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops remained stationed in West Germany, with others in Belgium
, the Netherlands
and the United Kingdom
, until the 1990s in anticipation of a possible Soviet attack.

forces in Korea and Vietnam
. The Korean War began in 1950, when the Soviets walked out of a U.N. Security meeting, removing their possible veto. Under a United Nations
umbrella, hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops fought to prevent the takeover of South Korea
by North Korea
, and later, to invade the northern nation. After repeated advances and retreats by both sides, and the PRC People's Volunteer Army
's entry into the war, the Korean Armistice Agreement returned the peninsula to the status quo in 1953.

is often regarded as a low point in the army's record due to the use of drafted personnel, the unpopularity of the war with the American public, and frustrating restrictions placed on the army by US political leaders. While American forces had been stationed in the Republic of Vietnam
since 1959, in intelligence & advising/training roles, they did not deploy in large numbers until 1965, after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident
. American forces effectively established and maintained control of the "traditional" battlefield, however they struggled to counter the guerrilla hit and run tactics of the communist Viet Cong
and the North Vietnamese Army
. On a tactical level, American soldiers (and the US military as a whole) did not lose a sizable battle.
The Total Force Policy was adopted by Chief of Staff of the Army General Creighton Abrams
in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and involves treating the three components of the army – the Regular Army
, the Army National Guard
and the Army Reserve
as a single force. Believing that no U.S. president should be able to take the United States (and more specifically the US Army) to war without the support of the American people, General Abrams intertwined the structure of the three components of the army in such a way as to make extended operations impossible, without the involvement of both the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.
The 1980s was mostly a decade of reorganization. The army converted to an all-volunteer force with greater emphasis on training and technology. The Goldwater-Nichols Act
of 1986 created Unified Combatant Command
s bringing the army together with the other four military under unified, geographically organized command structures. The army also played a role in the invasions of Grenada
in 1983 (Operation Urgent Fury
) and Panama
in 1989 (Operation Just Cause).
By 1989 Germany was nearing reunification
and the Cold War was coming to a close. The army leadership reacted by starting to plan for a reduction in strength. By November 1989 Pentagon briefers were laying out plans to reduce Army endstrength by 23%, from 750,000 to 580,000. A number of incentives such as early retirement were used. In 1990 Iraq
invaded
its smaller neighbor, Kuwait
, and U.S. land forces, quickly deployed to assure the protection of Saudi Arabia
. In January 1991 Operation Desert Storm commenced, a U.S.-led coalition which deployed over 500,000 troops, the bulk of them from U.S. Army formations, to drive out Iraqi forces
. The campaign ended in total victory, as Western coalition forces routed the Iraqi Army
, organized along Soviet lines, in just one hundred hours.
After Desert Storm, the army did not see major combat operations for the remainder of the 1990s but did participate in a number of peacekeeping activities. In 1990 the Department of Defense issued guidance for "rebalancing" after a review of the Total Force Policy, but in 2004, Air War College
scholars concluded the guidance would reverse the Total Force Policy which is an "essential ingredient to the successful application of military force."
21st century
After the September 11 attacks, and as part of the Global War on Terror, U.S. and NATO combined arms
(i.e. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Special Operations) forces invaded Afghanistan
in 2001, displacing the Taliban government.
The army led the combined U.S. and allied Invasion of Afghanistan
in 2001, and Iraq
in 2003. In the following years the mission changed from conflict between regular militaries to counterinsurgency, with large numbers of suicide attack
s resulting in the deaths of more than 4,000 U.S service members (as of March 2008) and injuries to thousands more. The lack of stability in the theater of operations has led to longer deployments for Regular Army as well as Reserve and Guard troops
The army's chief modernization plan was the FCS program
. Many systems were canceled and the remaining were swept into the BCT modernization program
Organization

Army components

which were raised independently by various state governments. States also maintained full time militia
s which could also be called into the service of the army.
By the twentieth century, the U.S. Army had mobilized the U.S. Volunteers on four separate occasions during each of the major wars of the nineteenth century. During World War I
, the "National Army" was organized to fight the conflict, replacing the concept of U.S. Volunteers. It was demobilized at the end of World War I, and was replaced by the Regular Army, the Organized Reserve Corps, and the State Militias. In the 1920s and 1930s, the "career" soldiers were known as the "Regular Army" with the "Enlisted Reserve Corps" and "Officer Reserve Corps" augmented to fill vacancies when needed.
In 1941, the "Army of the United States
" was founded to fight World War II
. The Regular Army, Army of the United States, the National Guard, and Officer/Enlisted Reserve Corps (ORC and ERC) existed simultaneously. After World War II, the ORC and ERC were combined into the United States Army Reserve
. The Army of the United States was re-established for the Korean War
and Vietnam War
and was demobilized upon the suspension of the Draft
.
Currently, the army is divided into the Regular Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard. The army is also divided into major branches such as Air Defense Artillery, Infantry, Aviation, Signal Corps, Corps of Engineers, and Armor. Prior to 1903 members of the National Guard were considered state soldiers unless federalized by the President. Since the Militia Act of 1903
all National Guard soldiers have held dual status: as National Guardsmen under the authority of the governor of their state and as a reserve of the U.S. Army under the authority of the President.
Since the adoption of the total force policy, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, reserve component soldiers have taken a more active role in U.S. military operations. Reserve and Guard units took part in the Gulf War
, peacekeeping in Kosovo
, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
Various State Defense Forces
also exist, sometimes known as State Militias, which are sponsored by individual state governments and serve as an auxiliary to the National Guard. Except in times of extreme national emergency, such as a mainland invasion
of the United States, State Militias are operated independently from the U.S. Army and are seen as state government agencies rather than a component of the military.
Although the present-day army exists as an all volunteer force, augmented by Reserve and National Guard forces, measures exist for emergency expansion in the event of a catastrophic occurrence, such as a large scale attack against the U.S. or the outbreak of a major global war
.
The final stage of army mobilization, known as "activation of the unorganized militia" would effectively place all able bodied men in the service of the U.S. Army. The last time an approximation of this occurred was during the American Civil War
when the Confederate States of America
activated the "Home Guard" in 1865, drafting all males, regardless of age or health, into the Confederate Army.
Army commands and army service component commands
Army commands | Current commander | Location of headquarters |
---|---|---|
United States Army Forces Command United States Army Forces Command United States Army Forces Command is the largest Army Command and the preeminent provider of expeditionary, campaign-capable land forces to Combatant Commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM consists of more than 750,000 Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National... (FORSCOM) |
GEN David M. Rodriguez David M. Rodriguez David M. Rodriguez is a United States Army general who currently serves as the Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command. He previously served as Commander, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command and Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces - Afghanistan from March 2010 to July 11, 2011... |
Fort Bragg, North Carolina |
United States Army Training and Doctrine Command United States Army Training and Doctrine Command Established 1 July 1973, the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command is an army command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces, the development of operational doctrine, and the development and procurement of... (TRADOC) |
GEN Robert W. Cone Robert W. Cone Robert William Cone is a United States Army four-star general and is currently the Commanding General of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. He assumed command of TRADOC on 29 April 2011... |
Fort Monroe Fort Monroe Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula... , Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
United States Army Materiel Command (AMC) | GEN Ann E. Dunwoody Ann E. Dunwoody General Ann Elizabeth Dunwoody, USA , is the current Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command. She previously served as Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command from June 17, 2008 to November 13, 2008. On June 23, 2008, U.S. President George W. Bush nominated her to serve as the... |
Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations... , Virginia |
Army service component commands | Current commander | Location of headquarters |
United States Army Africa United States Army Africa United States Army Africa , formerly known as the Southern European Task Force ', is the United States Army component command of United States Africa Command... (USARAF) |
MG David R. Hogg David R. Hogg Major General David R. Hogg is the Commanding General of United States Army Africa .In his current assignment, Major General Hogg is the senior U.S. Army officer in Italy and commands the Army Component to United States Africa Command... |
Vicenza Vicenza Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
United States Army Central United States Army Central United States Army Central is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and is also dual-hatted as the "United States Third Army". It is the Army Component of U.S... (ARCENT) / US Third Army |
LTG Vincent K. Brooks | Shaw Air Force Base Shaw Air Force Base Shaw Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina. It is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command... , South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence... |
United States Army North United States Army North United States Army North, or the Fifth Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army. It is responsible for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities as the joint force land component command of United States Northern Command.-History:The Fifth United States... (ARNORTH) / US Fifth Army |
LTG Guy C. Swan III Guy C. Swan III Lieutenant General Guy Carleton Swan III of the United States Army is the Commanding General United States Army North , based out of Fort Sam Houston, Texas.... |
Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command .... , Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
United States Army South United States Army South United States Army South is the Army's service component command of United States Southern Command whose area of focus includes 31 nations and 10 territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.-Mission:... (ARSOUTH) / US Sixth Army |
MG Simeon Trombitas | Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command .... , Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
United States Army Europe United States Army Europe United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe.-Invasion of Sicily:... USAREUR) / US Seventh Army |
LTG Mark Hertling Mark Hertling Lieutenant General Mark Phillip Hertling, USA is the Commanding General, US Army Europe and Seventh Army. In that role, he is the Commander of the approximately 42,000 US Army forces assigned to Europe, and he is the Army Component Commander of US European Command... |
Campbell Barracks Campbell Barracks Campbell Barracks, in Heidelberg, Germany, is the location of the Headquarters of the United States Army in Europe and Seventh Army Campbell Barracks, in Heidelberg, Germany, is the location of the Headquarters of the United States Army in Europe and Seventh Army Campbell Barracks, in Heidelberg,... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) | LTG Francis J. Wiercinski | Fort Shafter Fort Shafter Fort Shafter is in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, extending up the interfluve between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain at Māpunapuna. Fort Shafter is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of U.S. Army forces in... , Hawaii |
United States Army Special Operations Command United States Army Special Operations Command The United States Army Special Operations Command is the command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Forces... (USASOC) |
LTG John F. Mulholland, Jr. | Fort Bragg Fort Bragg (North Carolina) Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate... . North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Surface Deployment and Distribution Command SDDC provides ocean terminal, commercial ocean liner service and traffic management services to deploy, sustain and redeploy U.S. forces on a global basis. The command is responsible for surface transportation and is the interface between DOD shippers and the commercial transportation carrier... (SDDC) |
MG Kevin Leonard | Scott AFB, Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command is a specialized major command within the United States Army. The command was established in 1997... /United States Army Strategic (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) |
LTG Richard P. Formica | Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area... , Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... |
Field army headquarters | Current commander | Location of headquarters |
Eighth United States Army (EUSA) | LTG John D. Johnson | Yongsan Garrison Yongsan Garrison United States Army Garrison Yongsan is located in Seoul, South Korea and is home to the headquarters for the U.S. military presence in Korea, known as United States Forces Korea , as well as the headquarters for the Eighth United States Army and Installation Management Command Korea Region... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
Direct reporting units | Current commander | Location of headquarters |
United States Army Medical Command United States Army Medical Command The U.S. Army Medical Command is a major command of the U.S. Army that provides command and control of the Army's fixed-facility medical, dental, and veterinary treatment facilities, providing preventive care, medical research and development and training institutions.MEDCOM is commanded by the... (MEDCOM) |
LTG Eric Schoomaker Eric Schoomaker Lieutenant General Eric B. Schoomaker, United States Army is the 42nd Surgeon General of the United States Army and Commanding General, United States Army Medical Command, and a practicing hematologist. He previously served as Commanding General, North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter... |
Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command .... , Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
United States Army Intelligence and Security Command United States Army Intelligence and Security Command The United States Army Intelligence and Security Command is a direct reporting unit that conducts intelligence, security, and information operations for U.S. Army commanders and national decision makers. INSCOM is both an organization within the United States Army and the National Security Agency,... (INSCOM) |
MG Mary A. Legere | Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations... , Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
United States Army Criminal Investigation Command U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command United States Army Criminal Investigation Command investigates felony crimes and serious violations of military law within the United States Army... (USACIDC) |
MG David E. Quantock David E. Quantock Major General David E. Quantock is the United States Army Provost Marshal General and Commander of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command.-Abu Ghraib:... |
Quantico Quantico Quantico may refer to:* Quantico , a 2005 science fiction/thriller novel by Greg Bear* Quantico, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Wicomico County, Maryland, United States... , Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
United States Army Corps of Engineers United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency... (USACE) |
LTG Merdith W.B. Temple Merdith W.B. Temple Merdith W.B. Temple, sometimes called "Bo" Temple, is an American military officer who as Major general is currently the Acting Chief of Engineers of the United States Army United States Army Corps of Engineers. Temple is a career military engineer, and previously served as Deputy Commanding... |
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
United States Army Military District of Washington (MDW) | MG Michael S. Linnington | Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
United States Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) | MG Genaro Dellarocco | Alexandria Alexandria Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving... , Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
United States Military Academy United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City... (USMA) |
LTG David H. Huntoon | West Point West Point, New York West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census... , New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
United States Army Reserve United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army.... Command (USARC) |
LTG Jack C. Stultz Jack C. Stultz Lieutenant General Jack C. Stultz, Jr. is the current Commanding General of the United States Army Reserve.-Biography:Jack Calvin Stultz, Jr. was born in Dillon, South Carolina. He attended Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He... |
Fort Bragg, North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
United States Army Installation Management Command United States Army Installation Management Command The United States Army Installation Management Command supports the United States Army's warfighting mission by providing standardized, effective & efficient services, facilities and infrastructure to Soldiers, Civilians and Families for an Army and Nation engaged in persistent conflict... (IMCOM) |
LTG Rick Lynch | Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command .... , Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
IMCOM Subordinate: United States Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command United States Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command The United States Army's Family and MWR Programs is a military organization whose primary mission is to provide the United States Army with programs that fulfill and support the Army Family Covenant... (FMWRC) |
MG Reuben D. Jones Reuben D. Jones Reuben D. Jones is a United States Army major general who served as the Commanding General, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command from July 30, 2009, until the command was deactivated on June 3, 2011.... |
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as... |
United States Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) / US Second Army | LTG Rhett Hernandez | Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations... , Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
Source: U.S. Army organization
Structure
The United States Army is made up of three components: the active component, the Regular Army; and two reserve components, the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve. Both reserve components are primarily composed of part-time soldiers who train once a month, known as Battle Assemblyor Unit Training Assemblies (UTAs), and conduct two to three weeks of annual training each year. Both the Regular Army and the Army Reserve are organized under Title 10
of the United States Code
, while the National Guard is organized under Title 32
. While the Army National Guard is organized, trained and equipped as a component of the U.S. Army, when it is not in federal service it is under the command of individual state and territorial governors; the District of Columbia National Guard, however, reports to the U.S. President, not the District's Mayor, even when not federalized. Any or all of the National Guard
can be federalized by presidential order and against the governor's wishes.

, who has the statutory authority to conduct all the affairs of the army; under the authority, direction and control of the Secretary of Defense
. The Chief of Staff of the Army
who is the highest ranked military officer in the army has dual roles; one as the principal military adviser and executive agent for the Secretary of the Army, i.e. its service chief; and secondly as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
, a body composed of the service chiefs from each of the four military services belonging to the Department of Defense who advise the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council
on operational military matters, under the guidance of the Chairman
and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
.
In 1986, the Goldwater-Nichols Act
mandated that operational control of the services follows a chain of command from the President to the Secretary of Defense directly to the Unified Combatant Command
ers, who have control of all armed forces units in their geographic or function area of responsibility. Thus, the Secretaries of the military departments (and their respective service chiefs underneath them) only have the responsibility to organize, train and equip their service components. The army provides trained forces to the combatant commanders for use as directed by the Secretary of Defense.
Through 2013, the army is shifting to six geographical commands that will line up with the six geographical Unified Combatant Commands (COCOM):
- United States Army Central headquartered at Shaw Air Force BaseShaw Air Force BaseShaw Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina. It is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command...
, South Carolina - United States Army North headquartered at Fort Sam HoustonFort Sam HoustonFort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... - United States Army SouthUnited States Army SouthUnited States Army South is the Army's service component command of United States Southern Command whose area of focus includes 31 nations and 10 territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.-Mission:...
headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, Texas - United States Army Europe headquartered at Campbell BarracksCampbell BarracksCampbell Barracks, in Heidelberg, Germany, is the location of the Headquarters of the United States Army in Europe and Seventh Army Campbell Barracks, in Heidelberg, Germany, is the location of the Headquarters of the United States Army in Europe and Seventh Army Campbell Barracks, in Heidelberg,...
, Germany - United States Army PacificUnited States Army Pacific CommandUnited States Army Pacific is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and is the army component unit of the United States Pacific Command, except for units in Korea. The main areas that this command has jurisdiction in include Hawaii, Alaska, the Pacific Ocean, and Japan...
headquartered at Fort ShafterFort ShafterFort Shafter is in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, extending up the interfluve between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain at Māpunapuna. Fort Shafter is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of U.S. Army forces in...
, Hawaii (eventually to be merged with the Eighth Army). - United States Army AfricaUnited States Army AfricaUnited States Army Africa , formerly known as the Southern European Task Force ', is the United States Army component command of United States Africa Command...
headquartered at VicenzaVicenzaVicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
, Italy
The army is also changing its base unit from divisions
to brigade
s. When finished, the active army will have increased its combat brigades from 33 to 48, with similar increases in the National Guard and Reserve forces. Division lineage will be retained, but the divisional HQs will be able to command any brigades, not just brigades that carry their divisional lineage. The central part of this plan is that each brigade will be modular, i.e. all brigades of the same type will be exactly the same, and thus any brigade can be commanded by any division. There will be three major types of ground combat brigades:
- Heavy brigades will have around 3,700 troops and be equivalent to a mechanized infantryMechanized infantryMechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
or tankTankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
brigade. - Stryker brigades will have around 3,900 troops and be based on the Stryker family of vehicles.
- Infantry brigades will have around 3,300 troops and be equivalent to a light infantry or airborne brigade.
In addition, there are combat support and service support modular brigades. Combat support brigades include Aviation
brigades, which will come in heavy and light varieties, Fires
(artillery) brigades, and Battlefield Surveillance
brigades. Combat service support
brigades include Sustainment
brigades and come in several varieties and serve the standard support role in an army.
Regular combat maneuver organizations

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, with four additional brigades scheduled to activate by 2013, with a total increase of 74,200 soldiers from January 2007. Each division will have four ground maneuver brigades, and will also include at least one aviation brigade as well as a fires brigade and a service support brigade. Additional brigades can be assigned or attached to a division headquarters based on its mission.
Within the Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve there are a further eight divisions, over fifteen maneuver brigades, additional combat support and combat service support brigades, and independent cavalry, infantry, artillery, aviation, engineer, and support battalions. The Army Reserve in particular provide virtually all psychological operations and civil affairs units.
Name | Headquarters | Subunits |
---|---|---|
1st Armored Division 1st Armored Division (United States) The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S... |
Fort Bliss Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the... , Texas |
2nd and 4th Heavy Brigade Combat Teams, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bliss Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the... . The 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade will arrive at Biggs Army Airfield Biggs Army Airfield Biggs Army Airfield or Biggs AAF is a military airport located at Fort Bliss near El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, in the United States. The airfield was previously Biggs Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command installation, between 1947 and 1966. The U.S. Army began operations supporting Ft... on Fort Bliss sometime in 2011. |
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Fort Hood, Texas Fort Hood, Texas Fort Hood is a United States military post located outside of Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. It islocated halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas.... |
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Heavy Brigade Combat Teams and Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Hood. |
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Fort Riley, Kansas | 1st and 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Teams, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Riley, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Knox, Kentucky. |
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Camp Red Cloud Camp Red Cloud Camp Red Cloud is a United States Army camp located in the city of Uijeongbu, between Seoul and the Korean Demilitarized Zone . The installation was renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr... , South Korea |
1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team and Combat Aviation Brigade at Camp Casey Camp Casey, South Korea Camp Casey is an American military camp in Dongducheon , South Korea, north of Seoul, South Korea. Camp Casey was named in 1952 after Major Hugh Boyd Casey, who was killed in an airplane crash near Camp Casey during the Korean War. Camp Casey is one of several U.S. Army bases in South Korea near... and Camp Humphreys Camp Humphreys Camp Humphreys or USAG-H is a medium-sized United States Army garrison located near Anjeong-ri and south of Pyeongtaek metropolitan area in South Korea. Camp Humphreys is located 55 miles south of Seoul and is one of the U.S. Army's fastest growing installations... , South Korea, and 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs) at Fort Lewis, Washington. |
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Fort Stewart, Georgia | 1st and 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Teams and 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart, Georgia, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Combat Aviation Brigade at Hunter Army Airfield Hunter Army Airfield Hunter Army Airfield , located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart.Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet long and an aircraft parking area that is more than 350 acres... , Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... . |
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Fort Carson, Colorado Fort Carson, Colorado Fort Carson is a United States Army installation located near Colorado Springs, primarily in El Paso County, Colorado. It is north of Pueblo, Colorado in Pueblo County. The 137,000 acre installation extends south into Pueblo and Fremont counties... |
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Teams and 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Carson, Colorado. Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas Fort Hood, Texas Fort Hood is a United States military post located outside of Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. It islocated halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas.... until 2011. |
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Fort Drum, New York | 1st, 2nd, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Teams and Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Drum and 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Polk, Louisiana Fort Polk Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana.... . |
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Schofield Barracks, Hawaii | 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Schofield Barracks, Combat Aviation Brigade at Wheeler Army Airfield Wheeler Army Airfield Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii... , 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and 4th Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Richardson, Alaska. |
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Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate... |
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Teams and Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bragg. |
![]() 101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the... |
Fort Campbell, Kentucky Fort Campbell, Kentucky Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee... |
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (Air Assault), 101st and 159th Combat Aviation Brigades at Fort Campbell. |
![]() 170th Infantry Brigade (United States) The of the United States Army was reestablished 15 July 2009 at US Army Garrison Baumholder in Germany as part of the Grow the Army plan. The 170th Infantry Brigade was formed by reflagging the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. The soldiers and equipment will remain in place but the 2d Brigade... |
Baumholder, Germany | Two mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat .... battalions, one M1A1 Abrams battalion, one self-propelled 155mm field artillery battalion, one combat engineer battalion. |
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Grafenwöhr, Germany Grafenwöhr Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt , in the region of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army military installation and training area, called Grafenwöhr Training Area, located directly south and west of the town.- Early History:The... |
Two mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat .... battalions, one M1A1 Abrams battalion, one self-propelled 155mm field artillery battalion, one combat engineer battalion. |
![]() 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team is an airborne infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy... |
Vicenza, Italy | Two airborne infantry battalions, one cavalry squadron, one airborne field artillery battalion, stationed in Vicenza Vicenza Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione... . One special troops battalion, and one support battalion stationed at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany Warner Barracks are a military base of the United States Army in the city of Bamberg, southern Germany. The base has been occupied by American forces since the end of World War II. Elements of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and 45th Infantry Division entered the town on 13 and 14 April 1945... . |
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Vilseck Vilseck Vilseck is a town in the Oberpfalz region of northeastern Bavaria, Germany situated on the river Vils, a tributary of the Naab river.The town is geographically separate from a nearby large American military base known as the Rose Barracks but more commonly referred to as Vilseck... , Germany |
6 subordinate Squadrons: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (Stryker Infantry), 4th (Recon, Surveillance, Target Acquisition), Fires (3x6 155mm towed artillery), and Regimental Support Squadron (Logistical Support); 5 Separate Troops: Regimental Headquarters Troop, Military Intelligence Troop, Signal Troop, Engineer Troop, and Anti-Armor Troop. |
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Fort Hood, Texas Fort Hood, Texas Fort Hood is a United States military post located outside of Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. It islocated halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas.... |
6 subordinate Squadrons: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (Stryker Infantry), 4th (Recon, Surveillance, Target Acquisition), Fires (3x6 155mm towed artillery), and Regimental Support Squadron (Logistical Support); 5 Separate Troops: Regimental Headquarters Troop, Military Intelligence Troop, Signal Troop, Engineer Troop, and Anti-Armor Troop. |
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Fort Irwin, California | Serves as the Opposing Force (OPFOR) at the National Training Center (NTC). Multi-compo Generating Force HBCT. |
Special Operations Forces
US Army Special Operations Command (Airborne):Name | Headquarters | Structure and purpose |
---|---|---|
Special Forces (Green Berets) | Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate... |
Seven groups (five active, two national guard) capable of unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism. |
John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School | Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate... |
Entry-level and advanced selection, education and training for Special Forces, Civil Affairs and Military Information Support Operations Soldiers. Advanced skills include regional and language education, and sniper, combat diving and high-altitude, low-opening training. Home of the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center, Special Forces Warrant Officer Institute and David K. Thuma Noncommissioned Officer Academy. |
![]() 75th Ranger Regiment (United States) The 75th Ranger Regiment , also known as Rangers, is a Special Operations light infantry unit of the United States Army. The Regiment is headquartered in Fort Benning, Georgia with battalions in Fort Benning, Hunter Army Airfield and Joint Base Lewis-McChord... (Rangers) |
Fort Benning, Georgia | Three battalions of elite airborne infantry specializing in direct action raids. |
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Fort Campbell, Kentucky Fort Campbell, Kentucky Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee... |
Four battalions, providing helicopter aviation support for general purpose forces and Special Operations Forces. |
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Fort Bragg, North Carolina | Psychological operations unit, three battalions. |
8th Military Information Support Group 8th Military Information Support Group The 8th Military Information Support Group or 8th MISG is one of the United States Army's active military information support operations units alongside with the 4th Military Information Support Group. The unit was activated 26.08.2011. The activation ceremony was held on Meadows Field at the... |
Fort Bragg, North Carolina | Psychological operations unit, three battalions. |
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Fort Bragg, North Carolina | Four battalions. |
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Fort Bragg, North Carolina | |
1st SFOD-D (Delta Force) | Fort Bragg, North Carolina | Elite special operations and counter-terrorism unit. Its operators are chosen primarily from the Special Forces Groups and the Ranger Regiment. |
Personnel
These are the U.S. Army ranks in use today and their equivalent NATO designations.Commissioned Officers:
US DoD Pay Grade | O-1 | O-2 | O-3 | O-4 | O-5 | O-6 | O-7 | O-8 | O-9 | O-10 | Special |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Title | Second Lieutenant | First Lieutenant | Captain | Major Major (United States) In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel... |
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel (United States) In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay... |
Colonel Colonel (United States) In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general... |
Brigadier General Brigadier general (United States) A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed... |
Major General Major general (United States) In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general... |
Lieutenant General Lieutenant General (United States) In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general... |
General General (United States) In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an... |
General of the Army General of the Army (United States) General of the Army is a five-star general officer and is the second highest possible rank in the United States Army. A special rank of General of the Armies, which ranks above General of the Army, does exist but has only been conferred twice in the history of the Army... |
Abbreviation | 2LT | 1LT | CPT | MAJ | LTC | COL | BG | MG | LTG | GEN | GA |
NATO Code | OF-1 | OF-1 | OF-2 | OF-3 | OF-4 | OF-5 | OF-6 | OF-7 | OF-8 | OF-9 | OF-10 |
Warrant Officers:
US DoD pay grade | W-1 | W-2 | W-3 | W-4 | W-5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Title | Warrant Officer 1 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 | Chief Warrant Officer 3 | Chief Warrant Officer 4 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 |
Abbreviation | WO1 | CW2 | CW3 | CW4 | CW5 |
NATO Code | WO-1 | WO-2 | WO-3 | WO-4 | WO-5 |
Enlisted Personnel
:
US DoD Pay grade | E-1 | E-2 | E-3 | E-4 | E-5 | E-6 | E-7 | E-8 | E-9 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insignia | No Insignia | ![]() |
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Title | Private | Private | Private First Class |
Specialist Specialist (rank) Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers... |
Corporal | Sergeant | Staff Sergeant |
Sergeant First Class Sergeant First Class Sergeant First Class is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is the first senior non-commissioned officer rank... |
Master Sergeant |
First Sergeant |
Sergeant Major |
Command Sergeant Major |
Sergeant Major of the Army Sergeant Major of the Army The Sergeant Major of the Army is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Army. The holder of this rank is the most senior enlisted member of the Army, unless an Army NCO is serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, when in that case that NCO will be the most senior... |
Abbreviation | PVT ¹ | PV2 ¹ | PFC | SPC ² | CPL | SGT | SSG | SFC | MSG | 1SG | SGM | CSM | SMA |
NATO Code | OR-1 | OR-2 | OR-3 | OR-4 | OR-4 | OR-5 | OR-6 | OR-7 | OR-8 | OR-8 | OR-9 | OR-9 | OR-9 |
¹ PVT is also used as an abbreviation for both Private ranks when pay grade need not be distinguished ² SP4 is sometimes encountered in lieu of SPC for Specialist. This is a holdover from when there were additional specialist ranks at higher pay grades. |
Training
Training in the United States Army is generally divided into two categories – individual and collective.Basic training
consists of 10 weeks for most recruits followed by AIT (Advanced Individualized Training) where they receive training for their MOS (Military Occupational Specialties) with the length of AIT school varying by the MOS, some individuals MOS's range anywhere from 14–20 weeks of One Station Unit Training,(OSUT) which combines basic and AIT. The length of time spent in AIT depends on the MOS of the soldier. Depending on the needs of the Army BCT is conducted at a number of locations, but two of the longest-running are the Armor School and the Infantry School
, both at Fort Benning
, Georgia. Following these basic and advanced training schools, soldiers may opt to continue with their training and apply for an "ASI" which stands for "Additional Skill Identifier". The ASI allows the Army to take a wide ranging MOS and taper it into a more unique MOS. For instance, take a combat medic whose duties are to provide pre-hospital emergency care. With an ASI the medic can receive additional training and become a Cardiovascular Specialist, a Dialysis Specialist or even a Licensed Practical Nurse. For officers this training includes pre-commissioning training either at USMA, ROTC, or OCS
. After commissioning, officers undergo branch specific training at the Basic Officer Leaders Course, (formerly called Officer Basic Course) which varies in time and location based on their future jobs. Further career development is available through the Army Correspondence Course Program
.
Collective training takes place both at the unit's assigned station, but the most intensive collective training takes place at the three Combat Training Centers (CTC); the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California, the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk
, Louisiana, and the Joint Multinational Training Center (JMRC) at the Hohenfels Training Area in Hohenfels
, Germany.
Equipment
The U.S. Army is currently investing more in developing and procuring better equipment for its infantry instead of vehicles for its mounted units.Weapons
Individual weaponsThe army employs various individual weapons to provide light firepower at short ranges. The most common weapons used by the army are the compact variant, of the M-16 Rifle, the M4 carbine
, The primary sidearm in the U.S. Army is the 9 mm M9 pistol
,.
Many units are supplemented with a variety of specialized weapons, including the M249 SAW (squad automatic weapon), to provide suppressive fire at the fire-team level. Indirect fire is provided by the M203 grenade launcher
. The M1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun
or the Mossberg 590 Shotgun are for door breaching
and close-quarters combat. The M14EBR for long-range marksmen, and the M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle, the M24 Sniper Weapon System, or the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle for snipers. Hand grenade
s, such as the M67 fragmentation grenade
and M18 smoke grenade
, are also used.
Crew served weapons
The army employs various crew-served weapons to provide heavy firepower at ranges exceeding that of individual weapons.
The M240 is the army's standard medium machine gun. The M2 heavy machine gun is generally used as a vehicle-mounted machine gun. In the same way, the 40 mm MK 19 grenade machine gun
is mainly used by motorized units.
The army uses three types of mortar
for indirect fire support when heavier artillery may not be appropriate or available. The smallest of these is the 60 mm M224
, normally assigned at the infantry company level. At the next higher echelon, infantry battalions are typically supported by a section of 81 mm M252 mortar
s. The largest mortar in the army's inventory is the 120 mm M120/M121, usually employed by mechanized units.
Fire support for light infantry units is provided by towed howitzers, including the 105 mm M119A1
and the 155 mm M777
(which will replace the M198
).
The army utilizes a variety of direct-fire rockets and missiles to provide infantry with an anti-armor capability. The SMAW
and AT4
are unguided rockets that can destroy armor and bunkers at ranges up to 500 meters. The FIM-92 Stinger
is a shoulder-launched, heat seeking anti-aircraft missile. The FGM-148 Javelin
and BGM-71 TOW
are anti-tank guided missiles.
Vehicles
The army's most common vehicle is the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), commonly called the Humvee, which is capable of serving as a cargo/troop carrier, weapons platform, and ambulance, among many other roles. While they operate a wide variety of combat support vehicles, one of the most common types centers on the family of HEMTT vehicles. The M1A2 Abramsis the Army's main battle tank
, while the M2A3 Bradley
is the standard infantry fighting vehicle
. Other vehicles include the M3A3 Bradley
, the Stryker
, and the M113
armored personnel carrier, and multiple types of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected
(MRAP) vehicles.
The U.S. Army's principal artillery
weapons are the M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer and the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
(MLRS), both mounted on tracked platforms and assigned to heavy mechanized units.
While the U.S. Army operates a few fixed-wing aircraft, it mainly operates several types of rotary-wing aircraft. These include the AH-64 Apache
attack helicopter
, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
armed reconnaissance/light attack helicopter, the UH-60 Black Hawk utility tactical transport helicopter, and the CH-47 Chinook
heavy-lift transport helicopter.
Fixed wing aircraft used by the US Army are for non-front line combat and light transport roles. The army relies on the United States Air Force
for airlift capabilities.
Uniforms

The Army Combat Uniform
(ACU) features a digital camouflage pattern and is designed for use in woodland, desert, and urban environments. Soldiers operating in Afghanistan will soon be issued a fire-resistant ACU with the more appropriate "MultiCam
" pattern.
The standard garrison service uniform is known as Army Greens or Class-As and has been worn by all officers and enlisted personnel since its introduction in 1956 when it replaced earlier olive drab (OD) and khaki (and tan worsted or TW) uniforms worn between the 1950s and 1985. The Army Blue uniform, dating back to the mid-19th century, is currently the Army's formal dress uniform, but in 2014, it will replace the Army Green and the Army White uniforms (a uniform similar to the Army Green uniform, but worn in tropical postings) and will become the new Army Service Uniform
, which will function as both a garrison uniform (when worn with a white shirt and necktie) and a dress uniform (when worn with a white shirt and either a necktie for parades or a bow tie for after six or black tie events). The beret (having been permanently replaced with the Patrol Cap) is no longer worn with the new ACU for garrison duty. After years of complaints that it wasn't suited well for most work conditions, Army Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey eliminated it for wear with the ACU in June 2011 with exception to soldiers who are currently in an Airborne unit (maroon beret), Rangers (tan beret), and Special Forces (green beret) and with the Army Service Uniform for non-ceremonial functions. Unit commanders may still direct the wear of patrol caps in these units in training environments or motorpools.
Personal armor
in most units is the Interceptor body armor
and the Advanced Combat Helmet
.
Tents
The army has relied heavily on tents to provide the various facilities they need while on deployment. The most common tent uses for the military are temporary barracks (sleeping quarters), DFAC buildings (dining facilities), Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), After Action Review (AAR), Tactical Operations Center (TOC), Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) facilities, and security checkpoints. Furthermore, most of these tents are set up and operated through the support of Natick Soldier Systems Center.
The U.S. military is beginning to use a more modern tent called the deployable rapid assembly shelter
or DRASH. In 2008, DRASH
became part of the Army's Standard Integrated Command Post System.
Branch establishment
The U.S. Army was officially founded on 14 June 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year. Each branch of the army has a different branch insignia.Basic branches
- Infantry, 14 June 1775
Ten companies of riflemen were authorized by a resolution of the Continental Congress on 14 June 1775. However, the oldest Regular Army infantry
regiment, the 3rd Infantry Regiment, was constituted on 3 June 1784, as the First American Regiment.
- Adjutant General's Corps, 16 June 1775
The post of Adjutant General was established 16 June 1775, and has been continuously in operation since that time. The Adjutant General's Department, by that name, was established by the act of 3 March 1812, and was redesignated the Adjutant General's Corps in 1950.
- Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of EngineersThe United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
, 16 June 1775
Continental Congress authority for a "Chief Engineer for the Army
" dates from 16 June 1775. A corps of engineers for the United States was authorized by the Congress on 11 March 1789. The Corps of Engineers as it is known today came into being on 16 March 1802, when the President was authorized to "organize and establish a Corps of Engineers … that the said Corps … shall be stationed at West Point in the State of New York and shall constitute a Military Academy." A Corps of Topographical Engineers
, authorized on 4 July 1838, was merged with the Corps of Engineers on March 1863.
- Finance CorpsFinance CorpsThe United States Army Finance Corps is a combat service support branch of the United States Army. The Finance Corps is the successor to the old Pay Department, which was created in June 1775. The Finance Department was created by law on 1 July 1920 . It became the Finance Corps in 1950. It is...
, 16 June 1775
The Finance Corps is the successor to the old Pay Department, which was created in June 1775. The Finance Department was created by law on 1 July 1920. It became the Finance Corps in 1950.
- Quartermaster Corps, 16 June 1775
The Quartermaster Corps, originally designated the Quartermaster Department, was established on 16 June 1775. While numerous additions, deletions, and changes of function have occurred, its basic supply and service support functions have continued in existence.
- Field Artillery, 17 November 1775
The Continental Congress unanimously elected Henry Knox
"Colonel of the Regiment of Artillery" on 17 November 1775. The regiment formally entered service on 1 January 1776.
- Armor, 12 June 1776
The armor branch traces its origin to the Cavalry. A regiment of cavalry was authorized to be raised by the Continental Congress Resolve of 12 December 1776. Although mounted units were raised at various times after the Revolution, the first in continuous service was the United States Regiment of Dragoons, organized in 1833. The Tank Service
was formed on 5 March 1918. The Armored Force was formed on 10 July 1940. Armor became a permanent branch of the army in 1950.
- Ordnance Corps, 14 May 1812
The Ordnance Department was established by act of Congress on 14 May 1812. During the Revolutionary War, ordnance material was under supervision of the Board of War and Ordnance. Numerous shifts in duties and responsibilities have occurred in the Ordnance Corps since colonial times. It acquired its present designation in 1950. Ordnance soldiers and officers provide maintenance and ammunition support.
- Signal Corps, 21 June 1860
The Signal Corps was authorized as a separate branch of the Army by act of Congress on 3 March 1863. However, the Signal Corps dates its existence from 21 June 1860, when Congress authorized the appointment of one signal officer in the army, and a War Department order carried the following assignment: "Signal Department--Assistant Surgeon Albert J. Myer
to be Signal Officer, with the rank of Major, 27 June 1860, to fill an original vacancy."
- Chemical Corps, 28 June 1918
The Chemical Warfare Service was established on 28 June 1918, combining activities that until then had been dispersed among five separate agencies of Government. It was made a permanent branch of the Regular Army by the National Defense Act of 1920. In 1945, it was re-designated the Chemical Corps.
- Military Police Corps, 26 September 1941
A Provost Marshal General's Office and Corps of Military Police were established in 1941. Prior to that time, except during the Civil War and World War I, there was no regularly appointed Provost Marshal General or regularly constituted Military Police Corps, although a "Provost Marshal" can be found as early as January 1776, and a "Provost Corps" as early as 1778.
- Transportation Corps, 31 July 1942
The historical background of the Transportation Corps starts with World War I. Prior to that time, transportation operations were chiefly the responsibility of the Quartermaster General. The Transportation Corps, essentially in its present form, was organized on 31 July 1942. The Transportation Corps is headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia
.
- Military Intelligence CorpsMilitary Intelligence Corps (United States Army)In the United States Armed Forces, Military Intelligence refers specifically to the intelligence components of the United States Army...
, 1 July 1962
Intelligence has been an essential element of army operations during war as well as during periods of peace. In the past, requirements were met by personnel from the Army Intelligence and Army Security Reserve branches, two-year obligated tour officers, one-tour levies on the various branches, and Regular Army officers in the specialization programs. To meet the army's increased requirement for national and tactical intelligence, an Intelligence and Security Branch
was established effective 1 July 1962, by General Order No. 38, on 3 July 1962. On 1 July 1967, the branch was re-designated as Military Intelligence
.
- Air Defense Artillery, 20 June 1968
The Air Defense Artillery
separated from the field artillery and was established as a basic branch on 20 June 1968, per General Order 25, 14 June 1968.
- AviationUnited States Army Aviation BranchThe Aviation Branch of the United States Army is the administrative organization within the Army responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all aviation units....
, 12 April 1983
Following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force
as a separate service in 1947, the army began to develop further its own aviation assets (light planes and rotary wing aircraft) in support of ground operations. The Korean War gave this drive impetus, and the war in Vietnam saw its fruition, as army aviation units performed a variety of missions, including reconnaissance, transport, and fire support. After the war in Vietnam, the role of armed helicopter
s as tank destroyers received new emphasis. In recognition of the growing importance of aviation in Army doctrine and operations, aviation became a separate branch on 12 April 1983.
- Special Forces, 9 April 1987
The first special forces unit in the army was formed on 11 June 1952, when the 10th Special Forces Group was activated at Fort Bragg
, North Carolina. A major expansion of special forces occurred during the 1960s, with a total of eighteen groups organized in the Regular Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. As a result of renewed emphasis on special operations in the 1980s, the Special Forces Branch was established as a basic branch of the army effective 9 April 1987, by General Order No. 35, 19 June 1987. Special forces are part of U.S. Special Operations Forces
- Civil Affairs Corps, 16 October 2006
The Civil Affairs/Military Government Branch in the Army Reserve Branch was established as a special branch on 17 August 1955. Subsequently redesignated the Civil Affairs Branch on 2 October 1955, it has continued its mission to provide guidance to commanders in a broad spectrum of activities ranging from host-guest relationships to the assumption of executive, legislative, and judicial processes in occupied or liberated areas. Became a basic branch effective 16 October 2006 per General Order 29, on 12 January 2007.
- Psychological Operations, 16 October 2006
Established as a basic branch effective 16 October 2006 per General Order 30, 12 January 2007. Name will be changed to Military Information Support Operations.
- Logistics, 1 January 2008
Established by General Order 6, 27 November 2007. Consists of multi-functional logistics officers in the rank of captain and above, drawn from the Ordnance, Quartermaster and Transportation Corps.
Special branches
- Army Medical DepartmentArmy Medical Department (United States)The Army Medical Department of the U.S. Army – known as the AMEDD – comprises the Army's six medical Special Branches of officers and medical enlisted soldiers. It was established as the "Army Hospital" in July 1775 to coordinate the medical care required by the Continental Army during the...
, 27 July 1775
The Army Medical Department and the Medical Corps
trace their origins to 27 July 1775, when the Continental Congress established the army hospital headed by a "Director General and Chief Physician." Congress provided a medical organization of the army only in time of war or emergency until 1818, which marked the inception of a permanent and continuous Medical Department. The Army Organization Act of 1950 renamed the Medical Department as the Army Medical Service. In June 1968, the Army Medical Service was re-designated the Army Medical Department. The Medical Department has the following branches:
- Medical CorpsMedical Corps (United States Army)The Medical Corps of the U.S. Army is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an MD or a DO degree, at least one year of post-graduate clinical training, and a state medical license.The MC traces its earliest origins...
, 27 July 1775 - Army Nurse CorpsArmy Nurse Corps (United States)The United States Army Nurse Corps was formally established by the U.S. Congress in 1901. It is one of the six medical Special Branches of officers which – along with medical enlisted soldiers – comprise the Army Medical Department ....
, 2 February 1901 - Dental Corps, 3 March 1911
- Veterinary CorpsVeterinary Corps (United States Army)The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department consisting of commissioned veterinary officers and HPSP veterinary students. It was established by an Act of Congress on 3 June 1916...
, 3 June 1916 - Medical Service Corps, 30 June 1917
- Army Medical Specialist Corps, 16 April 1947
- Chaplain CorpsChaplain Corps (United States Army)The Chaplain Corps of the United States Army consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned Army officers as well as enlisted soldiers who serve as assistants. Their purpose is to offer religious services, counseling, and moral support to the armed forces, whether in peacetime or at war.-Army...
, 29 July 1775
The legal origin of the Chaplain Corps
is found in a resolution of the Continental Congress, adopted 29 July 1775, which made provision for the pay of chaplains. The Office of the Chief of Chaplains was created by the National Defense Act of 1920.
- Judge Advocate General's Corps, 29 July 1775
The Office of Judge Advocate of the army may be deemed to have been created on 29 July 1775, and has generally paralleled the origin and development of the American system of military justice. The Judge Advocate General Department, by that name, was established in 1884. Its present designation as a corps was enacted in 1948.
See also
- America's ArmyAmerica's ArmyAmerica's Army is a series of video games and other media developed by the United States Army and released as a global public relations initiative to help with recruitment. America's Army was conceived by Colonel Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S...
(Video games for recruitmentRecruitmentRecruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a job. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies.The recruitment...
) - Comparative military ranksComparative military ranksThis article is a list of various states' armed forces ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention NATO reference codes. These are the NATO rank reference...
- List of active United States military aircraft
- ROTC / JROTC
- Timeline of United States military operations
- Transformation of the United States ArmyTransformation of the United States ArmyArmy Transformation describes the future-concept of the United States Army's plan of modernization. Transformation is a generalized term for the integration of new concepts, organizations, and technology within the armed forces of the United States....
- United States Army Center of Military History
- U.S. Soldier's CreedU.S. Soldier's CreedThe U.S. Soldier's Creed is a standard that all United States Army personnel are encouraged to live by. All U.S. Army enlisted personnel are taught the Soldier's Creed during basic training, and recite the creed in public ceremonies at the conclusion of training...
- Vehicle markings of the United States military
- United States VolunteersUnited States VolunteersUnited States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U. S. Vol., or U.S.V.Starting as early as 1861 these regiments were often referred to as the "volunteer army" of the United States but not officially named that until 1898.During the nineteenth century this was the United States federal...
- National Army (USA)
- Army of the United StatesArmy of the United StatesThe Army of the United States is the official name for the conscription force of the United States Army that may be raised at the discretion of the United States Congress in the event of the United States entering into a major armed conflict...
- Regular Army (United States)
- National Guard of the United States
- United States Army ReserveUnited States Army ReserveThe United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
Further reading
- Cragg, Dan, ed., Sgt. Maj. USA (Ret.). The guide to military installations, Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, 1983
- Kretchik, Walter E. U.S. Army Doctrine: From the American Revolution to the War on Terror (University Press of Kansas; 2011) 392 pages; studies military doctrine in four distinct eras: 1779-1904, 1905-1944, 1944-1962, and 1962 to the present.
External links
- Army.mil – United States Army official website
- GoArmy.com – official recruiting site
- America's Army – official Army Game ProjectAmerica's ArmyAmerica's Army is a series of video games and other media developed by the United States Army and released as a global public relations initiative to help with recruitment. America's Army was conceived by Colonel Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S...
site - Army Collection -- Missouri History Museum
- Finding Aids for researching the US Army (compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History)