The armed forces (or armed services) of the United States of America consist of the: This article or section needs to be updated. ... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations. ...

• United States Army
• United States Marine Corps
• United States Navy
• United States Air Force
• United States Coast Guard^[2]

Approximately 1.8 million personnel are currently on active duty in the military with an additional 860,000 personnel in the seven reserve components (456,000 of which are in the Army and Air National Guard).^[3] There is currently no conscription. The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... United States Marine Corps seal The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations around the globe. ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces. ... Coast Guard shield The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a military branch of the United States involved in maritime law, mariner assistance and search and rescue, among other duties of any coast guard. ... A reserve component of the United States military is an organization of servicemembers who generally perform a minimum of 39 days of military duty per year and who augment the active duty (or full time) military when necessary. ... It has been suggested that National Guard Bureau be merged into this article or section. ...

The armed forces are also members of the uniformed services of the United States.^[4] The United States Military is considered the most powerful military in the world because their power projection capabilities are maintained significantly higher than any singular nation (e.g. France, United Kingdom, People's Republic of China, Russia, India) or organization (e.g. the European Union). The United States Department of Defense is the controlling organization for the U.S. military and is headquartered at The Pentagon. The Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military is the President of the United States. With a strength of 2.26 million personnel (including reserves), the United States armed forces are the 2nd largest in the world.^[5] The United States has seven uniformed services as defined by Title 10 of the United States Code. ... The huge cargo hold and intercontinental flight capabilities of the C-5 Galaxy make it a major asset for deploying military power around the globe. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... A pre-9/11 view of The Pentagon, looking east with the Potomac River and Washington Monument in the distance. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... This article or section needs to be updated. ...

The United States military is a hierarchical military organization, with a system of military ranks to denote levels of authority within the organization. The military service is divided into a professional officer corps along with a greater number of enlisted personnel who perform day-to-day military operations. The United States officer corps is not restricted by social class or nobility. United States military officers are appointed from a variety of sources, including the service academies, ROTC, and direct appointment from both civilian status and the enlisted ranks. Comparative military ranks are a means of comparing military rank systems of different nations as a means of categorizing the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. ... An officer is a member of a military service who holds a position of responsibility. ... In military service, an enlisted rank is generally any rating below that of a commissioned officer. ... The United States military academies, sometimes known as the United States service academies, are federal academies for the education and training of commissioned officers for the United States armed forces. ... The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program of the United States armed forces present on college campuses to recruit and educate commissioned officers. ...

The U.S. military also maintains a number of military awards and badges to denote the qualifications and accomplishments of military personnel. Awards and decorations of the United States military are military decorations which recognize a service members service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces. ... Military badges of the United States are devices of personal recognition that are granted to service members of the United States armed forces to denote personal accomplishment, qualifications, and participation in designated military campaigns or other activities. ...

On July 26, 1948 U.S. President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 which radically desegregated the military of the United States. Homosexuals, however, are still barred from serving openly (see Don't ask, don't tell.) By law, women may not be put into direct combat; however, asymmetrical warfare has put women into situations which are direct combat operations in all but name. (approximately 9% of Army positions available). ^[6] July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-fourth Vice President (1945) and the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953), succeeding to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ... The Chicago Defender announces Executive Order 9981. ... Desegregation is the process of ending racial segregation, most commonly used in reference to the United States. ... The word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings over time. ... Dont ask, dont tell is the common term for the current U.S. military policy which implements Public Law 103-160, codified at 10 U.S.C. Sec. ...

Capabilities

AH-64 Apache helicopter

The United States military is unique in the amount of power it can project globally. Although France and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, Spain, Italy, PRC and European Union, are capable of projecting power overseas, the United States military is the only one with the higher military capacity to fight a major regional war at a distance from its homeland. The U.S. is also one of the few nations in the world that has a sizable nuclear arsenal and maintains active doctrines for plausible nuclear attack operations. Image File history File links AH-64_Apache. ... Image File history File links AH-64_Apache. ... The huge cargo hold and intercontinental flight capabilities of the C-5 Galaxy make it a major asset for deploying military power around the globe. ... PRC is a common abbreviation for: Peoples Republic of China Palestinian Red Crescent Popular Resistance Committees This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Federal Government of the United States is known to possess three types of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear weapons, chemical weapons and biological weapons. ...

As such, much of the U.S. military capabilities are tied up in logistics and transportation, which allow 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. The Marine Corps maintains Marine Expeditionary Units at sea with the Navy's Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. The Navy's fleet of 12 aircraft carriers, combined with a military doctrine of power projection, enable a flexible response to potential threats. Look up Logistics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces. ... The United States Air Force C-5 Galaxy The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is one of the largest military aircraft in the world. ... The C_17 Globemaster III is a strategic airlifter manufactured by Boeing IDS, used by the United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force. ... Lockheed C-130H Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop aircraft that serves as the main tactical airlifter for military forces worldwide. ... United States Marine Corps seal The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ... A Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is the smallest combined forces unit in the United States Marine Corps. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations around the globe. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... Military doctrine is a level of military planning between national strategy and unit-level tactics, techniques, and procedures. ...

The United States Army is not as portable as the Marine Corps, but Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker announced a reorganization of the Army's active-duty units into 48 brigade groups with an emphasis on power projection. There will be three classes of brigade group: light, medium, and heavy, with a different mix of armored and infantry units. In reorganizing the Army, however, battalions will still be affiliated with traditional regiments and brigades will still be affiliated with traditional divisions. Reorganized brigades have begun operation in Iraq in the third quarter of 2005. The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... General Peter Schoomaker (born February 12, 1946) became the 35th Chief of Staff of the United States Army, on August 1, 2003. ... Brigade is a term from military science which refers to military echelon under a division, above a regiment where that exists as such, nowadays often a group of several battalions (typically two to four), and directly attached supporting units (normally including at least an artillery battery and additional logistic support). ... The huge cargo hold and intercontinental flight capabilities of the C-5 Galaxy make it a major asset for deploying military power around the globe. ...

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 diplomatic action, the President has an advisory National Security Council. Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... The National Security Council (NSC) of the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. ...

Under the President is the United States Secretary of Defense, a Cabinet Secretary responsible for the Department of Defense. Seal of the United States Department of Defense The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is appointed by the President with the approval of the Senate, and is a member of the Cabinet. ... A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated as DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ...

Both the President and Secretary are advised by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ...

In accordance with the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 (which fundamentally changed the organization of the Department) the 4 Service Chiefs together with the Chairman and Vice Chairman form the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Joint Chiefs serve only in an advisory and administrative capacity, with operational control flowing from the President and Secretary of Defense directly to the Commanders of the Unified Combatant Commands (see Goldwater-Nichols Act). Each service is responsible for providing military units to the commanders of the various Unified Commands. The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 (PL 99-433) was a reorganization plan which focused the chain of command in military operations undertaken by the United States Department of Defense. ... The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... The position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was created by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986. ... Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America symbol The Joint Chiefs of Staff, photographed in the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gold Room in the Pentagon on Jan. ... A Unified Combatant Command is composed of forces from two or more services, has a broad and continuing mission, and is organized either on a geographical basis (known as Area Of Responsibility, AOR) or on a functional basis. ... The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 (PL 99-433) was a reorganization plan which focused the chain of command in military operations undertaken by the United States Department of Defense. ...

National Command organizational chart

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1767x750, 26 KB) Summary Drawn by Nicholas F Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...

Joint Chiefs of Staff

The 4 Service Chiefs together with the Chairman and Vice Chairman form the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... The position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was created by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986. ... Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America symbol The Joint Chiefs of Staff, photographed in the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gold Room in the Pentagon on Jan. ...

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... General Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945) is the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first U.S. Marine appointed to this position. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... The position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was created by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986. ... Admiral Giambastiani, USN Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for insuring readiness of the Army. ... Categories: People stubs | U.S. Army generals ... The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the senior military officer in the United States Navy. ... Admiral Michael Mullen Admiral Michael G. Mullen became the Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy, relieving Admiral Vern Clark on 22 July 2005. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The Commandant of the United States Marine Corps is the highest ranking officer of the United States Marine Corps, who is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and reports to the Secretary of the Navy but not to the Chief of Naval Operations. ... Michael W. Hagee General Michael W. Hagee, 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps, graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... The Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force serves as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipage of more than 700,000 active-duty, National Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. ... General T. Micheal Moseley T. Michael Moseley is the current Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. ... Seal of the Air Force. ...

Unified Combatant Commands

There are 9 Unified Combatant Commands- 5 geographic and 4 functional.

The 5 Geographic Commands

Emblem of the United States Northern Command. ... Timothy J. Keating (here depicted as Vice Admiral) Admiral Timothy J. Keating is Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations around the globe. ... Peterson Air Force Base (Peterson AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in El Paso County, Colorado near Colorado Springs. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 104,185 sq mi  269 837 km² 280 miles  451 km 380 miles  612 km 0. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Military personnel have started to guard transportation facilities such as Penn Station as part of homeland security efforts. ... Emblem of the United States Central Command. ... John Philip Abizaid (born April 1, 1951) is a general in the United States Army and the Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), overseeing American military operations in a 25-country region, from the Horn of Africa to Central Asia, covering much of the Middle East. ... MacDill Air Force Base Emblem showing a KC-135 Stratotanker of the 6th Air Mobility wing with the Tampa Skyline and Gasparilla ship in the background. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,794 sq. ... Nations of the Horn of Africa. ... Map of the Persian Gulf. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The U.S. European Command (EUCOM) is Unified Combatant Command of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. ... General James L. Jones is the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) and the Commander of the United States European Command (COMUSEUCOM). ... Supreme Allied Commander is the title given to the most senior commander of some multinational organisations. ... In geometry, two sets have the same shape if one can be transformed to another by a combination of translations, rotations and uniform scalings. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The United States Pacific Command operates from suburban Honolulu in south central Oahu at the Nimitz-MacArthur Pacific Command Center. ... Admiral William J. Fallon is the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations around the globe. ... Honolulu redirects here. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... View of the Pacific Ocean from Oregon. ... The United States Southern Command (also called SOUTHCOM) is responsible for all United States military activities in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean basin. ... The Magic City, The American Riviera, The Sixth Borough Location of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Map of Central America Central America is a central region of the Americas. ... world map of divided by regional Unified Commands-public resource from pentagon website File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Emblem of the United States Special Operations Command. ... MacDill Air Force Base Emblem showing a KC-135 Stratotanker of the 6th Air Mobility wing with the Tampa Skyline and Gasparilla ship in the background. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,794 sq. ... USJFCOM Logo U.S. Joint Forces Command is one of nine unified combatant commands of the U.S. military. ... Lieutenant General Lance L. Smith serves as the Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... Supreme Allied Commander is the title given to the most senior commander of some multinational organisations. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... James E. Cartwright General James E. Cartwright is Commander, United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. ... Offutt Air Force Base (Offutt AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force and a census-designated place (CDP) located in Sarpy County, Nebraska. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Lincoln Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi  (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is one of nine unified commands of the United Statess Department of Defense. ... Scott Air Force Base (Scott AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in St. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Springfield Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq. ...

Personnel

A U.S. Army Special Forces operator in Afghanistan

Download high resolution version (1024x679, 92 KB)A US SF soldier in Afghanistan File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1024x679, 92 KB)A US SF soldier in Afghanistan File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Shoulder sleeve patches of the United States Army Special Forces, the Green Berets. A US Special Forces operator in Afghanistan The United States Army Special Forces —also known by the nickname Green Berets or simply Special Forces (capitalized)— is a Special Operations Force of the U.S. Army trained for...

Recruitment

As in most militaries, members of the U.S. armed forces hold ranks and can be promoted, and maintain to the Officer/Enlisted distinction. Military rank, or simply rank, is a system of grading seniority and command within military organizations. ... An officer is a member of a military service who holds a position of responsibility. ... In military service, an enlisted rank is generally any rating below that of a commissioned officer. ...

Enlisted

After enlistment new recruits undergo Basic Training, followed by Advanced Individual Training in their primary Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at any of the numerous MOS training facilities around the world. Initially recruits without higher education, or college degrees will hold the pay grade of E-1, and will be elevated to E-2 following Basic Training or soon thereafter. 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. Enlistees in the Army can even attain the initial pay grade of E-4 with a full four year degree, but generally the highest initial grade is E-3. U.S. Army recruits learn about bayonet fighting skills in an infantry Basic Combat Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. ... A Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) is a job classification in use in the U. S. Army and the U. S. Marine Corps. ...

Officer

There are four common ways for one to receive a commission as an officer in one of the branches of the U.S. military (although other routes are possible). An officer is a member of a military service who holds a position of responsibility. ...

• Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
• Officer Candidate School (OCS)
• Military Academy
• Direct Commission - Lawyers, doctors, nurses, veterinarians, and chaplains may be directly commissioned into their respective corps. There also are opportunities in the Reserves and National Guard for those who have significant professional civilian experience in a related field, and time in service. They do, however, go through a brief school for military customs, courtesies and traditions.
• Battlefield Commission - Enlisted personnel that have skills that separate them from their peers can become officers if an overseeing generalcommander sees such a promotion as fit. This type of commissioning is rarely done and is reserved only for the most exceptional enlisted personnel.

Officers receive a commission assigning them to the Officer Corps from the President (with the consent of the Senate). The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program of the United States armed forces present on college campuses to recruit and educate commissioned officers. ... In the United States armed forces, Officer Candidate School (OCS) or the equivalent is a training program for non-commissioned officers, soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and recent college graduates to earn commissions as officers. ... The United States military academies, sometimes known as the United States service academies, are federal academies for the education and training of commissioned officers for the United States armed forces. ... In law a commission is a patent which allows a person to take possession of a state office and carry out official acts and duties. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ...

Through their careers, officers usually will receive further training at one or a number of the many U.S. military staff colleges. Naval War College Command and General Staff College National War College U.S. Army War College Defense Acquisition University See also Staff College Military Academy United States military academies List of defunct United States military academies Categories: United States university stubs | United States military stubs | Military education and training in...

Warrant Officer

Additionally, all services except for the U.S. Air Force have a Warrant Officer corps. Above the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Two, these officers are also commissioned officers, 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, 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. The exception to the NCO rule is helicopter pilots in the U.S. Army, although most Army pilots have indeed served some enlisted time, it is 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. A Warrant Officer (WO) is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks. ...

Uniforms

Battledress

• Battle Dress Uniform
• Army Combat Uniform

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Battledress. ... The Army Combat Uniform, or ACU, is a new combat uniform (battledress) to be worn by the US Army. ...

Utility uniform

• Utility uniform

Mess Dress

• Mess dress

Three Canadian officers in shawl or rolled collar jacket and waistcoat style mess dress or mess kit. ...

Full dress uniform

• Dress uniform

His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in the dress uniform of the Royal Swedish Navy, with full-size medals. ...

Personnel in each service

As of the middle of 2004

The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... United States Marine Corps seal The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations around the globe. ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces. ... Coast Guard shield The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a military branch of the United States involved in maritime law, mariner assistance and search and rescue, among other duties of any coast guard. ...

Personnel deployed

Main article: Deployments of the U.S. Military

The Military of the United States is deployed in many countries across the world, making it one of the most global militaries since the Roman Empire. ...

Overseas

The United States has military personnel deployed in numerous countries around the world, with numbers ranging from merely a handful to tens of thousands. Some of the largest contingents are:

In addition, as of early 2006, nearly 150,000 U.S. troops are deployed in the Middle East. Most of these soldiers are stationed in Iraq, although some are in other countries including Afghanistan. United States Forces Korea (USFK, Korean: 주한미군, Hanja: 駐韓美軍) refers to the ground, air and naval divisions of the United States Armed Forces stationed in South Korea. ... United States Forces Japan (USFJ, Japanese: 在日米軍) refers to the various divisions of the United States Armed Forces that are stationed in Japan. ...

Within the United States

Including territories and ships afloat within territorial waters

A total of 1,168,195 personnel are within the United States including:

Depending on usage, the term continental United States can refer to either: the 48 contiguous states plus the District of Columbia; or the 48 contiguous states plus the District of Columbia and Alaska. ... Official language(s) Hawaiian and English Capital Largest city Honolulu Honolulu Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 43rd 10,941 sq mi  28,337 km² n/a miles  n/a km 1,522 miles  2,450 km 41. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Juneau Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq. ...

Budget comparison

Main article: U.S. military budget

The military expenditure of the Department of Defense for 2004 was: Figures per annum. ... The US military budget is that portion of the United States discretionary federal budget that is allocated for the funding of the Department of Defense. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated as DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The United States military budget is larger than the military budgets of the next twenty biggest spenders combined, and six times larger than China's, which places second (although it is widely believed that China significantly understates its actual military expenditures). Dollar for dollar, the United States and its closest allies are responsible for approximately two-thirds of all military spending on Earth (of which, in turn, the U.S. is responsible for two-thirds). Military spending accounts for more than half of the United States' federal discretionary spending, which comprises all of the U.S. government's money not accounted for by pre-existing obligations. ^[7] A military budget of an entity, most often a nation or a state is the budget and financial resources dedicated to raising and maintaining armed forces for that entity. ... Earth (often referred to as The Earth) is the third planet in the solar system in terms of distance from the Sun, and the fifth in order of size. ...

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in 2003 the United States spent approximately 47% of the world's total military spending of US$956,000,000,000.

State military forces

Main article: State Defense Forces

State Defense Forces (also known as State Guards, State Military Reserves, or State Militias) in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government. ...

Notes and sources

For the band, see The Police. ... The United States Code (U.S.C.) is the general and permanent federal Law of the United States. ... The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a Cabinet department of the Federal Government of the United States with the responsibility of protecting the territory of the United States from terrorist attack and responding to natural disasters. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations around the globe. ... The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1790 as an armed maritime law enforcement service. ... This article deals with the post-invasion period in Iraq and its occupation. ... The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary established in 1939 as the United States Coast Guard Reserve, is a volunteer civilian service that assists the United States Coast Guard in carrying out its noncombatant and non-law enforcement missions. ... Civil Air Patrol seal The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is an official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). ... The NOAA Corps is the smallest of the seven Uniformed Services of the United States, having only approximately 300 commissioned officers. ... The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is the uniformed division of the United States Public Health Service (PHS) and one of the seven Uniformed Services of the United States. ... The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law () passed in 1878 after the end of Reconstruction. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Military history of the United States
  • List of military actions by or within the United States
  • United States military historical joint commands
• United States military academies
• United States military staff colleges
• Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance
• List of United States military books
• Full-spectrum dominance
• List of United States military history events

The Military history of the United States spans a period of less than two and a half centuries. ... This is a list of military actions by or within the United States organized by type and then by date. ... U.S. military historical joint commands originated in World War II. President Truman approved the first Unified Command Plan on 14 December 1946. ... The United States military academies, sometimes known as the United States service academies, are federal academies for the education and training of commissioned officers for the United States armed forces. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Servicemembers Group Life Insurance, or SGLI, is a heavily subsidized life insurance product available to active members of the United States Armed Forces, including ready reservists, commissioned members of NOAA and the Public Health Service, cadets and midshipmen in one of the four service academies, and members of the Reserve... Books about the U.S. military or for members of the military. ... Full-spectrum dominance is the proposed ability of United States armed forces, operating alone or with allies, to defeat any adversary and control any situation across the range of military operations. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad. ...

External links

• United States Order of Battle
• Kamouflage.net > U.S. Military camouflage patterns
• Global Security on U.S. Military Operations
• Today's Military website

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
Belgium • Bulgaria • Canada • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Iceland • Italy • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • The Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Turkey • United Kingdom • United States of America Candidate Countries:Albania • Croatia • Macedonia

NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_NATO.svg The flag of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). ... The military of the Netherlands is composed of four branches, all of which carry the prefix royal: The Army, the regular, land based army branch. ... The armed forces of the United Kingdom are known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majestys Armed Forces, officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. ...

Military of the United States
United States Army | United States Navy | United States Air Force | United States Marine Corps | United States Coast Guard