The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the This is a list of countries ranked in order of active troops in each nation. ... The armed forces of a state are its military organization. ...

• United States Army
• United States Marine Corps
• United States Navy
• United States Air Force
• United States Coast Guard^{[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_the_United_States#fn_CoastGuard)}

The combined United States armed forces consists of 1.4 million active duty personnel along with several hundred thousand each in the United States Army Reserve and United States National Guard. There is currently no conscription. The United States Armed Forces is the most powerful military in the world and their force projection capabilities are unrivaled by any other singular nation 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. The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... Coast Guard shield The United States Coast Guard is the coast guard of the United States. ... Armed forces are the military forces of a state. ... Reserves are banks holding of deposits in accounts with their national bank (for instance, the Federal Reserve), plus currency that is physically held by banks (vault cash). ... The United States National Guard is a significant component of the United States armed forces military reserve. ... 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. ... 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. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. ...

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. Unlike certain other countries, the United States officer corps is not restricted by society class, education, 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 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... In the military, a commissioned officer is a member of the service who derives authority directly from a sovereign power, and as such holds a commission from that power. ... Enlisted is a term for someone who has joined, or enlisted, in a group or organization for a specified period of time. ... 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. Since the American Civil War, the Armed Forces of the United States has sought to recognize military accomplishment with personal awards and decorations bestowed upon service members. ... In the United States military, personal recognition is granted to service members by a number of awards and decorations. ...

On July 26, 1948 U.S. President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 which racially desegregated the military of the United States. Homosexuals, however, are still barred from serving openly (see Don't ask, don't tell.) In addition, women may only perform certain roles and are not allowed in most situations involving routine direct combat (approximately 9% of Army positions available; see [2] (http://www.goarmy.com/JobDetail.do?id=47) as an example). July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... For the victim of Mt. ... On July 26, 1948, US President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981 establishing equality of treatment and opportunity in the Armed Services for people of all races. ... Desegregation is the process of ending racial segregation, most commonly used in reference to the United States. ... Homosexuality may refer to: A sexual orientation characterized by aesthetic attraction, romantic love, and sexual desire exclusively or nearly exclusively for members of the same sex or with the same gender identity (e. ... Dont ask, dont tell is the common term for the current law (Public Law 103-160) prohibiting openly gay people from serving in the United States armed forces. ...

Capabilities

Our forces will be strong enough to dissuade potential adversaries from pursuing a military build-up in hopes of surpassing, or equalling, the power of the United States. — President George W. Bush, National Security Strategy, Chapter IX, September 2002.

The United States military is unique in the amount of power it can project globally. Although France and the United Kingdom are capable of projecting limited amounts of power overseas, the United States military is the only military capable of fighting a major regional war at a distance from its homeland. The U.S. military 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. Order: 43rd President Vice President: Dick Cheney Term of office: January 20, 2001 – Present Preceded by: Bill Clinton Succeeded by: Incumbent Date of birth: July 6, 1946 Place of birth: New Haven, Connecticut First Lady: Laura Welch Bush Political party: Republican George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the... The National Security Strategy of the United States of America is a document prepared periodically by the executive branch of the government of the United States which outlines the major security concerns of the United States and how the administration plans to deal with them. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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. Logistics is the art and science of managing and controlling the flow of goods, energy and information. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... The C-5 Galaxy is one of the largest 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. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the main tactical air transport aircraft of the United States and United Kingdom military forces. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main role is to deploy and recover aircraft. ... 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. The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... General Peter J. Schoomaker General Peter J. Schoomaker 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 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). ...

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 Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... Seal of the President of the United States, official impression The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... 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) 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. 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. ... Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) 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 top uniformed 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 organisation of the Department) the 4 Service Chiefs together with the Chairman and Vice Chairman form the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 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 top uniformed officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... Robert T. Herres, USAF (February 6, 1987 - February 28, 1990) David E. Jeremiah, USN (March 1, 1990 - February 28, 1994) William A. Owens, USN (March 1, 1994 - February 27, 1996) Joseph W. Ralston, USAF (March 1, 1996 - February 29, 2000) Richard B. Myers, USAF (February 29, 2000 - October 1, 2001... The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a panel comprising the highest-ranking members of each major branch of the armed services in any particular country. ...

However operational control flows from the President and Secretary of Defense to the Commanders of the Unified Combatant Commands. (see Goldwater-Nichols Act) 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. ...

Each service is responsible for providing military units to the commanders of the various Unified Commands.

National Command organizational chart

 -------------------President------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | SECDEF ----------| | | | | | | | | | | Chairman JCOS NSC | | | | | | JCOS | | | | | Regional Combatant Commander or Commander (specific command, e.g. STRATCOM) | | Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Responsible commanding General 

Joint Chiefs of Staff

The 4 Service Chiefs together with the Chairman and Vice Chairman form the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The top uniformed officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... Robert T. Herres, USAF (February 6, 1987 - February 28, 1990) David E. Jeremiah, USN (March 1, 1990 - February 28, 1994) William A. Owens, USN (March 1, 1994 - February 27, 1996) Joseph W. Ralston, USAF (March 1, 1996 - February 29, 2000) Richard B. Myers, USAF (February 29, 2000 - October 1, 2001... The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a panel comprising the highest-ranking members of each major branch of the armed services in any particular country. ...

The top uniformed officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... General Richard B. Myers General Richard Bowman Myers (born March 1, 1942) of the United States Air Force is the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest ranking uniformed position in the United States Armed Forces. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... Robert T. Herres, USAF (February 6, 1987 - February 28, 1990) David E. Jeremiah, USN (March 1, 1990 - February 28, 1994) William A. Owens, USN (March 1, 1994 - February 27, 1996) Joseph W. Ralston, USAF (March 1, 1996 - February 29, 2000) Richard B. Myers, USAF (February 29, 2000 - October 1, 2001... Peter Pace, a general in the United States Marine Corps, is the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. ... 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 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 Vern Clark is Chief of Naval Operations in the United States Navy. ... 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. ... 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 John P. Jumper, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force General John P. Jumper is Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. ...

Unified Combatant Commands

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

The 5 Geographic Commands

The NORAD logo. ... Timothy J. Keating 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 naval operations. ... Peterson Air Force Base (Peterson AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in El Paso County, Colorado near Colorado Springs. ... This is the article on the state. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and in population after Eurasia and Africa. ... 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. ... General Abizaid John P. 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 (MacDill AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in Florida, 8 miles south of Tampa at the tip of the Interbay Peninsula. ... State nickname: Everglade State, Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. ... Satellite image showing the Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf (Persian: خلیج فارس, pronounced khalij-e fārs) and by Arab countries Arabian Gulf (Arabic: الخليج العربي, pronounced al-Khalej el Arabi) , is an extension of the Gulf of Oman in between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ... Map of Central Asia outlined in orange showing one set of possible borders Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... 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). ... NATO military is divided into two commands, Atlantic and Europe. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Africa is the largest of the three great southward projections from the main mass of the Earths surface. ... 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 Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Admiral William J. Fallon was raised in Merchantville, N.J. A 1967 graduate of Villanova University, he received his commission through the Navy ROTC Program and was designated a naval flight officer upon completion of flight training in December 1967. ... Location of Honolulu, Hawai‘i Honolulu is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawai‘i. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the worlds largest body of water. ... 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 Miami skyline, as it is seen from the northeast. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... 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 (MacDill AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in Florida, 8 miles south of Tampa at the tip of the Interbay Peninsula. ... State nickname: Everglade State, Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... U.S. Joint Forces Command is one of nine unified combatant commands of the U.S. military. ... Admiral Giambastiani, USN Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr. ... NATO military is divided into two commands, Atlantic and Europe. ... Norfolk, Virginia, viewed from Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth River Norfolk is a city in the U.S. state of Virginia in the United States of America. ... 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. ... 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. ... State nickname: Cornhusker State Other U.S. States Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Governor Dave Heineman Official languages English Area 200,520 km² (16th)  - Land 199,099 km²  - Water 1,247 km² (0. ... The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is one of nine unified commands of the United Statess Department of Defense. ... John W. Handy General John W. Handy is Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, and Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. ... Scott Air Force Base (Scott AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in St. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich Official languages English Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ...

Personnel

Personnel in each service

As of the middle of 2004

The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... Coast Guard shield The United States Coast Guard is the coast guard of the United States. ...

Personnel deployed

As of April, 2004

Overseas

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

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 some deployments in:

The continental United States refers (except sometimes in U.S. federal law and regulations) to the largest part of the U.S. that is delimited by a continuous border. ... State nickname: The Aloha State Other U.S. States Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle Official languages Hawaiian and English Area 28,337 km² (43rd)  - Land 16,649 km²  - Water 11,672 km² (41. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski Official languages English Area 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 1,481,347 km²  - Water 236,507 km² (13. ...

Budget Comparison

see main article US military budget Figures per annum. ... 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 military expenditure of the Department of Defence for 2004 was: 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. ... 2004 is 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. The United States and its close 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), dollar for dollar. Military spending accounts for more than half of the United States' federal discretionary spending, which is all of the U.S. government's money not spoken for by pre-existing obligations. [3] (http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp)

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.

Notes

1. ⇧ The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. Title 14, United States Code, Section 1, states "The Coast Guard as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times." In peacetime it is part of the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime becomes part of the Department of Defense. Coast Guard units have seen combat in every war of the United States, including the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

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 that is concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. ... 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. ... This article deals with the post-invasion period in Iraq and its occupation. ...

See also

• Military history of the United States
  • List of military actions by or within the United States
• List of U.S. military books
• U.S. military historical joint commands

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. ... Books about the U.S. military: Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military Navy One of the Guys by Robert Clark Young The Bluejackets Manual, by Thomas J. Cutler Marine Corps Guidebook for Marines, by the staff of the Marine Corps Association Making the Corps, by Thomas E... U.S. military historical joint commands originated in World War II. President Truman approved the first Unified Command Plan on 14 December 1946. ...

External links

• United States Order of Battle (http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/9059/usaob.html)
• kamouflage.net: online index of camouflage uniforms from around the world (http://www.kamouflage.net/)
  • kamouflage.net > North America > United States of America > index (http://www.kamouflage.net/camouflage/00181/en_index.php)