The Army is a key component of the U.S. Armed Forces, providing expeditionary land forces wherever and whenever they are required. Working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Army trains and equips Soldiers and creates leaders among them to rapidly respond when they are called upon to serve our Nation
The Army National Guard is an elite group of warriors who dedicate a portion of their time to serving their nation. Each state has its own Guard, as required by the Constitution; in fact, it is the only branch of the military whose existence is actually required by the Constitution
The Army Reserve is playing a critical role in the army's transformation. With over one million Soldiers available at any time, the Army Reserve provides a highly skilled, flexible force that can support the Army when and where they are needed most - it is a multi-component unit force, training with Active and National Guard units to ensure all three components work as a fully integrated team
The annual Army Posture Statement is an unclassified summary of Army roles, missions, accomplishments, plans, and programs. Designed to reinforce the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army posture and budget testimony before Congress, the APS serves a broad audience as a basic reference on the state of the Army.
The information provided in the addendum to The Army Posture Statement satisfies information required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994. The information is presented in the order and depth as required by the Act.
Section 517 states: "The Secretary of the Army shall include in the annual report of the Secretary to Congress known as the Army Posture Statement a presentation relating to the implementation of the Pilot Program for Active Component Support of the Reserves under section 414 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993."
Section 521 states: "The Secretary of the Army shall include in the annual report of the Secretary to Congress known as the Army Posture Statement a detailed presentation concerning the Army National Guard, including particularly information relating to the implementation of the Army National Guard Combat Readiness Reform Act of 1992."
This section covers the Army's structure, organization, warfighting capabilities and leadership. Content in this section will change over time as the Army adapts to meet new threats.
Support and Deployment Positions
Medical Entomologist, Regional Medical Center. As the entomology consultant for Great Plains Regional Medical Command/ Brooke Army Medical Center you are in the perfect position to provide entomological guidance on the health and safety aspects of pest management along with being actively involved in surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases and other medically important arthropods and plants. You will work for 20 U.S. Army installations within a 16-state region of the United States. This is a 1st Lieutenant position in San Antonio, TX, that will provide an excellent opportunity to learn about entomology in the US Army - jump right in to this very active program!
Medical Entomologist, Medical Activity (MEDACC) or Medical Center (MEDCEN). These are entry level jobs at Ft. Hood, TX; Fort Bragg, NC; or Fort Stewart, GA. As an incoming medical entomologist, you may find these interesting positions open to you. You will work as an entomology consultant for the installation and will be responsible for the disease-vector surveillance program. You will have opportunities to learn about a variety of other areas as well, such as food and water safety, epidemiology, biomedical and hazardous waste issues, environmental compliance, and hospital infection control. The sky’s the limit! This may be one of your first opportunities in the military to be a direct supervisor for civilian and junior Soldiers.
Medical Entomologist, Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (CHPPM). There are numerous positions for officers of various ranks at CHPPMs around the world at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD; Landstuhl, Germany; Fort McPherson, GA; Fort Lewis, WA; Ft Meade, MD; and Tokyo, Japan. Your job may range from a special project officer to Entomological Division Chief or even CHPPM Commander as your rank and experience increase. As with most careers, when you move up in rank or seniority, you will have more responsibility for people, budgets, programs, etc. The multiple positions available in the CHPPMs are no different and will be tailored for your rank. CHPPM jobs are a great place for new military entomologists to learn the ropes and usually provide lots of hands-on experience. Your opportunities may include west nile virus or hantavirus surveillance; traveling to various installations to train units on pest management and biomonitoring equipment use; participating in soil, water, and air quality analysis projects; providing vector identification services; conducting pesticide program review, developing medical threat briefings; and many, many more.
Executive Officer, Medical Detachment. The executive officer (XO) supports and executes guidance of the detachment commander in training and executing unit operation involving pest surveillance and control, field and food service sanitation, industrial hygiene consultations, medical threat assessments, epidemiology, and water analysis for deploying units. As an XO, you will be responsible to the commander for maintenance operations, unit movement, logistical operations, unit status report preparation, unit security, and other duties as assigned. This is a position that really helps incoming military entomologists understand the structure and function of military units. You will be part of a small, but very dedicated group of highly skilled Soldiers – among the best in the US Army! Captain level positions are available in Daegu, Korea; Seoul, Korea; Grafenwoehr, Germany; Hanau, Germany; Fort Hood (Killeen), TX; Fort Bragg (Fayetteville), NC; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Stewart (Hinesville), GA; Fort Benning (Columbus), GA; Fort Campbell, KY; Fort Carson (near Colorado Springs), CO; Fort Lewis (near Tacoma), WA.
Commander, Medical Detachment. Command has been described as “the toughest job you will ever love.” As unit commanders in a Medical Detachment you are ultimately responsible for training, equipping, and deploying the unit to provide effective preventive medicine support across the full spectrum of military operations. The support you will provide includes environmental health services (water quality assurance, field sanitation, food protection, and waste management), entomology surveillance and vector control, epidemiology, and medical threat assessments. You will really have a chance to demonstrate your organizational abilities and ‘people skills’ as the Commander. In a small unit such as a Medical Detachment, you may just find yourself part of a ‘family’ of Soldiers who will work tirelessly to protect their fellow Soldiers and the entire military community. Major level positions are available in Daegu, Korea; Seoul, Korea; Grafenwoehr, Germany; Hanau, Germany; Fort Hood (Killeen), TX; Fort Bragg (Fayetteville), NC; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Stewart (Hinesville), GA; Fort Benning (Columbus), GA; Fort Campbell, KY; Fort Carson (near Colorado Springs), CO; Fort Lewis (near Tacoma), WA.
Staff Officer, 30th Medical Brigade/44th Medical Command. Adventurous officers are attracted to these positions in Heidelberg, Germany and Fort Bragg, NC. As a senior preventive medicine officer (Lieutenant Colonel), you will assists in mission execution and oversight of deployable preventive medicine units. You will also plan and coordinate force health protection policy, programs, and operations concerning medical threat information, medical readiness of Soldiers, field preventive medicine issues, hazardous chemical management, and infectious and zoonotic disease prevention. You may work in humanitarian and/or combat environments, so flexibility is key. If you serve in the 44th Medical Command you will be part of the only Airborne Medical Command in the U.S. Army, so if you’re interested, get your ‘jump school’ completed early in your career.
Staff Officer, Defense Pest Management Information Analysis Center (DPMIAC). This center, collocated with the AFPMB, is staffed by Army, Navy, Air Force, DoD civilian pest management professionals, and civilian contractors who collectively are responsible for timely and accurate dissemination of preventive medicine and vector control information of vital importance to all members of the DoD community around the world. Lifelong learners and true entomophiles will love working here - opportunities for professional development abound. You will be encouraged to participate in a variety of activities promoting and supporting military entomology, including speaking at professional conferences, participating in recruiting trips to universities, and leading interagency working groups on entomological issues that are of shared interest. If you are a Major or Lieutenant Colonel, look at your DPMIAC options.
Research Positions
Research Entomologist, Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU). For entomologists with a love of taxonomy and systematics, this is a position to whet your appetite. As an entomologist (Captain) at WRBU, you will work at the incomparable Smithsonian Institution in the Museum Support Center. You will be involved in research efforts to develop accurate and reliable means of identifying vectors of human arbopathogens of importance to the DoD. Specific objectives include: (1) to describe and illustrate all the species in the study, (2) to resolve any taxonomic problems, (3) to develop effective keys for identifying all life stages of the species under study, (4) to provide basic biological and ecological data useful in understanding the epidemiology and prevention of diseases and the control of vector species, (5) to provide data concerning the medical importance of each species, and (6) to train personnel in field studies and biosystematics research. A collaborative multidisciplinary approach to biosystematics is used when feasible.
Research Entomologist, The United States Army Medical Research Institute for infectious diseases (USAMRIID). Interested in research? You may be assigned as a research entomologist or as the Chief of the Entomological Division. Entry level positions will allow you to stretch your wings and get involved in global research programs focusing on arthropod-borne diseases of military importance and arthropod-borne diseases that are potential biological warfare threat agents or require biosafety containment. You will collaborate with scientists at Army and Navy laboratories around the world. In addition to your research activities, you will provide preventive medicine leadership, expertise, and training to preventive medicine specialists at USAMRIID and Fort Detrick, MD.
Research Entomologist, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR). Research beckons from Silver Spring, Maryland; Bangkok, Thailand; and Nairobi, Kenya for the officers securing these positions. Opportunities are available for Captains and above. Areas of research include risk assessment of malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis, and other vector-borne diseases and emerging pathogens; development of new methods for vector control and personal protection; identification of insect vectors using molecular techniques; and development of rapid, PCR-based field assays for detection of dengue and other arboviruses in mosquitoes. Ultimately, you may become a director of research and will supervise your own team of highly-qualified professionals conducting basic and applied research.
Teaching Positions
Instructor, Medical Zoology Branch, AC&S. If you enjoy teaching – this is the job for you! You will be responsible for training and mentoring enlisted service members and officers, DOD civilians and contract personnel in preventive medicine, entomology, and insect/vector control. Your students will range from high school graduates to Ph.D.s and the teaching will involve both classroom training and field work. Bring your enthusiasm and expertise and you will find this to be a very rewarding position. If pure teaching is not enough, you may also become a Project Officer for a very unique computer-based distance learning project or even curator of the sizeable insect collection that is maintained for educational purposes. There are two Captain positions in San Antonio, TX. Further into your career (Lieutenant Colonel) you might be selected to be the Chief of this organization; a job requiring keen focus on providing the best education possible to a diverse student base.
Assistant Professor, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. This is the ‘classic’ academic position. You will be an Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences with the same responsibilities of an assistant professor in any major university. You will develop curricula for courses in tropical diseases and public health, emphasizing medical entomology, parasitology, disease ecology, and military field preventive medicine. You will also conduct and supervise laboratory and field research, write and review experimental protocols, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and participate in professional organizations. This is a Lieutenant Colonel position in Bethesda, MD.
Policy, Programs, and Administration Positions
Command Entomologist, Defense Logistic Agency (DLA). At DLA in Fort Belvoir, VA, you will have a chance to build and hone your administrative skills at the Lieutenant Colonel level. Your formal duties involve coordination, consultation and guidance to DLA Headquarters, installations, and material managers on all aspects of entomology and pest management including manpower requirements, operational needs, medical and environmental impact, and procedural matters. You will spend a significant amount of time acting as liaison between the Military services and DLA supply centers. However, if this isn’t enough to pique your interest – never fear! The DLA is also heavily involved in natural resources conservation and endangered species recovery. You could become part of one of several recovery projects such as the ongoing and successful palos verdes blue butterfly recovery program in southern California...or work to develop a new project of your own.
Medical Entomologist, Program Office for Preventive Medicine (POPM). As a senior officer (Lieutenant Colonel) with diverse experience, you should be eager to accept this visible position. You Develop U.S. Army and U. S. Army Medical Command policy and guidance to protect and promote health, improve effectiveness, and enhance the environment of Army personnel. You will be the spokesperson and representative of prevention and population medicine in Army Medical Department strategic planning. A solid foundation in military entomology as well as highly effective speaking and writing capabilities will help you excel at this job.
Staff Officer, Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB). The Board offers several positions for officers from Major to Colonel. The Board is “purple,” meaning there are representatives from the Army, Navy, and Air Force working there. These are intriguing jobs that will provide you the opportunity to make and influence policy that will impact military entomology issues around the world and at the highest levels in the DoD. You may find yourself responding to inquiries from Congress, offices in the Pentagon, all military services, other federal agencies, and industry on pest management issues of interest to DoD. You may look forward to holding one or more of the following positions. The Executive Director is a principal staff assistant for the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Installations and Environment who develops policies, programs and guidance regarding pest management activities for the total Department of Defense in peacetime and war. The Contingency Liaison Officer (CLO) plays a critical role in coordinating readiness and deployment policies and communicating between the Board and a huge worldwide DoD constituency. The CLO is also an entomology liaison for appropriate NATO and other host nation agencies. The Research Liaison Officer (RLO) primarily directs the development of Department of Defense requirements for pest management research, technology development and testing by DoD components and federal agencies conducting research of interest. The RLO also promotes cooperative research with other federal departments, federal laboratory research directors and funding agencies. The AFPMB is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, slightly north of Washington, D.C.
The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. Like all armies, it has the primary responsibility for land-based military operations.
The modern Army had its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on June 14, 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War. Congress created the United States Army on June 3, 1784 after the end of the 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.[1]
Control and operation of the Army is administered by the Department of the Army, one of the three service departments of the Department of Defense. The civilian head is the Secretary of the Army and the highest ranking military officer in the department is the Chief of Staff. As of March 31, 2007, the Regular Army reported a strength of 507,790 soldiers. By the end of 2006, the Army National Guard (ARNG) reported 346,288 and the United States Army Reserve (USAR) reported 189,975, putting the approximate combined component strength total at 1,039.053.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Structure
1.1 Army components
2 Combat maneuver organizations
3 History
3.1 1700s
3.2 1800s
3.3 1900s
3.4 21st century
4 Rank structure
5 Uniforms
6 Equipment
7 Training
7.1 Values
8 Famous former soldiers
9 Major commands
10 See also
11 References
12 External links
[edit] Structure
The U.S. Army is made up of three components: the active (Regular Army) component; 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 Assembly, 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's governors. However the National Guard can be federalized by presidential order and against the governor's wishes.[3]
HHC, U.S. Army Shoulder Sleeve InsigniaThe U.S. Army is led by a civilian Secretary of the Army, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, and serves as civilian oversight for the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, who is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the service chiefs from each service who, as a body, under the guidance of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff advise the President and Secretary of Defense on military matters.
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 Commanders, who have control of all armed forces units in their geographic or function area of responsibility. Thus, the Chief of Staff of each service only has the responsibility to organize, train and equip their respective service component. The services provide trained forces to the Combatant Commanders for use as they see fit.
The Army is currently undergoing a period of transformation, which is expected to be finished in 2009. When it is finished, there will be five geographical commands which will line up with the five geographical Unified Combatant Commands (COCOM).
United States Army Central headquartered at Fort McPherson, Georgia
United States Army North headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, Texas
United States Army South headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, Texas
United States Army Europe headquartered at Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany
United States Army Pacific headquartered at Fort Shafter, Hawaii
Each command will receive a numbered army as operational command, except in the case of U.S. Army Pacific, which will not receive one but will have a numbered army for U.S. Army forces in South Korea.
As part of the same transformation plan, the U.S. Army is currently undergoing a transition from being a division-based force to a brigade-based force. When finished, the active army will have increased its number of combat brigades from 33 to 42, and increases of a similar scale will have taken place 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 about 3,700 troops and be equivalent to a mechanized infantry brigade.
Infantry brigades will have around 3,300 troops and be equivalent to a light infantry or airborne brigade.
Stryker brigades will have around 3,900 troops and be based around the Stryker family of vehicles.
In addition, there will be combat support and service support modular brigades. Combat support brigades include Aviation brigades, which will come in heavy and light varieties, and Fires (artillery) brigades. Combat service support brigades include Sustainment brigades and come in several varieties and serve the standard support role in an army.
Main article: Transformation of the United States Army
Most U.S. Army units can be operational divided into the following components from largest to smallest:
First United States Army insigniaCorps: Formerly consisting of two or more divisions and organic support brigades, they are now termed an "operational unit of employment," that may command a flexible number of modular units. Usually commanded by a Lieutenant General. 20,000-45,000 soldiers.
Division: Formerly consisted of three maneuver brigades, an artillery brigade, a division support command, an aviation brigade, an engineer brigade (in heavy divisions only) and other support assets. Until the Brigade Combat Team program was developed, the division was the smallest self-sufficient level of organization in the U.S. Army. Current divisions are "tactical units of employment," and may command a flexible number of modular units, but generally will include four brigade combat teams and a combat aviation brigade. Usually commanded by a Major General. 10,000-15,000 soldiers.
Brigade (or group): Composed of two or more battalions (see Regiment for combat arms units), and usually commanded by a Colonel, supported by a staff in a Headquarters and Headquarters Company. Since the Brigade Unit of Action program was initiated, maneuver brigades have transformed into brigade combat teams, generally consisting of two maneuver battalions, a cavalry squadron, a fires battalion, a special troops battalion (with engineers, signals, and military intelligence), and a support battalion. Stryker Brigade Combat Teams have a somewhat larger structure. 3,000-5,000 soldiers.
Battalion (or Cavalry Squadron): Composed of two to five companies and led by a Battalion Commander, usually a Lieutenant Colonel supported by a staff in a Headquarters and Headquarters Company. 300-1000 soldiers.
Company (or artillery battery/cavalry troop): Composed of three to four platoons and led by a Company Commander, usually a Captain supported by a First Sergeant. 62-190 soldiers.
Platoon: Composed of two or more squads and led by a Platoon Leader, usually a Second Lieutenant supported by a platoon sergeant (Sergeant First Class). 32 soldiers.
Section: Usually directed by a Staff Sergeant who supplies guidance for junior NCO Squad leaders. Often used in conjunction with platoons at the company level.
Squad: Composed of two teams and is typically led by a Staff Sergeant. 9-10 soldiers.
Fire team: The smallest unit, consisting of a team leader, a rifleman, a grenadier, and an automatic rifleman. Fire team leaders are usually Sergeants, but may be Corporals. 4 soldiers.
[edit] Army components
U.S. Generals, World War II, Europe:
back row (left to right): Stearley, Vandenberg, Smith, Weyland, Nugent;
front row: Simpson, Patton, Spaatz, Eisenhower, Bradley, Hodges, Gerow.During The First World War, the "National Army" was organized to fight the conflict. 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 the Second World War. 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 United States National Guard. 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 males 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.
[edit] Combat maneuver organizations
The US Army currently consists of 10 divisions as well as several independent units. The following order of battle will be realized following the completion of the Army's transformation plan in 2009. Each division will have four ground maneuver brigades (shown here), 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.
1st Armored Division, headquartered at Fort Bliss, Texas
Four Heavy brigades at Fort Bliss.
1st Cavalry Division, headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas
Four Heavy brigades at Fort Hood.
1st Infantry Division, headquartered at Fort Riley, Kansas
Two Heavy brigades and one Infantry brigade at Fort Riley, and one Heavy Brigade at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
2nd Infantry Division, headquartered at Camp Red Cloud, South Korea
One Heavy brigade at Camp Casey, South Korea, one Infantry brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado, and three Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs) at Fort Lewis, Washington.
3rd Infantry Division, headquartered at Fort Stewart, Georgia
Three Heavy brigades at Fort Stewart, Georgia and one Heavy brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia.
4th Infantry Division, headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas
Two Heavy brigades at Fort Hood and two Heavy brigades at Fort Carson, Colorado.
10th Mountain Division, headquartered at Fort Drum, New York
Three Infantry brigades at Fort Drum and one Infantry brigade at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
25th Infantry Division, headquartered at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Two brigades at Schofield Barracks (one Infantry and one Stryker), one Stryker brigade at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and one Airborne brigade at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
82nd Airborne Division, headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Four Airborne brigades at Fort Bragg.
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), headquartered at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Four Infantry brigades at Fort Campbell.
173rd Airborne Brigade, headquartered at Vicenza, Italy
2nd Cavalry Regiment (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), headquartered at Vilseck, Germany
3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, headquartered at Fort Irwin, California, serves as the Opposing Force (OPFOR) at the National Training Center (NTC).
[edit] History
[edit] 1700s
The Continental Army was 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. George Washington, although not a great tactician, made use of 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. With a decisive victory at Yorktown, and the help of French and 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 Americans' distrust of standing armies, and amateur state militias became the new nation's sole ground army, with the exception of one battery of artillery guarding West Point's arsenal. However, because of continuing conflict with American Indians, 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.
[edit] 1800s
The First Barbary War (1801-1805) was the first of two Barbary Wars fought between the United States and the North African states known collectively as the Barbary States.[4] The First Barbary War proved that America could execute a war far from home, and that American forces had the cohesion to fight together as Americans rather than Georgians or New Yorkers. The United States Navy and Marines became a permanent part of the American mythos, and Lieutenant Decatur returned to the U.S. as its first post-Revolutionary war hero.[5]
The War of 1812 (1812-1815), the second and last American war against the British, was mostly a series of defeats for the US Army. An invasion of Canada completely failed, and US 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 struck the United States, and as settlers moved west the US Army engaged in a long series of skirmishes and battles with American Indians the colonists uprooted. The US Army also fought the short Mexican–American War, which was a victory for the United States and resulted in the new territories of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming and New Mexico.
The Civil War (1861-1865) was the most costly war for the United States. After most states in the South seceded to form the Confederate States of America, CSA troops opened fire on the US fort Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, starting the war. For the first two years Confederate forces solidly defeated the US Army, but after the decisive Battle of Gettysburg 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. Based on 1860 census figures, 8% of all white males aged 13 to 43 died in the war, including 6% in the North and an extraordinary 18% in the South.[6]
Following the Civil War, the US Army fought a long battle with American Indians, who resisted US expansion into the center of the continent. But by the 1890s the US saw itself as a potential player internationally. US victories in the Spanish-American War (1898) and the more unknown and controversial Philippine-American War (1898-1913), as well as US intervention in Latin America and the Boxer Rebellion, gained America more land and international prestige.
[edit] 1900s
The US joined World War I (1914-1918) in 1917 on the side of Britain and France. Millions of US troops were sent to the front and were instrumental in the push that finally broke through the German lines. With victory on November 11, 1918, the Army once again decreased its forces.
World War II started in 1939 but the United States did not join until 1941 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On the European front, US Army troops made up large portions of the forces that captured North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, and on D-Day, the resulting liberation of Europe and defeat of Germany, the millions of US Army troops played a central role. In the Pacific, millions of Army soldiers participated in the "island hopping" campaign that wrested the Pacific islands from Japanese control. Following Axis Powers surrender in August/September 1945, US troops were deployed to Japan and Germany to occupy the two nations.
Korea. Soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division man a heavy machine gun.However, this set the stage for the west-east confrontation known as the Cold War (late 1940s to late 1980s/early 1990s). Millions of US troops were deployed to West Germany and the rest of Europe in anticipation of Soviet attack, but the invasion never came. Instead, US troops and their allies fought non-Soviet communist forces in Korea and Vietnam, as part of the domino theory.
The Korean War started in 1950. Hundreds of thousands of US troops, under a UN umbrella, were sent to prevent the takeover of South Korea by North Korea, and later, to invade the northern nation. After repeated advances and retreats on the part of both sides, as well as Chinese involvement, a cease-fire returned the peninsula to the status quo in 1953.
Dak To, South Vietnam. An infantry patrol moves up to assault the last Viet Cong position after an attempted overrun of the artillery position by the Viet Cong during Operation Hawthorne.The Vietnam War is often regarded as a low point in morale in the Army's record. While US troops had been in the Republic of Vietnam since 1959, they did not come into the country in large numbers until 1965, to fight the communist North Vietnam. The guerrilla war tactics of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army proved difficult to adapt to, and with political handicaps and changing priorities in the political climate back home, the US military was allowed to withdraw from Vietnam in 1973. Two years later, the country was unified under a communist government.
The 1980s was mostly a decade of reorganization. The US Army converted to an all-volunteer force with more emphasis on training and technology. The Goldwater-Nichols Act was passed in 1986, creating the Unified Combatant Commands. In addition, the Army had a small participation in the successful invasions of Panama (Operation Just Cause) and Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury).
By 1991 Germany was reunited and the Soviet Union was near collapse, and the Cold War was effectively over. Then Iraq invaded its tiny neighbor Kuwait, and the international community deployed hundreds of thousands of troops, mostly US Army formations, to take back the nation. The war was a major victory for the Army, as the US mechanized formations obliterated the Iraqi Army units, taking back the country in only a few days, and proving the effectiveness of the new untried all-volunteer force.
After the Gulf War, the Army did not experience major combat operations for the remainder of the 1990s, but it did participate in numerous peace keeping activities such as the UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia in 1993, where the abortive Operation Gothic Serpent action led to the total withdrawal of both US and UN forces, and also contributed troops to a NATO peacekeeping force in former Yugoslavia in the middle of the decade.
[edit] 21st century
U.S. soldiers take cover during a firefight with insurgents in the Al Doura section of Baghdad March 7, 2007After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and as part of the Global War on Terror, US and NATO forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001, replacing the Taliban government. Much more controversially, the US and other nations invaded Iraq in 2003 and defeated the Saddam Hussein dictatorship, his army weakened by 10 years of crippling UN sanctions. In the following years the war has arguably bogged down into another counter-insurgency campaign, with large numbers of suicide bomb attacks and the loss of almost 4,000 US servicemen and thousands more injured and paralysed. Despite the high price that US military is paying with rising casualties and longer deployments for Regular Army as well as Reserve and Guard troops, Iraq is still far from stable. However, some milestones have been reached, such as the capture of Saddam Hussein and the holding of elections which have had varying degrees of effective democracy throughout the regions of Iraq.
[edit] Rank structure
Main articles: Ranks and Insignia of NATO, United States Army enlisted rank insignia, and United States Army officer rank insignia
These are the US Army ranks and their equivalent NATO designations.
Commissioned Officers[7]:
“ There are several paths to becoming a commissioned officer including Army ROTC, the United States Military Academy at West Point or the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, and Officer Candidate School. Certain professionals, physicians, nurses, lawyers, and chaplains are commissioned directly into the Army. But no matter what road an officer takes, the insignia are the same.
The highest officer rank is the five-star general (General of the Army) and the lowest is the second lieutenant.
Address all personnel with the rank of general as "General (last name)" regardless of the number of stars. Likewise, address both colonels and lieutenant colonels as "Colonel (last name)" and first and second lieutenants as "Lieutenant (last name)."
”
US DoD Pay Grade O-10 O-9 O-8 O-7 O-6 O-5 O-4 O-3 O-2 O-1
Insignia
Title General of the Army1 General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier General Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain First Lieutenant Second Lieutenant
Abbreviation GA GEN LTG MG BG COL LTC MAJ CPT 1LT 2LT
NATO Code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1
1 Awarded only in times of Congressionally declared war.
Warrant Officers[8]:
“ Warrant Officers are single track, specialty officers with subject matter expertise in a particular area. They are initially appointed as warrant officers (in the rank of WO1) by the Secretary of the Army, but receive their commission upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2).
Technically, warrant officers are to be addressed as "Mr. (last name)" or "Ms. (last name)." However, many personnel do not use those terms, but instead say "Sir", "Ma'am", or most commonly, "Chief".
”
US DoD Pay Grade W-5 W-4 W-3 W-2 W-1
Insignia
Title Chief Warrant Officer 5 Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chief Warrant Officer 3 Chief Warrant Officer 2 Warrant Officer 1
Abbreviation CW5 CW4 CW3 CW2 WO1
NATO Code WO-5 WO-4 WO-3 WO-2 WO-1
Enlisted Personnel[9]:
“ Sergeants are referred to as NCOs, short for noncommissioned officers. Corporals are also called "hard stripes", in recognition of their leadership position. This distinguishes them from specialists who might have the same pay grade, but not the leadership responsibilities.
Address privates (E1 and E2) and privates first class (E3) as "Private (last name)." Address specialists as "Specialist (last name)." Address sergeants, staff sergeants, sergeants first class, and master sergeants as "Sergeant (last name)." Address higher ranking sergeants by their full ranks in conjunction with their names.
”
U.S. DoD Pay Grade E-9 E-8 E-7 E-6 E-5 E-4 E-3 E-2 E-1
Insignia No Insignia
Title Sergeant Major of the Army Command Sergeant Major Sergeant Major First Sergeant Master Sergeant Sergeant First Class Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Specialist Private First Class Private Private
Abbreviation SMA CSM SGM 1SG MSG SFC SSG SGT CPL SPC ² PFC PV2 ¹ PV1 ¹
NATO Code OR-9 OR-9 OR-9 OR-8 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
¹ PVT is also used as an abbreviation for both Private ranks when pay grade need not be distinguished
² SP4 is sometimes encountered as an abbreviation for Specialist. This is a holdover from when there were additional specialist ranks at higher pay grades.
[edit] Uniforms
Main articles: Army Service Uniform, Army Combat Uniform, and Future Force Warrior
As of fiscal year 08', or 1 October 2007, the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) and Desert Combat Uniform (DCU) have been phased out of normal wear in Garrison and in Combat Zones by the Army. The BDU and DCU have been replaced with the Army Combat Uniform (ACU), which features a digital camouflage pattern and is designed for use in woodland, desert, and urban environments. With that being said, you may still see the BDU and DCU worn during training exercises.
The Army plans to deploy the Future Force Warrior system starting in 2010, with upgrades in subsystems deployed every two years following. Designed as a fully integrated infantryman combat system, initial versions are to be simple in operation with basic electronics; final versions (2032) involve such technologies as a powered exoskeleton and various nanotechnologies.
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 1890s and 1985. The "Army Blue" uniform, dating back to the mid-19th century, is currently the Army's formal dress uniform, but in 2009 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 gray 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, adopted Army-wide in 2001, will continue to be worn with the new ACU for garrison duty and with the Army Service Uniform for non-ceremonial functions.
[edit] Equipment
Individual weapons
U.S. Army soldier with M249 SAW ParaMain article: List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
The primary individual weapons of the Army are the M16A2/A4 assault rifle[10] and its compact variant, the M4 carbine.[11] Optionally, the M9 bayonet can be attached to either variant for close-quarters fighting.[12] The 40 mm M203 grenade launcher can also be attached for additional firepower.[13] Some soldiers whose duties require a more compact weapon, such as combat vehicle crew members, staff officers, and military police, are issued a sidearm in lieu of (or in addition to) a rifle. The most common sidearm in the U.S. Army is the 9 mm M9 pistol[14] which is issued to the majority of combat and support units. Other, less commonly issued sidearms include the M11, used by Special Agents of the CID,[15][16][17] and the MK23, used by some Army Special Forces units.[18]
In addition to these basic rifles and sidearms, many combat units' arsenals are supplemented with a variety of specialized weapons, including the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) light machine-gun, to provide suppressive fire at the fire-team level,[19] the M1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun or the Mossberg 590 Shotgun for door-breaching and close-quarters combat, the M14 Rifle for long-range marksmen, and the M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle, the M24 Sniper Weapon System, or the XM110 Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle for snipers. Hand grenades, such as the M67 fragmentation grenade and M18 smoke grenade, are also commonly used by combat troops.
Crew-served weapon systems
M120 120 mm mortarMain article: List of crew-served weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
The Army employs various crew-served weapons (so named because they are operated by two or more soldiers in order to transport items such as spare barrels, tripods, base plates, and extra ammunition) to provide heavy firepower at ranges exceeding that of individual weapons. The M240 is the Army's standard medium general-purpose machine gun.[20] The M240 (left-hand feed) and M240C (right-hand feed) variants are used as coaxial machine guns on the M1 Abrams tank and the M2 Bradley IFV, respectively; the M240B is the infantry variant and can be fired from a bipod or tripod if carried by hand, or employed from a pintle mount atop a vehicle. The M2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun has been in use since 1932 in a variety of roles, from infantry support to air defense. The M2 is also the primary weapon on most Stryker ACV variants and the secondary weapon system on the M1 Abrams tank. The MK 19 40 mm grenade machine gun is mainly used by motorized units, such as Stryker Brigades, HMMWV-mounted cavalry scouts, and Military Police.[21] It is commonly employed in a complementary role to the M2.
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.[22] At the next higher echelon, infantry battalions are typically supported by a section of 81 mm M252 mortars.[23] The largest mortar in the Army's inventory is the 120 mm M120/M121, usually employed by mechanized battalions, Stryker units, and cavalry troops because its size and weight require it to be transported in a tracked carrier or towed behind a truck.[24]
Vehicles
A US Army M1A2 Abrams in Iraq
M2A3 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle)Main article: List of armoured fighting vehicles by country#United States
and
Main article: List of land vehicles of the U.S. Armed Forces
The U.S. Army spends a sizable portion of its military budget to maintain a diverse inventory of vehicles. The U.S. Army maintains the highest vehicle-to-soldier ratio in the world.
The Army's most common vehicle is the HMMWV (High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle), which is capable of serving as a cargo/troop carrier, weapons platform, and ambulance, among many other roles.[25] The M1A2 Abrams is the Army's primary main battle tank,[26] while the M2A3 Bradley is the standard infantry fighting vehicle.[27] Other vehicles include the M3A3 cavalry fighting vehicle, the Stryker,[28] and the M113 armored personnel carrier.[29]
Artillery
Main article: List of crew-served weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces#Artillery
The U.S. Army's principal artillery weapons are the M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer[30] and the M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS),[31] both mounted on tracked platforms and assigned to heavy mechanized units. Fire support for light infantry units is provided by towed howitzers, including the 105 mm M119A1[32] and the 155 mm M777 (which will replace the M198).[33]
Aircraft
AH-64 Apache helicopterMain article: List of military aircraft of the United States
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,[34] the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance/light attack helicopter,[35] the UH-60 Black Hawk utility tactical transport helicopter,[36] and the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift transport helicopter.[37]
In addition, the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment operates the MH-6/AH-6 small assault/attack helicopters, as well as highly-modified versions of the Black Hawk and Chinook, primarily in support of US Army Special Operations Forces, but also those of the other US armed forces. .[38]
[edit] Training
Training in the United States Army is generally divided into two categories - individual and collective.
Individual training for enlisted soldiers usually consists of 14 weeks for those who hope to hold the MOS, 11B (Infantryman). Other combat MOS's consist of similar training length. Support and other MOS hopefuls attend nine weeks of Basic Combat Training followed by Advanced Individual Training in their primary Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at any of the numerous MOS training facilities around the country. 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 at Fort Knox, Kentucky and the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. For officers this training includes pre-commissioning training either at USMA, ROTC, or OCS. After commissioning, officers undergo six weeks of training at the Basic Officer Leaders Course, Phase II at Ft. Benning or Ft. Sill, followed by their branch specific training at the Basic Officer Leaders Course, Phase III (formerly called Officer Basic Course) which varies in time and location based on their future jobs.
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 Combined Maneuver Training Center (CMTC) at Hohenfels, Germany.
[edit] Values
In the mid- to late 1990s, the Army officially adopted what have come to be known as "The 7 Army Core Values." The Army began to teach these values as basic warrior traits. The seven Army Core Values are as follows:
Loyalty - Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit, and fellow Soldiers.
Duty - Fulfill your obligations.
Respect - Treat others as they should be treated.
Selfless Service - Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own.
Honor - Live the Army Values.
Integrity - Do what's right, both legally and morally.
Personal Courage - Face fear, danger, or adversity, both physical and moral.
The values were arranged to form the acronym LDRSHIP (leadership).[39]
[edit] Famous former soldiers
[40]
Alan Alda, Actor
Piers Anthony, Author
James Arness, Actor
David Brinkley, Newsman
Mel Brooks, Actor
Jack Buck, Cardinals Baseball Announcer
Art Carney, Actor
George Armstrong Custer, Indian Wars cavalry commander
Joe DiMaggio, Baseball Hall of Fame
Robert Dole, US Senator
Clint Eastwood, Actor
Dwight D. Eisenhower, US General of the Army/ US President
Clark Gable, Actor
Jerry Garcia, Singer
Ulysses Simpson Grant, US General/US President
Hank Greenberg, Baseball Hall of Fame
Alexander Haig, US Secretary of State
Jimi Hendrix, Musician
Daniel K. Inouye, Medal of Honor Recipient/US Senator
Thomas “Stonewall” Jonathan Jackson, Civil War General
James Earl Jones, Actor
Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist
Maynard James Keenan, Musician
Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State
Don Knotts, Actor
Kris Kristofferson, Singer/Actor
Louis L'Amour, Author
Burt Lancaster, Actor
Bobby Lashley, Pro Wrestler
Robert E. Lee, Civil War General
Rocky Marciano, Boxer
George C. Marshall, US General/US Secretary of State
John Allen Muhammad, Convicted "Beltway Sniper"
Audie Murphy, Medal of Honor Recipient/Actor
Colin L. Powell, US Secretary of State
Elvis Presley, Singer/Actor
Eddie Albert, Actor
Tony Randall, Actor
Ronald Reagan, US President
Jackie Robinson, Baseball Hall of Fame
Andy Rooney, Commentator
Mickey Rooney, Actor
Pat Sajak, TV Game Show Host
Telly Savalas, Actor
Rod Serling, Author/Producer
Warren Spahn, Baseball Hall of Fame
Jimmy Stewart, Actor
Strom Thurmond, US Senator
Pat Tillman, Football Player
Harry Truman, US President
Joseph Wapner, TV Judge
George Washington, US President
Hoyt Wilhelm, Baseball Hall of Fame
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Actor
[edit] Major commands
[41]
Major Command Current Commander Location of Headquarters
Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) MG John DeFreitas III Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Corps of Engineers (USACE) LTG Robert Van Antwerp Jr. Washington, D.C.
Medical Command (MEDCOM) MG Gale Pollock (acting) Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Army Materiel Command (AMC) GEN Benjamin S. Griffin Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) GEN William S. Wallace Fort Monroe, Virginia
Forces Command (FORSCOM) GEN Charles C. Campbell Fort McPherson, Georgia
United States Army South (USARSO) BG Ken Keen Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Special Operations Command (USASOC) LTG Robert W. Wagner Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) MG Kathleen M. Gainey Fort Eustis, Virginia
Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) LTG Kevin T. Campbell Redstone Arsenal, Alabama
Eighth United States Army (EUSA) LTG David P. Valcourt Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul
Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) LTG John M. Brown III Fort Shafter, Hawaii
US Army Europe & Seventh Army (USAREUR) GEN David D. McKiernan Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC) BG Rodney L. Johnson Fort Belvoir, Virginia
United States Army Military District of Washington (MDW) MG Richard J. Rowe Jr. Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
US Army Network Command (NETCOM) BG Carroll F. Pollett Fort Huachuca, Arizona