Army
The U.S. army is the main force of our military, and mainly handles ground based operations. Their main function is to defend the country and it's ideals, with various tools and weapons like ground troops, tanks, artillery, attack helicopters, nuclear weapons, and others.
The U.S. Army is the oldest branch of the military, established by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. The Army is also the largest branch, with approximately 76,000 officers and 401,000 enlisted members. The Army is also backed up in times of need by "The Army Reserves" and "The National Guard." The Reserves are owned by the Federal Government and the National Guard is owned by each individual state. However, the President can call the National Guard into duty any time he needs them. Famous Leaders
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Marines
The Marines were officially established on November 10, 1775 by the Continental Congress, to act as a landing force for the United States Navy. In 1798 Congress established the Marine Corps as a separate service.
The Marines are the second smallest branch of the military. There are approximately 18,000 officers and 153,000 enlisted personnel on active duty in the Marines. Marines specialize in amphibious operations. They assault, capture, and control beach heads to help the Navy and other branches of the military to get in. Recently, the Marines have been expanding to more ground type services. The Marines are less equipped than the Army, so they can move quicker on missions and be deployed quickly. The Marines are primarily self-sufficient, and their air member consist of mainly bomber, fighters, and attack helicopters. They have no medics of their own, so they rely on the Navy's. Famous Leaders
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Air Force
The Air Force is the youngest military service, created September 8, 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. Before that, it was a separate branch of the army. There are about 69,000 commissioned officers on active duty in the Air Force, and about 288,000 enlisted members. The air force also has it's own reserves.
The primary mission of the Air Corps at the time was to assist the ground forces, however World War II showed that air power was much more useful than just aiding ground forces. Now, the primary directive of the Air Force is to defend the U.S. and it's interests through air and space. The Air Force uses fighter planes, tanker aircraft, bombers, transport aircraft, and helicopters. The Air Force is also in control of all of the military satellites and U.S. ballistic missiles. Famous Leaders
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Navy
Similar to the army, the Navy was created by the Continental Congress in 1775. The Navy's directive is to keep freedom of the seas. The Navy also aids the Air Force when needed. The active duty Navy has about 54,000 officers, and 324,000 enlisted officers. They also have reserves, although no national guard.
Navy aircraft carriers can usually deploy planes where a normal lane is impossible. An aircraft carrier usually carries about 80 aircraft on it. Most of them are fighters or bombers In addition, Navy ships can attack targets from miles away with missiles and very heavy guns. Navy submarines allow for hidden attacks on our enemies' shores. The Navy is also responsible for transporting the Marines. Famous Leaders
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Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard was originally created as the Revenue Cutter Service in 1790. In 1915, it was recreated as the United States Coast Guard, under the Treasury Department. In 1967, the Coast Guard was changed to be under the Department of Transportation. Legislation passed in 2002 transferred the Coast Guard to the Department of Homeland Security. The Coast Guard is the smallest military service, with about 7,000 officers and 29,000 enlisted on active duty. It also has reserves.
During times of peace, the Coast Guard focuses on law enforcement, boating safety, sea rescue, and illegal immigration control. However, the President can transfer part or all of the Coast Guard to the Department of the Navy in times of conflict. The Coast Guard has ships, boats, aircraft and shore stations that do various missions. Famous Leaders
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