Today’s U.S. Army started out as the Continental Army in 1775, as a force to meet the demands of the American Revolution. In 1784 after the end of the American Revolution Congress created the U.S. Army.
The U.S. Army’s principal responsibility is to execute land-based military operations. The Department of the Army, which is a department of the U.S. Department of Defense, operates and controls the U.S. Army.
The US Army is comprised of three integral parts: 1) the Regular Army, which is the permanent force maintained during peace time; 2) the Army National Guard, which is the land-based group of the reserve military force; and 3) the Army Reserve, which is also a reserve force but made up of part-time soldiers. At the top of the chain of command for the U.S. Army is the civilian position of Secretary of the Army, who reports to the Secretary of Defense.
U.S. Army officer rankings are as follows, from highest to lowest: General of the Army, General, Lieutenant General, Major General, Brigadier General, Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Major, Captain, First Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant. U.S. Army rankings also include warrant officers and enlisted personnel.
As of 2008, the total number of service members in the U.S. Army is approximately 1,077,000 soldiers. The numbers are divided as follows: Regular Army, 538, 128 soldiers; Army National Guard 350,000; Army Reserve 189,000.
The U.S. Army is divided into many organized groups, also known as operational units of employment. These groups include the following: corps, division, regiment, brigade, battalion, company, platoon, section, squad and team.
Starting with the American Revolution the U.S. Army has been engaged in every American war including the War of 1812, Mexican-American War, American Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Kosovo War, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Current commanders of the U.S. Army are Chief of Staff General George W. Casey Jr, Vice Chief of Staff General Richard A. Cody, Seargent Major SMA Kenneth O. Preston.
Culture and Society Products on our marketplace
|
For more, visit www.subs4soldiers.com
Felicity Grant is a freelance writer in Atlanta.
|