United States Armed Forces

Overview of the United States Armed Forces

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States of America. They consist of six service branches: the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and United States Coast Guard. The President of the United States is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and forms military policy with the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), both federal executive departments, acting as the principal organs by which military policy is carried out.

History

The United States Armed Forces were established during the American Revolutionary War with the creation of the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, the Continental Navy on October 13, 1775, and the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775. These forces were disbanded after the Treaty of Paris ended the war in 1783. The current United States Army was created on June 3, 1784, the United States Navy on March 27, 1794, and the United States Marine Corps on July 11, 1798.

Structure

The United States Armed Forces are divided into several branches, each with its own specific roles and responsibilities:

United States Army

The United States Army is the land service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the military, responsible for land-based military operations.

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a separate branch of the military responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces.

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, responsible for naval operations and maintaining the freedom of the seas.

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial and space warfare service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, responsible for air and space operations.

United States Space Force

The United States Space Force is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, responsible for space operations and maintaining space superiority.

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, operating under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime.

Command structure

The President of the United States is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The Secretary of Defense is the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of Defense. The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the Department of Defense who advise the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council on military matters.

Budget

The United States has the largest defense budget in the world. The budget funds the operations of the Department of Defense, including the salaries of military personnel, the maintenance of equipment, and the development of new technologies.

Related pages

• Military history of the United States
• United States Department of Defense
• United States military deployments

Gallery

• 

  Service mark of the United States Army

• 

  Emblem of the United States Marine Corps

• 

  Emblem of the United States Navy

• 

  Service mark of the United States Air Force

• 

  Emblem of the United States Space Force

• 

  Seal of the United States Coast Guard

• 

  Space Force leader at the Joint Chiefs

• 

  Global Combatant Commands map