Portal:Military of the United States

•  War and the military
  Military of  Ancient Rome
•  Australia
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• United Kingdom (British Army
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• United States ( Army
• Marine Corps
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• Coast Guard) … Military history of  Africa
• France
• the Ottoman Empire …… American Civil War
• American Revolutionary War
• Cold War
• Crusades
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• War of 1812
• World War I
• World War II …… Battleships
• Biological warfare
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• Weapons of mass destruction …… NATO
•  Terrorism

The military of the United States, officially known as the United States Armed Forces, consists of five of the seven federal uniform services: the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, and the United States Coast Guard. Approximately 1.4 million personnel are currently on active duty in the military, with an additional 1,359,000 personnel in the seven reserve components. The Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military is the President of the United States. With a strength of 2.26 million personnel, including reserves, the United States Armed Forces are the second-largest in the world, after the People's Liberation Army of China, and have troops deployed around the globe. As in most militaries, members of the U.S. Armed Forces hold a rank, either that of officer or enlisted, and can be promoted. State Defense Forces are militia units operating under the sole authority of a state government or governor, and are distinct from the National Guard in that they are not federal military forces. Authorized by state and federal law, State Defense Forces as a whole "may not be called, ordered, or drafted into the armed forces" (of the United States) under 32 U.S.C. § 109 however the subsection further states that individuals serving in the State Defense Forces are not exempt from conscription. Including Puerto Rico, approximately twenty-five states have active State Defense Forces that can be called upon during emergency management and homeland security missions. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) is the Cabinet organization that controls the U.S. military, headquartered at the Pentagon. The Secretary of Defense also oversees the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, and civilian agencies such as the Inspector General, Defense Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency. The DoD is the largest employer in the United States. The military history of the United States spans a period of over two centuries, during which the United States grew from an alliance of thirteen British colonies without a professional military, to the world's sole remaining military superpower as of 2012. The history of the United States military begins in civilian frontiersmen, armed for hunting and basic survival in the wilderness that were organized into local militias for small military operations, mostly against Native American tribes but also to resist possible raids by the small military forces of neighboring European colonies. Template:/box-footer File:4996494335 25812dffaf o.jpg The Black Beret and ACU uniform Uniform changes by Army uniform board After polling Army personnel for input, the Army's uniform board has instituted several changes to the Army's attire. First and foremost, the Black Beret will be relegated to the Army's service dress uniform. Velcro is also being made optional for some closures. Soldiers will be provided the chance to sew patches to their uniform. The beret has been the standard headgear for the Army Combat Uniform since June 2001. The beret is worn on base and for ceremonies while the patrol cap is worn in the field. Soldiers disliked the beret for its nonexistent practical purpose and the redundancy of having to carry both a beret and hat at all times. “The [ACU] signifies a uniform that should be worn in combat or training for combat, yet a beret doesn’t even make the cut on the deployment packing list,” said one NCO. The Army will now issue only one beret to each soldier for a cost savings of $6.5 million over the lifecycle of the ACU. Soldiers will still wear their berets with their Army Service Uniform. Soldiers are pleased overall with the appearance of the beret on the ASU. The change does not effect Special Forces soldiers such as the Army Special Forces who wear distinctive Green Berets. Velcro replaced buttons on the digital ACU replacement for the BDU. Velcro was received as being too noisy, messy, and unprofessional looking by early users after the new ACU uniform was adopted by the Army. Soldiers voiced their opposition to velcro to the Army's Uniform board earlier this year prior to the decision. Sources: AT:Beret going away?,AT:Army dumps Beret,ANS:Velcro optional, Patrol Cap default News Archive USS Illinois (BB-65) was to be the fifth Iowa-class battleship constructed for the United States Navy; she was the fourth ship to be named in honor of the 21st state. Hull BB-65 was originally to be the first ship of the Montana-class battleships, but changes during the Second World War resulted in her being reordered as an Iowa-class battleship midway through the war. Adherence to the Iowa-class layout rather than the Montana-class layout allowed BB-65 to gain eight knots in speed, carry more 20 mm and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, and transit the locks of the Panama Canal; however, the move away from the Montana-class layout left BB-65 with a reduction in the heavier armaments and without the additional armor that were to have been added to BB-65 during her time on the drawing board as USS Montana. Like her sister ship USS Kentucky (BB-66), Illinois was still under construction at the end of World War II. Her construction was canceled in August 1945, but her hull remained until 1958 when it was broken up. Credit: NASA SR-71B was the trainer version of the SR-71. Notice the dual cockpit to allow the instructor to fly the airplane. United States Military history United States military history Template:/box-footer 175px M16 is the U.S. military designation for a family of rifles derived from the ArmaLite AR-15 and further developed by Colt. It is an assault rifle which fires NATO standard 5.56 mm ammunition. It has been the primary infantry rifle of the United States military since 1967, is in use by 15 NATO countries, and has been the most produced firearm in its caliber. The M16 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm caliber, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed rifle, with a rotating bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is constructed of steel, aluminum and composite plastics. Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), was an American politician who served as the 16th President of the United States, and the first president from the Republican Party. Today, he is best known for ending slavery and preserving the Union by overseeing the war effort during the American Civil War. He selected the generals and approved their strategy; selected senior civilian officials; supervised diplomacy, patronage and party operations; and rallied public opinion through messages and speeches. His influence has been magnified by his powerful oratory; his Gettysburg Address had a lasting impact on American values. After Union troops at Fort Sumter were fired upon and forced to surrender in April 1861, Lincoln called on governors of every state to send 75,000 troops to recapture forts, protect the capital, and "preserve the Union," which in his view still existed intact despite the actions of the seceding states. Army ACU, Command, Continental Army, Corps of Engineers, Formations, Howitzer, Humvee, National Guard, Reserve, Special Forces, War of 1812 USMC • History Aircraft squadrons, Banana Wars, Battalions, Commandant, Installations, MAGTF, MCRD, Organization, Pacific War, Reserve, Semper fi, Uniforms USN • History Aircraft, American Revolution, Blue Angels, Continental Navy, Fleet Week, Installations, Organization, Pearl Harbor, Reserve, Ships, Uniforms USAF Aircraft, Air National Guard, Field Operating Agencies, MPs, Museum, Space Command, SAC, Specialty Code, USAF Academy, Wings USCG • History Academy, Air stations, Auxiliary, Equipment, Homeland Security, Missions, Organization, Port Security, Ships, Reserve, SAR, Coast Guard Squadron One DoD BRAC, Civil Defense, Black project, Command, DARPA, SecDef, NSA, DIA, The Pentagon, War College Joint Chiefs Chairman, Colin Powell, Omar Bradley, Michael Mullen, Vice Chairman VA DAV, Facilities, National Cemetery, Organizations, Secretary, VA loan, VBA Armed Forces Lists Army • Marine Corps • Navy • Air Force • Coast Guard • DoD Historic events • Medal of Honor recipients • Books • Operations • Leaders • Awards • Security clearance terms • Prisons Historic Timelines Revolution history • Battles of the Revolution • Civil War events • Battles of the Civil War • Spanish-American War • Philippine-American War • Manhattan Project Military of the United States of America DoD • Joint Chiefs • Commands • Army • Marine Corps • Navy Air Force • Coast Guard • National Guard • Military by state Academies, Awards, Education, Equipment, Hospitals, Installations, Law, Pay, Policies, Research, Stubs, Support organizations Veterans • Contractors • State Guards • Legislation • Media Categories Military history of the United States of America Wars • Revolution, Barbary Wars, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Native American Wars, Civil War, Spanish-American War, Banana Wars, Boxer Rebellion, WWI, WWII, Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam, Gulf War, War on Terrorism, Iraq conflict Battles • Nuclear history • National Battlefields • Memorials U.S. military on Wikinews News U.S. military on Wikiquote Quotes U.S. military on Commons Images U.S. military on Wikisource Texts U.S. military on Wikibooks Books

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