The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for land-based militaryuniformed services. The modern Army has its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on 14 June 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War. Congress operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven created the United States Army on 14 June 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.
The primary mission of the Army is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities ... in support of the National Security and Defense Strategies." Control and operation is administered by the Department of the Army, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The civilian head is the Secretary of the ArmyChief of Staff, unless the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Army officers. The Regular Army reported a strength of 539,675 soldiers; the Army National Guard (ARNG) reported 360,351 and the United States Army Reserve (USAR) reported 197,024 putting the combined component strength total 1,097,050 soldiers (2008 Financial Year). and the highest ranking military officer in the department is the
Mission
United States Army serves as the land-based branch of the U.S. Military. §3062 of Title 10 US Code defines the purpose of the Army as:
- preserving the peace and security, and providing for the defense, of the United States, the Commonwealths and possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States
- supporting the national policies
- implementing the national objectives
- overcoming any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States
History
Main article: Military history of the United States
Origins
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. The Army was initially led by men who had served in the British Army or colonial militias and who brought much of British military heritage with them. As the Revolutionary war progressed, French aid, resources, and military thinking influenced the new army, while Prussian assistance and instructors, such as Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, had a strong influence.
George Washington used 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. Washington led victories against the British at Trenton and Princeton, and then turned south. With a decisive victory at Yorktown, and the help of the French, the Spanish and the 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 American distrust of standing armies, and irregular state militias became the new nation's sole ground army, with the exception of a regiment to guard the Western Frontier and one battery of artillery guarding West Point's arsenal. However, because of continuing conflict with Native Americans, 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.
19th century
The War of 1812, the second and last American war against the British, was less successful than the Revolution had been. An invasion of Canada failed, and U.S. 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 was common in the U.S., and as settlers moved west the U.S. Army engaged in a long series of skirmishes and battles with Native Americans that the colonists uprooted. The U.S. Army also fought the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), which was a defining event for both countries.[5] The U.S. victory resulted in acquisition of territory that eventually became all or parts of the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming and New Mexico.
Following the Civil War, the U.S. Army fought a long battle with Native Americans, who resisted U.S. expansion into the center of the continent. By the 1890s the U.S. saw itself as a potential international player. U.S. victories in the Spanish-American War and the controversial and less well known Philippine-American War, as well as U.S. intervention in Latin America and the Boxer Rebellion, gained America more land.
20th Century
In 1910, the U.S. Signal Corps acquired and flew the Army's first aircraft, the Wright Type A biplane. The United States joined World War I in 1917 on the side of the Britain, France, and Russia. U.S. troops were sent to the front and were involved in the push that finally broke through the German lines. With the armistice on 11 November 1918, the Army once again decreased its forces.
The U.S. joined World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On the European front, U.S. Army troops formed a significant portion of the forces that captured North Africa and Sicily. On D-Day and in the subsequent liberation of Europe and defeat of Nazi Germany, millions of U.S. Army troops played a central role. In the Pacific, Army soldiers participated alongside U.S. Marines in the "island hopping" campaign that wrested the Pacific Islands from Japanese control. Following the Axis surrenders in May (Germany) and August (Japan) of 1945, Army troops were deployed to Japan and Germany to occupy the two defeated nations. Two years after World War II, the Army Air Forces separated from the Army to become the United States Air Force on 18 September 1947 after decades of attempting to separate. Also, in 1948 the Army was desegregated.
However, the end of World War II set the stage for the East-West confrontation known as the Cold War. With the outbreak of the Korean War, concerns over the defense of Western Europe rose. Two corps, V and VII, were reactivated under Seventh United States Army in 1950 and American strength in Europe rose from one division to four. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops remained stationed in West Germany, with others in Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, until the 1990s in anticipation of a possible Soviet attack.
The Vietnam War is often regarded as a low point in the Army's record due to the use of drafted personnel, the unpopularity of the war with the American public, and frustrating restrictions placed on the Army by US political leaders (i.e. no invading communist held North Vietnam). While American forces had been stationed in the Republic of Vietnam since 1959, in intelligence & advising/training roles, they did not deploy in large numbers until 1965, after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. American forces effectively established and maintained control of the "traditional" battlefield, however they struggled to counter the guerrilla hit and run tactics of the communist Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. On a tactical level, American soldiers (and the US military as a whole) did not lose a sizable battle. For instance in the Tet Offensive in 1968, the US Army turned a large scale attack by communist forces into a massive defeat of the Viet Cong on the battlefield (though at the time the offensive sapped the political will of the American public) which permanently weakened the guerrilla force. Thereafter, most large scale engagements were fought with the regular North Vietnamese Army. In 1973 domestic political opposition to the war finally forced a US withdrawal. In 1975, Vietnam was unified under a communist government.
The Total Force Policy was adopted by Chief of Staff of the Army General Creighton Abrams in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and involves treating the three components of the Army – the Regular Army, the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve as a single force. Believing that no US president should be able to take the United States (and more specifically the US Army) to war without the support of the American people, General Abrams intertwined the structure of the three components of the Army in such a way as to make extended operations impossible, without the involvement of both the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.
The 1980s was mostly a decade of reorganization. The Army converted to an all-volunteer force with greater emphasis on training and technology. The Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 created Unified Combatant Commands bringing the Army together with the other four military under unified, geographically organized command structures. The Army also played a role in the invasions of Grenada in 1983 (Operation Urgent Fury) and Panama in 1989 (Operation Just Cause).
By 1989 Germany was nearing reunification and the Cold War was coming to a close. The Army leadership reacted by starting to plan for a reduction in strength. By November 1989 Pentagon briefers were laying out plans for 'Operation Quicksilver,' a plan to reduce Army endstrength by 23%, from 750,000 to 580,000.[10] A number of incentives such as early retirement were used. In 1990 Iraq invaded its smaller neighbor, Kuwait, and U.S. land forces, led by the 82nd Airborne Division, quickly deployed to assure the protection of Saudi Arabia. In January 1991 Operation Desert Storm commenced, a U.S.-led coalition which deployed over 500,000 troops, the bulk of them from U.S. Army formations, to drive out Iraqi forces. The campaign ended in total victory for the Army, as Western coalition forces routed the Iraqi Army, organized along Soviet lines, in just one hundred hours.
After Desert Storm, the Army did not see major combat operations for the remainder of the 1990s. Army units did participate in a number of peacekeeping activities, such as the UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia in 1993, where the abortive Operation Gothic Serpent led to the deaths of eighteen American soldiers and the withdrawal of international forces. The Army also contributed troops to a NATO peacekeeping force in the former Yugoslavia in the middle of the decade.
[edit] 21st century
The Army took part in the combined U.S. and allied invasion of Iraq in 2003. In the following years the mission changed from conflict between regular militaries to counterinsurgency, with large numbers of suicide attacks resulting in the deaths of more than 4,000 U.S. service members (as of March 2008) and injuries to thousands more.[11] The lack of stability in the theater of operations has led to longer deployments for Regular Army as well as Reserve and Guard troops.
The Army's chief modernization plan was the FCS program. Many systems were canceled and the remaining were swept into the BCT modernization program.
[edit] Organization
Main article: Structure of the United States Army
[edit] Army components
The task of organizing the U.S. Army commenced in 1775.[13] During World War I, the "National Army" was organized to fight the conflict.[14] 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.[15]
In 1941, the "Army of the United States" was founded to fight World War II. 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.[15]
Currently, the Army is divided into the Regular Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard.[14] The Army is also divided into major branches such as Air Defense Artillery, Infantry, Aviation, Signal Corps, Corps of Engineers, and Armor. 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.
Structure
The United States Army is made up of three components: the active component, the Regular Army; 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 or Unit Training Assemblies (UTAs), 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 and territorial governors, and the Mayor of the District of Columbia. However the National Guard can be federalized by presidential order and against the governor's wishes.[21]The 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. The Army Chief of Staff is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a body composed of the service chiefs from each service who advise the President and Secretary of Defense on military matters under the guidance of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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 his own service component. The services provide trained forces to the Combatant Commanders for use as they see fit.
Main article: Transformation of the United States Army
Through 2013, the Army is shifting to six geographical commands that will line up with the six 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 Heidelberg, Germany
- United States Army Pacific headquartered at Fort Shafter, Hawaii (eventually to be merged with the Eighth Army).
- Southern European Task Force (Army component of USAFRICOM) headquartered at Vicenza, Italy
The Army is also changing its base unit from divisions to brigades. When finished, the active army will have increased its combat brigades from 33 to 48, with similar increases 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 around 3,700 troops and be equivalent to a mechanized infantry or tank brigade.
- Stryker brigades will have around 3,900 troops and be based around the Stryker family of vehicles.
- Infantry brigades will have around 3,300 troops and be equivalent to a light infantry or airborne brigade.
[edit] Regular combat maneuver organizations
The U.S. Army currently consists of 10 active divisions as well as several independent units. The force is in the process of growth, with four additional brigades scheduled to activate by 2013, with a total increase of 74,200 soldiers from January 2007. Each division will have four ground maneuver brigades, 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.
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Within the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve there are a further six divisions, over fifteen maneuver brigades, additional combat support and combat service support brigades, and independent cavalry, infantry, artillery, aviation, engineer, and support battalion. The Army Reserve in particular provide virtually all psychological operations and civil affairs units.
| Name | Headquarters | Subunits |
|---|---|---|
 1st Armored Division | Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany | 1st,2nd,4th Heavy Brigade Combat Teams and 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bliss.The 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade will arrive at Biggs Army Airfield on Fort Bliss sometime in 2011. The Division HQ will will finish moving to Fort Bliss sometime in 2011. |
 1st Cavalry Division | Fort Hood, Texas | 1st,2nd,3rd,4th Heavy Brigade Combat Teams and 1st Air Cavalry Brigade at Fort Hood. |
 1st Infantry Division | Fort Riley, Kansas | 1st,2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Teams, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 1st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Riley, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Knox, Kentucky. |
 2nd Infantry Division | Camp Red Cloud, South Korea | 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team and 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Camp Humphreys and Camp Casey, South Korea, and 2nd,3rd,4th Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs) at Fort Lewis, Washington. |
 3rd Infantry Division | Fort Stewart, Georgia | 1st,2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Teams and 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart, Georgia, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team at Fort Benning, Georgia, and 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. |
 4th Infantry Division | Fort Carson, Colorado | 1st,2nd,3rd Heavy brigade combat teams and 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Carson, Colorado. 4th combat aviation brigade at Fort Hood, Texas until 2011. |
 10th Mountain Division | Fort Drum, New York | 1st,2nd,3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Teams and 10th Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Drum and 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Polk, Louisiana. |
 25th Infantry Division | Schofield Barracks, Hawaii | 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Schofield Barracks, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Wheeler Army Airfield, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and 4th Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Richardson, Alaska. |
 82nd Airborne Division | Fort Bragg, North Carolina | 1st,2nd,3rd,4th Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Teams and 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bragg. |
 101st Airborne Division | Fort Campbell, Kentucky | 1st,2nd,3rd,4th Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (air assault), 101st and 159th Combat Aviation Brigades at Fort Campbell. |
 170th Infantry Brigade | Baumholder, Germany | Two mechanized infantry battalions, one M1A1 Abrams battalion, one self-propelled 155mm field artillery battalion, one combat engineer battalion. |
 172nd Infantry Brigade | Grafenwöhr, Germany | Two mechanized infantry battalions, one M1A1 Abrams battalion, one self-propelled 155mm field artillery battalion, one combat engineer battalion. |
 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team | Vicenza, Italy | Two airborne infantry battalions, one cavalry squadron, one airborne field artillery battalion, one special troops battalion, and one support battalion. |
 2nd Cavalry Regiment | Vilseck, Germany | 6 subordinate Squadrons: 1st (Stryker Infantry), 2nd (Stryker Infantry), 3rd (Stryker Infantry), 4th (Recon, Surveillance, Target Acquisition), Fires (6x3 155mm Towed Arty), & RSS (Logistical Support); 5 Separate Troops/Companies: Regimental Headquarters Troop, Military Intelligence Troop, Signal Troop, 84th Engineer Company, and Anti-Tank Troop. |
 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment | Fort Hood, Texas | Three tank squadrons, one aviation squadron, and one support squadron. |
 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment | Fort Irwin, California | Serves as the Opposing Force (OPFOR) at the National Training Center (NTC). Multi-compo HBCT. |
[edit] Special Operations Forces
US Army Special Operations Command (Airborne):| Name | Headquarters | Structure and purpose |
|---|---|---|
 Special Forces (Green Berets) | Fort Bragg, North Carolina | Seven groups capable of unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism. |
 75th Ranger Regiment (Rangers) | Fort Benning, Georgia | Three battalions of elite airborne infantry. |
 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers) | Fort Campbell, Kentucky | Four battalions, providing helicopter aviation support for general purpose forces and Special Operations Forces. |
 4th Psychological Operations Group | Fort Bragg, North Carolina | Psychological operations unit, six battalions. |
 95th Civil Affairs Brigade | Fort Bragg, North Carolina | Civil affairs brigade. |
 528th Sustainment Brigade (Special Operations) (Airborne) | Fort Bragg, North Carolina | |
| 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force) | Fort Bragg, North Carolina | Elite special operations and counter-terrorism unit. Its operators are chosen primarily from the Special Forces Groups and the Ranger Regiment, however some come from non-USASOC units. |
[edit] Personnel
Main articles: Ranks and Insignia of NATO, United States Army officer rank insignia, and United States Army enlisted rank insignia
These are the U.S. Army ranks in use today and their equivalent NATO designations.Commissioned Officers:[22]
| “ | 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. 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-1 | O-2 | O-3 | O-4 | O-5 | O-6 | O-7 | O-8 | O-9 | O-10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Title | Second Lieutenant | First Lieutenant | Captain | Major | Lieutenant Colonel | Colonel | Brigadier General | Major General | Lieutenant General | General | |
| Abbreviation | 2LT | 1LT | CPT | MAJ | LTC | COL | BG | MG | LTG | GEN | |
| NATO Code | OF-1 | OF-2 | OF-3 | OF-4 | OF-5 | OF-6 | OF-7 | OF-8 | OF-9 | ||
| “ | 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-1 | W-2 | W-3 | W-4 | W-5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia |  |  |  |  |  |
| Title | Warrant Officer 1 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 | Chief Warrant Officer 3 | Chief Warrant Officer 4 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 |
| Abbreviation | WO1 | CW2 | CW3 | CW4 | CW5 |
| NATO Code | WO-1 | WO-2 | WO-3 | WO-4 | WO-5 |
| “ | Sergeants are referred to as NCOs, short for non-commissioned officers. Corporals are also non-commisioned officers, and serve as the base of the non-commissioned Officer (NCO) ranks. 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, and sergeants first class as "Sergeant (last name)." Address higher ranking sergeants by their full ranks in conjunction with their names. | ” |
| US DoD Pay grade | E-1 | E-2 | E-3 | E-4 | E-5 | E-6 | E-7 | E-8 | E-9 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia | No Insignia |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Title | Private | Private | Private First Class | Specialist | Corporal | Sergeant | Staff Sergeant | Sergeant First Class | Master Sergeant | First Sergeant | Sergeant Major | Command Sergeant Major | Sergeant Major of the Army |
| Abbreviation | PVT ¹ | PV2 ¹ | PFC | SPC ² | CPL | SGT | SSG | SFC | MSG | 1SG | SGM | CSM | SMA |
| NATO Code | OR-1 | OR-2 | OR-3 | OR-4 | OR-4 | OR-5 | OR-6 | OR-7 | OR-8 | OR-8 | OR-9 | OR-9 | OR-9 |
| ¹ PVT is also used as an abbreviation for both Private ranks when pay grade need not be distinguished ² SP4 is sometimes encountered in lieu of SPC for Specialist. This is a holdover from when there were additional specialist ranks at higher pay grades. | |||||||||||||
[edit] Training
Training in the United States Army is generally divided into two categories – individual and collective.Basic training consists of 9 weeks for most recruits followed by AIT (Advanced Individualized Training) where they receive training for their MOS with the length of AIT school varying by the MOS. Individuals who have the MOS 11B (infantry) go to 14 weeks of OSUT (One Station Unit Training) at Fort Benning, Georgia. OSUT counts as basic and AIT for infantry soldiers. Other combat MOSs 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 (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 branch specific training at the Basic Officer Leaders Course, (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 Joint Multinational Training Center (JMRC) at the Hohenfels Training Area in Hohenfels, Germany.
Six Sigma Training
The largest business transformation attempted to date was by the United States Army and its 1.3 million employees. Six Sigma first found its way into the Army in 2002 in the Army Material Command division, which is responsible for purchasing virtually everything in the army, from cornmeal to aircraft. Efficiencies from Six Sigma achieved in this department, a few others, as well as an increasingly disproportional amount of demands compared to funds post 9/11, led to an army wide implementation of the program in late 2005.[24]
After careful consideration, the army decided to implement the program the way the army does everything: centrally plan and de-centrally execute. Army generals and members of the government went behind closed doors for two days, learning their responsibilities of the implementation and the benefits they will achieve. Army employees with leadership roles were asked to define areas their departments were experiencing problems in as well as identify key personnel they felt were capable of learning Six Sigma. Eventually, the lowest ranking employees were asked to define the largest problems they faced on a day to day basis, and the answers were sent to the Army generals who, with the help of Six Sigma, strategically developed and proposed proper solutions.[24]
Army employees were trained in Six Sigma through the use of experts. Since training began in June 2006, they have trained 1,240 Green Belts, 446 Black Belts, and 15 Master Black Belts; completed 1,069 projects; and managed to save nearly two billion dollars to date. The army realized such huge savings by implementing new, more efficient methods, eliminating waste as well as the elimination of non-value adding activities.[24]
Many improvements in the Army’s business processes should be credited to the vast improvements in efficiency. In particular, the dramatic effect Six Sigma has had on eliminating redundancies in efforts and resources has resulted in savings nearly a quarter of their cost. Productivity has increased and costs have decreased because of such eliminations, resulting in a more financially secure Army. New software uncovered that the Army was paying to provide foreign language instruction to a substantial number of non army personnel; this discovery, followed by the restructuring of the program, saved the Army $400 million the following year. Other Six Sigma improvements, saving the Army millions, include streamlining the recruiting process, preventing food waste at West Point, and improving foreign military sales. Such successes enjoyed by the Army have recently lead to the full implementation of Six Sigma by both the Air Force and Navy, as well as initiating talks with the Secretary of Defense to incorporate lean Six Sigma throughout the entire department.[24]
[edit] Equipment
Main article: Equipment of the United States Army
[edit] Weapons
The Army employs various individual weapons to provide light firepower at short ranges.
The most common weapons used by the army are the M16 series assault rifle[25] and its compact variant, the M4 carbine,[26] which is slowly replacing selected M16 series rifles in some units and is primarily used by infantry, Ranger, and Special Operations forces.[27] Soldiers whose duties require a more compact weapon, such as combat vehicle crew members, staff officers, and military police, are also issued the M4. The most common sidearm in the U.S. Army is the 9 mm M9 pistol[28] which is issued to the majority of combat and support units. The US Rangers are to be issued the SCAR-H battle rifle by late 2010.[citation needed]
Many combat units' arsenals are supplemented with a variety of specialized weapons, including the M249 LSW (light squad weapon), to provide suppressive fire at the fire-team level,[29] the M1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun or the Mossberg 590 Shotgun for door breaching and close-quarters combat, the M14EBR for long-range marksmen, and the M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle, the M24 Sniper Weapon System, or the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle for snipers. Hand grenades, such as the M67 fragmentation grenade and M18 smoke grenade, are also used by combat troops.
The Army employs various crew-served weapons to provide heavy firepower at ranges exceeding that of individual weapons.
The M249 is the Army's standard light machine gun. The M240 is the Army's standard medium machine gun.[30]. The .50 Cal. BMG. M2 heavy machine gun is used as an anti-material and anti-personnel machine gun. The M2 is also the primary weapon on most Stryker variants and the secondary weapon system on the M1 Abrams. The 40 mm MK 19 grenade machine gun is mainly used by motorized units.[31] 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.[32] At the next higher echelon, infantry battalions are typically supported by a section of 81 mm M252 mortars.[33] 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.[34]
Fire support for light infantry units is provided by towed howitzers, including the 105 mm M119A1[35] and the 155 mm M777 (which will replace the M198).[36]
[edit] Vehicles
The U.S. Army spends a sizable portion of its military budget to maintain a diverse inventory of vehicles.
The Army's most common vehicle is the HMMWV, which is capable of serving as a cargo/troop carrier, weapons platform, and ambulance, among many other roles.[37] The M1A2 Abrams is the Army's primary main battle tank,[38] while the M2A3 Bradley is the standard infantry fighting vehicle.[39] Other vehicles include the M3A3 cavalry fighting vehicle, the Stryker,[40] and the M113 armored personnel carrier,[41] and multiple types of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.
The U.S. Army's principal artillery weapons are the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, LAV-AD and the M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer[42] and the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS),[43] both mounted on tracked platforms and assigned to heavy mechanized units.
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,[44] the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance/light attack helicopter,[45] the UH-60 Black Hawk utility tactical transport helicopter,[46] and the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift transport helicopter.[47]
[edit] Uniforms
Main article: Uniforms of the United States Army
The Army Combat Uniform (ACU) features a digital camouflage pattern and is designed for use in woodland, desert, and urban environments. Soldiers operating in Afghanistan will soon be issued an fire-resistant ACU with the more appropriate "MultiCam" pattern.[48]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 1980s 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 white 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 will continue to be worn with the new ACU for garrison duty and with the Army Service Uniform for non-ceremonial functions. The Army Blue Service Cap, formerly allowed for wear by all enlisted personnel, are now only allowed for wear by any soldier ranked CPL or above at the discretion of the commander.
Personal armor in most units is the Improved Outer Tactical Vest and the MICH TC-2000 Combat Helmet.
[edit] Tents
Main article: Tent
The Army has relied heavily on tents to provide the various facilities they need while on deployment. The US Department of Defense has strict rules on tent quality and tent specifications. The most common tent uses for the military are temporary barracks (sleeping quarters), DFAC buildings (dining facilities), Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), After Action Review (AAR), Tactical Operations Center (TOC), Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) facilities, and security checkpoints. Furthermore, most of these tents are set up and operated through the support of Natick Soldier Systems Center. One of the most popular military designs currently fielded by the US DoD is the TEMPER Tent. TEMPER is an acronym for Tent Expandable Modular PERsonnel.
The U.S. military is beginning to use a more modern tent called the deployable rapid assembly shelter or DRASH. In 2008, DRASH became part of the Army's Standard Integrated Command Post System[49].
[edit] Culture
[edit] Army birthdays
The U.S. Army was officially founded on 14 June 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year.[edit] Basic branches
- Infantry, 14 June 1775
- Adjutant General's Corps, 16 June 1775
- Corps of Engineers, 16 June 1775
- Finance Corps, 16 June 1775.
- Quartermaster Corps, 16 June 1775
- Field Artillery, 17 November 1775
- Armor, 12 June 1776
- Ordnance Corps, 14 May 1812
- Signal Corps, 21 June 1860
- Chemical Corps, 28 June 1918
- Corps of Military Police, 26 September 1941
- Transportation Corps, 31 July 1942
- Military Intelligence Corps, 1 July 1962
- Air Defense Artillery, 20 June 1968.
- Aviation, 12 April 1983
- Special Forces, 9 April 1987
- Civil Affairs Corps, 17 August 1955 (special branch); 16 October 2006 (basic branch)
- Psychological Operations, 16 October 2006
- Logistics, 1 January 2008
Special branches
- Army Medical Department, 27 July 1775
- Medical Corps, 27 July 1775
- Army Nurse Corps, 2 February 1901
- Dental Corps, 3 March 1911
- Veterinary Corps, 3 June 1916
- Medical Service Corps, 30 June 1917
- Army Medical Specialist Corps, 16 April 1947
- Chaplain Corps, 29 July 1775
- Judge Advocate General's Corps, 29 July 1775
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.
