United States Army

The United States Army (U.S. Army) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1784 and is the oldest part of the U.S. military. The Army works closely with other branches to protect the country and support important missions around the world.

As the largest part of the U.S. military, the Army has many soldiers and different types of units. It includes groups like Infantry for fighting on foot, Armor with tanks, and Aviation with helicopters. The Army uses powerful vehicles and tools to help keep peace and safety.

Throughout history, the Army has been part of many important events, such as the American Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War II, and more recent conflicts. Today, the Army continues to play a key role in protecting the United States and its allies.

Mission

The United States Army is the main land-based part of the United States Department of Defense. Its job is to keep peace and safety, defend the United States and its areas, support national plans, and stop any nation that tries to harm the United States.

In 2018, the Army made a plan to improve its work by focusing on bigger groups of soldiers. The Army works on modernizing its brigades and also looks at corps and division levels. The Army Futures Command helps guide changes for traditional battles. The Army is also reorganizing, with plans to finish by 2028.

The Army is good at several important tasks, including land battles, working with different types of soldiers together, special missions, and supporting other forces on land.

History

Main article: History of the United States Army

Origins

The Continental Army was created on 14 June 1775 by the Second Continental Congress as a unified army for the colonies 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. As the Revolutionary War progressed, help from France shaped the new army. Some soldiers from Europe, like Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, taught important military skills.

The Army fought many battles and used smart tactics to weaken the British forces. Washington led victories at Trenton and Princeton, but lost some battles in New York and New Jersey and Philadelphia. With a big win at Yorktown and help from the French, the Continental Army won against the British.

After the war, the Continental Army was disbanded, and state militias became the new nation’s ground army. However, because of conflicts with Native Americans, a small trained army was needed. The Regular Army was reorganized after a defeat in 1791 and renamed the United States Army in 1796.

In 1798, during tensions with France, the U.S. Congress planned to create a larger army, but it only existed on paper. Equipment was stored for future use.

19th century

War of 1812

Main article: War of 1812

The War of 1812 was the second and last war between the United States and Great Britain. The war included battles in the Northern, Southern, and naval areas. Native tribes fought on both sides. The war ended with the Treaty of Ghent, bringing peace that has lasted over two centuries.

Seminole Wars

Main article: Seminole Wars

There was a long period of conflict between the United States and the Seminoles that lasted over 50 years. The usual ways of fighting Native American tribes didn’t work well against the Seminoles because of the climate in Florida and their history of fighting other tribes.

Mexican–American War

Main article: Mexican–American War

The U.S. Army fought and won the Mexican–American War, which changed both countries. The U.S. victory led to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, where Mexico gave up a large area of land. This included modern-day California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.

American Civil War

Further information: Union Army

The American Civil War was the costliest war for the U.S. in terms of losses. After many slave states formed the Confederate States, the Confederate States Army was created. The United States formed the Union Army with regular army units and volunteer units from every state except South Carolina.

For the first two years, Confederate forces did well but lost control of the border states. The Confederates had the advantage of defending a large area, but disease caused many deaths. The Union focused on taking coastline areas, blocking ports, and controlling rivers. By 1863, the Confederacy was struggling. Its eastern armies fought well, but western armies were defeated. Union forces captured New Orleans in 1862 and the Mississippi River in the Vicksburg Campaign of 1862–1863. General Ulysses Grant took command in 1864 and, after many tough battles, forced the Confederate capital to surrender in April 1865. All Confederate armies surrendered within a few months.

The war was the deadliest in U.S. history, with 620,000 men losing their lives on both sides.

Later 19th century

Following the Civil War, the U.S. Army worked to support western tribes of Native Americans on Indian reservations. They set up forts and were part of the last of the American Indian Wars. U.S. Army troops also helped Southern states during the Reconstruction Era to support freedmen.

The main battles of the Spanish–American War of 1898 were fought by the Navy. U.S. forces, using new volunteers, defeated Spain in land campaigns in Cuba and played a key role in the Philippine–American War.

20th century

Starting in 1910, the army began using airplanes. In 1910, during the Mexican Revolution, the army was sent to U.S. towns near the border to keep people safe. In 1916, Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico, leading to a U.S. response until 1918.

World Wars

For a list of campaigns see List of United States Army campaigns during World War II

The United States joined World War I in 1917 on the side of Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the other Allies. U.S. troops were sent to the Western Front and were part of the final battles that ended the war. After the armistice in November 1918, the army reduced its size.

In 1939, the Army had between 174,000 and 200,000 soldiers, smaller than Portugal’s, ranking it 17th or 19th in the world. General George C. Marshall became Army chief of staff in September 1939 and began expanding and modernizing the Army for war.

The United States joined World War II in December 1941 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. About 11 million Americans served in Army operations. On the European front, U.S. Army troops were a big part of the forces that landed in French North Africa, took Tunisia, moved on to Sicily, and fought in Italy. In the June 1944 landings in northern France and the later liberation of Europe and defeat of Nazi Germany, millions of U.S. Army troops played a key role. In 1947, the number of soldiers in the U.S. Army dropped from eight million in 1945 to 684,000, and the total number of active divisions fell from 89 to 12. The Army leaders saw this reduction as a success.

In the Pacific War, U.S. Army Soldiers made up most of the ground forces there, capturing Pacific Islands from Japanese control. There were 86 amphibious landings across the Pacific. After Germany and Japan surrendered in 1945, Army troops were sent to occupy Japan and Germany. In 1947, the Army Air Forces became separate from the Army and formed the United States Air Force. In 1948, the Army was changed to include all races by order of President Harry S. Truman.

Cold War

1945–1960

The end of World War II led to the East–West tension known as the Cold War. With the start of the Korean War, concerns grew about defending Western Europe. Two corps were reactivated, and U.S. strength in Europe increased from one division to four. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops stayed in West Germany, with others in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, ready for possible threats.

During the Cold War, U.S. troops and their allies fought against communist forces in Korea and Vietnam. The Korean War began in June 1950 when the Soviets left a UN meeting, allowing a vote. Under the United Nations, hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops fought to stop North Korea from taking over South Korea. After many advances and retreats, including the Chinese entry into the war, the Korean Armistice Agreement returned the area to its previous state in July 1953.

1960–1970

The Vietnam War is often seen as a difficult time for the U.S. Army because of the use of required service, public unhappiness with the war, and limits set by political leaders. U.S. forces had been in South Vietnam since 1959 in support and training roles but were sent in larger numbers after 1965. U.S. forces controlled traditional battlefields but had trouble against the guerrilla tactics of the communist Viet Cong and the People’s Army of Vietnam (NVA).

During the 1960s, the Department of Defense looked at reserve forces and questioned the number of divisions and brigades. In 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara decided to reduce Army National Guard divisions from 15 to eight but increased brigades from seven to 18. This change was accepted after promises that total strength would not be reduced.

1970–1990

The Total Force Policy was created after the Vietnam War to treat the Regular Army, the Army National Guard, and the Army Reserve as one force. The army became an all-volunteer force with better training. Following the Camp David Accords in 1978, the United States and Egypt agreed to joint military training every two years, known as Exercise Bright Star.

The 1980s were mostly about reorganizing. The Goldwater–Nichols Act of 1986 created unified combatant commands, bringing the army together with other military services under geographic command structures. The army also took part in invasions of Grenada in 1983 and Panama in 1989.

By 1989, Germany was nearing reunification and the Cold War was ending. Army leadership began planning to reduce its size. By November 1989, plans were to cut army strength by 23%, from 750,000 to 580,000. Early retirement was one of the incentives used.

1990s

In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and U.S. land forces quickly deployed to protect Saudi Arabia. In January 1991, Operation Desert Storm began, a U.S.-led coalition that deployed over 500,000 troops, mostly from U.S. Army formations, to remove Iraqi forces. The campaign ended in victory, with Western coalition forces defeating the Iraqi Army. Some of the largest tank battles in history happened during the Gulf War.

After Operation Desert Storm, the army did not see major combat for the rest of the 1990s but took part in peacekeeping activities.

21st century

On 11 September 2001, 53 Army civilians and 22 soldiers were among the victims killed in the Pentagon during a terrorist attack when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building, part of the September 11 attacks. In response, U.S. and NATO forces invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 to remove the Taliban government. The U.S. Army was the first to arrive in Afghanistan, with the 10th Mountain Division being the first conventional unit in 2001. The U.S. Army also led the invasion of Iraq in 2003; it was the main source of ground forces. Like Afghanistan, the U.S. Army was first into Iraq. In the following years, the mission changed to dealing with local fighters, leading to the deaths of more than 4,000 U.S. service members and injuries to thousands more.

Until 2009, the Army’s main plan for updating equipment was the Future Combat Systems program. In 2009, many systems were canceled, and the rest were part of the BCT modernization program. By 2017, the Brigade Modernization project was finished, and its headquarters became the Joint Modernization Command.

The U.S. Army fought in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The 10th Mountain Division was the most deployed unit during the Global War on Terror.

In the 2026 Iran war, the Army took part through missile launches, air defense, and possibly rescue operations. Army forces used tactical ballistic missiles against Iran, marking their first combat use. Air defense operations responded to Iran’s attacks on Israel and Arab countries. The Army may have helped in a pilot rescue in Iran.

Organization

The United States Army is the land part of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the six armed forces and eight uniformed services of the United States.

The U.S. Army began organizing in 1775. For over 100 years, it was a small force for protecting forts and doing other jobs when not at war. During wars, the Army grew larger with volunteers from each state and state militias.

Today, the Army has three main parts: the Regular Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard. The Army also has special units like the Special Forces.

The Army is led by a civilian secretary and a top military officer called the chief of staff. The Army has commands around the world and organizes its units into brigades instead of just divisions.

Special Operations Forces

Main article: Army Special Operations Command

United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) (USASOC):

Medical Department

Main article: Army Medical Department (United States)

The United States Army Medical Department helps keep Army members healthy and safe. It is led by the Surgeon General of the United States Army, a high-ranking officer who also leads the United States Army Medical Command. The Surgeon General has helpers and staff to support their work.

The Medical Department includes six special groups focused on different health jobs. These groups are the Medical Corps, Nurse Corps, Dental Corps, Veterinary Corps, Medical Service Corps, and Medical Specialist Corps. Each group has a leader who reports to the Surgeon General.

Personnel

See also: List of ranks used by the United States Army

The U.S. Army uses a special app called IPPS-A to help manage information about soldiers. This app works for the National Guard and the Army Reserve, and it helps with things like promotions and other important decisions. Soldiers were asked to keep their information up to date by December 2021.

There are different ways to become an officer in the Army, such as going to a special school or college program. Officers can be promoted based on their skills and experiences. The Army has special training programs to help soldiers learn and grow in their roles.

Training in the Army includes learning basic skills and more advanced training for specific jobs. Because of COVID-19, some training was changed to include more time indoors and social distancing. Soldiers also take fitness tests to make sure they are strong and healthy.

The Army has different ranks for officers, warrant officers, and enlisted personnel, each with their own titles and ways of addressing one another. There are also special training programs to help new officers learn how to lead and support other soldiers.

The Army has special training centers where units practice together. These centers are located at Fort Irwin in California, Fort Johnson in Louisiana, and in Germany.

Future Soldier Prep Course

The Army has had some difficulty finding enough new soldiers, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. To help, the Army created the Future Soldier Prep Course (FSPC). This program helps people who might need extra practice with fitness or school subjects before they can join the Army. In the year ending September 30, 2023, about 13,000 new soldiers, or 24%, took part in this course. Most of these soldiers used the academic part of the course, which focuses on math, English, and other important skills.

Main article: Warrant officer (United States)

See also: Enlisted rank

Equipment

Main article: List of equipment of the United States Army

The chief of staff of the Army has focused on improving six key areas: artillery, ground vehicles, aircraft, communication networks, air and missile defense, and soldier equipment.

Weapons

Individual weapons

The United States Army uses many weapons for close combat. The most common weapon is the M4 carbine, a smaller version of the M16 rifle. It is being replaced by the M7 rifle in some units. Soldiers also carry the M17 pistol and different types of hand grenades, like the M67 fragmentation grenade.

Some units have special weapons, such as the M249 SAW, which helps teams provide cover fire. Indirect fire comes from the M320 grenade launcher. For close combat, soldiers use shotguns like the M1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun. Snipers use rifles like the M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle.

Crew-served weapons

The army uses larger weapons for longer-range support. The M240 is a standard machine gun. The M2 heavy machine gun is often placed on vehicles. Mortars, such as the 60 mm M224, give indirect fire support. The army also uses rockets and missiles, like the AT4 for destroying barriers and the FGM-148 Javelin for targeting enemy tanks.

Vehicles

The U.S. Army focuses on mobile warfare and has many vehicles. The most common is the Humvee, used for many tasks. The M1A2 Abrams is the army’s main battle tank, while the M2A3 Bradley is used for transporting soldiers. Other vehicles include the Stryker and the M113 armored personnel carrier.

The army’s main artillery includes the M109A7 Paladin and the M270 multiple launch rocket system.

Aviation

While the United States Army Aviation Branch has a few fixed-wing planes, it mainly uses helicopters. These include the AH-64 Apache for attacks, the UH-60 Black Hawk for transport, and the CH-47 Chinook for heavy lifting. The army is also testing new aircraft to improve its abilities.

Uniforms

Main article: Uniforms of the United States Army

The army wears the Army Combat Uniform with a special pattern called Operational Camouflage Pattern. In 2018, the army announced a new uniform called ‘Army Greens’ based on older styles, which will become the standard uniform for everyday use.

Berets

Different army units wear colored berets. For example, members of certain special units wear brown or tan berets. Commanders can decide when soldiers wear these berets.

Tents

The army often uses tents when moving to new places. These tents serve as sleeping areas, dining halls, and other important spaces for soldiers. The army is also trying out newer tents called deployable rapid assembly shelters to make setting up faster.