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Uniformed services of the United States

 

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Uniformed services of the United States



 
 
The United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 has seven federal uniformed services
Uniformed Services

Uniformed services are bodies of people in the employ of a state that are not employed on standard terms of contract, but have some element of additional discipline, and wear a uniform....
 that commission
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
 officers as defined by Title 10
Title 10 of the United States Code

Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of Military of the United States in the United States Code.It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense....
, and subsequently structured and organized by Title 10, Title 14
Title 14 of the United States Code

Title 14 of the United States Code outlines the role of the United States Coast Guard in the United States Code.*Part I?Regular Coast Guard*Part II?United States Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary...
, Title 42
Title 42 of the United States Code

Title 42 of the United States Code is the title of the United States Code dealing with public health, social welfare, and civil rights....
 and Title 33
Title 33 of the United States Code

Title 33 of the United States Code outlines the role of navigable waters in the United States Code.?Navigable Waters Generally?International Rules for Navigation at Sea...
 of the United States Code
United States Code

The United States Code is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal law of the United States. ...
.

seven uniformed services are:

  1. United States Army
    United States Army

    The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
  2. United States Marine Corps
    United States Marine Corps

    The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
  3. United States Navy
    United States Navy

    The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
  4. United States Air Force
    United States Air Force

    The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Military of the United States and one of the uniformed services of the United States....
  5. United States Coast Guard
    United States Coast Guard

    The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the Military of the United States and one of seven Uniformed services of the United States. In addition to being a military branch at all times, it is unique among the armed forces in that it is also a Admiralty law agency and a Federal government of the United States regulatory agency....
  6. United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
  7. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps


Each of the uniformed services is administratively headed by a federal executive department
United States Federal Executive Departments

The United States federal executive departments are among the oldest primary units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States—the Departments of United States Department of State, United States Department of War, and the United States Department of the Treasury all being established within a few weeks of each...
 and their corresponding civilian Cabinet
United States Cabinet

The United States Cabinet is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, and its existence dates back to the first United States of America President of the United States, George Washington, who appointed a Cabinet of four people to advise and assist him in his dutie...
 leader.

United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States....
 (DOD)

>
Note: The Coast Guard also operates under the Defense Department during wartime, and in military operations.




seven uniformed services
Uniformed Services

Uniformed services are bodies of people in the employ of a state that are not employed on standard terms of contract, but have some element of additional discipline, and wear a uniform....
 are defined by :

The five uniformed services that make up the Armed Forces
Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
 are defined in the previous clause :

of the uniformed services make up the armed forces
Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
, four of which are within the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States....
.






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Encyclopedia


The United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 has seven federal uniformed services
Uniformed Services

Uniformed services are bodies of people in the employ of a state that are not employed on standard terms of contract, but have some element of additional discipline, and wear a uniform....
 that commission
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
 officers as defined by Title 10
Title 10 of the United States Code

Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of Military of the United States in the United States Code.It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense....
, and subsequently structured and organized by Title 10, Title 14
Title 14 of the United States Code

Title 14 of the United States Code outlines the role of the United States Coast Guard in the United States Code.*Part I?Regular Coast Guard*Part II?United States Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary...
, Title 42
Title 42 of the United States Code

Title 42 of the United States Code is the title of the United States Code dealing with public health, social welfare, and civil rights....
 and Title 33
Title 33 of the United States Code

Title 33 of the United States Code outlines the role of navigable waters in the United States Code.?Navigable Waters Generally?International Rules for Navigation at Sea...
 of the United States Code
United States Code

The United States Code is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal law of the United States. ...
.

Uniformed services

The seven uniformed services are:

  1. United States Army
    United States Army

    The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
  2. United States Marine Corps
    United States Marine Corps

    The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
  3. United States Navy
    United States Navy

    The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
  4. United States Air Force
    United States Air Force

    The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Military of the United States and one of the uniformed services of the United States....
  5. United States Coast Guard
    United States Coast Guard

    The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the Military of the United States and one of seven Uniformed services of the United States. In addition to being a military branch at all times, it is unique among the armed forces in that it is also a Admiralty law agency and a Federal government of the United States regulatory agency....
  6. United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
  7. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps


Each of the uniformed services is administratively headed by a federal executive department
United States Federal Executive Departments

The United States federal executive departments are among the oldest primary units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States—the Departments of United States Department of State, United States Department of War, and the United States Department of the Treasury all being established within a few weeks of each...
 and their corresponding civilian Cabinet
United States Cabinet

The United States Cabinet is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, and its existence dates back to the first United States of America President of the United States, George Washington, who appointed a Cabinet of four people to advise and assist him in his dutie...
 leader.

Federal executive departments


United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States....
 (DOD)

  • United States Army
    United States Army

    The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
     (USA) — June 14, 1775
  • United States Marine Corps
    United States Marine Corps

    The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
     (USMC) — November 10, 1775
  • United States Navy
    United States Navy

    The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
     (USN) — October 13, 1775 (Abolished February 1781 - Reinstated September 7, 1781)
  • United States Air Force
    United States Air Force

    The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Military of the United States and one of the uniformed services of the United States....
     (USAF) — September 18, 1947


United States Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security

The United States Department of Homeland Security is a United States Cabinet United States federal executive departments of the United States federal government of the United States with the responsibility of protecting the territory of the U.S....
 (DHS)

  • United States Coast Guard
    United States Coast Guard

    The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the Military of the United States and one of seven Uniformed services of the United States. In addition to being a military branch at all times, it is unique among the armed forces in that it is also a Admiralty law agency and a Federal government of the United States regulatory agency....
     (USCG) — August 4, 1790
Note: The Coast Guard also operates under the Defense Department during wartime, and in military operations.


United States Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services

The United States Department of Health and Human Services , is a United States Cabinet department of the United States government of the United States with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services....
 (HHS)

  • United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) — 1889


United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of Commerce

The United States Department of Commerce is the United States Cabinet department of the United States Federal government of the United States concerned with promoting economic growth....
 (DOC)

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps (NOAA Corps) — 1917


Statutory definition

The seven uniformed services
Uniformed Services

Uniformed services are bodies of people in the employ of a state that are not employed on standard terms of contract, but have some element of additional discipline, and wear a uniform....
 are defined by :

The five uniformed services that make up the Armed Forces
Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
 are defined in the previous clause :

Armed forces

Five of the uniformed services make up the armed forces
Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
, four of which are within the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States....
. The Coast Guard has both military
Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
 and law enforcement
Law enforcement agency

Law enforcement agency is a term used to describe either an organisation that enforces the laws of one or more governing bodies, or an organization that actively and directly assists in the enforcement of laws....
 duties, and is currently under the control of the Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security

The United States Department of Homeland Security is a United States Cabinet United States federal executive departments of the United States federal government of the United States with the responsibility of protecting the territory of the U.S....
; however, Title 14
Title 14 of the United States Code

Title 14 of the United States Code outlines the role of the United States Coast Guard in the United States Code.*Part I?Regular Coast Guard*Part II?United States Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary...
 of the U.S. Code states that the Coast Guard is part of the military at all times. It is therefore the only branch of the military not under the control of the Department of Defense, at least in peacetime; during war, control of the Coast Guard passes to the Department of the Navy if Congress declares war or at the request of the President. The Commandant of the Coast Guard reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. The commissioned corps of the US Public Health Service and NOAA Commissioned Corps operate under military rules with the exception of the applicability of the Uniform Code of Military Justice
Uniform Code of Military Justice

The Uniform Code of Military Justice is the foundation of military law in the United States. The UCMJ applies to all members of the Uniformed services of the United States: the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administratio...
, to which they are subject when militarized by executive order or while detailed to any component of the armed forces.

The National Guard is a militia force
Militia (United States)

The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States of America is complex and has transformed over time. The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the United States....
 and operates under Title 32
Title 32 of the United States Code

Title 32 of the United States Code outlines the role of the United States National Guard in the United States Code.?Organization?Personnel?Training...
 and under State authority. The National Guard was first formed in the Colony of Virginia in 1607 and is the oldest uniformed military force founded in the New World
New World

The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth, specifically the Americas and Australasia. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans, who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa ....
. The National Guard can be federally recognized as a reserve military force, becoming the National Guard of the United States which can be mobilized by the President to be under Federal authority through Title 10
Title 10 of the United States Code

Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of Military of the United States in the United States Code.It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense....
. The National Guard of the United States is managed by the National Guard Bureau, which is a joint activity under the Department of Defense , with a general
General (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a 4 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
  in the Army or Air Force as its top leader. The National Guard of the United States serves as a reserve component for both the Army and the Air Force and can be called up for federal active duty in times of war or national emergencies .

Noncombatant uniformed services

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps (NOAA Corps) is a uniformed branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the Earth's atmosphere....
     (NOAA), which is under the Department of Commerce
    United States Department of Commerce

    The United States Department of Commerce is the United States Cabinet department of the United States Federal government of the United States concerned with promoting economic growth....
    .
  • United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) is the uniformed personnel system of the United States Public Health Service
    United States Public Health Service

    Organization of the Public Health ServiceThe Public Health Service Act placed the United States Public Health Service as the primary division of the Department of Health Education and Welfare , which later became the United States Department of Health and Human Services....
    , which is under the Department of Health and Human Services
    United States Department of Health and Human Services

    The United States Department of Health and Human Services , is a United States Cabinet department of the United States government of the United States with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services....
    .


Commissioned officers of NOAA and PHS wear uniform
Uniform

File:Porfirio Diaz paint.jpgA uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity....
s that are derived from Navy uniforms, except that the commissioning devices, buttons, and insignia reflect their specific service. Uniformed officers of NOAA and PHS are paid on the same scale as members of the armed services with respective rank and time-in-grade. Additionally, PHS Officers are covered by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act and the Service Members Civil Relief Act (formerly the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act).

Both uniformed service consist only of commissioned officers and have no enlisted ranks. Commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration can be militarized by the President of the United States. Statutory authorization to militarize the Public Health Service is under Title 42 U.S.C. (Based on rank, commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (USPHS) and NOAA can be classified as Category III, IV, and V under the Geneva Convention). The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey
U.S. National Geodetic Survey

The National Geodetic Survey and the Office of Coast Survey are the two successor agencies in the United States to the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey....
 (a predecessor to NOAA) originally began commissioning its officers so that if captured while engaged in battlefield surveying, they could not legally be tried as spies
Espionage

Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secrecy or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information....
. The Public Health Service (PHS) traces its origins to a system of marine hospitals created "for the relief of sick and disabled seamen" by the U.S. Congress in 1798; they adopted a military model of organization in 1871.

See also

  • Military of the United States
    Military of the United States

    The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
  • National Guard
  • State Defense Forces
    State Defense Forces

    State Defense Forces in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government, although they are regulated by the National Guard Bureau through the Army National Guard of the United States....
  • Direct Commission Officers (DCOs)
  • United States Maritime Service
    United States Maritime Service

    The United States Maritime Service was established in 1938 under the provisions of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. The mission of the organization was to train officers and other men to become United States Merchant Marine....