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United States ArmyThe United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. It is generally considered the most technologically advanced and one of the best-trained armies in the world, and the one most able to project its power.
As of 2004, it consisted of 494,291 soldiers on active duty, 342,918 in the Army National Guard and 204,134 in the United States Army Reserve modern United States Army has its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on June 14, 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War.
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Timeline
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1789 The United States War Department first establishes the nation's first regular army, with a strength of several hundred men.
1806 Pike expedition: Near St. Louis, Missouri, United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike leads an expedition from Fort Belle Fountaine to explore the west.
1856 American Old West: On the Sonoita River in present-day southern Arizona, the United States Army establishes Fort Buchanan in order to help control new land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase.
1861 American Civil War: Citing failing health, Union General Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the United States Army.
1868 Indian Wars: Battle of Washita River - In the early morning, United States Army Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer leads an attack on a band of peaceful Cheyenne living on reservation land with Chief Black Kettle, killing 103 Cheyenne (later regarded as the first substantial US victory in the war).
1876 Indian Wars: In retaliation for the dramatic American defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, United States Army troops under General Ranald S. Mackenzie sack Chief Dull Knife's sleeping Cheyenne village at the headwaters of the Powder River (the soldiers destroyed all of the villager's winter food and clothing and then slashed their ponies' throats).
1877 Indian Wars: Sitting Bull leads his band of Lakota into Canada to avoid harassment by the United States Army under Colonel Nelson Miles.
1877 Indian Wars: Battle of Big Hole - Near Big Hole River in Montana, a small band of Nez Percé Indians who refused government orders to move to a reservation, clash with the United States Army. The army lost 29 soldiers and Indians lost 89 warriors in a US Army win.
1890 In West Point, New York, the United States Navy defeats the United States Army 24 to 0 in the first Army-Navy football game.
1914 The Signal Corps of the United States Army is formed, giving definite status to its air service for the first time. British Fleet at Spithead: reviewed by the King.
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Encyclopedia
The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. It is generally considered the most technologically advanced and one of the best-trained armies in the world, and the one most able to project its power. As of 2004, it consisted of 494,291 soldiers on active duty, 342,918 in the Army National Guard and 204,134 in the United States Army Reserve . The modern United States Army has its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on June 14, 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War. Congress created the United States Army on June 3, 1784 after the end of the American Revolutionary War, to replace the disbanded Continental Army. However, the US Army considers itself to be an evolution of the Continental Army, and thus dates its inception from the origins of the Continental Army. Structure of the U.S. ArmyOfficially, a member of the US Army is called a Soldier . The US Army is made up of three parts: the active duty forces, National Guard forces, who are part-time soldiers organized by state and usually subordinate to the state governor, but can be federalized in a time of emergency, and the US Army Reserve forces. The army is led by a civilian Secretary of the Army, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, as well as the US Army Chief of Staff, who is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top ranking military commanders from each service who advise the President on military matters. Operationally, though, control of the Army in wartime goes from the President of the United States to the Unified Combatant Commanders, who have control of all armed forces units in their geographic area of responsibility. Thus, the previously discussed figures only have the responsibility to train and equip the US Army. The Army is currently undergoing a period of transformation, which is expected to be finished in 2009. When it is finished, there will be five geographical commands which will line up with the five geographical Unified Combatant Commands. - United States Army Central home-headquartered at Atlanta, 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 Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany
- United States Army Pacific headquartered at Fort Shafter, Hawaii
Each command will receive a numbered army as operational command, except in the case of US Army Pacific, which will not receive one but will have a numbered army for US Army forces in South Korea. As part of the same transformation plan, the US Army is currently undergoing a transition from being a division-based force to a brigade-based force. When finished, the active army will have increased its number of combat brigades from 33 to 42, and increases of a similar scale will have taken place 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: - Armored brigades, which will have about 3,700 troops and be equivalent to a mechanized infantry brigade.
- Infantry brigades, which will have around 3,300 troops and be equivalent to a light infantry or air assault brigade.
- Stryker brigades, which will have around 3,900 troops and be based around the Stryker family of vehicles.
In addition, there will be combat support and service support modular brigades. Combat support brigades include Aviation brigades, which will come in heavy and light varieties, and Fires brigades. Service support brigades will come in several varieties and serve the standard support role in an army. The U.S. Army is divided into the following components, from largest to smallest:    - Field Army: Usually commanded by a General .
- Corps: Formerly consisted of two or more divisions and organic support brigades. Now is an "operational unit of employment," that may command a flexible number of modular units. The commander is most often a Lieutenant General .
- Division: Usually commanded by a Major General . Formerly consisted of three maneuver brigades, a division artillery, a division support command, an aviation brigade, an engineer brigade and other support assets. Until the Brigade Combat Team program was developed, the division was the smallest self-sufficient level of organization in the US Army. Current divisions are "tactical units of employment," and may command a flexible number of modular units, but generally will include four brigade combat teams and a combat aviation brigade.
- Brigade : Composed of typically three or more battalions, and commanded by a Colonel or occasionally a Brigadier General . Since the Brigade Unit of Action program was initiated, maneuver brigades have transformed into brigade combat teams, generally consisting of two maneuver battalions, a cavalry squadron, a fires battalion, a special troops battalion , and a support battalion. Stryker Brigade Combat Teams have a somewhat larger structure.
- Battalion : A Battalion usually consists of two to six companies and roughly 300 to 1000 soldiers. Most units are organized into battalions. Cavalry units are formed into squadrons. A battalion-sized unit is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel , supported by a Command Sergeant Major/E-9 . This unit consists of a Battalion Commander , a Battalion Executive Officer , a Command Sergeant Major and headquarters, and three to five Companies.
- Company : A company usually consists of three to four platoons and roughly 100 to 130 soldiers. Artillery units are formed into batteries. Cavalry units are formed into troops. A company-sized unit is usually led by a Company Commander usually the rank of Captain/O-3 supported by a First Sergeant/E-8 . This unit consists of a Company Commander , a Company Executive Officer , A First Sergeant and a headquarters, and two or more Platoons.
- Platoon: Usually led by a lieutenant supported by a Sergeant First Class/E-7 . This unit consists of a Platoon Leader , a Platoon Sergeant , a Radio-Telephone Operator and two or more Squad Leaders .
- Section : Usually directed by Staff Sergeants/E-6 who supply guidance for junior NCO Squad leaders. Often used in conjunction with platoons at the company level.
- Squad: Squad leaders are usually Staff Sergeants/E-6 and can be Sergeants/E-5 . This unit consists of eight to ten soldiers.
- Fire team: In the Infantry it usually consists of four soldiers: a fire team leader, a grenadier, an automatic rifleman, and a rifleman. Fire team leaders are usually Sergeants/E-5 , but sometimes Corporals/E-4 .
Army componentsDuring the First World War, the "National Army" was organized to fight the conflict. 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.
In 1941, the "Army of the United States" was founded to fight the Second World War. The Regular Army, Army of the United States, the National Guard, and Officer/Enlisted Reserve Corps 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.
Currently, the Army is divided into the Regular Army, the Army Reserve, and the United States National Guard. 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 US 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 US 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 US or the outbreak of a major global war. The current "call-up" order of the United States Army is as follows:
- Regular Army volunteer force
- Army Reserve total mobilization
- Full scale activation of all National Guard forces
- Recall of all retired personnel fit for military duty
- Re-establishment of the draft and creation of a conscript force within the Regular Army
- Recall of previously discharged officers and enlisted who were separated under honorable conditions
- Activation of the State Defense Forces/State Militias
- Full scale mobilization of the unorganized U.S. militia
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.
Combat Maneuver Organizations
The US Army currently consists of 10 divisions as well as several independent units. This order of battle will be realized following the completion of the Army' transformation plan in 2009. 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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History
1700sThe first US Army, the Continental Army, was formed in 1775 by the Continental Congress as a unified army for the states to fight Great Britain, with George Washington appointed as its commander. George Washington, although not a great tactician, made use of the Fabian strategy and used hit-and-run tactics, hitting where the enemy was weakest, to wear the British, and their allies, the Hessian mercenaries, down. With a decisive victory at Yorktown, and the help of France, 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 Americans' distrust of standing armies, and amateur state militias became the new nation's sole ground army. However, because of continuing conflict with American Indians, 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.
1800sThe War of 1812 , the second and last American war against the British, was mostly a series of defeats for the US Army. An invasion of Canada completely failed, and US troops were unable to stop the British from burning the new capital of Washington, D.C.. 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 struck the United States, and as settlers moved west the US Army engaged in a long series of skirmishes and battles with American Indians the colonists uprooted. The US Army also fought the short Mexican–American War, which was a victory for the United States and resulted in the new territories of Texas, California, and New Mexico.
The Civil War would result in the most costly war for the United States. After most states in the South seceded to form the Confederate States of America, primarily because of the issue of slavery, CSA troops opened fire on the US fort Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, starting the war. For the first two years Confederate forces solidly defeated the US Army, but after the decisive Battle of Gettysburg, Union troops pushed into Confederate territory and won the war in April 1865.
Following the Civil War, the US Army fought a long battle with American Indians, who resisted US expansion into the center of the continent. But by the 1890s the US saw itself as a potential player internationally. US victories in the Spanish-American War and the more unknown and controversial Philippine-American War , as well as US intervention in Latin America and the Boxer Rebellion, gained America more land and international prestige.
1900sThe US joined World War I in 1917 on the side of Britain and France. Millions of US troops were sent to the front and were instrumental in the push that finally broke through the German lines. With victory on November 11, 1918, the Army once again decreased its forces.
World War II started in 1939 but the United States did not join until 1941 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On the European front, US Army troops made up large portions of the forces that captured North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, and on D-Day and the resulting liberation of Europe and defeat of Germany, the millions of US Army troops played a central role. In the Pacific, millions of Army soldiers participated in the "island hopping" campaign that wrested the Pacific islands from Japanese control. Following Axis Powers surrender in August/September 1945, US troops were deployed to Japan and Germany to occupy the two nations.
However, this set the stage for the west-east confrontation known as the Cold War . Millions of US troops were deployed to West Germany and the rest of Europe in anticipation of Soviet attack, but the invasion never came. Instead, US troops and their allies fought non-Soviet communist forces in Korea and Vietnam, as part of the domino theory.
The Korean War started in 1950. Millions of US troops, under a UN umbrella, were sent to prevent the takeover of South Korea by North Korea, and later, to invade the northern nation. After repeated advances and retreats on the part of both sides, as well as Chinese involvement, a cease-fire returned the peninsula to the status quo in 1953.
The Vietnam War is often regarded as a low point in the Army's record. While US troops had been in the Republic of Vietnam since 1959, they did not come into the country in large numbers until 1965, to fight the communist North Vietnam |
