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United States Armed Forces
Emblems of the U.S. Armed Forces' service branches
Founded	14 June 1775; 248 years ago (1775-06-14)[a]
Service branches	U.S. Army  U.S. Marine Corps  U.S. Navy  U.S. Air Force  U.S. Space Force  U.S. Coast Guard
Headquarters	The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia
Website	defense.gov
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	President Joe Biden
Secretary of Defense	Lloyd Austin
Secretary of Homeland Security	Alejandro Mayorkas
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff	GEN Charles Q. Brown Jr., USAF
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff	ADM Christopher W. Grady, USN
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman	SEAC Troy E. Black, USMC
Personnel
Military age	17 with parental consent, 18 for voluntary service.[b]
Conscription	Only males register at age 18 (conscription inactive since 1973)
Available for military service	15 million (2021)[7], age 18–25
Active personnel	1,328,000[8] (ranked 3rd)
Reserve personnel	799,500[9]
Expenditure
Budget	$816.7 billion (2023)[10] (ranked 1st)
Percent of GDP	3.47% (2022)[11]
Industry
Domestic suppliers	List
Foreign suppliers	United Kingdom  Germany  Netherlands  France  Israel  Italy  Sweden  Australia  Jordan  Spain  Norway   Switzerland  Singapore  South Africa  Czech Republic  Canada  South Korea  Brazil  Bulgaria
Annual imports	US$652.6 million (2014-2022)[12]
Annual exports	US$28.50 billion (2014-2022)[12]
Related articles
History	Military history of the United States Warfare directory of the United States Conflicts involving the United States Battles involving the United States
Ranks	Commissioned officer Army officer Marine Corps officer Navy officer Air Force officer Space Force officer Coast Guard officer Warrant officer Army warrant officer Marine Corps warrant officer Navy warrant officer Air Force warrant officer Coast Guard warrant officer Enlisted Army enlisted Marine Corps enlisted Navy enlisted Air Force enlisted Space Force enlisted Coast Guard enlisted

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States.^[13] The armed forces consist of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard.^[14][15] All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States.^[16]

Each of the different military services is assigned a role and domain. The Army conducts land operations. The Navy and Marine Corps conduct maritime operations, the Marine Corps specializing in amphibious and maritime littoral operations primarily for supporting the Navy. The Air Force conducts air operations. The Space Force conducts space operations. The Coast Guard is unique in that it specializes in maritime operations and is also a law enforcement agency.^[17][18]

From their inception during the American Revolutionary War, the U.S. Armed Forces have played a decisive role in the country's history. They helped forge a sense of national unity and identity through victories in the early-19th-century First and Second Barbary Wars. They played a critical role in the territorial evolution of the U.S., including the American Civil War. The National Security Act of 1947 created the modern U.S. military framework, establishing the National Military Establishment (later the Department of Defense or DoD) headed by the secretary of defense and creating both the U.S. Air Force and National Security Council; in 1949, an amendment to the act merged the cabinet-level departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force into the DoD.^[19]

The president of the U.S. is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and forms military policy with the DoD and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), both federal executive departments, acting as the principal organs by which military policy is carried out.

The U.S. Armed Forces are one of the world's largest military forces in terms of personnel. They draw their personnel from a large pool of professional volunteers. The U.S. has used military conscription, but not since 1973. The Selective Service System retains the power to conscript males, requiring the registration of all male citizens and residents living in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 25.

The U.S. Armed Forces are considered the world's most powerful military, especially since the end of the Cold War.^[20] The military expenditure of the U.S. was US$916 billion in 2023, the highest in the world, accounting for 37% of the world's defense expenditures.^[21] The U.S. Armed Forces has significant capabilities in both defense and power projection due to its large budget, resulting in advanced and powerful technologies which enables a widespread deployment of the force around the world, including around 800 military bases outside the U.S.^[22] The U.S. Air Force is the world's largest air force, followed by the U.S. Army Aviation Branch. The U.S. Naval Air Forces is the fourth-largest air arm in the world and is the largest naval aviation service, while U.S. Marine Corps Aviation is the world's seventh-largest air arm. The U.S. Navy is the world's largest navy by tonnage.^[23] The U.S. Coast Guard is the world's 12th-largest maritime force.^[24] The U.S. Space Force is the world's only active independent space force.^[25]

History

The history of the U.S. Armed Forces dates back to 14 June 1775, with the creation of the Continental Army, even before the Declaration of Independence marked the establishment of the United States.^[26] The Continental Navy, established on 13 October 1775, and Continental Marines, established on 10 November 1775, were created in close succession by the Second Continental Congress in order to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War.^[27][28]

These forces demobilized in 1784 after the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War. The Congress of the Confederation created the current United States Army on 3 June 1784.^[26] The United States Congress created the current United States Navy on 27 March 1794 and the current United States Marine Corps on 11 July 1798.^[27][29] All three services trace their origins to their respective Continental predecessors. The 1787 adoption of the Constitution gave Congress the power to "raise and support armies," to "provide and maintain a navy," and to "make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces," as well as the power to declare war. The President of the United States is the U.S. Armed Forces' commander-in-chief.^[30]

The United States Coast Guard traces its origin to the formation of the Revenue Cutter Service on 4 August 1790, which merged with the United States Life-Saving Service on 28 January 1915 to establish the Coast Guard.^[31][32] The United States Air Force was established as an independent service on 18 September 1947; it traces its origin to the formation of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps, which was formed 1 August 1907 and was part of the Army Air Forces before being recognized as an independent service in the National Security Act of 1947.^[33] The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps was formerly considered to be a branch of the United States Armed Forces from 29 July 1945 until 3 July 1952, and is now one of the eight uniformed services of the United States.^[34]

The United States Space Force was established as an independent service on 20 December 2019. It is the sixth branch of the U.S. military and the first new branch in 72 years.^[35] The origin of the Space Force can be traced back to the Air Force Space Command, which was formed 1 September 1982 and was a major command of the United States Air Force.^[36]

The U.S. Congressional Research Office annually publishes a List of Notable Deployments of U.S. Military Forces Overseas since 1798.^[37]

Structure

Presidential command over the U.S. Armed Forces is established in Article II in the Constitution whereby the president is named as the "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States."^[38] The United States Armed Forces are split between two cabinet departments, with the Department of Defense serving as the primary cabinet department for military affairs and the Department of Homeland Security responsible for administering the United States Coast Guard.^[39]

The military chain of command flows from the President of the United States to the secretary of defense (for services under the Defense Department) or secretary of homeland security (for services under the Department of Homeland Security), ensuring civilian control of the military. Within the Department of Defense, the military departments (Department of the Army, United States Department of the Navy, and Department of the Air Force) are civilian led entities that oversee the coequal military service branches organized within each department. The military departments and services are responsible for organizing, training, and equipping forces, with the actual chain of command flowing through the unified combatant commands.^[40]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, although outside the operational chain of command, is the senior-most military body in the United States Armed Forces. It is led by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is the military head of the armed forces and principal advisor to the president and secretary of defense on military matters. Their deputy is the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other members include the chief of staff of the Army, commandant of the Marine Corps, chief of naval operations, chief of staff of the Air Force, chief of space operations, and the chief of the National Guard Bureau.^[41] The commandant of the Coast Guard is not an official member of the Joint Chiefs, but sometimes attends meetings as one of the military service chiefs. The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman is the most senior enlisted member in the United States Armed Forces.^[42]

Leadership of the Armed Forces, to include the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the secretary of Homeland Security and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are members of the United States National Security Council, which advises the president on national security, military, and foreign policy matters.^[43] The national security advisor, the homeland security advisor, and the deputy national security advisor may also be members of the United States Armed Forces.^[44][45] The National Security Council Deputies Committee also includes the deputy secretary of defense, deputy secretary of homeland security, and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.^[46] Military leadership, including the secretary of defense, the secretary of Homeland Security, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also sit on the National Space Council.^[47]

Unified combatant commands

Unified combatant commands are joint military commands consisting of forces from multiple military departments, with their chain of command flowing from the president, to the secretary of defense, to the commanders of the combatant commands. Each service organizes, trains, and equips forces that are then presented to the unified combatant commands through service component commands. Special Operations Command and Cyber Command also present theater special operations commands or joint force headquarters – cyber to other combatant commanders. Army components are typically dual-hatted as the joint force land component, Navy components are typically dual-hatted as the joint force maritime component, and Air Force components are typically dual-hatted as the joint force air component, with the theater special operations command dual-hatted as the joint force special operations component, and Space Force component typically dual-hatted as the joint force space component.^[48]

Name		Mission	Headquarters	Subunified commands
	U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM)	Conducts U.S. military operations in Africa.	Kelley Barracks, Germany
	U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM)	Conducts U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia.	MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
	U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM)	Conduct U.S. military cyber operations.	Fort Meade, Maryland	Cyber National Mission Force
	U.S. European Command (USEUCOM)	Conducts U.S. military operations in Europe.	Patch Barracks, Germany
	U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM)	Conducts U.S. military operations in the Indo-Pacific.	Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii	U.S. Forces Japan U.S. Forces Korea
	U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)	Conducts U.S. military operations in North America and homeland defense operations.	Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado	Alaskan Command
	U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)	Conducts U.S. military operations in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.	Doral, Florida
	U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM)	Conducts U.S. military operations in outer space.	Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado
	U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)	Develops and employs special operations forces.	MacDill Air Force Base, Florida	Joint Special Operations Command Special Operations Command Africa Special Operations Command Central Special Operations Command Europe Special Operations Command Korea Special Operations Command North Special Operations Command Pacific Special Operations Command South
	U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM)	Conduct strategic deterrence, nuclear operations, nuclear command, control, and communications, joint electromagnetic spectrum operations, and global strike.[49]	Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
	U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM)	Conduct globally integrated mobility operations.	Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

Combat support agencies

Combat support agencies are Department of Defense agencies that have a combat support mission, involving providing support for operating forces engaged in planning for, or conducting, military operations, including support during conflict or in the conduct of other military activities related to countering threats to U.S. national security. This mission is focused on providing support to echelons at the CCMD level and below and may not encompass the full scope of the CSA's mission.^[50]

Name		Mission	Headquarters
	Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA)	Provide contract administration services for the Department of Defense.[51]	Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia
	Defense Health Agency (DHA)	Provide and augment medical capabilities for combatant commands.[52]	Falls Church, Virginia
	Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)	Provide, operate and assure command, control, information-sharing capabilities.[53]	Fort Meade, Maryland
	Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)	Provide military intelligence to warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community, in support of U.S. military planning and operations and weapon systems acquisition.[54]	Defense Intelligence Agency Headquarters, Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling, Washington D.C.
	Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)	Manages the end-to-end global defense supply chain.[55]	Fort Belvoir, Virginia
	Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)	Identify, develop, and field solutions to counter weapons of mass destruction and emerging threats.[56]	Fort Belvoir, Virginia
	National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)	Delivers geospatial intelligence to policymakers, military service members, intelligence professionals and first responders.[57]	Fort Belvoir, Virginia
	National Security Agency / Central Security Service (NSA/CSS)	Provides timely and accurate cryptologic support, knowledge, and assistance to the military cryptologic community.[58] Provide actionable signals intelligence and cybersecurity support to the Armed Forces.[59]	Fort Meade, Maryland

Service branches

The United States Armed Forces is composed of six coequal military service branches. Five of the branches, the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Space Force are organized under the Department of Defense's military departments. The United States Coast Guard is nominally under the Department of Homeland Security, but may be transferred to the Department of Defense's Department of the Navy (which is the civilian entity that oversees the coequal U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy) at the direction of the president or congress. With the exception of the Coast Guard, the military services only organize, train, and equip forces. The unified combatant commands are responsible for operational control of non-service retained forces.

Each of the different military services is assigned a role and domain. The U.S. Army conducts land operations, while the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps conduct maritime operations, with the Marine Corps specializing in amphibious and maritime littoral operations in support of the Navy. The U.S. Air Force conducts air operations, while the U.S. Space Force conducts space operations. The U.S. Coast Guard is unique in that it is a military branch specializing in maritime operations and also a law enforcement agency.^[17][18]

U.S. Army

The United States Army (USA) is the United States Armed Forces' land force and is the largest and oldest service. Originally established in 1775 as the Continental Army, it consists of one million soldiers across the Regular Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard.^[17] The Army serves as the Armed Forces principal land service, responsible for conducting land warfare operations.^[60]

The U.S. Army is organized under the Department of the Army, which is a military department under the leadership of the secretary of the Army and under secretary of the Army. The U.S. Army itself is led by the chief of staff of the Army and vice chief of staff of the Army, both generals who are advised by the sergeant major of the Army.^[61]

The Army's primary responsibility is to conduct prompt and sustained land combat as part of the joint force. Army landpower focuses on destroying an enemy's armed forces, occupying its territory, and breaking the will of an adversary.^[62]

The five core competencies of the Army are:

• Prompt and sustained land combat
• Combined arms operations:
  • Combined arms maneuver and wide area security
  • Armored and mechanized operations
  • Airborne and air assault operations
• Special operations
• Set and sustain the theater for the joint force
• Integrate national, multinational, and joint power on land^[62]

The thirteen specified functions of the Army are:

1. Conduct prompt and sustained combined arms combat operations on land in all environments and types of terrain, to include complex urban environments, in order to defeat enemy ground forces, and seize, occupy, and defend land areas.^[63]
2. Conduct air and missile defense to support joint campaigns and assist in achieving air superiority. This is conducted by the Army's Air Defense Artillery Branch, specifically by the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, and Army Space and Missile Defense Command.^[63]
3. Conduct airborne and air assault, and amphibious operations. The Army has primary responsibility for the development of airborne doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures. Army airborne and air assault operations are conducted by the XVIII Airborne Corps, 11th Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade.^[63]
4. Conduct civil affairs operations. Civil affairs operations are conducted by the United States Army Special Operations Command, predominantly under United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command and the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade.^[63]
5. Conduct riverine operations.^[63]
6. Occupy territories abroad and provide for the initial establishment of a military government pending transfer of this responsibility to other authorities.^[63]
7. Interdict enemy sea power, space power, air power, and communications through operations on and from the land.^[63]
8. Provide logistics to joint operations and campaigns, including joint over-the-shore and intra-theater transport of time-sensitive, mission-critical personnel and materiel. This is primarily conducted through the Army Logistics Branch, including the Quartermaster Corps, Ordnance Corps, Transportation Corps, and through Army Materiel Command's Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command.^[63]
9. Provide support to space operations to enhance joint campaigns, in coordination with the other military services (primarily the United States Space Force), combatant commands (primarily United States Space Command), and other U.S. government departments and agencies. Army space operations are conducted by Army Space and Missile Defense Command.^[63]
10. Conduct authorized civil works programs, to include projects for the improvement of navigation, flood control, beach erosion control, and other water resource developments in the United States, its territories, and its possessions, and conduct other civil activities prescribed by law. These are conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers.^[63]
11. Provide intra-theater aeromedical evacuation. These missions are flown by the Army Medical Service Corps and Army Aviation Branch.^[63]
12. Conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.
13. Operate land lines of communication. This is primarily conducted through the Transportation Corps and Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command.^[63]

Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Military_of_the_United_States
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