Portal:Military of the United States
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The military of the United States, officially known as the United States Armed Forces, consists of the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and the United States Coast Guard. Approximately 1.4 million personnel are currently on active duty in the military, with an additional 1,359,000 personnel in the seven reserve components. The Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military is the President of the United States. With a strength of 2.26 million personnel, including reserves, the United States armed forces are the the second-largest in the world, after the People's Liberation Army of China, and has troops deployed around the globe. As in most militaries, members of the U.S. armed forces hold a rank, either that of officer or enlisted, and can be promoted. State Defense Forces are militia units operating under the sole authority of a state government or governor, and are distinct from the National Guard in that they are not federal entities. Authorized by state and federal law, State Defense Forces "may not be called, ordered, or drafted into the armed forces" (of the United States) under 32 USC 109. Including Puerto Rico, approximately twenty-five states have active State Defense Forces that can be called upon during emergency management and homeland security missions.  The United States Department of Defense (DoD), is the Cabinet organization that controls the U.S. military, headquartered at the Pentagon. The Secretary of Defense also oversees the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands and civilian agencies such as the Inspector General, Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. The DoD is the largest employer in the United States.  The military history of the United States spans a period of over two centuries, during which the United States grew from an alliance of thirteen British colonies without a professional military, to the world's sole remaining military superpower as of 2007. The history of the United States military begins in civilian frontiersmen, armed for hunting and basic survival in the wilderness that were organized into local militias for small military operations, mostly against Native American tribes but also to resist possible raids by the small military forces of neighboring European colonies.  The Battle of Leyte Gulf was one of the largest naval battles in history. It was fought during the Pacific War of World War II, in the seas surrounding the Philippine island of Leyte from 23 October to 26 October 1944 between the Allies and the Empire of Japan, and was an attempt by the Japanese to repel or destroy the Allied forces stationed on Leyte after the preceding Allied invasion in the Battle of Leyte. Instead, the Allied navies inflicted a major defeat on the outnumbered Imperial Japanese Navy which took away Japan's strategic force in the Pacific War. The battle was the last major naval engagement of World War II. Leyte Gulf also saw the first use of kamikaze aircraft by the Japanese. The Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia was hit on 21 October, and organized suicide attacks by the "Special Attack Force" began on 25 October.  Credit: The Pentagon Portal:Military of the United States/Selected anniversaries/June 12  The M240 is a belt-fed 7.62 mm NATO medium machine gun, based on the FN MAG. It has been used by the United States Armed Forces since the end of the 20th century, and is also used by other NATO forces. Though not the lightest medium machine gun, it is highly regarded for reliability, and the firearm's standardization with those of other NATO allies is also seen as a major plus.  Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940), nicknamed "The Fighting Quaker" and "Old Gimlet Eye," was a Major General in the U.S. Marine Corps and, at the time of his death, the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. Butler was awarded the Medal of Honor twice during his career. He was noted for his outspoken non-interventionist views and his book War is a Racket, one of the first works describing the military-industrial complex. Butler came forward to the U.S. Congress in 1934 to report that a proposed coup had been plotted by wealthy industrialists to overthrow the government of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Butler was twice wounded during the Boxer Rebellion. Amid the Battle of Tientsin on July 13, 1900, Butler climbed out of a trench to retrieve a wounded officer for medical attention, whereupon he was shot in the thigh. Armed Forces ListsNavy • Marine Corps • Coast Guard • Army • Air Force • DoD Historic events • Medal of Honor recipients • Books • Operations • Leaders • Awards • Security clearance terms • Prisons • WWII celebrities Historic TimelinesRevolution history • Battles of the Revolution • Civil War events • Battles of the Civil War • Spanish-American War • Philippine-American War • Manhattan Project
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