Portal:Military of the United States/Intro

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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.