The

Army

is that branch of the United_States_armed_forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. Historically, the Army was formed before the establishment of the United_States, in 1775, to meet the demands of the American_Revolutionary_War.

Components of the U.S. Army

The U.S. Army has three components:
  • The Regular Army
  • The Army Reserve
  • The National Guard of the several States and territories All three components have taken part in every war of the United States from World_War_I onward. The use of the Army Reserve and National Guard increased after the Vietnam_War. Reserve and Guard units took part in the Gulf_War, peacekeeping in Kosovo, and the 2003_invasion_of_Iraq.

    Structure of the U.S. Army

    Officially, a member of the U.S. Army is called a 'Soldier,' with a capital letter. The U.S. Army is structured roughly: :#army group - when required :#field army :#corps, which consists of two or more divisions and usually has an armored cavalry regiment in support. :#division :# for cavalry units.) :#battalion or squadron: Infantry and artillery units are organized into battalions. Cavalry or armor units are formed into squadrons. A battalion-sized unit is commanded by a lieutenant colonel. :#company (military unit) or battery or troop: Artillery units are formed into batteries. Cavalry units are formed into troops. A company-sized unit is usually led by a captain. :#platoon. platoons are usually led by a first or second lieutenant. :#squad or section :#crew or fire team. Fire teams usually consist of four Soldiers: a fire team leader, a grenadier, and two riflemen. The Army is organized by function. Combat forces include Infantry, Armor, Cavalry, and Special_Operations_Forces. Combat support troops include Artillery, Army_Aviation, combat_engineers, Army_Logistics, Army_Medical_Corps, Army_Transportation, Army_Ordnance, Adjutant_General's_Corps, Signal_Corps. Support troops include the Judge_Advocate_Generals_Corps.

    Rank Structure

    The Officer Corps provides leadership and managerial functions, and is composed of
  • Company Grade officers
  • Second Lieutenant (2LT; pay grade O-1) - gold bar,
  • First Lieutenant (1LT; pay grade O-2) - silver bar,
  • Captain (CPT; pay grade O-3) - two silver bars,
  • Field Grade officers
  • Major (MAJ; pay grade O-4)- gold oak leaf,
  • Lieutenant Colonel (LTC; pay grade O-5)- silver oak leaf,
  • Colonel (COL; pay grade O-6)- silver eagle,
  • and General officers
  • Brigadier General (BG; pay grade O-7)- one star,
  • Major General (MG; pay grade O-8)- two stars,
  • Lieutenant General (LTG; pay grade O-9)- three stars,
  • General (GEN; pay grade O-10) - four stars
  • General of the Army - five stars in a pentagon There are several sources of commissioned officers:
  • The U.S._Military_Academy at West_Point, New_York commissions its graduates as second lieutenants in the Regular Army. Graduates of other military academies of the United States may elect to be commissioned in the Army
  • Enlisted soldiers who successfully pass Officer Candidate Schools (OCS)
  • College graduates who underwent Army Reserve_Officer_Training_Corps courses at a four-year university
  • Lawyers, doctors, nurses, veterinarians, and chaplains may be directly commissioned into their respective corps Officers receive a "Commission" assigning them to the Officer Corps by act of Congress. Commissioned officers are assigned to a branch of service until they reach the rank of Brigadier General, where it is assumed that they are competent to command soldiers of all branches. Once commissioned, an officer attends several levels of professional education, starting with branch qualification in their respective branch and concluding in Command and General Staff College at Fort_Leavenworth, Kansas. Professional education is required for promotion at certain grades. The warrant_officer is a single track specialty officer. Initially appointed an officer by the Secretary of the Army, he/she is commissioned upon promotion to the rank of Chief warrant_officer Two (CW2). The warrant_officer is managed as a company grade officer, but receives limited field grade privilege upon promotion to Chief warrant_officer Four (CW4). The primary source for warrant_officers is the U.S. Army warrant_officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The Non-Commissioned_Officer_Corps (or NCO Corps) is the first line of leadership for the enlisted members of the Army, and includes the ranks of
  • Corporal (CPL; pay grade E-4) (two stripes up),
  • Sergeant (SGT; pay grade E-5)(three stripes up),
  • Staff Sergeant (SSG; pay grade E-6)(three stripes up and one down),
  • Sergeant First Class (SFC; pay grade E-7) and Platoon Sergeant (PSG; pay grade E-7) (three stripes up and two down),
  • Master Sergeant (MSG; pay grade E-8) (three stripes up and three down),
  • First Sergeant (1SG; pay grade E-8) (which holds the same enlisted pay grade as Master Sergeant, but which carries extra administrative duties - three stripes up and three down with a lozenge in the center),
  • Sergeant Major (SGM; pay grade E-9) (three stripes up and three down with a star in the center),
  • Command Sergeant Major (CSM; pay grade E-9) (three stripes up and three down with a wreathed star in the center)
  • and Sergeant Major of the Army (of whom there is only one, and who advises the Chief of Staff of the Army on matters relating to enlisted personnel - three stripes up and three down with a centered eagle accompanied with two stars). Training for NCOs takes place at any of the various NCO training centers around the world. The quality of the NCO has built the reputation of the United States Army. Until relatively recent history, most countries depended upon their officer corps to micromanage strategy, tactics and virtually every other aspect of military operations. With the development of the NCO Corps, the United States Army took a giant step toward utilizing the skills, intelligence, adaptability and independence of its citizens during times of conflict. The confidence and esteem in which the Officer Corps holds the NCOs which serve in the United States Army is based upon hard-won combat experience. This experience has repeatedly shown that rank is no indicator of leadership ability, and that leaders will emerge during times of hardship and conflict. The lowest enlisted ranks are:
  • Private (PV1; pay grade E-1) (no rank insignia),
  • Private enlisted Grade 2 (PV2; pay grade E-2) (one chevron pointing up),
  • Private First Class (PFC; pay grade E-3) (one stripe up and a curved stripe (a ''rocker'' below),
  • and Specialist (SPC; pay grade E-4) (which is the same enlisted Grade as Corporal, but which requires technical leadership skills, as opposed to the combat leadership skills required of corporal -a dark green patch with an eagle centered). A Specialist ranks below a corporal in terms of chain of command. Training for enlisted soldiers usually consists of Basic Training, and Advanced Individual Training in their primary Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at any of the numerous MOS training facilities around the world. All members of the Army must take an oath upon being sworn in as members, swearing (or affirming) to "protect the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, both foreign and domestic." This emphasis on the defense of the United_States_Constitution illustrates the concern of the framers that the military be subordinate to legitimate civilian authority. The civilian executive is the Secretary_of_the_Army, formerly the Secretary_of_War, at the founding of the Republic.

    Leadership

    The professional head of the United States Army is the Army_Chief_of_Staff. This position is filled by a four star general who sits on the Joint_Chiefs_of_Staff Committee. As with the other members of that committee, the Army Chief of Staff is not in the direct chain of command. His function is administrative and policy making. The current Army Chief of Staff is General Peter_Schoomaker. The most senior Army generals who are directly in the chain of command are those who head up the regional joint commands around the world. An example is General John Abazaid, CINCCENTCOM, the Commander-in-Chief Central Command. Three star positions in the Army include some deputy commanders-in-chief of the regional commands, heads of the army sections of those commands, and the general officers commanding of corps.

    Major Commands of the United States Army

    Major Commands of the US Army Major Command and CommandersLocation of Headquarters
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