Military, as a noun and in its most common use means armed forces. As an adjective,
it describes anything related to warfare and soldiers. This word originally
derives from the Latin word militarius, which means soldier. In any nation,
military comprises of different branches of the armed forces. The US
Military has seven major branches. Those are - the Army, Navy,
Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and their Reserve (part-time duty), the
Air National Guard and the Army National Guard.
Military provides protection from the aggression of foreign
armed forces. It further helps resolve internal conflicts. The armed forces
act basically to achieve political objectives. They further the foreign policy
program of their respective governing bodies. Larger countries usually divide
the armed forces into three major branches - the Army, Navy and Air Force. The
US Military too follows this division.
The US Army is the branch of the US Military responsible for carrying out land-based
military operations. It came into existence on June 14, 1775
to handle the crisis of the American Revolutionary War.
The US Air Force (USAF) is responsible for air-based military
actions. This branch of the US Military carries out assaults on targets in air,
on water and on land using a wide range of fighters, bombers, helicopters and
other aircrafts.
The US Navy is responsible for military operations
on water. They can launch attacks from sea and ocean waters on targets on both
land and water using different types of ships, submarines and aircrafts. The
US Navy also transports weapons and personnel for other branches of the US military.
Besides the Army, Air Force and Navy, the US
Military also includes Marine Corps, Coast Guard, the Air National Guard
and the Army National Guard. All these forces are integral components of the
American military system.
There is a distinct discipline to study the use of armed forces. It is called
military science. It involves considering both offensive and
defensive actions at three "levels" - strategy, operative art and
tactics. The success of the US Military has a lot to do with its effective application
of tactics and strategies.