preview

What Are The Five Branches Of The United States Military

Decent Essays

The military has always been an integral part of U.S. history. It dates back to 1775, even before the Declaration of Independence. The United States Armed forces currently has five branches of service; Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. This essay seeks to take a closer look at the United States Army and the United States Navy, which are the two largest branches. A comparison of their history, mission and the transition of its members back to civilian life will shed some light on how similar but different these two branches are. Although the overall goal of all branches of the Armed Forces is to protect the United States of America’s borders and interests, each branch has a unique history and specific mission in accomplishing this. …show more content…

Today’s Navy, according to the Navy’s official website, navy.mil, consist of over 300,000 active duty personnel, over 100,000 reserve personnel, 430 total ships and over 3700 aircrafts. According to the Navy’s New Recruit Handbook, “The mission of the United States Navy is to protect and defend the right of the United States and our allies to move freely on the oceans and to protect our country against her enemies” (29November2008). The U.S. Navy training manual states that the U.S. Armed Forces mission is “to prepare and conduct prompt and sustained combat operations in support of national interest. As a part of that establishment, the U.S. Navy’s function comprise of sea control, projection of power and nuclear deterrence.” (NAVEDTRA 14325 Feb2002 pp 20-7). To complete the mission, the Navy relies on its enlisted ranks, which make up about 80 percent of the active duty personnel. Enlisted sailors complete basic training and then move on to apprenticeship schools to complete training in their individual job. Sailors then do their job on a day to day basis and have to prove their skill level and level of responsibility through a series of Personal Qualification Standards (PQS) and examinations. Because of this setup, a sailor is recognized not only by his rank, but more so his job title. The primary mission of every individual sailor is to complete your job efficiently in order for the overall mission to be successful. On the other hand, the U.S. Army’s primary mission, according to Section 3062 of Title 10 US Code, is to support national policies, implement national objectives, overcome any nations aggressive acts that threaten the peace and security of the United States and finally to “preserve the peace and security and providing for the defense of the United States,

Get Access