United States Armed Forces

Last Updated : 12 Mar, 2024

More than a year before the Declaration of Independence, on June 14, 1775, the U.S. Army was formally established, and it has since been essential to the expansion and advancement of the American people. After a difficult eight-year battle with Great Britain, it achieved the independence of the new republic by drawing on both long-standing militia traditions and recently adopted professional standards.

In this article, we will discuss the history, battles, branches of the United States Armed Forces, and much more!

The American Revolution

The United States military was established on June 14, 1775, during the American Revolution, by the Continental Army, which was the country’s first organized fighting force. Washington led the Revolution, carrying it out from 1775 to 1783. The nation and its armed forces were molded by many major wars that occurred during the revolution.

At the Battles of Lexington and Concord, there was “the shot heard round the world” that started the war. The United States of America gained independence from Great Britain in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which marked the end of the conflict. During the American Revolution, 4,435 US military personnel lost their lives.

Must Read: Interesting Facts About the United States

The Mexican-American War

By the time the Mexican-American War started in 1846, the American management had structured its army forces better. The Army now had over 30,000 energetic employees, with around 60,000 volunteers.

The Mexican-American War started at the same time as hostilities broke out between Mexican infantrymen and an American detachment along the Rio Grande. March 1847 noticed the advent of American forces in Veracruz, below the command of Gen. Winfield Scott. Six months later, the Navy took over Mexico City.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which Mexico and the United States signed in February 1848, put a stop to the struggle. The Rio Grande modified into agreed upon as Texas’ southern border, at the same time as portions of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma were ceded to America. The territories of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah had been also given up.

Many well-known American commanders, like George McClellan, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Ulysses S. Grant, started their navy careers as officials during the Mexican-American War. There had been approximately 13,283 US carrier participants killed in the Mexican-American War.

Also Read: List of Major American Historical Events

The Civil War

Southern states started announcing their intention to secede from the Union after Abraham Lincoln emerged victorious in the 1860 presidential contest, mostly due to disagreements over slavery.

The attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina by the recently formed Confederate Army in 1861 marked the formal start of the Civil War. Thereafter, the Union and Confederate troops engaged in combat for four years. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, making the abolition of slavery a wartime objective.

When Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s advance north was halted at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, the conflict reached a turning point. The Union Army launched a multipronged assault on the Confederates once Ulysses S. Grant assumed leadership.

Following a 10-month Siege of Petersburg, Lee submitted to Grant on April 9, 1865, in the Battle of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. This essentially put an end to the conflict, outlawed slavery, and gave liberated slaves civic rights.

The American Civil War is the bloodiest in history, with almost 620,000 soldiers lost; 1,523 people were awarded the Medal of Honour during the fight.

Spanish American War

In April 1898, following the USS Maine’s sinking in Havana’s harbour and complete support of Cuba’s independence from Spain, the United States declared war on Spain. The United States sought to restore stability to Cuba following years of hostilities between the island and Spain.

After Spain turned down an ultimatum from the US, President William McKinley closed off Cuba with a naval blockade.

American forces touched down in Guantanamo Bay and Santiago on June 22. A cease-fire was signed on August 12th, following the defeat of Spanish forces by American warships and land forces.

The Treaty of Paris, which the United States and Spain signed in December 1898, secured Cuba’s independence and gave the United States control over territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. Twelve Medals of Honour were given to soldiers who participated in the fighting. The Spanish-American War claimed the lives of about 2,446 US military personnel.

World War I

Following the assassination of Austria’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, thirty international locations declared warfare on each other, sparking the outbreak of World War I. With the Central Powers on one facet and the Allies on the other, the warfare blanketed numerous of the finest countries in records. Several countries have been part of each alliance.

Allies: France, Russia/the Soviet Union, America, the UK, Italy, Serbia, Belgium, and Japan.
Central Powers: Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, Germany, and Austria-Hungary.
Trench struggle, exquisite technological advances in armament, and huge army force mobilization had been the battle’s defining capabilities.
The United States initially maintained neutrality, however, President Woodrow Wilson declared warfare in April 1917 after Germany released attacks on American ships to isolate Britain. American companies shifted to aid the war attempt as U.S. Troops organized to go overseas.
The modern era altered the battlefield considerably, allowing radio intelligence, reconnaissance images, and stronger weaponry. The U.S. Navy engaged German U-boats, even as the U.S. Army Tank Corps and Army Air Service saw substantial action.
The armistice signed on November eleven, 1918, ended “The Great War,” located in many countries as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day.
The Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, officially concluded World War I. Germany became required to pay big monetary reparations and receive responsibility for beginning the conflict via the contentious “battle guilt” provision.
121 US infantrymen obtained the Medal of Honor for their valour, with approximately 116,516 American servicemen perishing in World War I.

World War II, The Korean War & The Cold War

Following World War I, the U.S. Army skilled a normal postwar decline, with its length dropping to simply 125,000 infantrymen for the maximum of 1919–1939, the lowest amongst most important nations.

Conscription changed into reinstated after Nazi Germany’s hit invasion of France in May 1940, increasing the army’s size to at least 1,640,000 by December 7, 1941, whilst Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
After the U.S. entered the war, the military grew in addition, reaching eight,300,000 squaddies, with around 5,000,000 serving abroad.
Noteworthy have been Nisei servicemen, second-generation Japanese Americans, who no matter their families’ incarceration, enrolled in the heaps, with the all-Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team gaining recognition for his or her valour.
Unlike World War I, the navy fought across North Africa, the Mediterranean, western Europe, the Pacific, and parts of Asia throughout World War II, prepared into the Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces.
Gen. George C. Marshall managed the navy, which skilled essential shifts in each home the front and fight operations, prompting early reorganization efforts.
Despite post-warfare demobilization, the beginning of the Cold War brought about reviving conscription and efforts to reinforce the militia, stabilizing the military’s strength by around 6,00,000 by 1949–50.
The National Security Act of 1947 caused massive modifications, such as the introduction of an autonomous United States Air Force from the Army Air Forces.
Interservice conflicts arose regarding roles, missions, budgeting, and adapting to new relationships and adjustments in struggle, which included the mixing of lengthy-range missiles and nuclear guns.
President Harry S. Truman ended racial segregation in the Navy in 1948, specifically because of attractiveness despite initial resistance.
The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 brought approximately a comparable increase in the navy period, accomplishing 1,500,000 soldiers. Despite the Korean War’s lead to 1953, the army operated at excessive stages because of Cold War commitments.
However, publish-Korean War, funding prioritized the navy and air force, main to worries approximately the military’s combat effectiveness because of insufficient modernization.
By the stop of 1960, the most effective eleven of the military’s fourteen divisions had been fight-ready and prepared, reflecting ongoing demanding situations in preserving readiness and functionality.

The U.S. Army in the 21st century

Afghanistan and the war on terrorism

The assaults on September 11, 2001, demonstrated asymmetrical warfare, against which conventional forces of the 20th century were ill-prepared. Because of this, the CIA took the initiative in Afghanistan at first, overthrowing the Taliban government that provided shelter to al-Qaeda by utilising local tribesmen as a force multiplier. Afghanistan was viewed in certain respects as “the forgotten war” when President George W. Bush’s government moved its attention to Iraq in 2003. The Taliban took advantage of this lull to reorganise and strengthen itself, while the surviving American forces helped with “nation-building” operations. Lessons from the Iraq conflict were taken to Afghanistan by militants as the conflict came to an end in 2009, and American losses increased dramatically.

President Barack Obama approved a “surge” of 30,000 more soldiers in 2009–10, which gave Afghan forces the chance to recover and eventually take on some of the security responsibilities. On December 28, 2014, the United States and NATO formally terminated their combat operation in Afghanistan, even though an international presence of over 10,000 troops remained in the nation in an advising capacity.

The Iraq War

Returned to Iraq in March 2003, the number of US soldiers was significantly fewer than in 1991, reflecting a “light footprint” approach with a focus on technological superiority.

The “shock and awe” bombing at the start of the conflict showcased the coalition’s technological advantage, despite Iraqi resistance.
With the Ba’th Party eliminated from power, Iraq struggled to maintain law and order, leading to increased criminal activity and sectarian violence.
Unable to find WMDs, US soldiers intervened in a civil conflict between Sunni and Shia factions, leading to increased casualties and recruitment challenges.
A troop “surge” was released in 2007 to deal with worsening security, in all likelihood contributing to decreased violence.
By December 2011, almost 4,500 Americans had died and about 30,000 were injured, mostly from the army.
The conflicts prompted changes, including replacing the M16 rifle with the M4 carbine, better suited for close-quarters combat and patrol doctrine.

Branches of the U.S. military

Every branch of the armed forces serves a certain role and may be found on land, in the sea, or the air.

Military Branch	Responsibilities	Members	Reserves	Special Forces
Air Force	Execute military operations in the air	Airmen	Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard	Special Warfare
Army	Conduct combat missions on the ground	Soldiers	Army Reserve and National Guard	Green Berets
Coast Guard	Enforce laws at sea, secure waterways, and lead search and rescue missions	Coastguardsmen	Coast Guard Reserve	Maritime Security Response Team
Marine Corps	Support other branches in land, sea, and air combat and operations	Marines	Marine Corps Reserve	Marine Corps Special Operations Command
Space Forces	Organize, train, and equip members to conduct global space operations	Guardians	None	None
Navy	Protect waterways, and provide runways for aircraft when at sea	Sailors	Navy Reserve	Navy SEALS

Also Read: Political System of the USA