Tanner Billings - The U.S. Army

CHAPTER ONE:

THE ARMY THROUGH HISTORY

In 2020, the U.S. Army celebrated its 245th anniversary, although much about the army has changed in those years. In 1775, the American colonies were fighting a revolution against Great Britain. The colonies had long depended on for protection against opposing forces. All men were required to serve with their local militia when they were needed.

At the beginning of the American Revolution, colonial leaders realized a more organized and united army was needed to fight the British. On June 14, 1775, the Continental army was created out of several large militias. Less than a month later, George Washington was officially in command of this new army. At the end of the American Revolution, British forces surrendered to the United States, largely due to the success and power of the Continental army.

THIS IMAGE SHOWS A GROUP OF SOLDIERS IN THE CONTINENTAL ARMY DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

After the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers disagreed about the future of the victorious Continental army. Some wanted to break it up and go back to the militia system. However, the U.S. Constitution, written in 1787, established that a national army would exist in peacetime as well as during wartime.

IN CIVILIAN HANDS

The Founding Fathers worried that a national army could end up being so strong it would take rights away from citizens. To make sure this didnt happen, they decided that the military needed to be under civilian control. The president, a civilian, holds the armys highest position, commander in chief. Congress, a civilian body, controls the money for the armed forces and has the power to declare war. If a president wants to declare war, they need approval from Congress. The separation of responsibilities makes sure no one person has complete control of the military and ensures it stays under civilian control.

CIVILIAN: A PERSON NOT ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE MILITARY

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WASHINGTON BELIEVED THE COUNTRY NEEDED AN ARMY EVEN DURING PEACETIME. HE THOUGHT THAT, RATHER THAN STATES HAVING THEIR OWN MILITIAS, ONE ORGANIZED AND SIMILARLY TRAINED ARMY WOULD BE BEST.

CONGRESS IGNORED WASHINGTONS ADVICE TO KEEP A CENTRAL MILITARY FORCE. MOST SOLDIERS WERE LET GO IN 1783. BY THE TIME WASHINGTON BECAME PRESIDENT IN 1789, HOWEVER, THE FORCE WAS BACK TO NEARLY 600 MEN.

Today, the U.S. Army is made up of about 687,000 soldiers. Around 487,000 of these people are active duty. Being active duty means the army is your full-time job. Nearly 200,000 soldiers are in the Army Reserve. Reservists generally serve in the army part-time, but they may be called to active duty when the number of active duty soldiers isnt enough to respond to a conflict or situation.

Members of the army may be either soldiers or officers. Among the officers, there are commissioned officers and warrant officers. Each group receives special training and has particular responsibilities. Enlisted soldiers have many different jobs, but all are tasked with completing missions and following orders. Enlisted soldiers can move up the ranks, or positions, to become officers too. Enlisted soldiers of certain higher ranks are called noncommissioned officers (NCOs).

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ENLISTED SOLDIERS MAKE UP ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF THE ARMY. COMMISSIONED OFFICERS MAKE UP ABOUT 17 PERCENT, AND WARRANT OFFICERS MAKE UP JUST 3 PERCENT.

AN ENLISTED SOLDIERS JOB IS CALLED A MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY, OR MOS. EACH MOS HAS A CODE. FOR EXAMPLE, AN INFANTRYMANS MOS CODE IS 11B.

INFANTRYMAN: A PERSON WHO IS A SOLDIER TRAINED TO FIGHT ON FOOT

Commissioned officers are leaders who plan missions and command units. You need a college degree to become a commissioned officer. Warrant officers are experts in their field. They focus on their own specialty and often help train other soldiers to be great at it as well. A soldier who becomes highly skilled in their field may be invited to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School and become a warrant officer.

ARMY SOLDIERS WEAR A PATCH WITH THEIR INSIGNIA, WHICH IS A MARKING THAT SHOWS THEIR RANK.