United States Army

I

Introduction

United States Army, military force of the United States with the chief responsibility for land combat. The U.S. Army includes the active-duty Army, the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and civilian employees, all under the direction of the Department of the Army. The Army provides the forces stationed at permanent bases around the world and maintains combat-ready troops for deployment anywhere in the world. The Army National Guard and Army Reserve train units to provide emergency disaster assistance, to serve on active duty during wars, and to reinforce the main Army.

The Army protects American interests by maintaining its standing force of about 487,000 soldiers, backed by about 200,000 troops in the Army Reserve and 350,000 in the Army National Guard. These troops are trained and equipped to destroy enemy armies and occupy other countries if necessary. Because of the Army’s ability to attack and control large geographic areas, it often becomes the decisive force in conventional (non-nuclear) conflicts.

The Army works in concert with the three other major branches of the U.S. military—the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force. Navy ships transport Army troops, equipment, and supplies to bases overseas. The Navy also assists Army operations with air support, reconnaissance, and naval bombardments. Marine units conduct amphibious landings against defended shorelines and carry out conventional ground combat operations. The Air Force provides airborne transportation for Army units and offers other types of air support as necessary. The Army assists the other three branches by establishing and defending ground bases, communications facilities, and supply lines.

II

Strategic Role

United States Army units stationed overseas protect America’s strategic interests, offer symbolic support for allied countries, and deter military aggression. The Army permanently stations about 65,000 soldiers in the Federal Republic of Germany and about 40,000 soldiers in South Korea. Following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Army units were expected to remain in that country until a new civilian government could be established. The Army had about 120,000 troops stationed in Iraq as of 2005. The Army’s 25th Infantry Division also supplied the bulk of the nearly 18,000 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan in 2005. U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban government there in 2001. The Army also deploys troops in about 100 countries at any given time to provide training and military education.

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To retain maximum flexibility to fight all over the world, the Army maintains combat equipment at strategic land bases around the world. The Army also keeps combat equipment on ships, called Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS), stationed in places such as the Persian Gulf and Diego Garcia, a small island in the Indian Ocean. If fighting seems likely, this equipment can be rapidly sent to the contested area. Army soldiers, rushed in on large transport planes, then unload the weapons and supplies from the ships and embark on their mission.

In addition to the conventional combat forces, the Army also maintains Special Operations forces for quick deployment. Special Operations forces are exceptionally well-trained in weaponry, unconventional warfare, foreign languages, foreign cultures and ideology, and communications and electronics. The Army sends Special Operations forces on high-risk missions, such as attacking bases behind enemy lines, destroying enemy command posts, and long-range reconnaissance.

III

Organization

The Army is organized into large fighting units called divisions. As of 2003 the main combat power of the Army had ten active divisions and eight reserve divisions, each containing from 13,000 to 16,000 soldiers. Each division includes supply, communications, and other support units so that it can operate independently from other Army units.

The Army’s active force centers on six “heavy” divisions, which fight with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and other armored vehicles. The active force also includes an airborne division that can send paratroopers (soldiers trained to go into battle by parachute) to targets anywhere in the world, and an air assault division that uses helicopters to attack targets and deploy troops. Two more divisions are made up of light infantry—primarily foot soldiers with light weapons. The Army National Guard can mobilize eight additional divisions in time of war.

Every division is divided into three or more combat brigades or regiments, each with 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers. Divisions also contain supporting units of many sizes, including military police, engineers, and command support staff. Each brigade contains three to five battalions of 500 to 1,200 soldiers. The battalion has three or more companies, which are sometimes called batteries (in artillery units) or troops (in cavalry units). Each company has about 150 soldiers, organized into platoons of about 40 soldiers. A platoon has three or four squads. With nine soldiers, the squad is the Army’s smallest unit. Below the division level, all Army units have a specialty, such as combat, engineering, intelligence, and artillery.

IV

Combat Effectiveness

The U.S. Army ranks behind many countries in the number of soldiers on active duty. However, its advantages in mobility, equipment, and training make it the most formidable ground force in the world. Compared to other armies, the U.S. Army has superior technology, highlighted by its precision weaponry and advanced communications capabilities. For example, the Army's M1 Abrams tank, with its computer firing controls, can accurately fire on targets even while moving, enabling it to take on and destroy several enemy tanks at once. The complexity of the weapons means the Army assumes a heavy supply and maintenance burden, but this characteristic is compensated for by the weapons’ battlefield effectiveness.

Heavy divisions fight primarily with the M1 Abrams tank and the M2/M3 Bradley infantry-fighting vehicle. The principal weapon for an air assault division is the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Other combat units use the Artillery Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), 155mm howitzers, Patriot antiaircraft missiles, portable Stinger antiaircraft missiles, and wire-guided antitank missile launchers. Most infantry soldiers carry the M16 assault rifle. The infantry may also use heavier weapons such as the M203 40mm grenade launcher, the M-249 5.56mm squad automatic weapon (a light machine gun), and the M-60 7.62mm machine gun.

The airlift and sealift support of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy gives the Army the greatest mobility of any army in the world. The Army can deploy the 82nd Airborne Division in just hours and provide reinforcements by a heavy brigade in about 15 days, or much sooner if the Army uses its prepositioned heavy equipment. In addition, the Army’s Special Operations and Airborne units can forcibly clear the way for larger Army deployments virtually anywhere in the world.

The Army’s experience in the years after the end of the Cold War in 1991 revealed a need for improved strategic responsiveness. During the conflict in Kosovo in 1999, for example, the Army appeared to be slow in putting ground forces quickly into position for possible deployment. To be able to deploy rapidly around the world the Army needed to develop lighter equipment that could be transported more quickly. Enhanced strategic responsiveness required reduced demands for logistics support, such as fuel, ammunition, and repair parts. The need for quick deployment led the Army to develop a lighter, wheeled infantry-fighting vehicle called the Stryker, which currently is being used in two infantry brigades and which will be used eventually in up to six Army combat brigades. The Army also initiated a research program to develop a new combat system to replace the M1 tank and the M2 Bradley fighting vehicle with a system that will be effective in combat but weigh considerably less.

In addition to its technological sophistication, the U.S. Army maintains combat readiness through realistic and comprehensive training at every level—from the individual soldier through the division. Active units routinely train at three of the world’s most comprehensive combat training centers: the National Training Center near Barstow, California; the Joint Readiness Training Center near Leesville, Louisiana; and the Combat Maneuver Training Center at Hoenfels, Germany. These “instrumented battlefields” can measure with precision the outcomes of mock battles. In addition to these major training centers, extensive computer simulation systems make it possible to train individuals, crews, and combat units in complex scenarios. The Army’s superior mobility, technical sophistication, and training do not guarantee success on the battlefield, but they provide a substantial advantage in most conflicts.

V

The Life of a Soldier