United States Army

The Army is that branch of the United States Armed Forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. Historically, the Army was formed before the Republic, in 1775, to meet the demands of the American Revolution.

The U.S. army is structured roughly:

army group - when required
field army
corps
division
brigade or group: Most American Army divisions are organized in three or more brigades. (See also regiment for cavalry units.)
battalion or squadron: Infantry and artillery units are organized into battalions. Cavalry or armor units are formed into squadrons. A battalion-sized unit is commanded by a lieutenant colonel.
company (military unit) or battery or troop: Artillery units are formed into batteries. Cavalry units are formed into troops. A company-sized unit is usually led by a captain.
platoon
squad or section
crew or fire team

The Army is organized by function. Combat forces include Infantry, Armor, Cavalry, and Special Operations Forces. Combat support troops include Artillery, Army Aviation, combat engineers, Army Logistics, Army Medical Corps, Army Transportation, Army Ordnance, Adjutant General's Corps, Signal Corps, and the Judge Advocate Generals Corps.

Table of contents

1 Rank Structure
2 Leadership
3 Major Commands of the United States Army
4 Formations of the United States Army
5 External link

Rank Structure

The Officer Corps provides leadership and managerial functions, and is composed of

Company Grade officers
- Second Lieutenant - gold bar,
- First Lieutenant - silver bar,
- Captain - two silver bars,
Field Grade officers
- Major - gold oak leaf,
- Lieutenant Colonel - silver oak leaf,
- Colonel - silver eagle,
and General officers
- Brigadier General - one star,
- Major General - two stars,
- Lieutenant General - three stars,
- General - four stars
- General of the Army - five stars in a pentagon

Officers receive a "Commission" assigning them to the Officer Corps by act of Congress.

The Warrant Officer Corps is largely composed of highly trained specialists in certain select areas who must have a rank commensurate with their responsibility.

The primary sources for Warrant Officers are the various Warrant Officer Training Programs at military posts and installations around the United States.

The Non-Commissioned Officer Corps (or NCO Corps) is the first line of leadership for the Enlisted members of the Army, and includes the ranks of

Corporal (two stripes up),
Sergeant (three stripes up),
Staff Sergeant (three stripes up and one down),
Sergeant First Class (three stripes up and two down),
Master Sergeant (three stripes up and three down),
First Sergeant (which holds the same enlisted pay grade as Master Sergeant, but which carries extra administrative duties - three stripes up and three down with a lozenge in the center),
Sergeant Major (three stripes up and three down with a star in the center),
Command Sergeant Major (three stripes up and three down with a wreathed star in the center)
and Sergeant Major of the Army (of whom there is only one, and who advises the Chief of Staff of the Army on matters relating to Enlisted personnel - three stripes up and three down with a centered eagle accompanied with two stars).

Training for Non-Commissioned Officers takes place at any of the various NCO training centers around the world.

It should be noted here that it is the outstanding quality of the Non-Commissioned Officer ranks which has largely built the excellent reputation of the United States Army. Until relatively recent history, most countries depended upon their officer corps to micromanage strategy, tactics and virtually every other aspect of military operations. With the development of the NCO Corps, the United States Army took a giant step toward utilizing the skills, intelligence, adaptability and independence of its citizens during times of conflict. The confidence and esteem in which the Officer Corps holds the NCOs which serve in the United States Army is based upon hard-won combat experience. This experience has repeatedly shown that rank is no indicator of leadership ability, and that leaders will emerge during times of hardship and conflict. Many military historians have held that this is the true strength of any military organization which serves a democracy.

Enlisted ranks are

Private (no rank insignia),
Private Enlisted Grade 2 (one chevron pointing up),
Private First Class (one stripe up and a curved stripe (a rocker below),
and Specialist (which is the same Enlisted Grade as Corporal, but which requires technical leadership skills, as opposed to the combat leadership skills required of Corporal -a dark green patch with an eagle centered).

Training for enlisted soldiers usually consists of Basic Training, and Advanced Individual Training in their primary Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at any of the numerous MOS training facilities around the world.

All members of the Army must take an oath upon being sworn in as members, swearing (or affirming) to "protect the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, both foreign and domestic." This emphasis on the defense of the United States Constitution illustrates the concern of the framers that the military be subordinate to legitimate civilian authority. The civilian executive is the Secretary of the Army, formerly the Secretary of War, at the founding of the Republic.

Leadership

The professional head of the United States Army is the Army Chief of Staff. This position is filled by a four star general who sits on the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. As with the other members of that committee, the Army Chief of Staff is not in the direct chain of command. His function is administrative and policy making. The current Army Chief of Staff is General Peter Schoomaker.

The most senior Army generals who are directly in the chain of command are those who head up the regional joint commands around the world. An example is General John Abazaid, CINCCENTCOM, the Commander-in-Chief Central Command. Three star positions in the Army include some deputy commanders-in-chief of the regional commands, heads of the army sections of those commands, and the general officers commanding of corps.