Intro to Military Structure
Intro to Military Structure
Transcript
The structure of the military is a defining part of its culture. The highly stratified and hierarchical nature of the military supports its core function and purpose to fight the nation's wars effectively, and efficiently. Branch, rank, occupational specialty, assignments and other structural aspects of military life, are crucial as an aspect of military life. And are a key component of veteran identity and culture, well after leaving the service.
The military is a large and complex organization, but understanding the basic structure of the military is crucial in dealing with service members and veterans. At the highest level, the US military is divided into service branches. The army is the largest and oldest branch of the military, consisting of ground forces. The Navy's forces work on, above, and below the water. The Marine Corps consists of both ground and amphibious troops, for conducting operations through combined arms. And the Air Force provides air capability to the military.
The Space Force, the newest branch of the military, established in 2019, will provide forces and capability in space. The Coast Guard, which performs Maritime Services for the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, provides military naval support whenever needed. The military branches report through three departments-- the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy-- which oversees the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard during wartime-- and the Department of the Air Force, which includes the Air Force and Space Force.
These departments report up through the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the President of the United States, who is the commander in chief of the armed forces. The President is not a member of the military, and civilian control of the military is one of the key features of the organization of the US government. Service members and veterans identify strongly with their service branch, and it is important to use the proper terminology when referring to them.
A member of the Army is a soldier, a member of the Navy is a sailor, and a member of the Marine Corps is a Marine. A member of the Air Force is an airman, a Coast Guard member is a Coast Guardsmen, and a Space Force member is a Guardian. The military is also divided into active duty service members, reserve forces, and the National Guard. Service members who are active duty are full time military members.
The Reserves consists of persons who are not full time active military, but undergo regular training. They can be activated to full time status, and deployed at any time should the need arise. The Army and Air National Guard, while primarily funded by the federal government, are primarily organized and controlled within the states. The National Guard is available to governors to assist communities during local emergencies. During times of war, the National Guard can be, and has been, federalized and deployed-- similar to the Reserves.
Another important distinction in the military is between enlisted personnel, and officers. Enlisted service members can become non-commissioned officers-- NCOs, which includes sergeants and corporals-- through promotion. Commissioned officers start at the rank of Second Lieutenant, and outrank both enlisted and NCOs. Officers can receive a commission in several ways-- by graduating from a service academy or military college, through a Reserve officer Training Corps, by attending officer candidate schools after graduating from college, by receiving a direct commission after earning a professional degree, or by advancing through the enlisted ranks and completing officer training.
Enlisted service members perform the work of the military according to their occupational specialties and skills. And the officer corps manages enlisted members, plans missions, provides orders, and assigns tasks. A small group of officers-- called Warrant Officers-- serve primarily as technical experts in their areas. Enlisted personnel, including NCOs, currently make up more than 80% of the armed forces.
Within the enlisted and officer corps, military members are organized hierarchically by rank. The specific terminology for ranks differs by branch, but you will often hear service members and veterans refer to rank by using pay grades-- which start with E1 through E4 for enlisted, and E5 through E9 for NCOs. Officer pay grades range from O1 through O10, and warrant officers have pay grades W1 through W5.
Active duty military are permanently assigned, or stationed, at a particular location. Families will generally accompany a service member at their station, living either on base or off base. A service member will typically be reassigned from time to time during their military career, resulting in a location change and a move for the whole family. A deployment is a temporary assignment for a specific period of time, typically 6 to 15 months.
Deployments may be to combat zones, or to non-combat zones. Family members will generally stay behind during a deployment. Needless to say, we have just scratched the surface here. A good way to continue to learn about military structure is to ask service members or veterans about their experience.
The military is a large and complex organization, but understanding the basic structure of the military is crucial in dealing with service members and veterans. At the highest level, the US military is divided into service branches. The army is the largest and oldest branch of the military, consisting of ground forces. The Navy's forces work on, above, and below the water. The Marine Corps consists of both ground and amphibious troops, for conducting operations through combined arms. And the Air Force provides air capability to the military.
The Space Force, the newest branch of the military, established in 2019, will provide forces and capability in space. The Coast Guard, which performs Maritime Services for the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, provides military naval support whenever needed. The military branches report through three departments-- the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy-- which oversees the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard during wartime-- and the Department of the Air Force, which includes the Air Force and Space Force.
These departments report up through the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the President of the United States, who is the commander in chief of the armed forces. The President is not a member of the military, and civilian control of the military is one of the key features of the organization of the US government. Service members and veterans identify strongly with their service branch, and it is important to use the proper terminology when referring to them.
A member of the Army is a soldier, a member of the Navy is a sailor, and a member of the Marine Corps is a Marine. A member of the Air Force is an airman, a Coast Guard member is a Coast Guardsmen, and a Space Force member is a Guardian. The military is also divided into active duty service members, reserve forces, and the National Guard. Service members who are active duty are full time military members.
The Reserves consists of persons who are not full time active military, but undergo regular training. They can be activated to full time status, and deployed at any time should the need arise. The Army and Air National Guard, while primarily funded by the federal government, are primarily organized and controlled within the states. The National Guard is available to governors to assist communities during local emergencies. During times of war, the National Guard can be, and has been, federalized and deployed-- similar to the Reserves.
Another important distinction in the military is between enlisted personnel, and officers. Enlisted service members can become non-commissioned officers-- NCOs, which includes sergeants and corporals-- through promotion. Commissioned officers start at the rank of Second Lieutenant, and outrank both enlisted and NCOs. Officers can receive a commission in several ways-- by graduating from a service academy or military college, through a Reserve officer Training Corps, by attending officer candidate schools after graduating from college, by receiving a direct commission after earning a professional degree, or by advancing through the enlisted ranks and completing officer training.
Enlisted service members perform the work of the military according to their occupational specialties and skills. And the officer corps manages enlisted members, plans missions, provides orders, and assigns tasks. A small group of officers-- called Warrant Officers-- serve primarily as technical experts in their areas. Enlisted personnel, including NCOs, currently make up more than 80% of the armed forces.
Within the enlisted and officer corps, military members are organized hierarchically by rank. The specific terminology for ranks differs by branch, but you will often hear service members and veterans refer to rank by using pay grades-- which start with E1 through E4 for enlisted, and E5 through E9 for NCOs. Officer pay grades range from O1 through O10, and warrant officers have pay grades W1 through W5.
Active duty military are permanently assigned, or stationed, at a particular location. Families will generally accompany a service member at their station, living either on base or off base. A service member will typically be reassigned from time to time during their military career, resulting in a location change and a move for the whole family. A deployment is a temporary assignment for a specific period of time, typically 6 to 15 months.
Deployments may be to combat zones, or to non-combat zones. Family members will generally stay behind during a deployment. Needless to say, we have just scratched the surface here. A good way to continue to learn about military structure is to ask service members or veterans about their experience.