he United States Army (USA) is the land warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces.

It
is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in
the U.S. Constitution.[15] As the oldest and most senior branch of the U.S. military in order of precedence,
[16]
 the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which was formed (14 June 1775) to
fight the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)—before the United States of America was
established as a country.[17] After the Revolutionary War, the Congress of the Confederation created the
United States Army on 3 June 1784 to replace the disbanded Continental Army.[18][19] The United States
Army considers itself descended from the Continental Army, and considers its institutional inception to
be the origin of that armed force in 1775.[17]
As a uniformed military service, the U.S. Army is part of the Department of the Army, which is one of the
three military departments of the Department of Defense. The U.S. Army is headed by a civilian senior
appointed civil servant, the secretary of the Army (SECARMY) and by a chief military officer, the chief of
staff of the Army (CSA) who is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It is the largest military branch,
and in the fiscal year 2017, the projected end strength for the Regular Army (USA) was 476,000
soldiers; the Army National Guard (ARNG) had 343,000 soldiers and the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR)
had 199,000 soldiers; the combined-component strength of the U.S. Army was 1,018,000 soldiers.[20] As
a branch of the armed forces, the mission of the U.S. Army is "to fight and win our Nation's wars, by
providing prompt, sustained land dominance, across the full range of military operations and the
spectrum of conflict, in support of combatant commanders".[21] The branch participates in conflicts
worldwide and is the major ground-based offensive and defensive force of the United States.

Contents

 1Mission
 2History
o 2.1Origins
o 2.219th century
 2.2.1Early wars on the Frontier
 2.2.2American Civil War
 2.2.3Later 19th century
o 2.320th century
 2.3.1World wars
 2.3.2Cold War
 2.3.2.11945–1960
 2.3.2.21960–1970
 2.3.2.31970–1990
 2.3.31990s
o 2.421st century
 3Organization
o 3.1Planning
o 3.2Army components
o 3.3Army commands and army service component commands
o 3.4Structure
o 3.5Combat maneuver organizations
o 3.6Special operations forces
 4Personnel
o 4.1Commissioned officers
o 4.2Warrant officers
o 4.3Enlisted personnel
o 4.4Training
 5Equipment
o 5.1Weapons
 5.1.1Individual weapons
 5.1.2Crew-served weapons
o 5.2Vehicles
o 5.3Uniforms
 5.3.1Berets
o 5.4Tents
 6See also
 7Notes
 8References
 9Further reading
 10External links

Mission[edit]
The United States Army serves as the land-based branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Section 3062 of
Title 10, U.S. Code defines the purpose of the army as:[22][23]

 Preserving the peace and security and providing for the defense of the United States, the
Commonwealths and possessions and any areas occupied by the United States
 Supporting the national policies
 Implementing the national objectives
 Overcoming any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of
the United States
In 2018, the Army Strategy 2018 articulated an eight-point addendum to the Army Vision for 2028.
[24]
 While the Army Mission remains constant, the Army Strategy builds upon the Army's Brigade
Modernization by adding focus to Corps and Division-level echelons.[24] Modernization, reform for high-
intensity conflict, and Joint multi-domain operations are added to the strategy, to be completed by 2028.
[24]

History[edit]
Main article: History of the United States Army

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please

This article or section may need to be cleaned up or

Origins[edit]
The Continental Army was created on 14 June 1775 by the Second Continental Congress[25] as a unified
army for the colonies to fight Great Britain, with George Washington appointed as its commander.[17][26][27]
[28]
 The army was initially led by men who had served in the British Army or colonial militias and who
brought much of British military heritage with them. As the Revolutionary War progressed, French aid,
resources and military thinking helped shape the new army. A number of European soldiers came on
their own to help, such as Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, who taught Prussian Army tactics and
organizational skills.

The storming of Redoubt No. 10 in the Siege of Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War prompted Great
Britain's government to begin negotiations, resulting in the Treaty of Paris and Great Britain's recognition of the
United States as an independent state.

The army fought numerous pitched battles and in the South in 1780 and 1781, at times using the Fabian
strategy and the hit-and-run tactics, under the leadership of Major General Nathanael Greene, hit where
the British were weakest to wear down their forces. Washington led victories against the British
at Trenton and Princeton, but lost a series of battles in the New York and New Jersey campaign in 1776
and the Philadelphia campaign in 1777. With a decisive victory at Yorktown and the help of the French,
the Continental Army prevailed against the British.
After the war, the Continental Army was quickly given land certificates and disbanded in a reflection of
the republican distrust of standing armies. State militias became the new nation's sole ground army, with
the exception of a regiment to guard the Western Frontier and one battery of artillery guarding West
Point's arsenal. However, because of continuing conflict with Native Americans, it was soon realized
that it was necessary to field a trained standing army. The Regular Army was at first very small and after
General St. Clair's defeat at the Battle of the Wabash,[29] where more than 800 Americans were killed,
the Regular Army was reorganized as the Legion of the United States, which was established in 1791
and renamed the United States Army in 1796.
In 1798, during the Quasi-War with France, Congress established a three-year "Provisional Army" of
10,000 men, consisting of twelve regiments of infantry and six troops of light dragoons. By march 1799
Congress created an "Eventual Army" of 30,000 men, including three regiments of cavalry. Both
"armies" existed only on paper, but equipment for 3,000 men and horses was procured and stored.[30]

19th century[edit]
Early wars on the Frontier[edit]
Further information: Army on the Frontier
General Andrew Jackson standing on the parapet of his makeshift defenses as his troops repulse
attacking Highlanders during the defense of New Orleans, the final major and most one-sided battle of the War of
1812

The War of 1812, the second and last war between the United States and Great Britain, had mixed
results. The U.S. Army did not conquer Canada but it did destroy Native American resistance to
expansion in the Old Northwest and it validated its independence by stopping two major British
invasions in 1814 and 1815. After taking control of Lake Erie in 1813, the U.S. Army seized parts of
western Upper Canada, burned York and defeated Tecumseh, which caused his Western
Confederacy to collapse. Following U.S. victories in the Canadian province of Upper Canada, British
troops who had dubbed the U.S. Army "Regulars, by God!", were able to capture and burn Washington,
which was defended by militia, in 1814. The regular army, however proved they were professional and
capable of defeating the British army during the invasions of Plattsburgh and Baltimore, prompting
British agreement on the previously rejected terms of a status quo ante bellum. Two weeks after a treaty
was signed (but not ratified), Andrew Jackson defeated the British in the Battle of New
Orleans and Siege of Fort St. Philip, and became a national hero. U.S. troops and sailors captured HMS
Cyane, Levant and Penguin in the final engagements of the war. Per the treaty, both sides (the United
States and Great Britain) returned to the geographical status quo. Both navies kept the warships they
had seized during the conflict.