The US Army

CPT Woodruff
MTU ARMY ROTC
 Agenda

• US MILITARY BRANCHES
• Active Duty / USAR / NATIONAL
GUARD
• RANK STRUCTURE/UNIT
STRUCTURE
• ARMY DIVISIONS
• ARMY BRANCHES
US Military Branches

US Army US Air Force

US Navy US Marine Corps

 US Army Mission
• Preserve the peace and security, and provide for
the defense of the United States, the Territories,
Commonwealths, and Possessions, and any areas
occupied by the United States

• Support national policies

• Implement national objectives

• Overcome any nations responsible for aggressive

acts that imperil the peace and security of the
United States
 America’s Army

• Foundation
– Established 14 June 1775 by Continental
Congress
• Articles of Confederation
– First roles and missions: “Provide for the
common defense”
 The Constitution - 1787

• Principle of civilian control over military

• Congress:
- Raises and supports military services
- Declares war
- Makes rules for governing and regulating the
services
• President:
– Commander in Chief
– Authority to make treaties and to appoint Federal
Officers
– Directs national security affairs
 The Total Army

20%
RESERVES 35%
205K NATIONAL GUARD
350K
ACTIVE
495K

45%
Active Component
 Army Reserve

• Formed in 1908. After WW I, the National

Defense Act of 1920 established the
Organized Reserve Corps which includes
both units and individuals.

• The Army Reserve is not under state control.

• Provides the bulk of combat service support

(CSS), as well as some combat support (CS),
for the Total Army.
 Army Reserve
• Selected Reserve: Army Reserve Units, Individual
Mobilization Augmentees, Active Guard/Reservists.
Total strength about 204,500.

• Individual Ready Reserve: Individuals who have

completed active duty and reserve training
requirements, or have left active duty recently and
still have a reserve commitment. Total strength
about 155,000.

• Retired Reserve: Individuals who have completed

20 years of qualifying service for retirement.
(Approx 693,300)
 Army National Guard

• Lineage traced to militias formed during the

French and Indian Wars in 1700s.

• Provides, primarily, combat and combat

support unit reinforcements, as well as some
combat service support, for the active Army.

• Provides combat reinforcement capability

with 15 “enhanced readiness” brigades,
trained and equipped to reinforce deployed
AC forces within 90 days
 Enlisted Ranks
Enlisted Members (EMs)

E-1 Private (PVT) No Rank

E-2 Private (PV2)

E-3 Private First Class (PFC)

E-4 Specialist (SPC) or Corporal (CPL)

 Enlisted Ranks
Non-Commissioned Officers

E-5 Sergeant (SGT)

E-6 Staff Sergeant (SSG)

E-7 Sergeant First Class (SFC)

 Enlisted Ranks
Non-Commissioned Officers

E-8 Master Sergeant or First Sergeant

(MSG) (1SG)

E-9 Sergeant Major or Command Sergeant

(SGM) Major (CSM)

 Warrant Officers

W1 Warrant Officer

W2 Chief Warrant Officer 2

W3 Chief Warrant Officer 3

W4 Chief Warrant Officer 4

W5 Chief Warrant Officer 5

Commissioned Officers
Company Grade

O-1 2nd Lieutenant (2LT)

O-2 1st Lieutenant (1LT)

O-3 Captain (CPT)

 Commissioned Officers
Field Grade

O-4 Major (MAJ)

O-5 Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)

O-6 Colonel (COL)

 Commissioned Officers
General Officer

O-7 Brigadier General (BG)

O-8 Major General (MG)

O-9 Lieutenant General (LTG)

O-10 General (GEN)

Unit Structures
 Team

Team Leader

Rifleman Automatic Grenadier

Rifleman
 Squad
Graphic Symbol

Squad Leader

Team Leader Team Leader

Rifleman Automatic Grenadier Rifleman Automatic Grenadier

Rifleman Rifleman
 Platoon
Graphic Symbol

Platoon Leader

Platoon Sergeant

Squad Leader Squad Leader Squad Leader

 Company
Graphic Symbol

Company Commander

Executive Officer First Sergeant

Platoon Leader Platoon Leader Platoon Leader

1st SQD 2nd SQD 3rd SQD 1st SQD 2nd SQD 3rd SQD 1st SQD 2nd SQD 3rd SQD
 Battalion
Graphic Symbol

Executive Officer

Operations Officer
Battalion Commander Command
Sergeant
Major

Line Company Line Company Line Company Headquarters

Commander Commander Commander Company
Commander
 Brigade
- Commander normally a Colonel (O-6)
- Two or more Battalions make up a Brigade
- Are often organized in Brigade Combat Teams consisting
of an Artillery BN, Engineer BN, and Forward Support BN in
addition to organic manuever BNs
X
- Graphic symbol (one X)
X
Mech Inf Bde

Mech Inf Bn Mech Inf Bn Armor Bn

 Divisions
- Commander normally a Major General (O-8)
- Each Division has C2, combat, combat service,
combat service support units
- 10 active duty Divisions in US Army
- Five types of Divisions: Armored
Mechanized
Light Infantry
Airborne
Air Assault
- graphic symbol (two Xs) XX
 Active Divisions
CONUS
Armored Air Assault Light Infantry

1st Cavalry Div 1st Armored Div 101st Airborne Div 10th Mountain Div 25th Infantry Div
Ft Hood, TX Ft Riley , KS (1 Bde) Ft Campbell, KY Ft Drum, NY Ft Lewis, WA (1 Bde)

Mechanized Airborne

1st Infantry Div 2nd Infantry Div 3rd Infantry Div 4th Infantry Div 82nd Airborne Div
Ft Riley, KS (1 Bde) Ft Lewis, WA (1 Bde) Ft Stewart, GA Ft Hood, TX Ft Bragg, NC
Ft Benning, GA Ft Carson, CO
 Active Divisions
OCONUS
Armored Light Infantry

1st Armored Div 25th Infantry Div

Bad Kreuznach, Germany Schofield Barracks, HI

Mechanized

1st Infantry Div 2nd Infantry Div

Camp Red Cloud, Korea
Wurzburg, Germany
 Types of Branches of
the US Army
1) Combat Arms: involved in actual fighting

2) Combat Support: provide operational

assistance to combat arms to include combat
missions as necessary

3) Combat Service Support: provide logistical

and administrative support to the army;
personnel normally not directly involved in
combat operations
 Combat Arms

Infantry Corps of Engineers

Armor
Aviation
Air Defense
Artillery

Field Artillery Special Forces

 Combat Support

Military Police Aviation Corps of Engineers

Chemical Corps
Signal Corps
Military Intelligence
 Combat Service
Support

Adjutant Finance Ordnance Transportation Quartermaster

General Corps Corps Corps Corps
Corps
Special Branches

JAG Corps Medical Dental Nurse Veterinary Chaplain

Corps Corps Corps Corps Corps
 Chain of Command Bottom
Line
Commander in Chief Division Commander

Secretary of Defense Brigade Commander

Secretary of the Army Battalion Commander

Army Chief of Staff Company Commander

Theater Commander Platoon Leader

Army Group Commander Squad Leader

Corps Commander Team Leader

 Summary

• US MILITARY BRANCHES
• Active Duty / USAR / NATIONAL
GUARD
• RANK STRUCTURE/UNIT
STRUCTURE
• ARMY DIVISIONS
• ARMY BRANCHES
 Conclusion

QUESTIONS
OR
COMMENTS