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United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. As of fiscal year 2004 (FY04), it consisted of 485,500 soldiers (including 71,400 women) on active duty and 591,000 in reserve (325,000 in the Army National Guard (ARNG) and 246,000 in the United States Army Reserve (USAR)). The Continental Army was formed on June 14, 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War. Congress created the United States Army on June 3, 1784 after the end of the American Revolutionary War, to replace the disbanded Continental Army. However, the US Army considers itself to be an evolution of the Continental Army, and thus dates its inception from the origins of the Continental Army. As of 2006, there are over 700,000 soldiers enlisted in the army.

Components of the U.S. Army

Between 1775 and August 7, 1789, the established Federal Army was the Continental Army. On the latter date, the Continental Army was replaced by the United States Army under the newly-established War Department. The structure of the US Army was constitutionally established as the Regular Army, the units of the State Militias when called to federal service, and units of Volunteers that were established for the duration of the emergency. This remained the normal scheme of things until the Civil War, when the first Conscription took place. The concept of the National Army as a Conscript Army was thus established in all but name, since units were established to accommodate the use of the conscripts in combat. The last time that the Volunteer Units were utilized was the Spanish-American War in 1898. From that time forward, the Regular Army, the State Militias, and the National Army were codified as standard. In 1908, the Organized Reserve Corps was established to provide trained Officers and Enlisted Men for immediate use in time of war.
During the First World War, the "National Army" was organized to fight the conflict. It was demobilized at the end of World War I, and was replaced by the Regular Army, the Organized Reserve Corps, and the State Militias. In the 1920s and 1930s, the "career" soldiers were known as the "Regular Army" with the "Enlisted Reserve Corps" and "Officer Reserve Corps" augmented to fill vacancies when needed.


In 1941, the "Army of the United States" was founded to fight the Second World War. The Regular Army, Army of the United States, the National Guard, and Officer/Enlisted Reserve Corps (ORC and ERC) existed simultaneously. After World War II, the ORC and ERC were combined into the United States Army Reserve. The Army of the United States was re-established for the Korean War and Vietnam War and was demobilized upon the suspension of the draft.
Currently, the Army is divided into the Regular Army, the Army Reserve, and the United States National Guard. Prior to 1903 members of the National Guard were considered state Soldiers unless federalized by the President. Since the Militia Act of 1903 all National Guard Soldiers have held dual status: as National Guardsmen under the authority of the governor of their state and as a reserve of the US Army under the authority of the President.


Since the adoption of the total force policy, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, reserve component soldiers have taken a more active role in US military operations. Reserve and Guard units took part in the Gulf War, peacekeeping in Kosovo, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Various State Defense Forces also exist, sometimes known as State Militias, which are sponsored by individual state governments and serve as an auxiliary to the National Guard. Except in times of extreme national emergency, such as a mainland invasion of the United States, State Militias are operated independently from the U.S. Army and are seen as state government agencies rather than a component of the military.


Although the present-day Army exists as an all volunteer force, augmented by Reserve and National Guard forces, measures exist for emergency expansion in the event of a catastrophic occurrence, such as a large scale attack against the US or the outbreak of a major global war. The current "call-up" order of the United States Army is as follows:
 

US Army Beret Flash
US Army Beret Flash
  1. Regular Army volunteer force
  2. Army Reserve total mobilization
  3. Full scale activation of all National Guard forces
  4. Recall of all retired personnel fit for military duty
  5. Re-establishment of the draft and creation of a conscript force within the Regular Army
  6. Recall of previously discharged officers and enlisted who were separated under honorable conditions
  7. Activation of the State Defense Forces/State Militias
  8. Full scale mobilization of the unorganized U.S. militia

The final stage of Army mobilization, known as "activation of the unorganized militia" would effectively place all able bodied males in the service of the U.S. Army. The last time an approximation of this occurred was during the American Civil War when the Confederate States of America activated the "Home Guard" in 1865, drafting all males, regardless of age or health, into the Confederate Army. A similar event, albeit in a foreign country, occurred during World War II when Nazi Germany activated the Volkssturm in April and May of 1945.

Structure of the U.S. Army

Officially, a member of the U.S. Army is called a Soldier (always capitalized). The U.S. Army is divided into the following components, from largest to smallest:

U.S. Generals, World War II, Europe: back row (left to right): Stearley, Vandenberg, Smith, Weyland, Nugent; front row: Simpson, Patton, Spaatz, Eisenhower, Bradley, Hodges, Gerow.
U.S. Generals, World War II, Europe:
back row (left to right): Stearley, Vandenberg, Smith, Weyland, Nugent;
front row: Simpson, Patton, Spaatz, Eisenhower, Bradley, Hodges, Gerow.
HHC, US Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
HHC, US Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
U.S. 1st Army
U.S. 1st Army
  1. Field Army: Usually commanded by a General (GEN; note that abbreviations of military rank within the U.S. Army are given in all capital letters without a period or other punctuation).
  2. Corps: Consists of two or more divisions and organic support brigades. The commander is most often a Lieutenant General (LTG).
  3. Division: Usually commanded by a Major General (MG). Generally consists of three maneuver brigades, a division artillery brigade, a division support command, a division aviation brigade, and other support assets. Until the Brigade Unit of Action program was developed, the division was the smallest self-sufficient level of organization in the US Army.
  4. Brigade (or group): Composed of typically three or more battalions, and commanded by a Colonel (COL) or occasionally Brigadier General (BG). (See Regiment for combat arms units.) Since the Brigade Unit of Action program was initiated, brigades have become self sufficient, with organic supply, artillery, aviation, and support structures.
  5. Battalion (or squadron): A Battalion usually consists of two to six companies and roughly 300 to 1000 soldiers. Most units are organized into battalions. Cavalry units are formed into squadrons. A battalion-sized unit is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel (LTC), supported by a Command Sergeant Major/E-9 (CSM). This unit consists of a Battalion Commander (CO, LTC), a Battalion Executive Officer (XO,MAJ), a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) and headquarters, and 3-5 Companies.
  6. Company (or artillery battery/troop): A company usually consists of three to four platoons and roughly 100 to 130 soldiers. Artillery units are formed into batteries. Cavalry units are formed into troops. A company-sized unit is usually led by a Company Commander usually the rank of Captain/O-3 (CPT) supported by a First Sergeant/E-8 (1SG). This unit consists of a Company Commander (CO, CPT), a Company Executive Officer (XO, 1LT), A First Sergeant (1SG) and a headquarters, and two or more Platoons.
  7. Platoon: Usually led by a lieutenant supported by a Sergeant First Class/E-7 (SFC). This unit consists of a Platoon Leader (2LT/1LT), a Platoon Sergeant (SFC), a Radio-Telephone Operator (Usually a PFC or SPC) and two or more Squad Leaders (any NCO).
  8. Section (military unit): Usually directed by Staff Sergeants/E-6 (SSG) who supply guidance for junior NCO Squad leaders. Often used in conjunction with platoons at the company level.
  9. Squad: Squad leaders are usually Staff Sergeants/E-6 (SSG)and can be Sergeants/E-5 (Sgt). This unit consists of eight to ten Soldiers.
  10. Fire team: Usually consists of four Soldiers: a fire team leader, a grenadier, an automatic rifleman, and a rifleman. Fire team leaders are usually Sergeants/E-5 (SGT), but sometimes Corporals/E-4 (CPL).

Organization

US Army Reserve Emblem
US Army Reserve Emblem

The Army is organized by function.

  • Combat Arms include:
  1. Infantry,
  2. Armor/Cavalry,
  3. Field Artillery,
  4. Air Defense Artillery,
  5. Corps of Engineers (The Engineers are classified as both an "Arm", and a "Support"),
  6. Army Aviation (May also be classified as Combat Support or Combat Service Support),
  7. Special Forces.
  • Combat Support units include:
  1. Signal Corps,
  2. Intelligence Corps,
  3. Chemical Corps,
  4. Military Police Corps.
  • Combat Service Support troops include:
  1. Judge Advocate General's Corps,
  2. Adjutant General's Corps,
  3. Chaplain's Corps,
  4. Finance Corps,
  5. Transportation Corps,
  6. Quartermaster Corps,
  7. Ordnance Corps,
  8. Medical Corps,
  9. Medical Service Corps,
  10. Nurse Corps.

Named campaigns

American Revolutionary War Campaign Streamer
American Revolutionary War Campaign Streamer
This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it.

Revolutionary War

Main article: American Revolutionary War Campaigns

War of 1812

Main article: War of 1812 Campaigns

Mexican War Campaigns

Main article: Mexican American War Campaigns

US Units {Regular & National Guard} formed 1636-1783

US Units formed 1784 to 1821

  • US Regiment of Riflemen with colors inscribed 1st Rifle Regt.-US formed 12 April 1808
     
  • 3 companies recruited from NY, VT
     
  • 3 companies recruited from South & LA Territory
     
  • 4 companies recruited from KY, OH, IN Territory
     

10 FEB 1814 - Three additional RIFLE REGIMENTS authorized
 

  • 1st Rifle Regiment - recruiting depot Shepardstown,Va & Savannah,Ga
     
  • 2nd Rifle Regiment - recruiting depots at Chillicothe,OH, Nashville, Tn, & Lexington, Ky
     
  • 3d Rifle Regiment - recruiting depots at Charlotte, NC, Bath Courthouse, VA, & Gallatin, TN
     
  • 4th Rifle Regiment - recruiting depots at Utica, NY, & Western PA

     
  • US Rangers
     
  • Three battalions of Rangers (12 companies)1812-1815
     
  • Regiment of Mounted Rangers - 17th U.S. Regiment - Col. William Russell commanding (not to be confused with the 17th US Infantry Regiment) - 1812-1815
     

Main sources:
Can be verified by a search of the American State Papers in the public domain and view of images to include those at: Can be verified by a search of the American State Papers in the public domain and view of images to include those at:

Report of the strength and distribution of the army previous to July 1, 1814

Documents showing the amount disbursed as bounties and premiums for recruits since January 27, 1814, and the distribution of the same, October 27, 1814

Report of the Secretary of War, showing the number of enlistments in the year 1814, and the expenses of the recruiting service, November 10, 1814

Amplifying information as obtained from:
 

Selected excerpt from William Addleman Ganoe's "History of the United States Army"
In these post Revolutionary years the army passed through swift periods of rise and fall. It was the thermometer of the nation's fear. At first, under the constitution, it was barely 1 regiment, then 2 in 1789, 3 in 1791, a legion corresponding to 5 in 1792, 6 in 1796, 9 in 1798, 6 in 1800, and 3 again in 1802. In 1808 it suddenly sprang to 11 regiments each having 8, 10, or 20 companies depending on the law by which the particular organization was born (April 1808 - "...war with Great Britain was threatening. again the army, which recently bee cut down, was increased; 5 regiments of infantry, 1 regiment of riflemen, 1 regiment of light artillery and 1 regiment of light dragoons, to be enlsited for five years were added. p.111)
 

"The Legion persisted for another year and a half, then went out of existence by act of Congress effective 31 October 1796. In the new establishment the infantry of the four sublegions became the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th Infantry.
 

March 1815 - "In the war just passed the army had played its part in burlesque and tragedy. It had been nore pitiful than in the Revolution. Yet when the affair was over, the country did not absurdly disband its entire force, principally because there was the fresh memory of a sound spanking. Instead a law was passed limiting the army to 10,000 men and a corps of engineers....Some sinsiter effort must have been at work to deprive all the old regiments of their traditions and spirit. For no plan could have more shrewdly dammed any existing pride and affiliations than the following: The old 1st Infantry went into the new 3rd Infantry; the old 2nd went into the new 1st; the old 3rd, into the new 1st; the old 4th, into the new 5th; the old 5th, into the new 8th; the old 6th, into the new 2nd; the old 7th, into the new 1st; and the old 8th, into the new 7th. The new 1st was then made up of the old 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 44th; the new 2nd, of the old 6th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, and 32nd; the new 3rd, of the old 1st, 17th, 19th, and 28th; the new 4th, of the old 12th, 14th, 18th, 20th, 36th, and 38th; the new 6th, of the old 11th, 25th, 27th, 29th, and 37th; the new 7th, of the old 8th, 24th, and 39th; and the new 8th, of the 5th, 10th, 15th, 31st, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 39th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 45th.
 

Army Lineage Series: Infantry Part I: Regular Army - pp.12-16

Peace promised to prevail, so that during 1796 and 1797 the entire Army was reduced, and the size of regiments and companies as well. For scattered use, a large complement of officers and small companies filled the bill. All too soon the sense of security evaporated as war loomed with France. In consequence, the establishment swelled precipitately, and the strength of units with it. By 1799 a total of forty infantry regiments was authorized, although none but the 1st through the 4th ever attained the required strength. Only 3,400 men were raised for the 5th through the 16th, and none at all for any others. Fortunately, the war with France never took shape; by 1800 the crisis was over and the immediate need for more infantry gone. In addition, a new administration took office in 1801, an administration that almost pathologically feared a standing army. Accordingly, under Thomas Jefferson the infantry was cut back in 1802 to two regiments, the 1st and 2d.....
Jefferson's administration had only a brief chance to test its convictions regarding a strong militia and a small standing army, for war clouds were gathering once more. The United States almost began the second war with England when the British warship Leopard attacked the American Chesapeake in 1807. This aggression caused Congress to add five Regular infantry regiments in 1808, the 3d through the 7th, and also to constitute the Regiment of Riflemen. The latter was a product of the Revolutionary experience and the first rifle unit since the end of the Legion in 1796. Rifle elements re-entered the service through the agency of Brig. Gen. James Wilkinson, commanding the army, and Henry Dearborn, Secretary of War, both of whom had had firsthand experience with them in the last war.

Aside from the augmentation of April 1808 there was no further preparation for a fight until just six months before the second war with England. At that time, that is, in January 1812, Congress constituted ten new regiments of Regular infantry. The act of 11 January 1812 which created them was remarkable in at least two ways: first, it provided for the largest regiments and battalions authorized in the United States before the Civil War and, second, it established an organization that was at variance with the seven existing regiments. As a result, in the first six months of 1812 there were three different-sized infantry regiments, besides one of riflemen. The 1st and 2d regiments made up the infantry of the "military peace establishment," and they had ten companies in them of seventy-six enlisted men. The 3d through the 7th regiments,authorized in 1808, were called the infantry of the "additional force," and comprised ten companies with two more officers and two more enlisted men each than the 1st and 2d had. The 8th through the 17th in no way resembled the others, for they had eighteen companies of 110 enlisted men, arranged in two battalions.
Although some of the bulky eighteen-company regiments were raised, several never acquired their second battalions. Recruiting was so difficult that they lacked the time to raise many men before Congress voted a fresh reorganization. Late in June 1812, the legislators changed the law. According to the new arrangement there were to be twenty-five regiments of infantry, exclusive of the rifle regiment, each containing ten companies of 102 men. Thus all the infantry regiments were made uniform on paper, and a standard of organization was established that persisted throughout the conflict. This standard was more often than not honored in the breach. Once constituted, all the twenty-five regiments organized and recruited actively, but during the first two years of the struggle their efforts brought in less than half of the total number of infantrymen authorized.
Regulars at first could only enlist for five years, but late in 1812 newcomers were given a chance to enroll "during the war." All the while the states competed with the Federal government for soldiers, and the shorter "hitches" they offered drew men into their service. To combat this Congress directed the creation, in January 1813, of twenty new infantry regiments enlisted for just one year. Nineteen of them were raised and designated as the 26th through the 44th Infantry. Later, they were converted into long-term outfits (five years or the duration) , but all the units constituted after 1811 had men in them enlisted for different terms. For example, there were in a single regiment one-year regulars, eighteenmonth men, three- and five-year men, and some in for "during the war."
 

Early in 1814 four more infantry regiments and three more regiments of riflemen were constituted. Finally, therefore, forty-eight infantry regiments, numbered from the 1st to the 48th, came into being, plus four rifle regiments, the 1st through the 4th. This was the greatest number of infantry units included in the Regular Army until the world wars of the twentieth century. A mighty effort was made in 1814 to raise the Army to strength, and nearly 27,000 men came in, but in spite of this, four of the regiments had to be consolidated because they were too small. The 17th, 19th, 26th, and 27th were joined to form a new 17th and a new 19th, while the two highest numbered, the 47th and 48th, were redesignated the 27th and 26th, respectively.
 

No sooner was war over than Congress scrambled to rid itself of its more than 30,000 infantrymen. An act of 3 March 1815 set the peace establishment at 10,000 men, divided among infantry, rifle; and artillery regiments. Cavalry was eliminated, and eight infantry regiments and one rifle regiment arose from the ruins of the forty-six and four in existence. The rifles were consolidated and the infantry, after many rearrangements, settled as follows:
 

  • 1st Infantry formed by consolidation of the 2d, 3d, 7th, and 44th
     
  • 2d Infantry formed by consolidation of the 6th, 16th, 22d, 23d, and 32d
     
  • 3d Infantry formed by consolidation of the 1st, 5th, 17th, 19th, and 28th
     
  • 4th Infantry formed by consolidation of the 14th, 18th, 20th, 36th, and 38th
     
  • 5th Infantry formed by consolidation of the 4th, 9th, 13th, 21st, 40th, and 46th
     
  • 6th Infantry formed by consolidation of the 11th, 25th, 27th, 29th, and 37th
     
  • 7th Infantry formed by consolidation of the 8th, 24th, and 39th
     
  • 8th Infantry formed by consolidation of the 10th and 12th

     

The eight remaining infantry regiments were smaller than their war predecessors because, although the number of companies in each remained at ten, every company contained 78 men instead of 103. There was no effort to preserve the honors or traditional numbers of any of ,the prewar regiments. The 1st was merged with other regiments and redesignated the 3d, and the old 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th were likewise lost in the remains of disbanded regiments. The new numbers were founded on the seniority of the colonels, the senior colonel commanding the 1st, and so forth. As a consequence of the reduction, 25,000 infantrymen were separated from the service. Another consequence was that the form of the infantry establishment was set roughly for the next thirty years. Not until the Mexican War, thirty-one years later, was it substantially expanded.
 

The Germinal Period., 1816-1860
 

After the reorganization of 1815, the Regular infantry fluctuated in size with the whole military establishment. Prospects of peace appeared to improve, and in 1821 Congress felt safe enough to cut expenses by disbanding the Rifle Regiment and the 8th Infantry. Having reduced the infantry establishment to seven foot regiments, which were thought adequate to meet all contingencies, the legislators next sliced the size of companies to fifty-one enlisted men, the smallest ever. This arrangement endured for fifteen years when, as usual, the Indians forced an enlargement. "
 

US Regulars raised 1832-1860

The U.S.-Mexican War http://www.dmwv.org/mexwar/mexwar1.htm

U.S. Military Organizations http://www.dmwv.org/mwvets/units.htm

REGULARS (Old Establishment)

1st Regiment of Artillery  
                                    2nd Regiment of Artillery 
                                    3rd Regiment of Artillery
                                    4th Regiment of Artillery
                                    
1st Regiment of Dragoons
                                    2nd Regiment of Dragoons
                                    Mounted Riflemen 
                                    
3rd Regiment of Infantry  
                                    1st Regiment of Infantry
                                    2nd Regiment of Infantry
                                    4th Regiment of Infantry   
                                    5th Regiment of Infantry  
                                    6th Regiment of Infantry  
                                    7th Regiment of Infantry  
                                    8th Regiment of Infantry


 

REGULARS (10 New Regiments)

The following were "new" one-year regiments authorized by Congress on February 11, 1847.

9th Regiment of Infantry 
                                    10th Regiment of Infantry 
                                    11th Regiment of Infantry 
                                    12th Regiment of Infantry 
                                    13th Regiment of Infantry 
                                    14th Regiment of Infantry 
                                    15th Regiment of Infantry 
                                    16th Regiment of Infantry 
                                    3rd Regiment of Dragoons 
                                    Regiment of Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen

see also The U.S.-Mexican War: Some Statistics http://www.dmwv.org/mexwar/mwstats.htm#forces

The Army of the United States, Historical Sketches of Staff and Line with Portraits of Generals-in-Chief.

US Civil War

Union Corps see http://www2.powercom.net/~rokats/corps3.html

XVII

XVIII

XIX

XX

XXI

XXII

XXIII

XXIV

XXV

 

1865 to 1900

1900 to Present

162nd Infantry Regiment

US 37th Armor Regiment - Commanded by LTC Creighton Abrams during WWII.

US Corps

US I Corps

US I Armored Corps

US II Corps

US III Corps

US V Corps

US VI Corps

US VII Corps

US X Corps

US XI Corps

US XII Corps

US XIII Corps

US XIV Corps

US XV Corps

US XVI Corps

no XVII Corps

US XVIII Airborne Corps

US XIX Corps

US XX Corps

US XXIII Corps

US XXII Corps

US XXIV Corps

for WWII Corps Commanders see http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Berlin2/BERLIN2.asp

US Divisions

US 1st Armored Division

US 2nd Armored Division

US 3rd Armored Division

US 4th Armored Division

US 5th Armored Division

US 6th Armored Division

US 7th Armored Division

US 8th Armored Division

US 9th Armored Division

US 10th Armored Division

US 1st Cavalry Division

US 1st Infantry Division

US 2nd Infantry Division

US 3rd Infantry Division

US 4th Infantry Division

US 5th Infantry Division

US 6th Infantry Division

US 7th Infantry Division

US 8th Infantry Division

US 9th Infantry Division

US 10th Mountain Division

US 23rd Infantry Division- Americal Division

US 24th Infantry Division

US 25th Infantry Division

US 11th Airborne Division

US 13th Airborne Division

US 17th Airborne Division

US 82nd Airborne Division

US 101st Airborne Division


THE UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II see http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/usarmy/infantry.aspx

Infantry

The US mobilized sixty-seven infantry divisions in World War II. They were the 1st-9th, 10th Mountain, 24th-38th, 40th-45th, 63rd, 65th, 66th, 69th-71st, 75th-81st, 83rd-91st, 92nd and 93rd Colored, 94th-100th, 102nd-104th, 106th, and Americal Infantry Divisions, 11th, 13th, 17th, 82nd, and 101st Airborne Divisions, and the 1st Cavalry Division, which was dismounted and utilized as infantry. Forty-two of the infantry divisions and four of the airborne divisions served in the ETO and MTO, the remainder served in the PTO.

The first permanent divisional organization in the U. S. Army appeared in World War I. Nine of these infantry divisions continued to exist through the 1920s and 1930s. These w