| The US Armed Forces consist of several services. | | | | operations on the far side of the world, pirate |
| These are the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, US | | | | suppression and protection of trade. The Navy has |
| Marine Corps and US Coast Guard. All except the | | | | active and reserve units and detachments. |
| Coast Guard belong to the Department of Defense. | | | | The US Air Force is the youngest of our armed |
| The Coast Guard belongs to the Department of | | | | forces, and the six hundred thousand members |
| Homeland Security. | | | | would like to believe it is the most glamorous. It has |
| While all of these forces are uniformed, have | | | | about 6,000 aircraft, and like the Army, is divided into |
| weapons, ranks and other such details that are | | | | an active force, an Air Force Reserve and an Air |
| similar, the specific missions and focus of each | | | | National Guard. |
| service is quite different. | | | | The smallest of our armed forces is the US Coast |
| The US Army is charged as the primary land combat | | | | Guard. With only about fifty thousand servicemen, it |
| force. The US Army is around a million soldiers, | | | | is by far the smallest, but prides itself on being one |
| divided into the Active Army, Army Reserve and | | | | of the busiest. As the only armed force that isn't |
| Army National Guard. While all of these have federal | | | | under the DoD, the Coasties are one of the lead |
| missions, the National Guard also has state missions | | | | forces in Homeland Security. The Coast Guard has |
| and responsibilities. Army National Guard units are | | | | active and reserve units, and auxiliaries who provide |
| largely combat units, though with supporting units as | | | | assistance as needed. The Coast Guard performs |
| well. Army Reserve units are almost always combat | | | | diverse missions including search and rescue, police |
| support or combat service support. | | | | operations and inspections of cargo and ships. |
| The US Marine Corps appears very similar to the | | | | It is certainly possible to find members of any service |
| Army, but has a bit over 200,000 marines. The USMC | | | | deployed almost anywhere, with members of the US |
| is charged with projecting combined arms task forces | | | | Armed Forces present from Thule Greenland to Pole, |
| around the world, providing a rapid response force | | | | Antarctica. Marines pride themselves on being tough |
| which is small, but high quality and equipped to handle | | | | enough to handle poor living conditions, while Sailors |
| many contingencies. The Marines have integrated | | | | bring their own living areas with them most of the |
| task forces with ground and fixed wing aviation | | | | time. The Army believes that they are the force |
| assigned, providing extremely responsive air support. | | | | called on when the job is big and tough, while the Air |
| There are active and reserve marines. | | | | Force believes they are the force called on when |
| The US Navy is charged with operations on the sea, | | | | something has to happen at the speed of sound. The |
| and has about a half a million sailors. The Navy | | | | Coasties believe, with some justification, that they |
| currently has 276 ships and 4,000 aircraft. The US | | | | have the toughest job with the least attention of the |
| Navy has a rich tradition including pitched battles | | | | bunch. |
| against the most powerful navies of the day, | | | | |