United States Armed Force

A United States Armed Force is a national armed force for a United States of America Government.

• Context:
  • It can be composed of:
    • a United States Army.
    • a United States Marine Corps.
    • a United States Navy.
    • a United States Air Force.
    • a United States Coast Guard.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • U.S. Military, ~1775: When the Continental Army, when the Continental Congress established the first formal military force of the United States.
  • U.S. Military, ~1794: When the United States Navy is established by the Naval Act of 1794.
  • ...
  • U.S. Military, ~1861: During the split into the Union and the Confederacy at the start of the American Civil War.
  • U.S. Military, ~1846: During the American-Mexican War begins when the United States declares war on Mexico. The United States Army plays a major role in the war, and the Battle of Chapultepec is considered to be one of the most important battles in the war.
  • U.S. Military, ~1864: During the Sand Creek Massacre takes place when the United States Army attacks a Cheyenne and Arapaho village in Colorado. The attack is considered to be a war crime, and it leads to a great deal of anger and resentment among Native Americans.
  • U.S. Military, ~1890: During the Wounded Knee Massacre takes place when the United States Army attacks a Lakota Sioux village in South Dakota. The attack is considered to be the last major battle of the Indian Wars, and it results in the deaths of over 200 Lakota Sioux men, women, and children.
  • U.S. Military, ~1898: When the Spanish-American War begins when the United States declares war on Spain. The United States Navy plays a major role in the war, and the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry unit, become famous for their victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill.
  • U.S. Military, ~1907: When the U.S. Army Signal Corps establishes an Aeronautical Division to take "charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all kindred subjects."
  • U.S. Military, ~1917: When they enter World War I after Germany declares unrestricted submarine warfare.
  • U.S. Military, ~1918: When the United States Army Air Service is created as a separate branch of the Army.
  • U.S. Military, ~1941: When they enter World War II after Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.
  • U.S. Military, ~1946: During the creation of U.S. Navy Research Laboratory (NRL), which reports to the U.S. Department of the Navy.
  • U.S. Military, ~1947: When the National Security Act is passed, creating the Department of the Air Force and the Department of the Navy.
  • U.S. Military, ~1950: When they lead the Korean War begins when North Korea invades South Korea.
  • U.S. Military, ~1958: During the creation of U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which reports to the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
  • U.S. Military, ~1958: During the creation of U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), which reports to the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force.
  • U.S. Military, ~1962: When they establish the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command to command and control the nuclear bomber force.
  • U.S. Military, ~1965: When they start the American-Vietnam War begins when the United States sends troops to South Vietnam to help fight the Viet Cong and North Vietnam.
  • U.S. Military, ~1971: During the creation of U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), which reports to the U.S. Secretary of the Army.
  • U.S. Military, ~1988: During the creation of U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC), which reports to the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
  • U.S. Military, ~1986: When the U.S. Navy launches the first operational stealth aircraft, the F-117 Nighthawk.
  • ...
  • U.S. Military, ~1991: When the Gulf War begins when the United States and its allies launch a military campaign against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The United States Air Force plays a major role in the war, and the United States quickly defeats Iraq.
  • U.S. Military, ~1996: When the U.S. Marine Corps establishes its first Space Operations Battalion.
  • U.S. Military, ~1999: During the NATO intervention in Kosovo (The bombing campaign lasts for 78 days and leads to the withdrawal of Serbian forces from Kosovo).
  • U.S. Military, ~1999: When the U.S. Air Force begins developing the U.S. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) program, which eventually leads to the development of drones such as the Predator drone and Reaper drone.
  • U.S. Military, ~2001: When they start the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: in response to the September 11 attacks. The invasion overthrows the Taliban regime, which had been harboring al-Qaeda, the terrorist group responsible for the attacks.
  • U.S. Military, ~2003: When they start the U.S. invasion of Iraq: in the belief that Iraq is developing weapons of mass destruction. The invasion overthrows the government of Saddam Hussein, but no weapons of mass destruction are ever found.
  • U.S. Military, ~2005: When the U.S. Army establishes its first U.S. Cyber Command. (Ref?)
  • U.S. Military, ~2009: When the U.S. Navy begins developing directed energy weapons through the High Energy Laser (HEL) program. (Ref?)
  • U.S. Military, ~2011: During the U.S. intervention in Libya, when NATO launches a bombing campaign against Libya in response to the Libyan government's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
  • U.S. Military, ~2013: When the U.S. Army's Army Research Laboratory program begins investing in Miltary AI R&D with their 5 year ARL AI Exploration Initiative.
  • U.S. Military, ~2014: During the US intervention in Iraq and Syria: The United States launches airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in response to the group's advance in those countries. The airstrikes are part of a broader effort to defeat ISIS.
  • U.S. Military, ~2017: When the U.S. Air Force's Air Force Research Laboratory program begins investing in quantum computing R&D. (Ref?)
  • U.S. Military, ~2023.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • a Chinese Military.
• See: The Pentagon, President of The United States, Department of Defense (DoD).

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References

2016

• (Wikipedia, 2016) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Armed_Forces Retrieved:2016-7-11.
  • The United States Armed Forces are the federal armed forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The President of the United States is the military's overall head, and helps form military policy with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), a federal executive department, acting as the principal organ by which military policy is carried out. From the time of its inception, the military played a decisive role in the history of the United States. A sense of national unity and identity was forged as a result of victory in the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War. Even so, the Founders were suspicious of a permanent military force. It played an important role in the American Civil War, where leading generals on both sides were picked from members of the United States military. Not until the outbreak of World War II did a large standing army become officially established. The National Security Act of 1947, adopted following World War II and during the Cold War's onset, created the modern U.S. military framework; the Act merged previously Cabinet-level Department of War and the Department of the Navy into the National Military Establishment (renamed the Department of Defense in 1949), headed by the Secretary of Defense; and created the Department of the Air Force and National Security Council. The U.S. military is one of the largest militaries in terms of number of personnel. It draws its personnel from a large pool of paid volunteers; although conscription has been used in the past in various times of both war and peace, it has not been used since 1972. As of 2016, the United States spends about $580.3 billion annually to fund its military forces and Overseas Contingency Operations. Put together, the United States constitutes roughly 39 percent of the world's military expenditures. For the period 2010–14, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) found that the United States was the world's largest exporter of major arms, accounting for 31 per cent of global shares. The United States was also the world's eighth largest importer of major weapons for the same period. The U.S. Armed Forces has significant capabilities in both defense and power projection due to its large budget, resulting in advanced and powerful equipment, and its widespread deployment of force around the world, including about 800 military bases in foreign locations.

• (Wikipedia, 2016) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Armed_Forces#Budget Retrieved:2016-7-11.
  • The United States has the world's largest military budget. In the fiscal year 2016, $580.3 billion in funding were enacted for the Department of Defense (DoD) and for "Overseas Contingency Operations" in the War on Terrorism. Outside of direct DoD spending, the United States spends another $218 to $262 billion each year on other defense-related programs, such as Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, nuclear weapons maintenance, and the State Department.

    By service, $146.9 billion was allocated for the Army, $168.8 billion for the Navy and Marine Corps, $161.8 billion for the Air Force and $102.8 billion for defense-wide spending. By function, $138.6 billion was requested for personnel, $244.4 billion for operations and maintenance, $118.9 billion for procurement, $69.0 billion for research and development, $1.3 billion for revolving and management funds, $6.9 billion for military construction, and $1.3 billion for family housing.

    In FY 2009, major defense programs saw continued funding:

    • $4.1 billion was requested for the next-generation fighter, F-22 Raptor, which was to roll out an additional 20 planes in 2009
    • $6.7 billion was requested for the F-35 Lightning II, which is still under development, but 16 planes were slated to be built
    • The Future Combat System program is expected to see $3.6 billion for its development.
    • A total of $12.3 billion was requested for missile defense, including Patriot CAP, PAC-3 and SBIRS-High.
  • Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute, has blamed the "vast sums of money" squandered on cutting-edge technology projects that were then canceled on shortsighted political operatives who lack a long-term perspective in setting requirements. The result is that the number of items bought under a given program are cut. The total development costs of the program are divided over fewer platforms, making the per-unit cost seem higher and so the numbers are cut again and again in a death spiral. Although the United States was the world's biggest exporter of major weapons in 2010–14, the US was also the world's eight biggest importer during the same period. US arms imports increased by 21 per cent between 2005–2009 and 2010–14. Cost containment measures in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Obama administration's energy policy will play a critical determining roles because health care and fuel costs are the two fastest-growing segments of the defense budget.
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