United States Army
Updated: Wikipedia source
The United States Army (U . Army) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is designated as the army of the United States in the United States Constitution. As a part of the United States Department of Defense, it is one of the six armed forces of the United States and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Founded in 1784, it succeeded the Continental Army, formed in 1775 during the American Revolutionary War. The U . Army is part of the Department of the Army, which is one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Army is headed by the civilian secretary of the Army, and by the military chief of staff of the Army, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It is the largest military branch, and for FY2022, the projected headcount of the Army was 1,005,725 soldiers: the Regular Army 480,893 soldiers; the Army National Guard 336,129 soldiers, and the U . Army Reserve 188,703 soldiers. Major branches include Air Defense Artillery, Armor, Aviation, Field Artillery, Infantry, and Special Forces. With the world's highest vehicle-to-soldier ratio, the Army operates tens of thousands of combat vehicles, including the M1 Abrams main battle tank, Bradley armoured fighting vehicle, and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The Army also deploys key systems for the Missile Defense Agency: the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, and MIM-104 Patriot. The U . Army fought the American Indian Wars (1784–1890), the War of 1812 (1812–15), Mexican–American War (1846–48). The American Civil War (1861–65) was its costliest conflict, with over 350,000 casualties. It fought the Spanish–American War (1898), World War I (1917–18), World War II (1941–45). In the Cold War, the Army fought the Korean War (1950–53) and Vietnam War (1965–71), and operated tactical nuclear weapons ranging from the Pershing II ballistic missile to the Davy Crockett rifle. Following the Cold War's end in 1991, Army has focused primarily on Western Asia and counterinsurgency roles, including the Gulf War, war in Afghanistan, and war in Iraq. The U . Army currently conducts missiles strikes and defense in the 2026 Iran war, and provides materials and training to Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian war.