United States Army

The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which 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.

Rank Structure

See also U.S. Army officer rank insignia.

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Comparison of ranking structure available at Ranks and Insignia of NATO.

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The Officer Corps provides leadership and managerial functions, and is composed of

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• Company Grade officers
• Second Lieutenant (2LT; pay grade O-1) - gold bar,
• First Lieutenant (1LT; pay grade O-2) - silver bar,
• Captain (CPT; pay grade O-3) - two silver bars,
• Field Grade officers
• Major (MAJ; pay grade O-4) - gold oak leaf,
• Lieutenant Colonel (LTC; pay grade O-5) - silver oak leaf,
• Colonel (COL; pay grade O-6) - silver eagle,
• and General officers
• Brigadier General (BG; pay grade O-7) - one star,
• Major General (MG; pay grade O-8) - two stars,
• Lieutenant General (LTG; pay grade O-9) - three stars,
• General (GEN; pay grade O-10) - four stars
• General of the Army - In the 19th century, a title held by the Commander of the Army. After World War II a rank comprised of five stars in a pentagon
• General of the Armies - No established insignia. Held only by George Washington and John J. Pershing

There are several sources of commissioned officers:

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• The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York
• Graduates of other military academies of the United States may elect to be commissioned in the Army
• Enlisted soldiers or College graduates who successfully pass Officer Candidate School (OCS)
• College graduates who underwent Army Reserve Officer Training Corps courses at a four-year university
• Lawyers, doctors, nurses, veterinarians, and chaplains may be directly commissioned into their respective corps
• Enlisted soldiers may also be battlefield commissioned for valor and leadership during actual combat, Audie Murphy received his commission in this manner

Officers receive a commission assigning them to the Officer Corps from the President. All newly commissioned officers receive a commission as a reserve officer. Upon attaining the rank of Major, they can be appointed into the Regular Army by the President with the advice and consent of the United States Senate http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/10/531.html. Commissioned officers are assigned to a branch of service until they reach the rank of Brigadier General, where it is assumed that they are competent to command soldiers of all branches.

Related Topics:
Commission - President - United States Senate

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Once commissioned, an officer attends several levels of professional education, starting with branch qualification in their respective branch and concluding in Command and General Staff College at Fort_Leavenworth, Kansas. Professional education is required for promotion at certain grades.

Related Topics:
Command and General Staff College - Fort_Leavenworth - Kansas

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The Warrant Officer is a single track specialty officer. Initially appointed an officer by the Secretary of the Army via a warrant, he/she is commissioned by the President upon promotion to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2). The warrant officer is managed as a company grade officer, but receives limited field grade privilege upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer Four (CW4).

Related Topics:
Warrant Officer - Warrant - President

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The primary source for Warrant Officers is the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Related Topics:
U.S. Army Warrant Officer Candidate School - Fort Rucker - Alabama

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The Non-Commissioned Officer Corps (or NCO Corps) is the first line of leadership for the enlisted members of the Army, and includes the ranks of

Related Topics:
Non-Commissioned Officer - Enlisted

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• Corporal (CPL; pay grade E-4) (two stripes pointing up, called chevrons) ),
• Sergeant (SGT; pay grade E-5) (three chevrons),
• Staff Sergeant (SSG; pay grade E-6) (three chevrons and one rocker, a curved stripe at the bottom),
• Sergeant First Class (SFC; pay grade E-7) (three chevrons and two rockers),
• Master Sergeant (MSG; pay grade E-8) (three chevrons and three rockers),
• First Sergeant (1SG; pay grade E-8) (which holds the same enlisted pay grade as Master Sergeant, but which carries extra administrative duties - three chevrons and three rockers with a lozenge in the center),
• Sergeant Major (SGM; pay grade E-9) (three chevrons and three rockers with a star in the center),
• Command Sergeant Major (CSM; pay grade E-9) (three chevrons and three rockers with a wreathed star in the center)
• and Sergeant Major of the Army (of whom there is only one, and who advises the Chief of Staff of the Army on matters relating to enlisted personnel - three chevrons and three rockers with a centered eagle accompanied with two stars).

Training for NCOs takes place at any of the various NCO training centers around the world.

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Until relatively recent history, most countries depended upon their officer corps to micromanage strategy, tactics and virtually every other aspect of military operations. Current military theory in the U.S. and UK has begun to emphasize the "strategic corporal," recognizing that combat decision-making by NCOs is potentially of vast importance.

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The lowest enlisted ranks are:

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• Private (PV1; pay grade E-1) (no rank insignia),
• Private Enlisted Grade 2 (PV2; pay grade E-2) (one chevron),
• Private First Class (PFC; pay grade E-3) (one chevron and one rocker),
• and Specialist (SPC; pay grade E-4) (which is the same Enlisted Grade as Corporal, but which requires technical leadership skills, as opposed to the combat leadership skills required of corporal -a dark green patch with an eagle centered). A Specialist ranks below a corporal in terms of chain of command.

Training for enlisted soldiers usually consists of Basic Training, and Advanced Individual Training in their primary Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at any of the numerous MOS training facilities around the world.

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All members of the Army must take an oath upon being sworn in as members, swearing (or affirming) to "protect the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, both foreign and domestic." This emphasis on the defense of the United States Constitution illustrates the concern of the framers that the military be subordinate to legitimate civilian authority.

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