The United States Army is a core branch of the United States Armed Forces. The Army engages enemy ground forces and identifies, seizes and controls the land, resources and population of a designated adversary. The Army is split into two components: the active force and the reserve force. The Reserves consist of the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard.

The Army has operational and institutional missions. The operational Army is the fighting force comprised of armies, corps, divisions and more that conduct worldwide operations. The institutional Army supports the operational component by providing the infrastructure needed to raise, train, equip and otherwise ensure the Army’s readiness. The institutional Army can be divided into training and industrial bases, with the training base developing the knowledge, skills and abilities of the soldier and the industrial base providing the equipment and logistics needed.

Mission

The Army’s Mission is “to deploy, fight and win our Nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt and sustained land dominance” by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the Joint Force.   

History

The Army was established on June 14, 1775, making it older than the Declaration of Independence by more than a year. The new Continental Army drew upon the traditions of the local militia and the professional standards similar to the British Army. Following actions by the British government, especially the Coercive Acts of 1774, New England citizens attacked British forces at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. This initial militia became the basis for the modern Army.

The Second Continental Congress convened in May 1775, and on June 14, 1775, passed a resolution establishing companies of riflemen across the colonies to join existing soldiers in Boston. The following day former President George Washington was appointed commander in chief. After the Revolutionary War, the Army was reduced to one regiment consisting of eight infantry companies and two of artillery and charged with safeguarding the new nation’s military arms and stores.

The Army played a vital role in the War of 1812 with an attempt to invade Canada and later victory against the British in the Battle of New Orleans. The Army was also deployed in the Mexican American War and won decisively at Vera Cruz. The Civil War saw major technological advances in warfare from munitions to arms. The development of mechanized guns and breach loading munitions increased the ability to inflict terrible damage. Additionally, the Army was used throughout the West to force Native Americans onto reservations. The Spanish-American War, perhaps most known for former President Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders’ charge up San Juan Hill, was the last major engagement during the 1800s.

World War I saw the Army fighting alongside the British and French forces against the Imperial German and the Austro-Hungarian forces. The United States committed infantry and machine gun and artillery units to the cause. The First Army was organized and activated under General John Pershing on July 4, 1918. The U.S. forces assisted in operations up and down the lines from the Franco-Belgium border and Luxembourg to the Italian border with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

During WWII, the U.S. Army operated globally. From the front lines against Nazi Germany to the War in the Pacific and all points in-between, U.S. Army soldiers played a key role in the liberation of France, Italy, the Philippines, North Africa, and other countries.