The document provides an overview of the five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard), including their founding dates, missions, and brief histories. It also covers military rank structures, a chronology of major U.S. conflicts, recommended military books and media, military acronym resources, and military education tools.

1. A presentation on the U.S. Armed Forces,
Military Rank Structure, Military Conflict
Chronology, and National Security
Acronyms
United States Armed Forces
Decoded

2. United States Armed Forces
Active Components
Army Coast
Guard
Marine
Corps
Department of Defense (DOD) Department of
Homeland
Security (DHS)
Air Force Navy

3. Air Force
• Summary: The Air Force’s primary mission is to protect the United States,
engage enemy aircraft, and attack enemy infrastructure/ground forces. The
United States Air Force has bases strategically located across the US and the
world.
• Founded: July 26, 1947 (The National Security Act of 1947 created the
Department of the Air Force).
• History: The United States Air Force first started off as an Aeronautical Division
within the U.S. Army Signals corps. During World War I, the Air Service was
created to help coordinate the tactical air units. After the war, the United
States Army Air Corps was created by the Air Corps Act of 1926. Throughout
World War II, the Air Corps remained in the Army . Following the WWII, a
separate Air Force military branch was created. For a more detailed overview
see the Air Force History Overview page.
• U.S. Air Force Webpage

4. Army
• Summary: The United States Army’s mission is to sustain a viable fighting
force for combat on land. The Army is the US’s largest land force and
predates American sovereignty.
• Founded: June 14, 1775
• History: The Army has been involved in every major war since the
Revolutionary War. Over the years, the Army has evolved over time to
include new technologies and strategies—from muskets to modern machine
guns and from horses to tanks and armored troop transports. For a more
detailed history check out the U.S. Army Center of Military History.
• U.S. Army Webpage

5. Navy
• Summary: The Department of the Navy’s mission is to maintain a naval force
to protect the nation and maintain freedom on the high seas. The majority of
naval personnel serve on ships.
• Founded: October 13, 1775
• History: The modern Navy ‘s predecessor was the Continental Navy formed
during the Revolutionary War. The Continental Navy was disbanded after the
war, and the Department of the Navy was eventually established in 1798.
The Navy has maintained an active force and has been deployed around the
world in support of United States Military campaigns and relief efforts. For a
more extensive overview see the Naval History and Heritage Command page.
• Navy Webpage

6. Marine Corps
• Summary: The Marine Corps’ mission is to maintain troops capable of
fighting on land and sea. The Marine Corps were typically amongst the first
units involved in US military conflicts.
• Founded: November 10, 1775
• History: The Continental Congress created the Marine Corps during the
Revolutionary War. The Marines were created to form a force capable of
fighting on land and on sea. The total force increased significantly during
World War I, World War II, and Vietnam eras. Following Vietnam, the Marine
Corps total force was significantly reduced . Recently, the Marines have
deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism, Operation Iraqi Freedom,
and Operation Enduring Freedom. For more a more detailed history see the
United States Marine Corps History Division’s webpage.
• United States Marine Corps Web page

7. Coast Guard
• Summary: The Coast Guard is a part of the Department of Homeland
Security. The Coast Guard’s mission is a combination of law enforcement (e.g.,
drug interdiction), enforcement of tariffs, military operations (e.g., naval
support), assisting marine vessels (e.g., maintaining light buoys ), and rescue
operations.
• Founded: 1789
• History: The modern coast guard was originally several different government
agencies that were incorporated over time. Since the passage of the U.S.
Constitution, the Coast Guard has supported war time operations. For a more
detailed history check out the Coast Guard’s A Historical Overview page.
• United States Coast Guard Webpage

8. National Guard & Reserve Components
Reserve ComponentsNational Guard

9. Military Rank Structure- Enlisted

10. Military Rank Structure- Officer

11. Brief Military History Chronology:
Major United States Conflicts
• Revolutionary War (1775-1783 ) (Early Revolution Overview / Winning
Independence)
• War of 1812 (1812-1814) (Overview)
• The Mexican War (1846-1848) (Overview)
• Civil War (1861-1865 ) (Overview)
• Spanish-American War (1898 ) (Overview)
• World War I (1917-1918 ) (Overview)
• World War II (1941- 1945) (Overview)
• Korean War (1950-1953) (Overview)
• Vietnam War (1955-1975 ) (Overview)
• Persian Gulf War (1990-1991 ) (Overview)
• Bosnia-Herzegovina (Operations Joint Endeavor, Joint Guard, and Joint Forge) (
1995-2004) (Overview)
• Operation Enduring Freedom (2001- ) (Overview)
• Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003- ) (Overview)

12. • Dexter Filkins, The Forever War (analyzing US recent conflicts and Islamic
fundamentalism)
• Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers (providing philosophical insight into service and
guidelines for command)
• Joseph Heller, Catch-22 (a classic WWII novel)
• Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse 5 (a fictional account of the WWII Dresden bombing
campaign).
• Tim O’Brien, The Things they Carried (short stories tied to the Vietnam War)
• Geoffrey Parker, The Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare (a history of western
conflicts).
• Sun Tzu, Art of War (classic military strategy text)
For an extensive list of military book recommendations, check out the Military Professional
Reading Lists website.
Recommended Military Books:

13. Recent Conflicts: Newsfeeds, Analysis,
and Documentaries
• Military News Feed. The Military News Feed tracks a wide range of military news
internet sources.
• Military Channel (Youtube channel)
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute: The Independent Resource on
Global Security

14. The National Defense
Acronym Game
• The Armed Forces and Government
Agencies love acronyms.
• Within these organizations, several
writers love to play acronym game (i.e.,
dropping acronyms without defining
the terms).
• The following resources can help you
decode military acronyms:
• DOD Dictionary of Military Terms
• Aviator Slang, US Army Slang,
Sailor Speak (Warning-these sites
have language that may be
offensive).

15. Military Education
and Research Tools
• Vicki Tate, Gov Docs: Spies, Intelligence, and Cryptography, University of South
Alabama Libguide. An excellent research guide for individuals interested in
intelligence operations and methodology. There are links to several primary
source documents, including those from the CIA and DIA.
• Pritzker Military Library Webpage. A great resource for teachers and military
researchers. The Pritzker library also maintains a digital archive of war
photography and posters.
• United States Military Academy History Libguides. West Point librarians
maintain several great research guides on military history.
• United States Naval Academy History Libguide. This Libguide contains several
links to great primary resources, many of them freely available online like
previous editions of Foreign Relations of the United States (1861-1960).