US Armed Forces

In accordance with Section 10 of the Code of the United States of America , the term “ armed forces ” refers to ground forces , air forces , naval forces and coast guard ^{[5] [1]} .

• U.S. Army ( U.S. Army) (founded June 14, 1775 );
• US Air Force (founded September 18, 1947 );
• US Navy (founded October 13, 1775 );
•   US Coast Guard (founded August 4, 1790 ).

The first three types of armed forces are subordinate to the Ministry of Defense . In peacetime, the coast guard is subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Security , and in wartime it becomes subordinate to the Ministry of Defense.

Armed forces consist of regular and reserve components.

The reserve components include the reserves of all four types of armed forces, as well as the ground forces and national guard air forces ^[6] . The US National Guard, whose military personnel combine combat training with work in their main specialty, is the so-called organized reserve, and the unorganized (individual) reserve consists of people who have sufficient military training, who have recently completed military service and do not need additional training ^[7] .

The number of regular armed forces is more than 1.3 million people. military personnel and 684 thousand people. civilian staff. The number of backup components - 850.880 people. ^[eight]

Redundant components are constantly engaged in active service. The number of reservists called up is announced weekly by the Ministry of Defense. As of October 27, 2009, this number was 136,707. ^[9]

The Ministry of Defense also periodically publishes data on the total number of active duty servicemen. As of September 30, 2009, this number was 1,462,170 people, including 553,044 people in the ground forces, 329 304 people in the Air Force, 333,408 people in the Navy, and 202,786 people in the Marine Corps. ., in coast guard - 43 628 people. ^[ten]

Special Operations Forces

U.S. Army

• 1st Special Operations Detachment "Delta" (Delta Force)
• US Army Special Forces (Green Berets)
• 75th Rangers Regiment (Rangers)
• Army Aviation Special Operations (Command)

U.S. Navy

• US Navy Special Operations Forces (Seals)

U.S. Air Force

• 24th Special Tactics Squadron
• United States Air Force Pararescue

US Marine Corps

• Marine Special Operations Regiment
• United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, according to the Constitution , is the President of the United States (from January 20, 2017 - Donald Trump ). It defines the main directions of development of the armed forces and exercises operational (through the Minister of Defense and commanders of the combined and special commands of the armed forces) and administrative leadership (through the Minister of Defense and ministers (secretaries) of the armed forces) ^[11] .

The National Security Council is an advisory body to the President. He is discussing national security and foreign policy.

The Minister of Defense (since July 24, 2019 - Mark Esper ) is the president’s chief adviser on defense policy issues, is responsible for formulating policies on general defense issues and all other issues that are directly related to the Ministry of Defense, as well as for implementing the adopted policy. The Minister of Defense directly supervises the Ministry of Defense and the armed forces. The Minister of Defense is a member of the National Security Council.

The Ministry of Defense includes the office of the Minister of Defense, the joint committee of chiefs of staff, the joint headquarters, defense agencies, the ministries (departments) of the Ground Forces, the Air Force and the Navy, combined and special commands, and other units ^[12] .

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (OKNSh) consists of the chairman, first deputy, chief of staff of the army , chief of staff of the air force , head of naval operations of the navy , commandant of the marines . The Chairman of the JSSC (from October 1, 2015 - General Joseph Dunford ) is the chief military adviser to the President, Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council. This is the highest military position in the US Armed Forces. The OKNSH is an advisory body and does not have the authority to control troops. He carries out the development of strategic and mobilization plans, programs for the construction of the armed forces, the creation of weapons and military-political cooperation. There is a joint headquarters under the OKNS, consisting of officers of all types of armed forces, which helps the chairman and members of the OKNS to fulfill their functions ^[13] .

In operational terms, the US Armed Forces are divided into joint commands , which are associations of several types of armed forces designed to perform tasks in a specific region or to perform specific tasks throughout the Earth.

The commanders of the combined commands report directly to the Minister of Defense, and through him to the President.

The US Armed Forces have 10 commands:

• The European Command (US European Command, USEUCOM), formed in 1952. The area of ​​responsibility is the countries of Europe , Turkey , the countries of the former USSR with the exception of Central Asia , the adjacent water areas of the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean . Headquarters - Stuttgart (a suburb of Weichingen), Germany .
• The Pacific Command (US Pacific Command, USPACOM), formed in 1947. The area of ​​responsibility is Japan , China , Mongolia , India , Indochina and other countries of East and South Asia , Australia , Oceania , Antarctica , the Pacific Ocean (excluding those adjacent to the North and South America Territories), East Indian Ocean . Headquarters - Honolulu , Hawaii .
• The Northern Command (US Northern Command, USNORTHCOM), formed in 2002, the area of ​​responsibility is the continental United States , Canada , Mexico , Belize , Cuba , the adjacent waters of the Atlantic , Pacific and Arctic Ocean . Alaska is a joint area of ​​responsibility with the US Armed Forces in the Pacific, and Greenland is with the US Armed Forces in the European Zone. Headquarters - Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs , Colorado .
• The Southern Command (US Southern Command, USSOUTHCOM)) was formed in 1947 as the U.S. Army OK in the Caribbean Command, in 1963 the existing name was given. Area of ​​responsibility - the countries of Central and South America , not included in the area of ​​responsibility of the U.S. Armed Forces in the North America zone, adjacent to the Atlantic , Pacific Ocean . Headquarters - Miami , Florida .
• The Central Command (US Central Command, USCENTCOM) was formed in 1983. The area of ​​responsibility is the Middle East , the Arabian Peninsula , Egypt , Iran , Pakistan , Afghanistan , Central Asia , and the adjacent Indian Ocean . Headquarters - McDill Air Force Base, Tampa , Florida .
• The African Command (US Africa Command, USAFRICOM) was formed in 2007. The area of ​​responsibility is the countries of Africa , with the exception of Egypt , the adjacent waters of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean . Headquarters - Stuttgart , Germany .
• The Strategic Command (US Strategic Command, USSTRATCOM) was formed in 1992. It combines strategic nuclear forces , missile defense forces and space forces. Headquarters - Affet Airbase, Omaha , Nebraska .
• The US Special Operation Command (USSOCOM) was formed in 1987. It combines the forces of special operations of various types of armed forces. Headquarters - McDill Air Force Base, Tampa , Florida .
• The Transport Command (US Transportaion Command, USTRANSCOM) was formed in 1987. It unites forces providing strategic transportation of troops and goods ( military transport aircraft , transport vessels and the infrastructure necessary to ensure transportation). Headquarters - Scott Air Force Base, Illinois .
• The Cyber ​​Command (US Cyber ​​Command, USCYBERCOM) was formed in 2009. On August 18, 2017, the command became independent ^[14] .

The budget of the Ministry of Defense for fiscal year 2009 is $ 515.44 billion ^[15] , including:

• for personnel - 125.247 billion dollars.
• $ 179.788 billion for daily activities
• for the purchase of weapons, military equipment and materiel - $ 104.216 billion.
• for research and development work - $ 79.616 billion.
• for the construction of military facilities - $ 21.197 billion.
• for housing - $ 3.203 billion.
• reserve funds - $ 2.173 billion

In addition, $ 65.9 billion was initially allocated for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an additional $ 79.2 billion was requested in April 2009. ^[16]

According to estimates in 2010 , the content of one American soldier in the war zone cost $ 500 thousand per year ^[17] .

The maximum military budget was in 2010 and amounted to 713 billion dollars. In subsequent years, it was systematically reduced and in 2015 amounted to $ 502 billion ^[18] .

In March 2017, Donalt Trump announced his intention to increase state defense spending by $ 54 billion. Additional funds are planned to be removed from other, less priority programs. Basically, budget cuts designed to cover a 10% increase in defense spending will relate to assistance to foreign countries ^[19] .

The manning of the armed forces is carried out on a voluntary basis. US citizens, citizens of other states, permanently residing in the USA with at least secondary education are accepted for service.

The minimum age of the candidate is 18 years (17 years with the consent of the parents). The maximum age for admission to service depends on the type of armed forces and membership in regular forces or reserve components (regular air forces, regular coast guard - 27 years, regular marines, marine reserve - 28 years, air force reserve, national guard air forces, regular navy - 34 years, the reserve of ground forces, the reserve of the Navy, the reserve of the coast guard - 39 years, the regular ground forces, the ground forces of the national guard - 42 years).

The term of the contract is from 4 to 8 years.

All military personnel (both regular forces and reserve components) begin their service with an initial combat training course in special camps (9 weeks in the military, 6 weeks in the air force, 8 weeks in the navy and coast guard, 12 weeks in the marines). After that, the regular forces undergo special training, the duration of which depends on the mastered military specialty, and are sent for further service in the troops.

After a course of initial combat training, servicemen of reserve components are involved in classes one weekend a month and two weeks a year. If necessary, servicemen of reserve components are called up for active service ^[23] .

The annual replenishment of the officer corps of the US Armed Forces is more than half provided by graduates of military schools (according to American terminology - academies) of the armed forces (ground forces - at West Point ; Air Force - to Colorado Springs ; Navy - to Annapolis ) and about 40% - due to ROTC courses at civilian universities .

The primary officer rank is also awarded to military personnel who graduated from officer candidate schools (ground forces and marines) and the Air Force officer training school. The students of officer candidate schools (they have the status of courses at the end of which an associate degree is awarded) are mainly sergeants and ordinary regular troops. Persons who have completed the full course of a civil college or university, have the necessary aviation training and a general education degree of at least a bachelor are recruited to the school for training Air Force officers.

In specialized interspecific colleges and military schools, officers undergo retraining or additional advanced training in their chosen specialty and receive higher military special education and a master 's degree . Senior officers receive higher military education and a master’s diploma, in some cases, doctors at military command and staff colleges of the Armed Forces and the University of National Defense ^[24] .

At the beginning of 2004, the racial and ethnic composition of the American armed forces looked like this: white Americans - 58.7%, African Americans - 26.4%, Latinos - 8.1%, others - 6.8%.

Almost 2% of US troops were foreign nationals with the right to reside permanently in the United States ( Green Card ). There were more than 37,000 of them in the armed forces. Most of them are Hispanics. They are attracted by the possibility of accelerated acquisition of American citizenship ^[25] .

•  

  General (U.S. Army) Ann Dunwoody

•  

  Admiral (US Navy) Michelle Howard

Female military personnel in 2015 accounted for 14.5% of the personnel of the armed forces and about 23% of the total number of reservists.

The 1991 law lifted the ban on the participation of women in ground operations, they were allowed to occupy any position other than those requiring physical contact with the enemy, heavy lifting, or associated with service in submarines. In 1994, under the pressure of feminist organizations, as an exception, women were allowed to serve in combat units.

On May 15, 1970, President Nixon signed an order to award the rank of brigadier general to Army Chief of Nursing Anne May Hayes and Director of the US Army Women's Auxiliary Corps, Elizabeth Hoizington . They became the first American women to earn the stars of general. In 2008, Anne Dunwoody received the fourth general star, and in 2014, for the first time, the Admiral was awarded Michel Howard . In total, from 1970 to 2015, there were 27 women in the ranks of generals and admirals ^[25] .

The ethnic composition of the American army: white Americans - 63%, African Americans - 15%, Hispanics - 10%, Asians and Pacific Islanders - 4%, Indians and local people of Alaska - 2%, mixed races - 2%, unknown - 4% ^[26] , according to other data from the Stockholm Peace Institute (SIPRI) in early 2004, the racial makeup of the US Army was 58.7% White Americans, 26.4% African American, 8.1% Hispanic, and other 6.8 %, including up to 20 thousand Muslims ^[27] .

In the coming years, the US military will concentrate its resources on five main areas: the fight against terrorism (that is, the fight against the military forces of terrorists) and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, reconnaissance , preparation for an information war (protection of information systems and communications of the United States and, accordingly, the destruction of similar enemy systems), the struggle for military superiority in the air (special emphasis is placed on the development of unmanned aerial vehicles ), as well as the development of military space systems. It is emphasized that the US Armed Forces' main task should be to prepare for war against unconventional opponents.

In January 2012, a new military doctrine , Supporting US Global Leadership, was published. 21st Century Defense Priorities. ” In accordance with it, the American armed forces should be able to simultaneously wage not two, as before, but one large-scale war, restraining the enemy’s aggressive actions in other regions of the planet and be able to carry out smaller humanitarian, anti-terrorist and other operations. China is considered the most significant potential adversary.

In absolute terms, the US military budget is the largest in the world. According to the Stockholm Institute for World Studies , in 2010 the United States accounted for approximately 43% of the total military spending of the states of the world. The new strategy aims at a balanced reduction of military spending in the amount of $ 487 billion over 10 years. According to some reports, it is planned to reduce by 10% the number of ground forces and the Marine Corps. It is planned to stop financing the expensive program for creating F-35 fighter jets , it is planned to postpone the commissioning of the newest aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford , the costs of nuclear arsenal modernization projects (approximately $ 200 billion) may be revised. Expenditures on developing the submarine fleet, creating a new invisible bomber, strengthening the national missile defense system and expanding the space satellite constellation will not be reduced. Expenditures on the development of tracking systems, unmanned vehicles, as well as cyber warfare facilities will be increased ^[28] .

Russia and China

On November 7, 2015, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter accused Russia and China of trying to undermine world order. In particular, the minister said:

Of greatest concern are Moscow’s threats of nuclear weapons, which raises questions about the Russian leadership’s commitment to the principles of strategic stability, respect for international standards against the use of nuclear weapons, and the caution with which nuclear era leaders treat nuclear weapons threats.

Original text

Most disturbing, Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling raises questions about Russian leaders' commitment to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and whether they respect the profound caution nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to the brandishing of nuclear weapons .

- “Carter says Russia, China potentially threaten global order”

In this regard, Carter announced measures to curb Russian aggression. Among the planned measures, the minister named the modernization of nuclear weapons , the development of unmanned aircraft and strategic bombers , the development of laser and railgun systems, as well as new weapons systems, the details of which were not specified ^[29] .

Countries in which the U.S. armed forces waged hostilities after World War II :

• Korea 1950-1953 (see Korean war )
• Vietnam 1961-1973 (see War in Vietnam )
• Laos 1964-1973 (see Laos Civil War )
• Dominican Republic 1965 (see US forces occupying the Dominican Republic )
• Cambodia 1969-1973 (see Operation "Menu" )
• Lebanon 1982-1984 (see Multinational Force in Lebanon )
• Grenada 1983 (see Operation Flash of Fury )
• Libya 1986 (see Operation Eldorado Canyon )
• Panama 1989-1990 (see Operation Just Cause )
• Iraq , Kuwait 1991 (see Operation Desert Storm )
• Somalia 1992-1994 (see UN Peacekeeping Operation in Somalia )
• Bosnia 1995 (see Operation Deliberate Power )
• Sudan 1998 (see Missile attacks on Sudan (1998) )
• Afghanistan 1998 (see Missile strikes on Afghanistan (1998) )
• Yugoslavia (Kosovo) 1999 (see Operation Allied Force )
• Afghanistan 2001 - 2014 (see Counter-Terrorist Operation in Afghanistan )
• Iraq 2003-2010 (see Iraq war )
• Libya 2011 (see Operation Dawn of the Odyssey )

• August 6, 2004 - The USA and Denmark signed an agreement modernizing the 1951 Treaty for the Protection of Greenland . First of all, we are talking about the modernization of the American base of Thule within the framework of the US missile defense system.
• On June 13, 2002, the United States withdrew from the 1972 treaty. Although this was not a surprise for Russia, there was some cooling of Russian-American relations.

According to the British newspaper Guardian , during 2015-2025. The U.S. plans to spend $ 355 billion on 12 new strategic nuclear submarines , about a hundred new strategic bombers , new intercontinental ballistic missiles that can be launched from mobile installations, and more than a thousand cruise missiles that can carry nuclear charge. According to the Guardian, Russia and the United States are beginning to fully restore the nuclear arsenal of the Cold War ^[30] .

According to official data for September 2006, the Pentagon had 823 only large foreign military bases ^[31] . This number includes only bases with an area of ​​at least 10 acres (4.05 ha) or with an investment of at least $ 10 million (for example, the Manas base with an area of ​​more than 200 hectares was not included in the list because it did not meet these criteria) ^[31] . In connection with the end of the Cold War, only in 1988-1995, 97 foreign military bases were closed ^[31] .

Suicides

Despite the efforts of the military leadership to reduce the number of suicides, over the past year, 349 military personnel took their own lives, which is 15 percent more than in 2011

- statement of the Pentagon .

^[32] For comparison, only 87 suicides were recorded in 2005 ^[33] .

One of the problems of the US Armed Forces was the problem of suicide . In 2012, the loss of personnel in the US armed forces from suicide exceeded combat losses among personnel, in the ground forces (US Army) - 182 suicide troops, the navy - 60 suicide troops, the air force - 59 troops suicides, marine corps - 48 military personnel-suicides ^[32] .

Sexual Harassment and Violence

According to the latest report (a significant part of the data provided in the report was obtained exclusively by anonymous means) of the US Department of Defense , in 2012 the number of cases of sexual harassment and sexual violence in the US armed forces increased by 35% and affected more than 26,000 US forces, and exactly:

• 14,000 men;
• 12,000 women ^[34] .

Only 3374 cases of sexual harassment and sexual abuse were reported by victims to their command (superiors), as a result of which 238 US military personnel were punished for sexual harassment and sexual abuse ^[34] .

• Aliano, Richard A. The American Military: A Reappraisal . // Military Review . - January 1972. - Vol. 52 - No. 1 - P. 51-57 - ISSN 0026-4148.

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