United States Army

The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. As of 2005, it consisted of 488,579 soldiers on active duty, 333,177 in the Army National Guard (ARNG) and 189,005 in the United States Army Reserve (USAR)[1].

The modern United States Army has its roots in the Continental Army which 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. However, the US Army considers itself to be an evolution of the Continental Army, and thus dates its inception from the origins of the Continental Army[2].

The Army is managed by the Department of the Army which is headed by the Secretary of the Army who heads administrative affairs. The highest ranking military officer in the department is the Chief of Staff of the Army.