US Military and Military History

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U.S. Military

There are more than 1.4 million active members of the U.S. military, according to Department of Defense statistics. Over 300 million people are affected by the military either through service, or as family of military personnel. This guide provides information on military life and history, the requisites for a military career, and the rights and benefits military members deserve. Use these resources to get informed and involved, or to make the most of your military life.

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US Military and Military History

The U.S. military is made up of five branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. In this section of the guide you’ll learn about each branch of the military, gaining insight into its basic functions and history. Learn about the leaders who make each branch run and what their current mission and practices are.

Dulcinea's Insight

All of the sites in the following section are official military or Department of Defense Web sites. As such, the information they offer stresses the positive aspects and advantages of military life.

We've included a separate site for the National Guard, but it's not a separate branch of the military. The Guard's two components, the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, are officially part of the Army and the Air Force, respectively.

During a 24-hour period in October 2002, a team of photographers at 125 military locations around the world set out to capture "A Day in the Life of the United States Armed Forces". The project's Web site offers a gallery of the photos chosen for the project. This link will give you a clearer visual image of military life.

Dulcinea's Picks

For official sites of the U.S. armed forces ...

ARMY.MIL , the official Web site of the Army, is the place to start if you want to learn about life in the military's largest branch. You'll find materials that not only cover recruitment and army life, but its history and institutional structure as well. The site also links to the two reserve components of the Army, the National Guard and the Army Reserves.

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NAVY.mil , the Navy's official Web site, showcases news in the form of headlines and online videos, also offering PDF versions of its official magazine "All Hands." The "Fact File" (found on the page's left-hand margin under the "About the Navy" section) contains information on the Navy's legendary SEALs and Blue Angels teams. This site covers everything you need to know about the Navy's history and current operations.

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Air Force Link is the Air Force's official site. Like the other branch Web sites, it dedicates much of its page to news stories and videos. However, the Air Force pays unique homage to its history, in the "Heritage" section at the top right of the homepage. You'll also find sections for careers, photos, videos, and letters by members.

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MARINES , the Marine Corp's official site, is the most sleekly designed of all the branch sites. Unfortunately this means it's not the easiest to use. If you don't want to wander through the site, click on "sitemap" at the top right of the page where you'll find links to all the necessary information.

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United States Coast Guard has a simple site that's intuitive and easy to browse. The site focuses on news about the country's smallest armed service, and offers a library of photographs, videos, logos, and downloadable paper models in its "Multimedia" section. You'll find links to careers, units and missions, although the site lacks a specific section on Coast Guard history.

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National Guard has an interactive timeline that offers a synopsis of the role of the National Guard in American life, from the first muster in 1636 through the Guard's Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts in 2005. You’ll also see a section called “Guard Facts,” which offers historical tidbits. Visit “Today in Guard History” to see how active the Guard has been every day since its inception.

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Who knew?

Navy Times reports that the Coast Guard celebrated its 217th birthday on August 4, officially documenting over 1 million lives saved. The Coast Guard traces its roots all the way back to 1790, when it was known as the Revenue Cutter Service charged with stopping smugglers and collecting tariffs. The modern incarnation of the Coast Guard was formed in 1915.

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