Elks Home > Who We Are > Local Lodges >
Lodge News
More News
Veterans Corner #20 - All of our Military Branches
Listing all of our Military Branches and answering a few often-asked questions. So, what is the military? In simple terms, the U.S. Armed Forces are made up of the six military branches:The proper military flag order was prescribed on October 31, 1977, by the U.S. Department of Defense Directive 1005.8. It states that from left to right, the prescribed peacetime military branch flag order is:Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, most recently the Space Force additionally the National Guard. There are three general categories of military people: active duty (full-time soldiers and sailors), reserve & guard forces (usually work a civilian job but can be called to full-time military duty), and veterans and retirees (past members of the military). And of course, there are the millions of family members and friends of military members, past and present.
The Military is made up of six branches, each with their own active-duty and part-time components. Each varies in service commitment, location and how its members contribute to the overall mission of protecting our country, though all components are on the same rank-based pay scale.
Army and Army Reserve, the dominant land power. The Army generally moves into an area, secures it and instills order and values before it leaves. It also guards U.S. installations and properties throughout the world.
Army National Guard, the Army National Guard is an elite group of warriors who dedicate a portion of their time to serving their nation. Each state has its own Guard, as required by the Constitution; in fact, it is the only branch of the military whose existence actually is required by the Constitution.
Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve, The Marine Corps is known as the country's rapid-reaction force. They are trained to fight by sea and land, and usually are the first "boots on the ground." Marines are known as the world's fiercest warriors.
Navy and Navy Reserve, The Navy accomplishes its missions primarily by sea but also by air and land. It secures and protects the oceans around the world to create peace and stability, making the seas safe for travel and trade.
Air Force and Air Force Reserve, the nation's source of air and space power. The primary mission of the USAF is to fly planes, helicopters and satellites.
Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve, the Coast Guard's mission is primarily with domestic waterways. The Coast Guard does rescues, law enforcement, drug prevention and clears waterways.
Air National Guard, the Air National Guard, as we know it today, is a separate reserve component of the United States Air Force.
Space Force, the newest branch of the military, the U.S. Space Force, was signed into law in December 2019. The Space Force currently does not have a reserve component. The sixth branch of the military, the Space Force is also still in development and will be for some time as many final decisions are made, including uniforms, basing and even recruitment.
Questions:
Which is the highest military branch? The Army, it is the largest, oldest, and most senior branch of the U.S. military, and can be traced back to the Continental Army, and was founded in order to fight in the Revolutionary War.
What military branch has the most females? The Air Force, with 13.5 percent, has the largest share of women, the Army with 11.0 percent, Navy with 7.3 percent, Coast Guard with 6.3 percent women and the Marine Corps with 5.2 percent has the smallest percentage of women.
Which military branch goes in first? The Air force and Navygoes first sending pilots and cruise missiles to knock out the enemy's defenses such as radar, air fields, command and control buildings before they send in the Army Rangers, and the Marines into the combat zone before they use the US Army to clean up in the end.
What military job has the highest death rate? The Marine Corpsexperienced the highest fatality rates per 100,000 for all causes (122.5), unintentional injury (77.1), suicide (14.0), and homicide (7.4) of all the services. The Army had the highest disease and illness-related fatality rate (20.2 per 100,000) of all the services.
What is top in the military? Originally Answered: What does top mean in the Army? “Top" in the Army refers to therank of First Sergeant (E-9), and comes from the appellation “Top Soldier,” the highest-ranking enlisted man in a company. First Sergeants have also been called a “First Shirt,” “Top Kick,” or even just “First.”
Who has the best trained Army? The US Navy SEALsis arguably the top special operations force. Created in 1962, the Sea-Air-Land operators go through years of training and, especially after 9/11, endure an incredible operation tempo. Many foreign militaries base their special ops on the SEALs. The SEAL Team Six and Delta Force are well-known among the public, the most secretive unit belongs tothe CIA.
Who has the hardest boot camp? The hardest military branch to get into in terms of education requirements is the Air Force. The military branch with the toughest basic training isthe Marine Corps. The hardest military branch for non-males because of exclusivity and male dominance is the Marine Corps.
What is the smallest military branch? The Coast Guard is the smallest of the military branches but can become part of the Navy during times of war. The primary mission of the Coast Guard is to protect domestic waterways.
What is the safest military branch? The Space Force is the safest military branch in terms of man-to-man combat and machine-to-machine accidents.
To our Lodge 343 veterans, if interested in sharing your service experiences please contact PER Scott R. Harris, our Public Relations committee chairperson about providing your information for an upcoming article. Scott’s email address is scottharris55@comcast.net or you can catch up with him at our Lodge.
Posted by: Port Huron, MI #343 (02/20/2022)
Back to top
