1.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
2.
United States Army
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The United States Armed Forces are the federal armed forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, from the time of its inception, the military played a decisive role in the history of the United States. A sense of unity and identity was forged as a result of victory in the First Barbary War. Even so, the Founders were suspicious of a permanent military force and it played an important role in the American Civil War, where leading generals on both sides were picked from members of the United States military. Not until the outbreak of World War II did a standing army become officially established. The National Security Act of 1947, adopted following World War II and during the Cold Wars onset, the U. S. military is one of the largest militaries in terms of number of personnel. It draws its personnel from a pool of paid volunteers. As of 2016, the United States spends about $580.3 billion annually to fund its military forces, put together, the United States constitutes roughly 40 percent of the worlds military expenditures. For the period 2010–14, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found that the United States was the worlds largest exporter of major arms, the United States was also the worlds eighth largest importer of major weapons for the same period. The history of the U. S. military dates to 1775 and these forces demobilized in 1784 after the Treaty of Paris ended the War for Independence. All three services trace their origins to the founding of the Continental Army, the Continental Navy, the United States President is the U. S. militarys commander-in-chief. Rising tensions at various times with Britain and France and the ensuing Quasi-War and War of 1812 quickened the development of the U. S. Navy, the reserve branches formed a military strategic reserve during the Cold War, to be called into service in case of war. Time magazines Mark Thompson has suggested that with the War on Terror, Command over the armed forces is established in the United States Constitution. The sole power of command is vested in the President by Article II as Commander-in-Chief, the Constitution also allows for the creation of executive Departments headed principal officers whose opinion the President can require. This allowance in the Constitution formed the basis for creation of the Department of Defense in 1947 by the National Security Act, the Defense Department is headed by the Secretary of Defense, who is a civilian and member of the Cabinet. The Defense Secretary is second in the chain of command, just below the President. Together, the President and the Secretary of Defense comprise the National Command Authority, to coordinate military strategy with political affairs, the President has a National Security Council headed by the National Security Advisor. The collective body has only power to the President
3.
U.S. Army Regimental System
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USARS was developed to include the Active Army and the Reserve Components. USARS Provides different opportunities for Soldiers, depending upon which combat arms regiment they choose to be affiliated with or whether they affiliate with a CS or CSS corps or special branch. Combat arms is a doctrinal term, though colloquially it includes air defense artillery, armor, aviation, field artillery, infantry. It should be noted that soldiers will have opportunities to serve recurring assignments in their regiments if regiments are chosen that have battalions in both CONUS and OCONUS locations. Quoting from Chapter 3–2, page 7 of Army Regulation 600-82, U. S. Army Regimental System, USARS regiments offered to Active Army and USAR soldiers for affiliation are listed. All active Army soldiers are required to affiliate with a regiment, although affiliation is mandatory, the choice of regiment is left up to the individual. Officers who are single-tracked in a Functional Area will affiliate with a regiment associated with their basic combat arms branch, Functional Area officers who have no basic branch will submit request for regimental affiliation using procedures outlined below. Regimental affiliation is based on the Army branch associated with a soldier’s PMOS or specialty, AR 670–1 contains a listing of all PMOS and corresponding branches for each. Army recruiters who have assigned the SQI“4” will affiliate with a regiment associated with their PMOS. Recruiters or retention noncommissioned officers will be affiliated with The Adjutant General Corps, Regimental affiliation may be changed at any time, however, the regimental selection must be associated with the soldier’s PMOS or specialty. All combat arms officers and soldiers will affiliate with a regiment upon arrival at their first unit of assignment and these Soldiers will be affiliated with their regiment of assignment unless they voluntarily select another. Combat arms officers and soldiers whose initial Army assignment is not to a unit may defer selection until they are so assigned. Enlisted soldiers may elect the Regiment of Choice Reenlistment Option under AR 601–280, Soldiers who deliberately terminate airborne status after affiliating with an airborne regiment will change their affiliation to a non-airborne regiment at the time of their termination. Regimental affiliation will be a primary assignment consideration for officers and enlisted soldiers, to the maximum extent possible, soldiers who are regimentally affiliated will be assigned to their regimental units. Specific procedures for affiliation are below and these procedures permit affiliation and change of affiliation to be administered at the local Personnel Service Center level. Active Army soldiers who are accessioned into the USAR will retain their regimental affiliation unless they elect to change their affiliation, note, The U. S. Army is currently going through a major reorganization, units are being Re-Flagged or Re-designated as needed. There are currently 177 Regiments, only 47 consist of units at multiple locations,27 of which meet the Conus/Oconus goal, the majority of Regiments have only one Company or Battalion in existence. S. It is the responsibility of all proponents to incorporate within their corps, Army Regimental System,5 June 1990
4.
Iraq War
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The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict that began in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the occupying forces. An estimated 151,000 to 600,000 or more Iraqis were killed in the first 3–4 years of conflict and it became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition, the insurgency and many dimensions of the civil armed conflict continue. The invasion began on 20 March 2003, with the U. S. joined by the United Kingdom and several allies, launching a shock. Iraqi forces were overwhelmed as U. S. forces swept through the country. The invasion led to the collapse of the Baathist government, President Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn in December of that same year, the United States responded with a troop surge in 2007. The winding down of U. S. involvement in Iraq accelerated under President Barack Obama, the U. S. formally withdrew all combat troops from Iraq by December 2011. Select U. S. officials accused Saddam of harboring and supporting al-Qaeda, while others cited the desire to end a repressive dictatorship, after the invasion, no substantial evidence was found to verify the initial claims about WMDs. The rationale and misrepresentation of pre-war intelligence faced heavy criticism within the U. S. in the aftermath of the invasion, Iraq held multi-party elections in 2005. Nouri al-Maliki became Prime Minister in 2006 and remained in office until 2014, the al-Maliki government enacted policies that were widely seen as having the effect of alienating the countrys Sunni minority and worsening sectarian tensions. The Iraq War caused hundreds of thousands of civilian, and thousands of military casualties, the majority of casualties occurred as a result of the insurgency and civil conflicts between 2004 and 2007. A1990 Frontline report on The arming of Iraq said, Officially, most Western nations participated in an arms embargo against Iraq during the 1980s. Western companies, primarily in Germany and Great Britain, but also in the United States, sold Iraq the key technology for its chemical, missile, any Western governments seemed remarkably indifferent, if not enthusiastic, about those deals. N Washington, the government consistently followed a policy which allowed and perhaps encouraged the growth of Saddam Husseins arsenal. The Western arming of Iraq took place in the context of the Iran-Iraq War, prior to September 2002, the CIA was the George W. Bush administrations main provider of intelligence on Iraq. The agency was out to disprove linkage between Iraq and terrorism the Pentagon adviser told me, the U. N. had prohibited Iraq from developing or possessing such weapons after the Gulf War and required Iraq to permit inspections confirming compliance. This was confirmed by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, during 2002, Bush repeatedly warned of military action against Iraq unless inspections were allowed to progress unfettered. In accordance with U. N. Security Council Resolution 1441, Iraq agreed to new inspections under United Nations Monitoring, as part of its weapons inspection obligations, Iraq was required to supply a full declaration of its current weapons capabilities and manufacturing
5.
153rd Cavalry Regiment
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The 153rd Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the Florida Army National Guard. Only the 1st Squadron of the regiment is active, with headquarters at Panama City, the squadron was formed in 2007 by conversion of the 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry. First Squadron, 153rd Cavalry Darkhorse is headquartered in Panama City, the 2006-07 BCT reorganization disbanded E Troop altogether and converted the 3rd Battalion Warrior, 124th Infantry into what is the 1st Squadron, 153rd Cavalry. Though E Troop and 1st Squadron share the same coat of arms, 1-153 Cavalry was constituted entirely from the infantrymen of 3-124 Infantry and so continue the 3rd Battalions lineage. In 1968 a 3rd Infantry battalion of the 124th Infantry was reconstituted and remained a light infantry battalion until 2006-2007 when the converted into the 1-153rd Cavalry Squadron. They specialized in fighting and made many rotations to Fort Sherman. 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry was mobilized just after Christmas 2002 and moved up to Fort Stewart, alpha and Charlie companies deployed to Kuwait in January and were part of the initial invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. One company was attached to the 4th Infantry Division and was on a waiting orders to invade through Turkey before Turkey denied U. S. forces entry. Companies of the battalion were attached to 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, in 2004 when 3rd ID left, 3-124 Infantry was attached to 1st Armored Division, with elements also supporting 5th Special Forces Group. The battalion was assigned to downtown Baghdad, based at FOB Warrior in the Aadhamiya neighborhood, three years after the cavalry transformation, the squadron was mobilized and deployed with the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. In preparation for their 2010 deployment, the squadron underwent intense training at Camp Blanding. They mobilized under Title 10 orders on 2 January 2010 and flew to Fort Hood, in the first week of March the squadron arrived at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. B Troop deployed to Qatar for a security force mission, HHT, A, and C Troops were stationed at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. A Troop controlled Khabari Crossing at the border of Iraq, C Troop was responsible for quick reaction force missions around Camps Buehring and Virginia and an area reaction force mission for northern Kuwait. The squadron redeployed and demobilized at Fort Stewart, GA in December,2010, the troop had tanks and armored personnel carriers. In 1968, a 3rd Infantry battalion was constituted when the 53rd Armored Brigade was re-flagged as the 53rd Infantry Brigade, Troop E was reactivated in Ocala, Florida and deployed to Afghanistan in 2005. The Ocala-based Troop E was disbanded during the Brigade Combat Team reformation in 2006-2007. S, Army Center of Military History Lineage for 153rd Cavalry Senger, Dustin. 153rd Cavalry Soldiers shift to Qatar mission, Cavalry Soldiers test to earn their spurs
6.
United States Cavalry
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The United States Cavalry, or U. S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army from the late 18th to the early 20th century. Cavalry is also used in the name of the 1st Cavalry Division for heraldic/lineage/historical purposes, originally designated as United States Dragoons, the forces were patterned after cavalry units employed during the Revolutionary War. Immediately preceding World War II, the U. S. Cavalry began transitioning to a mechanized, mounted force, during World War II, the Armys cavalry units operated as horse-mounted, mechanized, or dismounted forces. The last horse-mounted cavalry charge by a U. S. Cavalry unit took place on the Bataan Peninsula, the 26th Cavalry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts executed the charge against Japanese forces near the village of Morong on 16 January 1942. The U. S. Cavalry branch was absorbed into the Armor branch as part of the Army Reorganization Act of 1950, today, cavalry designations and traditions continue with regiments of both armor and aviation units that perform the cavalry mission. The 1st Cavalry Division is the only division in the United States Army with a cavalry designation. The division maintains a detachment of horse-mounted cavalry for ceremonial purposes, Washington saw the intimidating effect of the small force of British 17th Light Dragoons, which panicked his militia infantry at White Plains. In late 1776, Congress authorized Washington to establish a force of 3,000 men. On 12 December 1776, Congress converted Elisha Sheldons militia regiment into the Regiment of Light Dragoons, in March 1777, Washington established the Corps of Continental Light Dragoons consisting of four regiments of 280 men, each organised in six troops. Pulaskis efforts led to friction with the American officers, resulting in his resignation, pulaskis Legion consisted of dragoons, riflemen, grenadiers, and infantry. Battle engagements in South Carolina largely seriously attrited the 1st and 3rd Regiments in the spring of 1780, following the capture of Charleston, South Carolina on 12 May 1780, the remnants tried to regroup and reconstitute in Virginia and North Carolina. In August,1780, Armands Legion was with General Gates at the disastrous Battle of Camden, the most significant engagement of the war involving Continental light dragoons was the Battle of Cowpens in January 1781. The British responded by organizing a force of dragoons and infantry under British Lt-Col Banastre Tarleton to stop the raids. Later, the 3rd Legionary Corps participated in Greenes maneuvers across North Carolina, in 1783, the Continental Army was discharged and the dragoons were released. The first cavalry unit formed by the Congress of the United States of America was a squadron of four troops commanded by Major Michael Rudolph on 5 March 1792, in 1799, Congress established a provision for mobilization of three cavalry regiments in the event of a war. Equipment for 3,000 men and horses was procured and stored, the Congressional act of 12 April 1808 authorized a standing regiment of light dragoons consisting of eight troops. As war loomed, Congress authorized another regiment of dragoons on 11 January 1812. These regiments were known afterwards as the First and Second United States Dragoons
7.
Maryland Army National Guard
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The Maryland Army National Guard is the United States Army component of the American state of Maryland. Description, On a black disc 2 3⁄4 inches in diameter within a 1/8 inch gold border, background, The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment on 1949-03-08. It was redesignated with description amended for Headquarters, State Area Command, Maryland Army National Guard on 1983-12-30, above the shield an earls coronet. Supporters, Dexter, a plowman Proper, holding a spade in dexter hand, sinister, a fisherman Proper, holding a fish in sinister hand. Motto Scroll, A scroll folded in four undulating sections and inscribed FATTI MASCHII PAROLE FEMINE all gold. The earls coronet above the shield indicates that although Calvert was only a baron in England, background, The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment and non-color bearing units of the Maryland Army National Guard on 1971-04-09. It was amended to correct the spelling of the motto on 1971-06-08, the insignia was redesignated effective 1982-10-01 for Headquarters, State Area Command, Maryland Army National Guard. The distinctive unit insignia was amended to correct the spelling of the motto on 2001-12-07, description, That for regiments and separate battalions of the Maryland Army National Guard, From a wreath of colors, a cross bottony per cross quarterly Gules and Argent. Symbolism, The crest and canton are from the arms of Lord Baltimore, background, The crest was approved for color bearing organizations of the State of Maryland on 1924-01-11. Note, This Crest is applied to the top of all Maryland National Guard Distinctive Unit Insignias to form the Unit Coat Of Arms, the MSCs report to the Assistant Adjutant General for Army, who in turn reports to the Adjutant General. Both officers are appointed by the governor, Marys City in later St. Marys County. It has a long and illustrious history, during the American Revolution, members of the Maryland Line repeatedly charged a vastly superior British force at the Battle of Long Island, buying time for the Continental Army to escape. It is from this incident that Maryland draws one of its official nicknames and this was the first time the American Army had used the bayonet in combat. During the War of 1812, the Maryland militia held the line at the Battle of North Point in 1814, there, they held up the British attack for two hours, long enough for the defense of Baltimore to be shored up. Not all the militia regiments performed with equal distinction, the 51st, and some members of 39th, broke and ran under fire. However, the 5th and 27th held their ground and were able to retreat in good order having inflicted significant casualties on the advancing enemy. The 175th Infantry, derived from the 5th Regiment, is one of only nineteen Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812, from 1841 to 1861 the senior militia general was Major General George H. Steuart, commander of the First Light Division. Until the Civil War he would be the commander of the Maryland Volunteers
8.
58th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade
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The 58th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade is a military intelligence brigade of the United States Army National Guard in Maryland. It is largely formed from the personnel and equipment of the 58th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, the 58th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was one of the primary units of the Maryland Army National Guard. It deployed overseas for service in the Iraq theater during the War on Terror in 2007. This is the brigades first combat deployment, although some of its subordinate units served in prior wars, the unit was originally organized in 1917 as one of the 29th Infantry Divisions two infantry brigades, and originally consisted of the 115th Infantry Regiment and 116th Infantry Regiment. In 1963, the Brigade was revived as the 3rd Brigade, in 1968, it was redesignated as the 3rd Brigade, 28th Infantry Division when the 29th Infantry Division was inactivated. In 1976, it was disassociated from the 28th Infantry Division, when the 29th Infantry Division reactivated in 1985, the brigade again assumed the 3rd Brigade designation. It maintained this designation until 2006, when it was redesignated as part of its transformation into a modular brigade. By FY2007, as part of the shift to more tooth, less tail. The brigade headquarters is based in Towson, MD, with subordinate units headquartered Dundalk, MD, Annapolis, MD, Hagerstown, MD, Easton, MD. A front-page article in the July 22,2015 issue of The Baltimore Sun, continued on page 14, covered the final jump of Troop C, 1st Squadron. The squadron was reorganized and reflagged as the 629th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion, on November 8,2015 an inactivation ceremony was held for the brigades 1st Squadron, 158th Cavalry Regiment at the units armory in Annapolis, MD. Troop C was the only Airborne unit within the 58th BfSB, globalsecurity. org, 58th Infantry Brigade Combat Team National Guard Battlefield Surveillance Brigades
9.
Annapolis, Maryland
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Annapolis is the capital of the U. S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. Its population was measured at 38,394 by the 2010 census, the city served as the seat of the Continental Congress in 1783–84 and was the site of the 1786 Annapolis Convention and the Annapolis Peace Conference, held in 2007. Annapolis is the home of St. Johns College as well as the United States Naval Academy, a settlement in the Province of Maryland named Providence was founded on the north shore of the Severn River in 1649 by Puritan exiles from Virginia led by Governor William Stone. The settlers later moved to a harbor on the south shore. The settlement on the shore was initially named Town at Proctors, then Town at the Severn. In 1654, after the Third English Civil War, Parliamentary forces assumed control of Maryland, per orders from Charles Calvert, fifth Lord Baltimore, Stone returned the following spring at the head of a Cavalier force. On March 25,1655, in what is known as the Battle of the Severn, Stone was defeated, taken prisoner, Fendall governed Maryland during the latter half of the Commonwealth. In 1660, he was replaced by Phillip Calvert as fifth/sixth Governor of Maryland), Annapolis was incorporated as a city in 1708. Water trades such as oyster-packing, boatbuilding and sailmaking became the chief industries. Annapolis is home to a number of recreational boats that have largely replaced the seafood industry in the city. Dr. Alexander Hamilton was a Scottish-born doctor and writer who lived and worked in Annapolis, Annapolis became the temporary capital of the United States after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. For the 1783 Congress, the Governor of Maryland commissioned John Shaw, the flag is slightly different from other designs of the time. The blue field extends over the height of the hoist. Shaw created two versions of the flag, one started with a red stripe and another that started with a white one. In 1786, delegates from all states of the Union were invited to meet in Annapolis to consider measures for the regulation of commerce. Delegates from only five states—New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, the Philadelphia convention drafted and approved the Constitution of the United States, which is still in force. During this period, a prisoner of war camp, Camp Parole, was set up in Annapolis. As the war continued, the camp expanded to a location just west of the city
