United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consist of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in December 2020
1st Armored Division infantry, an M2 Bradley armored vehicle, and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters as part of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria
82nd Airborne Division paratroopers parachuting from a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport plane
U.S. Army Rangers with the 75th Ranger Regiment prepare for extraction on a MH-47 Chinook
A military, also known collectively as an armed forces, are a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a distinct military uniform. They may consist of one or more military branches such as an army, navy, air force, space force, marines, or coast guard. The main task of a military is usually defined as defence of their state and its interests against external armed threats.
NATO military ceremony in Pabrade, Lithuania, November 2014
Relief scene of Roman legionaries marching, from the Column of Marcus Aurelius, Rome, Italy, 2nd century AD
Depiction of ancient Egyptian military formation
Finnish and American soldiers training together in arctic conditions in Lapland, Finland, January 6–16, 2015