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Useful Military Information

Explaining Army Basic Training

Explaining Army Basic Training

United States Army Basic Combat Training, also referred to as Initial Entry Training, is the recruit training program of the United States Army, for service in the Regular Army, United States Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard. Army basic training is how raw recruits are sculpted into members of the most powerful military force in the history of mankind. United States Army Basic Training Passing basic training is necessary to join the Regular Army, US Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard. While less intense than the Marine Corps, it is one of the world’s most complex military boot camps in the world. It can vary greatly, depending on a recruit’s chosen military occupation. Infantry recruits attend Fort Benning, Georgia, the most intense and physically demanding basic training program. Non-combat occupations still undergo combat training but are more rounded in their approach. They attend boot camp at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, or Fort Leonard Wood,...

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Explaining U.S. Navy Operations

Explaining U.S. Navy Operations

The US Navy is the world’s most powerful seagoing force and has amassed a long list of achievements through its numerous naval operations. Together We Served, the internet’s largest repository of personal military history, honors those sailors who have contributed to its successes, from naval operations in World War II to the Global War on Terrorism. Historic Naval Operations While there were plenty of battles in the Pacific Theater that counted as prominent victories: The Battle of Midway, Operation Vengeance, or the Battle of Okinawa, one victory that will stand in the history of US naval operations is the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Over 200,000 naval personnel were involved in this battle, which, according to both sides' representatives, spelled the beginning of the end for Imperial Japan.  The American land forces were landing on the Philippine island of Leyte in October 1944, defended by the 3rd and 7th Fleets. However, three Japanese forces converged on the anticipated invasion:...

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Explaining U.S. Marine Corps Basic Training (Boot Camp)

Explaining U.S. Marine Corps Basic Training (Boot Camp)

Many Marine veterans have said that the Marine Corps training they underwent on enlisting was the most challenging experience of their lives. Around the world, the reputation of Marines being the toughest fighting force is respected, and the statistics support it: Marine Corps boot camp recruits suffer more broken bones than any comparable boot camp! What Training Do Marines Go Through? Basic training, also known as boot camp, is a process that all United States Marines must go through to call themselves a fully-fledged member of the United States Marine Corps. Even more so than the basic training of other US military branches, Marine Corps recruit training is physically and mentally grueling. There are two recruit-receiving locations for basic training: the Recruit Training Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina, and the Recruit Training Depot at San Diego, California. Most men who enlist west of the Mississippi typically go to San Diego, while men east of the Mississippi, and all...

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Preserving Military Service History

Preserving Military Service History

Many military veterans are, rightly, proud of their service to their country and want to record it for future generations to note. Others might take it further and indulge an interest not only in their own service history but of their whole unit history. Of course, the US Armed Forces keep detailed military records to the extent that they are able. Multiple buildings house substantial military service records, from the United States’ founding to modern-day. Records from the Revolutionary War to 1912 are held at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Military records from World War One until the present day are instead kept in the National Military Personnel Records Center (also known as the NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. There are also official organizations such as the United States Army Center of Military History (CMH), which manages over 120 Army museums. Research in Military Records The CMH does not have anything approaching the level of information the National...

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Explaining Air Force Military Operations

Explaining Air Force Military Operations

How much do you know about the Air Force operations undertaken in this country’s history? The United States Air Force has been striving for excellence in its military operations since its founding in 1947. It has been responsible for some of the most awe-inspiring feats of logistics, both in wartime and times of peace. Imagery from a Training. Air Force Doctrine All US Air Force operations are oriented around the official Air Force Doctrine. Responsibility for developing doctrine rests on the Curtis E Lemay Center for Doctrine Development and Education at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Doctrine exists to guide the Air Force in the effective execution of its goals, as detailed in its doctrine documents: Global vigilance: the ability to gain and maintain awareness of any entity in the world, to synergize with information from other Services or agencies, and share information with Force command.Global reach: the ability to project military capability responsively, quickly, and...

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Explaining Marine Corps Units

Explaining Marine Corps Units

Marine Corps Unit Structure Marine Corps forces vary in the organization depending on the needs and manpower of a unit: Marines' smallest division is a fire team, which is three Marines and a team leader, usually a corporal.Three fire teams (12 Marines) comprise a squad led by a squad leader, usually a sergeant.Three squads (39 Marines) comprise a platoon with a leadership team of a platoon sergeant and platoon commander (usually a 1st or 2nd lieutenant). The platoon leadership also benefit from a platoon guide and a messenger and often have a Navy Medical Corpsman or several attached from the battalion’s medical platoon. There are many different types of platoons. The two most common are rifle platoons and weapons platoons. A rifle company comprises three rifle platoons and a weapons platoon, totaling over 120 Marines, with a company headquarters: a captain as commanding officer, first lieutenant as an executive officer, company gunnery sergeant, property NCO, and a...

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Military Associations: Veterans of Foreign Wars

Military Associations: Veterans of Foreign Wars

There are many notable US veterans organizations, but one of the most notable is surely the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The VFW organization is over 100 years old, founded in 1913 in Denver, Colorado. Multiple veterans organizations founded in 1899 on returning to the country after the Spanish-American War consolidated to form the VFW. It currently counts its membership at over 1.15 million. The only way of obtaining membership in the VFW is by being an American citizen, served in the United States armed forces, received a United States military campaign medal, either active duty or honorably discharged. What Does the Veterans of Foreign Wars Do? The Veterans of Foreign Wars' stated mission is to “foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts...to serve our veterans, the military and our communities,” and “To advocate on behalf of all veterans.” In practice, this means speeding the rehabilitation of disabled US veterans and making sure that deceased veterans and...

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Military Associations: The American Legion

Military Associations: The American Legion

Perhaps the most well-known veterans organization in the country, the American Legion is a non-profit organization of US war veterans, with a membership of approximately 1.8 million. A thousand members of the American Expeditionary Force founded the Legion in Paris in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 and has enjoyed a high profile since its largest veterans organization. Ten of the last thirteen Presidents of the United States have been members of the Legion. What is the Purpose of the American Legion? The organization endeavors to mentor youth and sponsor community programs that promulgate the values of patriotism and honor. It also advocates for strong national security and the support of both active duty service members and veterans. One prominent program is American Legion Baseball, cultivating sportsmanship, citizenship, and fitness in young people. Another is Operation...

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Understanding Military Job Codes

Understanding Military Job Codes

As the world’s largest employer, the United States Department of Defense has a complex system of military job codes to help manage employment in various military branches. However, each branch’s job code functions differently. Military Occupational Specialty Codes The United States Army and United States Marine Corps, the MOS code, or military occupational specialty code, is used to identify specific military jobs. This system is distinct from the standard occupational classification (SOC) codes that civilian jobs are typically classified by. It is a nine-character code in which each digit or section of digits signifies a different part of the role. However, in the United States Air Force, a system is used called Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC), which is either four or five characters depending on whether the airman is enlisted or commissioned. The Navy has its own system, too, the Navy Enlisted Classification, or NEC. The Coast Guard and Space Force do not have analogous systems at...

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What is a Military Shadow Box?

What is a Military Shadow Box?

A shadow box is typically an enclosed, deep frame, glass-front display case for items of personal or artistic significance to be grouped and shown together. The items are typically held a short distance above the material backing the box, which creates a striking visual distinction. Shadow boxes can be used to display ceremonial weapons, medal ribbons and medals, unit and combat patches, rank insignia, and other meaningful items from a veteran’s military career. Why Are They Called Shadow Boxes? The tradition of calling these display cases shadow boxes reportedly comes from superstition sailors. When a sailor retired from shipboard service, it was bad luck if his shadow touched shore before he did. This superstition extended to a sailor’s personal items, which constituted a ‘shadow’ of sorts. If his belongings were enclosed in a box, though, it would be safe for them to touch shore first. The name ‘shadow box’ was promulgated among sailors, and the term spread from there. Military...

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World War II Veterans

World War II Veterans

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How Many World War II Veterans are Still Alive Today? According to Pew Research, the number of living WWII veterans dropped to under 300,000 in 2020 from over 930,000 in 2015. The oldest of these veterans is Lawrence Brooks, an Army veteran born in Louisiana in September 1909, drafted at the age of 31, and sent to the Pacific front with the 91st Engineers. One of the 1.2 million African-Americans served during the war, PFC Brooks mainly cooked and cleaned for his superior officers. The Coast Guard has contributed to the nation’s maritime protection since its previous incarnation was founded in 1790. The United States Revenue Cutter Service initially had a fleet of just ten cutters, known as the Revenue-Marine, to enforce tariffs and collect vital income for the young country. From this humble beginning, the Revenue Cutter Service’s responsibilities grew, taking on more maritime services and even homeland security missions, starting with the Quasi-War with France in the late...

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Explaining U.S. Coast Guard Operations

Explaining U.S. Coast Guard Operations

While being one of the smaller branches of the United States Armed Forces, the U.S. Coast Guard is vital to the United States defense and broader protection. Coast Guard operations range from air and sea rescues to drug trafficking interceptions. The U.S. Coast Guard were also a vital force in the support of D-Day, Vietnam War brown water operations and protection services in the Persian Gulf. Missions of the United States Coast Guard Broadly, the Coast Guard is responsible for three things: Maritime safetyMaritime securityMaritime stewardship Breaking down these categories further, maritime safety entails search and rescue, an inspection of commercial vessels, licensing and investigating merchant mariners, managing waterways (including ice patrol), assisting in and advocating for recreational boating safety, and responding to pollution. The Coast Guard also manages the DGPS radio navigation system, buoys, daymarks, and other navigational aids. Maritime security involves...

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