The armed forces of a country A country is a geographical region considered to be the physical territory of a sovereign state, or of a smaller, or former, political division within a geographical region. Usually, but not always, a country coincides with a sovereign territory and is associated with a state, nation or government are its government A government is the organization, or agency through which a political unit exercises its authority, controls and administers public policy, and directs and controls the actions of its members or subjects-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary The term paramilitary is subjective, depending on what is considered similar to a military force, and what status a force is considered to have. The nature of paramilitary forces therefore varies greatly according to the speaker and the context. For instance, in Northern Ireland, paramilitary refers to any illegal group with a political purpose, forces are included in a nation's armed forces. Armed force is the use of armed forces to achieve political objectives.
The study of the use of armed forces is called military science Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including: theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for prototyping. In so doing, military science seeks to. Broadly speaking, this involves considering offense and defense at three "levels": strategy Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked. How a battle is fought is a matter of tactics: the terms and, operational art Operational mobility, beginning as a military theory concept during the period of mechanisation of armed forces became a method of managing movement of forces by strategic commanders from the staging area to their Tactical Area of Responsibility, and tactics Military tactics, the art of organizing an army, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. All three levels study the application of the use of force in order to achieve a desired objective.
Organization
Main article: Military organization Military organization is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer military capability required by the national defence policy. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation's armed forces. Armed forces that are not a part of the military or paramilitary organizations, such as insurgent forces, often mimicIn most countries the armed forces are divided into three or four Armed Services A military is an organization authorized to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military. Militaries often function as societies within societies, by having their own: an army An army (from Latin armata "armed " via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine)), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps. Within a national military force, the word Army may also mean a field army,, a navy A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface ships, amphibious ships, submarines, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and, an air force An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or air corps, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or other branch. Typically, air forces, and often a gendarmerie A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military body charged with police duties among civilian populations. The members of such a body are called gendarmes. The term maréchaussée (or marshalcy) may also be used (e.g., Royal Marechaussee) but is now uncommon or a paramilitary police force. Gendarmeries (including equivalents such as Internal Troops Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (Russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviated ВВ, VV) is a paramilitary national guard like force in the now-defunct Soviet Union and its successor, Paramilitary Forces The term paramilitary is subjective, depending on what is considered similar to a military force, and what status a force is considered to have. The nature of paramilitary forces therefore varies greatly according to the speaker and the context. For instance, in Northern Ireland, paramilitary refers to any illegal group with a political purpose,, etc.) are common in most of the world but are uncommon in Anglo-Saxon countries. A number of countries have no navy, for geographical reasons.
Many countries have a variation on the standard model of three or four basic Armed Services A military is an organization authorized to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military. Militaries often function as societies within societies, by having their own. Variations include China China is seen variously as an ancient civilization extending over a large area in East Asia, a nation and/or a multinational entity (army, navy, air force, strategic missile force), South Africa Coordinates: 29°02′46″S 25°03′47″E / 29.046°S 25.063°E The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a 2,798 kilometres coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an independent (army, navy, air force, military health service The South African Military Health Service is the branch of the South African National Defence Force responsible for medical facilities and the training and deployment of all medical personnel within the force. Though unusual, as most national militaries integrate their medical structures into their existing service branches, the SANDF regards this), Egypt Egypt (pronounced /ˈiːdʒɪpt/ ; Arabic: مصر Miṣr, pronounced [misˤɾ] ( listen); Arabic: مِصْر Miṣr [ˈmisˤɾ]; Egyptian Arabic: مَصْر Maṣr [ˈmɑsˤɾ]; Coptic: Ⲭⲏⲙⲓ, kīmi; Egyptian: 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 Kemet), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula (army, navy, air force, air defense) or the Netherlands The Netherlands (pronounced /ˈnɛðɚləndz/ ; Dutch: Nederland, pronounced [ˈneːdərlɑnt] ( listen)) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in North-West Europe. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany (army, navy, air force, military police The Royal Marechaussee, in Dutch Koninklijke Marechaussee, abbreviated to KMar, is one of the four military bodies of the Netherlands. It is a gendarmerie force performing military and civil police missions). The United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language has five (army, navy, air force, marines The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States. In the civilian leadership structure of the United States, coast guard The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of seven uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters) and a federal regulatory), like Italy Italy (pronounced /ˈɪtəli/ ; Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja]), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a country located partly on the European Continent and partly on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine (army, navy, air force, military police The Arma dei Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both the military and civilian populations. The Carabinieri is now a branch of the armed forces (alongside the Army, Navy and Air Force), thus ending their long standing role as the first corps of the Italian army and financial police The Guardia di Finanza is an Italian police force under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. As it retains military status, like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guardia di Finanza maintains over 600 boats and ships and more than 100 aircraft to fulfill its mission of patrolling Italy's territorial). In Germany, the defense part of the Bundeswehr The Bundeswehr (German for "Federal Defence Force"; listen ) comprises the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The States of Germany are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the Basic Law of Germany states that matters of defense fall into the sole responsibility consists of the Army An army (from Latin armata "armed " via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine)), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps. Within a national military force, the word Army may also mean a field army, (Heer The German Army (German: Deutsches Heer, Heer pronounced [ˈheːɐ̯] ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Traditionally the German military forces have been composed of Army, the Navy, and an Air Force after World War I. It was reinstalled in 1955 as the West German Army and as a part of the newly formed), Navy A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface ships, amphibious ships, submarines, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and (Marine The German Navy (Deutsche Marine ( listen ) is the navy of Germany and part of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces)), Air Force An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or air corps, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or other branch. Typically, air forces (Luftwaffe Luftwaffe (German pronunciation: [ˈlʊftvafə] ; English: "air-weapon") is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956), Joint Support Service (Streitkräftebasis Streitkräftebasis is a branch of the German Bundeswehr established in October 2000 as a result of major reforms of the German Bundeswehr. It handles various logistics and organisational tasks of the German Armed Forces. It adds a fifth service-like organization to the four other major branches of the Bundeswehr, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and), and Central Medical Services The Bundeswehr's Joint Medical Service is a part of the German Armed Forces but explicitely no new branch of arms. Medical personnel of all three branches (Army, Navy and Air Force) were assigned to a centralized authority which was installed to concentrate their capabilities. However these troops remain members of their original branch of arms (Zentraler Sanitätsdienst).
In larger armed forces the culture between the different Armed Services A military is an organization authorized to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military. Militaries often function as societies within societies, by having their own of a country's armed forces can be quite different.
Armed forces may be organized as standing forces (e.g. regular army), which describes a professional army that is engaged in no other profession than preparing for and engaging in warfare. In contrast, there is the very rare citizen army as used in Switzerland. A citizen army (also known as a militia The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with multiple distinct but related meanings. Legal and or reserve army A military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion. Reserve forces are generally not considered part) is only mobilized as needed. Its advantage lies in the fact that it is dramatically less expensive (in terms of wealth, manpower, and opportunity cost Opportunity cost is the cost related to the next-best choice available to someone who has picked between several mutually exclusive choices. It is a key concept in economics. It has been described as expressing "the basic relationship between scarcity and choice." The notion of opportunity cost plays a crucial part in ensuring that) for the organizing society A society or a human society is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations such as social status, roles and social networks. Human societies are characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals sharing a distinctive culture and institutions. Without an article, the term refers either to the entirety of to support. The disadvantage is that such a "citizen's army" is usually less well trained and organized.
A compromise between the two has a small cadre of professional non-commissioned officers A non-commissioned officer , abbreviated to NCO or Non-com (US), is an enlisted military member holding a position of some degree of authority who has (usually) obtained it by promotion from within the non-officer ranks. Many countries use the term sub-officer for these ranks (NCOs) and officers who act as a skeleton for a much larger force. When war comes, this skeleton is filled out with conscripts Conscription is the compulsory enrollment of people to some sort of public service. While the service may be of any sort associated with the public, the term typically refers to enlistment in a country's military. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names. Used by the Royal Navy or reservists Historically reservists first played a significant role in Europe after the Prussian defeat in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt. On 9 July 1807 in the Treaty of Tilsit, Napoleon forced Prussia to drastically reduce its military strength, in addition to ceding large amounts of territory. The Prussian army could no longer be stronger than 42,000 men, who form the wartime unit. This balances the pros and cons of each basic organization, and allows the formation of massive armies (on a scale of millions of combatants), necessary in modern total war Total war is a war of unlimited scope in which a belligerent engages in a mobilization of all available resources at their disposal, whether human, industrial, agricultural, military, natural, technological, or otherwise, in order to entirely destroy or render beyond use their rival's capacity to continue resistance. The practice of total war has.
Benefits and costs
Map of the military expenditures as a percentage of GDP by country, CIA figures. Military spending in 2007, in USD The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States of America. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Stockholm International Peace Research Institute is an organization that conducts scientific research into questions of conflict and cooperation of importance for international peace and security, in order to contribute to an understanding of the conditions for peaceful solutions to international conflicts and for a stable peace. It was founded in.The obvious benefit to a country in maintaining armed forces, is in providing protection from foreign threats, and from internal conflict. In recent decades armed forces personnel have also been used as emergency civil support roles in post-disaster situations. On the other hand they may also harm a society by engaging in counter-productive (or merely unsuccessful) warfare.
Expenditure on science and technology to develop weapons and systems sometimes produces side benefits, although some claim that greater benefits could come from targeting the money directly.[who?]
See also
- Mercenary
- Militaria
- Military
- Military organization
- Military fiat
- Military history
- Military incompetence
- Military intelligence
- Military junta
- Military rule
- Military science
- Military Aid to the Civil Power
- Military Aid to the Civil Community
- List of battles
- Paramilitary
- Staff (military)
- Civil-military relations
- Armed forces of the world
- List of militaries by country
- List of militaries that recruit foreigners
- List of countries by military expenditures
- List of countries by number of active troops
- List of countries by size of armed forces
- List of countries without an army
- List of air forces
- List of armies
- List of navies
Categories: Military
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Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:49:55 GMT+00:00
INDOlink Last year Mr Chidambaram had promised a phased withdrawal of troops from Kashmir and promised to address the issue of the Armed Forces Special Protection ... comment: Kashmir: the second uprising Shahzad Chaudhry Daily Times Kashmiri Youngsters Wage Online Struggle Inter Press Service 'India using hunting weapons against protesting Kashmiris' Sify Times of India - Daily Times - GreaterKashmir.com (press release)
GiPilot12
Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:53:34 GM
Hey guys, I have a question. I personally am the equivalent of an NCO in the Swiss . Armed Forces. . I seem to remember form middle school government.
