Gov 346 Weeks 3 & 4

National Defense

The use of U.S. military power....

...to deter adversaries & win wars

National Security

The use of all elements of U.S. national power...

...to prevail in war and in peace

THE OFFICER CORPS

Uniformed servicemen & women fall into 1 of 2 groups

enlisted

Officers

The officer corps -- what do officers do

Command, plan & coordinate

The officer corps -- what do enlisted people do

Lead & execute

To become an officer you must:

Be a US citizen

Complete a four year college degree

Receive a Secret security clearance

Earn a commission from a service academy, ROTC, or OCS

Officers are:

Required to hold a college degree

Commissioned, which entails a 20 year obligation

Generalists who spend their careers rotating between their military specialty (e.g. pilot), administrative positions (e.g. recruiting) & educational programs (PME)

Groomed to assume staff and command positions at the technical, tactical, operational, and strategic levels

Considered professionals ('the profession of arms')

Enlisted servicemembers:

Aren't required to hold a college degree

Spend most of their careers performing specific technical duties within their military specialty

Spend their entire career at the technical & tactical level of war (although a select few will advise operational & strategic commanders)

Are not universally considered professionals

Both are important but officers??

Set organizational policy & advise senior elected & appointed officials

Have authority that flows directly from the President

Serve as commanders

Rise to the top positions in the military

Squad unit size

4-10

Platoon unit size

30-50

company unit size

100-200

Battalion unit size

500-1,000

Brigade / Regiment unit size

3,000-5,000

Division unit size

15,000-20,000

Corps unit size

50,000+

What is the Light Infantry unit type

Trained & equipped to fight on foot

What is the Airborne infantry unit type

Trained & equipped to parachute onto the battlefield then fight on foot

what is the Air assault infantry unit type

Trained & equipped to take helicopters to the battlefield then fight on foot

What is the Motorized infantry unit type

Trained & equipped to take trucks to the battlefield then fight on foot

What is the Mechanized infantry unit type

Trained & equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs). Can fight mounted or dismounted

What is the Armor unit type

Trained & equipped to fight with main battle tanks & infantry fighting vehicles

What is the Scout / Reconnaissance unit type

Trained & equipped to locate & collect intel on enemy forces

What is the Artillery: unit type

Trained & equipped to use long-range rockets & canon to support infantry & armor

AIR FORCES: UNIT SIZES

Flight is

4-6 aircraft of the same type

AIR FORCES: UNIT SIZES

Squadron is

7-16 aircraft of the same type

AIR FORCES: UNIT SIZES

Group is

17-48 aircraft (mixed or same type)

AIR FORCES: UNIT SIZES

Wing is

48-100+ aircraft (mixed or same type)

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: FIXED WING

Fighter (F) is

Aircraft designed to engage enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: FIXED WING

Attack (A):

Aircraft designed to bomb & strafe enemy units on the groun

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: FIXED WING

Bomber (B):

Aircraft designed to drop large numbers of explosives on targets deep behind enemy lines

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: FIXED WING

Electronic warfare (E)

Aircraft designed to conduct C4ISR, jamming, targeting, etc.

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: FIXED WING

Strategic lift (C):

Aircraft designed to carry large numbers of personnel or equipment long distances

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: FIXED WING

Multirole (E/A; F/A, etc.):

Aircraft designed to do more than one thing

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: ROTARY WING

Attack helicopter (AH):

: Helicopters designed to support friendly ground units

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: ROTARY WING

Cargo helicopter (CH):

Helicopters designed to transport troops & equipment

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: OTHER

Unmanned Aircraft (Q):

Aircraft controlled remotely

AIRCRAFT PLATFORMS: OTHER

Vertical takeoff (V):

Vertical takeoff (V):

: Fixed wing aircraft that can fly like a helicopter

The US Navy uses 3 basic units:

Carrier Strike Group (CSG)

Surface Action Group (SAG)

Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG)

Carrier Strike Group (CSG):

1 aircraft carrier (with an air wing); 1-2 cruisers; 2+ destroyers/frigates plus submarines & supply ships

Surface Action Group (SAG)

A CSG without the carrier

Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG)

3 amphibious ships with a Marine Expeditionary Unit

NAVAL PLATFORMS

Aircraft carriers (CV or CVN):

Ships designed to transport, launch & recover fixed & rotary-wing aircraft

NAVAL PLATFORMS

Amphibious (LHA, LHD, LPD, LSD, LST):

Ships designed to transport ground forces

NAVAL PLATFORMS

Cruisers (CG):

Largest multi-role surface warfare ships that can coordinate fleet defenses & conduct anti-air, anti-surface & anti-submarine operations

NAVAL PLATFORMS

Destroyers (DD/DDG):

Medium multi-role surface warfare ships that can conduct anti-air, anti-surface & anti-submarine operations

NAVAL PLATFORMS

Frigates: (FF/FFG):

Smallest multi-role surface warfare ships that can conduct anti-air, anti-surface & antisubmarine operations

NAVAL PLATFORMS

Attack submarine (SSN):

Ships (boats) designed to operate underwater and to locate & destroy enemy submarines, surface combatants & cargo ships

NAVAL PLATFORMS

Ballistic submarine (SSBN):

Ships (boats) designed to hide underwater and launch nuclear ballistic missiles (SLBM)

NAVAL PLATFORMS

Guided missile submarine (SSGN):

Ships (boats) designed to hide underwater and launch conventional cruise missiles

The nuclear triad consists of

Long range, ground based missiles, Ballistic missile submarines, Long range bombers

The US wound up with a triad because all three services wanted 'a piece of the action'

keeping all three legs gives the US a

secure second strike capability

ICBM

- Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

Unguided missile with a min. range of 3,400 miles

Can carry multiple warheads

Strength: Speed & accuracy

Weakness: Immobile until launch

US arsenal: 400 Minuteman III spread across 450 silos w/ 1 warhead per

SLBM

Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles

Unguided missile launched from a submarine

Can carry multiple warheads

Strength: Survivability

Weakness: Vulnerable communications

Long range bombers

Gravity dropped nuclear bombs & ALCM/ACM

Strength: Flexible, disperse-able & recallable

Weakness: Easy to find & shoot down

US arsenal: 66 nuclear-capable bombers with ~ 550 gravity bombs & ~1,400 ALCM

The All-Volunteer Force (AVF):

Involves the use of financial & other material incentives to recruit people into the military

It's the main alternative to conscription (draft), which involves coercing or otherwise forcing people into the military

The United States adopted the AVF in 1973

Title 10:

The part of the United States Code (Federal law) that provides the legal basis for the role, mission & organization of the services & the Department of Defense

The United States has 6 military services:

The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force & Coast Guard*

3 military departments

The Army is under the Department of the Army

The Air Force & Space Force are under the Department of the Air Force

The Navy & the Marine Corps are under the Department of the Navy 10 OTHER KEY TERMS & CONCEPTS

*But the Coast Guard falls under the DHS except in times of war

What article seperates the departmnts and the services

Title 10

Who leads the military departments

civilian

The departments & the services do not have

operational control over their personnel

by the Unified Combatant Commands

they recruit, train & equip for global employment

Doctrine:

"The fundamental principles that guide the employment of United States military forces in coordinated action toward a common objective and may include terms, tactics, techniques, and procedures."

Translation: Doctrine is like a game plan - an overarching vision - for how a military plans to fight

TTPs

(Tactics, techniques & procedures):

The specific way(s) that individuals & units execute their jobs, tasks, missions & functions on the battlefield

RDT&E

(Research, Development, Test & Evaluation):

The entire process of developing new military capabilities

Acquisitions

The process of buying, producing & supporting military capabilities (both new & 'new old')

Readiness:

The degree to which the Armed Forces have the training, maintenance & equipment to immediately perform their missions

A Joint force

units from 2 or more US services (ex: US Army & US Navy)

A Combined force

units from 2 or more countries (ex: US Army & UK Army)

the nation's primary fo ground force

The U.S. Army

The army's mission is to

fight and win the nation's wars by providing prompt, sustained land dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of combatant commanders"

how many personnel does the army have

~990,000 personnel

most of the Army's combat power is contained in its

Brigade Combat Teams

BCTs are

permanent, modular, self-sufficient units that can deploy alone or as part of a larger formation

The Army has 31 active & 27 ARNG BCTs

as part of its its Army 2030 blueprint

the Army is trying to shift back to a division-centric force

The US army has 6 main acquisitions priorities

LR precision fires, next-gen combat vehicles, vertical lift, combat networks, air & missile defenses & increased soldier lethality

Multi-Domain Operations -

prepare units for simultaneous land, air, sea, cyber, & space operations

The mission of the US navy

"maintain, train and equip combatready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas"

How many fleets is the navy organized into

6 fleets

the Navy's combat power is organized into how many carrier strike groups

10

how many personnel are in the navy

Today's Navy has ~437,000 personnel (336,000 active), 297 warships & 3,700 aircraft

The most independent service is?

The navy

The US marine corps mission is to

serve as the nation's "expeditionary force in readiness & to be prepared to use combined arms forces to seize or defend forward-positioned naval bases & conducting land operations in support of naval campaigns"

How many personnel are in the marine

~220,000 personnel (173,600 active)

3 Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEFs)

1 on the East Coast, 1 on the West Coast & 1 in Japan

(MAGTFs)

Marine Air-Ground Task Forces

Every MAGTF has command, ground, air & logistics elements MEF: HQ, division, air wing & logistics group

MEB: HQ, regiment, air group & logistics regiment

MEU: HQ, battalion, air squadron & logistics battalion

The Marine Corps sees itself as America's

911 force; as adaptive & flexible; & as the service that does the mostest with the least-est

Marines are masters at

lobbying & PR

Force Design 2030

An ambitious doctrinal overhaul formally announced by then-CMC Berger in 2020

Goal: Prepare the Corps for the future operating environment (aka war with China) by 2030

In crude terms: FD2030 shifts the emphasis away from large scale amphibious assaults (think World War II)

And toward rapid deployment of small 'stand in' forces that can survive in a contested environment & sink enemy ships

The US air force

The Air Force is the primary service for air and cyber warfare

What is the mission of the air force

fly, fight and win-airpower anytime, anywhere

how many personnel does the air force have

510,000 personnel • 329,000 active • 179,000 reserve & air guard

Which of the services is the most intellectual & technocratic

The air force

which one of the services reports higher morale & quality of life

The air force

5 Core Functions of the air force

Air Superiority, Global Strike, Rapid Global Mobility, ISR, C2

6 Key Operational Fights of the air force

Compete/deter, get into theater, get airborne, gain air superiority, deny adversary objectives, sustain in competition & conflict

7 Operational Imperatives of the air force

Space, advanced battle management, moving target engagement, tactical air dominance, resilient basing, global strike, readiness

The space force is

the primary service for global space operations

All USSF personnel (military & civilian) are called

Guardians