s lOl· ~ •• A1'S \1 I 013 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government P rinting Office, Washington, D.C., 20402 VANGUARD OF FREEDOM I I I I I I I I I ~ That the form of the enlistment be in the following words: "The United States Army is an honored institution older than our country itself. It has a fascinating history, interesting customs and traditions, and a way of life necessarily distinct from that of the civilian population. The best testimonial to the accomplishments of those who have filled its ranks is our great nation: their sweat and blood made it possible and sustained it against all enemies. This ... is but a resume of their record and, at the same time, their challenge to the Army man of today. If the achievements of those who now man the ramparts are equally good, the record will be transmitted to the soldiers of the future, unbroken, enriched and enlarged." (Preface) AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY 1607-1953 Army Battle Streamers. The history of the American Army parallels that of our Nation. Each of the Pilgrims was a citizensoldier, capable of defending himself, his home and his community against attack. When the threat subsided, he would typically return to his civilian occupation. During the American Revolution, British regulars at Lexington and Concord faced determined farmers, merchants and craftsmen who had armed themselves to protect their freedom. On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress, reflecting the mood of an aroused populace, established a regular Army that would later prove superior to the well-trained Redcoats. Thus was created the American Continental Army, later to be called the United States Army, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence. Congress designated Colonel George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the R egular Army and the volunteer Militia. Since then , the Army has answered our Nation's call in nine major conflicts. The depth of Army service can be told in terms of Americans wounded and killed in action: The Revolutionary War (1775-83) 10,048 The War of 1812 (1812-15) 5,950 The Mexican War (1846-48) 17,373 The Civil War (1861-65) 639,568 Medal of Honor. The Spanish American War (1898) 4,024 Worl d War I (1917-18) 300,041 World War II (1941-45) 884,135 Korea (1950-53) 114,729 Vietnam (1961-73) 360,20 6 For more than 200 years American soldiers have lived by the code of "Duty, Honor, Country." This heritage is symbolized by the Army Flag bearing 161 streamers memorializing significant b attles fought in defense of our freedom. The battle streamers reflect many acts of conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty. Some of those acts were performed by recipients of the Medal of Honor, created when President Lincoln signed a Joint Resolution of the Second. Session, ThirtySeventh Congress on. July 12, 1862. The Nation's highest award, the Medal of H onor, has been given to some 2,310 Army heroes, including five who received the Army medal twice. The rank of the recipients range from private to general, for bravery knows no rank or station. The citations accompanying each medal read differently, but each relates a story of valor and courage which has earned the Nation's highest mark of gratitude. The Continental Army with its few men bore little resemblance to today's force of more than 775,000 men and women. The Continental soldier was poorly uniformed. Those first volunteers appeared in a strange array of hun ing jackets, homespun clothes, and semi-uniforms. There was no distinctive color or style for their uniforms. There were blue coats and black coats, long trousers and breeches. As the Revolution progressed, the material for Sunday suits and dresses was earmarked for uniforms. Many of the soldiers marched to war in outfits made of finer material than they h ad ever known. One of the few holdovers from the Revolution is the service stripe. On June 17, 1782 a General Order was issued th t stated "Each Non-Commissioned Officer and Private, who has served four years in any Continental Regiment shall be entitled to wear one stripe of white tape, on the left sleeve of his regimental coat, which shall extend from seam to seam, on the upper part of the sleeve." The size, location and time period have varied throughout the years, but today's enlisted man still wears the service stri e on his uniform. The resolution by the Continental Congress called upon those patriots that volunteered for the Army to find their own weapons. The results were a wide variety of hunting weapons and family firearms. The most common was the smoothbore musket. With this musket the Continental soldier could fire three shots every minute if he was proficient and his powder stayed dry. The only additional fire_r:ower an early colonial soldier had was the artillery he managed to capture. The soldier of to ay is equipped with the most modern and best weapons available. His standard rifle is the M-16 which weighs less than eight pounds -but is capable of firing more than 200 rounds per minute. Addi tionally, he is supported by a wide variety of weapons ranging upward to the 8-inch howitzer which fires a 200 pound projectile and the 175mm gun which has a range of nearly 20 miles . . . missiles ranging from shoulder fin:~d anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons to nuclear-capable systems with ranges p to 400 miles ... and helicopters equipped with rockets, rapid fire machineguns and cannons. The original Army was a few companies of light infantry. Today, the United States Army is working towards a force of 16 combat divisions, including Infantry, Armored, Mechanized, Air Assault, and Airborne Divisions. The Army is no longer limited by the dis tance its soldiers can march in one day supported by pack mules. Today, the Army is capable of airborne deploymen t to any location in the world within hours. Its "mules" range from one-man all terrain vehicles to helicopters that are among the largest in the world. But, the major change in the Army over these 200 years is its expanded role in not only the security but also the development of the nation. Those patriots that formed the original ten companies of the Continental Army were concerned with one major goal-winning for the colonies those rights and freedoms that the American considered so important to survival in the new world. The winning and protec tion of those freedoms has always been the most important mission of the Army. Fighting in the American Revolution lasted six years: the first three in the northern part of the colonies, and the other three in the southern half. It was British failure in the South that enabled Washington-with French assistance--to pin Cornwallis against the sea at Yorktown in 1781. The British general's surrender marked the virtual close of the American Revolution. Although the peace treaty was not signed until two years later, the victory at Yorktown was the decisive event in the struggle to make the colonies an independent n ation. After the Revolutionary War, the Army was reduced to a caretaker status. The Continental Army, for a time, had a strength of only 80 men an d a few officers to guard the military supplies at West Point and Fort Pitt. The colonists had a distrust of large standing armies. A large army reminded them too much of their experiences with the British regulars. There would be eight more major wars and countless skirmishes in the nation's history ... and time after time, the Army would serve as the Vanguard of Freedom. Thirty-one years after the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, the United States was once again at war with Great Britain-this time because of British impressment of U.S. sailors and interference with international trade. Perhaps the War of 1812 is best remembered because of the "Star Spangled Banner," which was written by Francis Scott Key after wit nessing the night-long bombardment of Fort McHenry. The Army won an accolade when the disciplined attack of Winfield Scott's Brigade at the Battle of Chippewa prompted the British commander to exclaim: "Those are regulars, by God." By the Mexican War the Army had become a small tough force of disciplined soldiers led by dedi cated officers. This war began in 1846 as a border dispute between the United States and Mexico over the boundaries of Texas, which the United States had annexed. After victory in 1848 the citizen soldiers went home, and the regulars returned to their scattered garrisons. Approximately 10,000 men were left to guard an expanded frontier of one million square miles. The peacetime pursuits of the nation were soon disrupted by the Civil War, called the first of the modern wars. It was a war of rifles and bullets, of trenches and grenades. It was a war of maneuver, fought over large areas. The field telegraph strength ened the lines of communications. The balloon was used for ·aerial observation, and photography was introduced for reconnaissance purposes. The Civil War marked ·the first time that there U.S.S. Main e (Library of Congress) The explosion that sent the U.S.S. Maine to the bottom of the Havana harbor on February 15, 1898, touched off the Spanish-American War . . . and found the Army confronted with the task of fighting a major European power on two fronts nearly 10,000 miles apart. There was no precedent for the multitude of logistical problems. The first use of close support machine guns in the attack was decisive in the capture of San Juan Hill. After the end of the fighting in Cuba and the Philippines the Army began to improve its long-range planning. It created a General Staff and a Chief of Staff who would be free to devote full time to the preparation of military plans. The value of plan ing became evident in World War I with the vast mobilization of troops following the Declaration of W r on Germany in 1917. When Congress passed this declaration, the Army had a strength of 200,000 men. The figure increased to four million by the end of the war, half of which was serving overseas. This was the most massive and industrialized war that man had seen. Airplanes were used in reconnaissance and bombing missions, in directing shell fire, nd in scattering leaflets. Tanks also appeared in World War I and were used to provide cover for advancing infantrymen, to remove barbed wire, and to knock out machine gun nests . By November 11, 1 18, the Allies had broken the back of enemy resistance. ~merican troops march down the Cha mps Ely sees in victory parade (U.S. Army) Once the Armistice was signed, the Army was reduced to a small force backed up by the National Guard and Reserve Corps . Within its limited budget, the Army emphasized joint planning, equipment improvement, and higher education of its officers. In World War II the soldier had greater mobility. He was transported in ships, landing craft, tanks , and trucks-and he walked. The United States waged war on two fronts at the same time-Europe and Asia-something that the Japanese had not counted on when they launched their attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. On June 6, 1944-D-Day-the mightiest invasion force in the history of the world assaulted France. The Allies swept towards the Rhine. American Forces secured a bridgehead at Remagen on March 7, 1945. Victory in Europe came on May 7 . In the Pacifi.c Theater the atom bomb released over Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought about victory over Japan on August 14 . .. and the signing of the surrender document on September 2. In the postwar reduction, the Army dropped from 8 million men and 89 divisions to 591,000 men and 10 divisions by 1950. The United States responded to new Soviet aggressiveness by entering collective security agreements such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Soon the Army found itself committed to a global mission on behalf of the free world. In June 1950, North Korea suddenly attacked South Korea, sending troops south acro ss the 38th parallel. The United States responded by deploying Army units stationed in J ap an. The United N ations asked the United States to command a U.N. military force with the mission of throwing back th e aggressors and restoring freedom to th e Korean Republic. The Korean War demonstrated that sustained combat was still possible without the use of atomic weapons. The individual soldier was still the key to success in the land battle. In 1965 North Vietna m invaded South Vietnam and the Vietn amese gove rnment called upon the United States for increased assistance fo r survival against aggression directed by the Co mmuni st regime in North Vietnam. The United States Army buildup in South Vietnam ra ised the number of U .S. forces there from 15 ,000 in J a nu ary 19 65 to more th an 359,000 at the end of D ece mber 1968. It was a new kind of war. Rather than adva ncing along a front , divisions and sepa rate brigades operated from fortified bas e camps to cove r neighb oring districts. Long-distance pa trols on whi ch small groups of men might be away fo r several days were common. Ambush a nd countcrambush were fa miliar tactics on both sides. The helicopter and good ra di o communications were the two factors th at mad e it possible for the Army to engage in this kind of combat. From the Revolutiona ry War to the present, the Army has kept pace with ch a nges-in weapo ns, in organiza tion , and in tactics . And the mode rni zation process goes on. Change is a necessary part of preparedness. The last wa r's wea pons, th e las t war's organization, and the last war's tactics ca n invite defeat. OTHER MISSIONS Two hundred years ago America west of the Mi ssissippi was less well mapped than the moon is today. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson selected his private secretary, Army Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead an exploring expedition from the Mississippi to the Pacific. He instructed Lewis, "The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri river, & such principal stream of it, as, by it's course & co mmunication with the wa ters of the Pacific Ocean, may offer the most direct & practicable wa ter co mmunica tion across this continent, for the purpose of commerce." With these instructions, Lewis , assisted by Lieutenant William Cl ark, set out with a group of soldiers on what would b e the first of many exploration expeditions conducted by the Army. In the West, Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn is well known . L es s well known is the fact that a few years later, and not too far away, the Army won a more lasting b attle-early development and preservation of Yellowstone Park. Jn the ea rly 1900s both warfare and ex plor ation firmly entered a new dimension-the sky. The Wright broth e rs so ld their firs t airplane to th e Army. Until th e creation of the U. S. Air Force in 19 47, the Army was the Nat io n's prim ary military air a rm. In mode rn times: th e first Ame ric an satell ite was orbited by the Army; th e fi rs t Amer ican as tronauts and scientifi c payloads flew on Arm y missiles; and when as tro naut s la nd ed o n th e moo n th ey used lun ar maps plotted by A rm y topog ra phe rs. Th e Army Medical Co rp s has bee n a pionee r in the field of preventive medicin e. A prominent figure in Army medicine was M ajo r Walter Reed, whose pioneering wo rk in th e cause of Yell ow Fever led to th e e radica ti on of th at disease. Tn 1944, influenza vaccines were developed by a young Army docto r named Jon as Salk . The use of liquid chlorin e to keep water free of harmful bac te ri a was deve loped by a n Army major. Th e use of X-ray as a diag nost ic tool was developed by th e Army. Army doctors wrote the first texts on psyciatry and aviation edicine and compiled the first American pharmaco oeia. Since August 3, 1913, ocean-going ships have been using the Pana a Canal to shorten the journeys between the Atlantic and the P acific Oceans. This waterway, considered one of the greatest engineering achievements in the world, was built by the United .... Sta tes Army Engineers under the command of Colonel George W. Goethals. This is only one example of many projects the Army Corps of Engineers has undertaken throughout history. Today, the Corps maintains over 28 thousands miles of inland and int rcoastal waterways. It has built approximately 500 harbors, nine thousand miles of levees and some 400 flood-control reservoirs. • I I I I II ·~-~f; .... ~ SPINOFFS If you use an aerosol can, or drink a cup of freeze dried coffee, you use a product developed by the Army for military application that found a civilian use. There are thousands of other such things the Army developed, or had a major hand in developing, including: COMMUNICATION Aerial Photography Communication Satellites Computers Telegraph Networks Long-Range Photography Photomicrography Transistors ENERGY AND CONSERVATION Bio-Degradable Detergents Bio-Degradation of Waste Gas Turbine Engines High-Power Batteries Hydro-Electric Projects Low-Lead & Lead-Free Gasolines Mobile Power Generators Non-Polluting Combustion Processes Nuclear Reactors Pollution Control Valves Pollution Sensors INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY Automated Ultrasonic Inspection First American Engineering School Improved Lubricants Infrared Detection Instruments Intrusion Detection Systems Laser Detection Instruments New Metals and Alloys Pre-Fabricated Buildings Radar Synthetic Rubber Thermal Detection Instruments X-Ray Inspection FOOD AND CLOTHING Fire-Resistant Fabrics Flexible Food Packaging Food Sterilization Freeze-Dried Foods Mildew-Resistant Fabrics Prepackaged Meals Shrinkage Resistant Fabrics Static Electricity Resistant Fabrics Water-Resistant Fab 'cs SPACE Electronic Guidance Systems First Free-World Satellite First Successful Lunar Probe Liquid and Solid Rocket Propellants Protective Space Clothing Recovery of Live Animals from Space Recovery of Man-Made Objects from Space Redstone Missiles Re-Entry Heat Problem Solutions Relief Moon Maps Space Food TRANSPORTATION Air-Cushion Vehicles Alaska Highway Automobile Anti-Freeze Aviation Landing Systems First Transcontinental Railroad 500 Harbors Helicopter Interstate Highway Specifications Panama Canal 20,000 Miles of Waterways MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH Aero-Medical Evacuation Anthrax Vaccine Anti-Bacterial Burn Creams Anti-Venom Serum Artificial Eyes Artificial Limbs Blood Preservation First Public Health Statistics Fracture Care Gastroenterology Heart Pump Preventive Dentistry Rabies Vaccine Smallpox Vaccine Tranquilizers Traumatic Surgery Techniques Tuberculosis Treatment Typhoid Vaccine Venereal Disease Co trol Water Chlorination X-Rays Yellow Fever Control The primary role and mission of the Army is to organize, train, and equip Army forces both active and reserve, to help preserve peace and security, defend the nation and accomplish land power tasks of the United States. The Army must be prepared to: • Fight, defeat and gain control of enemy forces and their land. • Establish initial military government in occupied territories pending transfer of responsibility to other authority. • Support U.S. programs of security assistance to allies. • Conduct research, development and evaluation of combat vehicles, equipment, clothing, aircraft, rockets, missiles, and other weapons and support systems. • Administer civil works programs for protecting the environment and improving waterway navigation, flood control, beach erosion control and water resource development in the United States, its territories and its possessions . • Support National Civil Defense functions and when directed provide military assistance to federal, state and local government age nci es. • Further social progress through equal op portunity and cooperation within the Army Control of the Army rests in civilian hands. The Commander-in-Chief is the President. He directs the Army's work through the Secretary of D efense and the Secretary of the Army, both of whom are civilians. Civilian control is also exercised by Congress, particularly by its continuing review of programs and budgets. The Army is not alone in defending U.S. interests. It serves as part of an effective national military team whose other members include the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. The Army's combat mission focuses on land operations-no matter what size, how distant, or how numerous and fierce the opponent. In modern warfare, today's Army can respond with lightning mobility, utilizing forces capable of massive armor, infantry, airborne, airmobile, mechanized and am phibious operations. Our modern Army is versatile and responsive. Its progress is reflected in its well trained soldiers and in its modern arms and equipment. Forces The highest management echelon of the Army is the D epartment of the Army, headed by the Secretary of the Army, who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Secretary's principal military advisor is the Army Chief of Staff. The Army consists of the Active Army, the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve. Diverse responsibilities of the Army within the United States are assigned to specialized commands: The U .S. ARMY FORCES COMMAND, Fort McPhearson, GA includes assigned troop units of the Active Army and Army Reserve which are, or may be stationed, in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Johnston Island, Wake Island, Guam, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Panama Canal Zone, Commonwealth o.f Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States and the Greater and Lesser Antilles Islands. Under the U.S. Army Forces Command are the three continental U.S. Armies. They are: FIRST U.S. ARMY, Fort George G. Meade, MD; FIFTH U.S. ARMY, Fort Sam Houston, TX; and SIXTH U.S. ARMY, Presidio of San Francisco, CA. The U.S. ARMY TRAINING AND DOCTRINE COMMAND, Fort Monroe, VA directs combat development and individual training. The U.S. ARMY HEALTH SERVICES COMMAND, Fort Sam Houston, TX provides medical health services, medical training, and education in health specialties. The U.S. ARMY MATERIEL COMMAND, Washington, DC is responsible for equipment development, procurement, delivery, supply and maintenance. The MILITARY DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON, Washington, D.C. supports national region operations for the Defense and Army Departments. The U.S. ARMY COMMUNICATIO S COMMAND, Fort Huachuca, AZ is responsible for the Army's long distance, intercontinental communications complex operating throughout the world. The U.S. ARMY CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION COMMAND, Washington, DC performs and exercises centralized command authority, direction, and control of Army criminal investigative activities worldwide. The U.S. ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND, Fort Sheridan, IL is responsible for worldwide re cruiting activities; procurement of Army Reserve, and Army Medical Department personnel; operation of Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Stations; and the national recruiting publicity program. Some Army units are stationed overseas in sup port of national treaty commitments, in recognition that our Nation cannot be defended solely at the edge of our own shores and that we are committed to maintaining international peace. Troops in the UNITED STATES ARMY, EUROPE are helping to defend North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries. The main battle strength is invested in the SEVENTH U.S. ARMY which consists of combat divisions and supporting units. Border patrols help insure the territorial integrity of the Federal German Republic. In Italy, the SOUTHERN EUROPEAN TASK FORCE reinforces defensive strength in that area. In Korea is the EIGHTH U.S. ARMY. Ocher units are stationed in Thailand and Japan. The major overseas units also include the Army section of U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Groups (MAAGS) and military missions in some countries. They advise nations in the development of their defense forces and assist them in using equipment provided by the United States. THE ARMY IS MADE UP OF MANY ELEMENTS ... dental medical corps corps judge advocate general's corps quartermaster corps army nurse corps women's army corps veterinary corps specialist corps medical service corps corps of engineers adjutant general's corps ~ artillery ordnance signal corps corps christian faith jewish faith military police corps chemical corps transportation corps CHAPLAINS air defense artillery military intelligence The branches of the Army are classified as "basic" branches and "special" branches . Every officer and soldier is assigned to a branch, and each receives training or schooling in his branch specialty. The basic branches are: Infantry, Armor, Field Artillery, Air Defense Artillery, Engineers , Signal Corps, The Adjutant General, Finance, Quartermaster, Ordnance, Chemical, Military Police, Transportation, Military Intelligence, and the Women's Army Corps. The special branches are: Chaplains Corps, the Judge Advocate General's Corps , and the six corps of the Army Medical Department-Medical Corps, Army Nurse Corps, Dental Corps, Veterinary Corps, Medic al Service Corps, and Army Medical Specialist Corps. All women officers other than those in the Army Medical Department are assigned to the Women's Army Corps . Members of the Women's Army Corps, whether enlisted or officer, may be detailed to serve in either the basic or special branches . The various branches are further grouped into "Arms" and "Services." The Arms are those branches whose primary mission is direct combat or which closely support the fighting elements: Infantry, Armor, Field Artillery, Air D efens e Artillery. Combat support arms are those branches which provide operational assistance to the comb at arms: Engineers , Military Police Corps, Signal Corps and Military Intelligence. The Services include the remaining branches, whose primary missions are combat service support or administrative to the Army as . a whole. armor infantry UNITS OF THE ARMY In the field, the basic Infantry combat unit is the squad, led by a sergeant. Each squad member is trained to perform functions essential to a successful team miss ion. The s uad is part of a platoon, headed by a lieutenant. Next comes the company (battery in the field or Air Defense Artillery, or troop in the Armored Cavalry), the smallest formation possessing both tactical and administrative capabilities. Normally a company is commanded by a captain. Above the company is the battalion (or squadron ENLISTED GRADES GRADE NCO command E-9 sergeant major staff E-9 sergea t major first E-8 sergea t master E-8 sergea t E-7 plat sgt or sgt 1st class specialist 7 ' staff E-6 sergeant ~ specialist 6 ' E-5 sergean t ~ specialist 5 0 corporal specialist 4 0 E-4 ~ private E-3 ~ 1st class E-2 private 2 A E-1 recruit (none) in the Cavalry), usually a tactical unit and commanded by a lieutenant colonel. The brigade, consisting of a variable number of battalions, is commonly commanded by a colonel. Above the brigade is the division. The division includes elements of Infantry, Field Artillery, Air Defense Artillery, Armor and service troops; it is capable of sustained combat operations. A major general (two stars) usually commands the division . Next is the corps, primarily a combat formation and usually commanded by a lieutenant general (three stars). ~ene