Military branch

Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state.

A United States Armed Forces Joint-Service Color Guard. This color guard consists of personnel from 5 of the 6 military branches of the United States Armed Forces (Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard).

Types of branches edit

TypeRoleExample (if atypical)
Air and space forceAir and space warfareFrench Air and Space Force
Airborne forcesParatrooper operationsRussian Airborne Forces
Air defence forceAir and missile defenseEgyptian Air Defense Forces
Air forceAerial warfare
ArmyGround warfare
Border guardBorder securityVietnam Border Guard
Coast guardMaritime securityUnited States Coast Guard
Command and controlReconnaissance, Communication, Surveillance, Information warfarePeople's Liberation Army Information Support Force
Cyber forceCyberwarfare Digital and Intelligence Service (Singapore)
Emergencies serviceDisaster relief and emergency management Military Emergencies Unit (Spain)
Engineering serviceMilitary engineeringConstruction and Engineering Forces (Mongolia)
GendarmerieMilitary and/or public policingNational Gendarmerie (France)
General StaffCommand and coordination of the military branches and guiding of the military operationsStrategic Command Operations (Venezuela)
Logistics serviceMilitary logisticsJoint Support Service (Germany)
MarinesNaval land forceUnited States Marine Corps
Medical serviceMedical serviceBelgian Medical Component
Military policeMilitary law enforcement agencyRepublic of China Military Police
Military reserve forceNational reserve and auxiliary serviceLithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces
NavyNaval warfare
Strategic rocket forceOperation of strategic missilesPeople's Liberation Army Rocket Force (China)
Space forceSpace warfareUnited States Space Force
Special forcesSpecial operationsPolish Special Forces
Unmanned systems forcesManaging and utilizing unmanned and robotic systems in military operationsUnmanned Systems Forces (Ukraine)

Unified armed forces edit

The Canadian Armed Forces is the unified armed forces of Canada. While it has three environmental commands - namely the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force - it remains a single military service.[citation needed]

NATO definition edit

Branch of service (also branch of military service or branch of armed service) refers, according to NATO standards, to a branch, employment of combined forces or parts of a service, below the level of service, military service, or armed service.[1]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ MILITÄRISCHES STUDIENGLOSSAR ENGLISCH Teil I, A – K, Bundessprachenamt (Stand Januar 2001), page 226, definition: branch of service.