Armed Services is a collective term that refers to the major organisational entities of national armed forces, so named because they service a combat need in a specific combat environment. In most states Armed Services include the Army also known as Land Force or Ground Force, Navy also known as Marine Defence Force, and Air Force. Some countries have a separate service for the Space Forces or Military Space Forces, and the Russian Federation also has the Strategic Missile Troops and the Airborne Troops as independent Armed Services. The People's Liberation Army, despite the name, also comprises Armed Services consisting of the PLA Ground Force, PLA Navy (PLAN), PLA Air Force (PLAAF), Second Artillery Corps (strategic nuclear or missile force), and the PLA Reserved Force.
Some nations combine all Armed Services into one structure such as the Japan Self-Defense Forces, Óglaigh na hÉireann, and the Canadian Forces, and subdividing them into branches, or the Israeli Defense Forces with an even less pronounced separation of Armed Services due to its combined arms doctrine that is applied even at the highest echelons of command.
Famous quotes containing the words armed and/or services:
“The schoolmaster is abroad! And I trust to him armed with his primer against the soldier in full military array.”
—Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832)
“The community and family networks which helped sustain earlier generations have become scarcer for growing numbers of young parents. Those who lack links to these traditional sources of support are hard-pressed to find other resources, given the emphasis in our society on providing treatment services, rather than preventive services and support for health maintenance and well-being.”
—Bernice Weissbourd (20th century)