Armed Services
In most countries the armed forces are divided into three or four Armed Services (also called branches): an army, a navy, and an air force.
Many countries have a variation on the standard model of three or four basic Armed Services. Some nations also organize their marines, special forces or strategic missile forces as independent armed services. A nation's coast guard may also be an independent armed service of its military, although in many nations the coast guard is a law enforcement or civil agency. A number of countries have no navy, for geographical reasons, and some other variations include:
- Brazil: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Firefighters
- Canada: Army, Navy, Air Force
- Chile: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
- Egypt: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense
- Germany: Army, Navy, Air Force, Joint Support Service, Joint Medical Services
- Hungary: Army, Air Force
- India: Army, Navy, Air Force, Strategic Missile Force, Coast Guard, Paramilitary Forces
- Indonesia: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Police
- Italy: Army, Navy, Air Force, Military Police
- Poland: Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Forces
- People's Republic of China: Army, Navy, Air Force, Strategic Missile Force
- South Africa: Army, Navy, Air Force, Military Health Service
- The Netherlands: Army, Navy, Air Force, Military Police
- United States: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard
- Venezuela: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Militia
- Vietnam: Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Coast Guard
In larger armed forces the culture between the different Armed Services of the armed forces can be quite different.
Most smaller countries have a single organization that encompasses all armed forces employed by the country in question. Third-world armies tend to consist primarily of infantry, while first-world armies tend to have larger units manning expensive equipment and only a fraction of personnel in infantry units.
It is worthwhile to make mention of the term joint. In western militaries, a joint force is defined as a unit or formation comprising representation of combat power from two or more branches of the military.
Read more about this topic: Military Units And Formations
Famous quotes containing the words armed and/or services:
“He could pause in his cross-examination, look at a man, projecting his face forward by degrees as he did so, in a manner which would crush any false witness who was not armed with triple courage at his breast,—and, alas! not unfrequently a witness who was not false.”
—Anthony Trollope (1815–1882)
“I see this evident, that we willingly accord to piety only the services that flatter our passions.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)