Military Issues

Lecture 1. The MilitaryOrganization - Branches, Ranks, Structure

The lecture aims to give you the soldiers five on how the military structure and ranks work.(Soldiers five
is a euphemism meaning a quick rief on a su!ect. "t proaly stems from # soldiers five minute
instruction or lesson. "t can e used like $orporal% can you give me a quick soldiers five on how this
weapon works&'
Arme !orces " Military vs Army
#. The arme !orces of a country ( its government)sponsored defense% fighting forces% and organi*ations.
They e+ist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing ody% and to defend that ody and
the nation it represents from e+ternal and internal aggressors.
"n road usage% the terms ,armed forces, ( ,military, (often treated synonymously% although in technical
usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country-s armed forces may include oth its military and
otherparamilitary forces'.
Arme !orce ( the use of armed forces to achieve political o!ectives.
The study of the use of armed forces is called military science. .roadly speaking% this involves considering
offense and defense at three ,levels,/
0' strategy% 1' operational art% and 2' tactics. #ll three levels study the application of the use of force in order
to achieve a desired o!ective.
B. Anarmy (from 3atinarma arms% weapons via 4ld 5rencharm6e% armed (feminine''% in the #roaest
sense ( the land)ased military ranch% service ranch or armed service of a nation or state. "t may also
include other ranches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps.
7ithin a national military !orce% the word army ( a !iel army% an army composed of full)time career
soldiers who -stand over-% in other words% who do not disand during times of peace.
They differ from army reser$es% activated only during such times as war or natural disasters.
"n several countries% the army is officially called the Lan Armyto differentiate it from an air force called
the #ir #rmy. "n such countries% the word ,army, on its own retains its connotation of a land force in
common usage. The current largest army in the world% y numer of active troops% is the 8eople-s 3ieration
#rmy of $hina with 1%19:%::: active troops and ;::%::: reserve personnel followed y the "ndian #rmy
with 0%219%::: active troops and 1%0<1%;10 reserve personnel.
Role % Mission/
The#rmed 5orces of a country
= support the foreign and domestic policies of their governing ody>
= defend that ody% and the nation it represents% from e+ternal and internal aggressors
&oca#ulary'
= (oint o)eration " (oint task !orce ( involving two or more different ranches of the armed forces
= (oint hea*uarters (pl.' ( an administrative and command centre of a !oint force% with staff officers
and other personnel from all ranches (army% navy% air force'
= com#ine o)s (
0. involving several arms (infantry% artillery% etc'
1. (?S' operations carried out in con!unction with other states
= com#ine (oint task !orce + multinational task !orce
The Romania Arme ,orces/ The 3and 5orces% #ir 5orce and @aval 5orces. The $ommander)in)chief is a
Aa!or Beneral% managed y the Ainister of @ational Cefense% while the president is the Supreme
$ommander of the #rmed 5orces during wartime.
( active troops (forele active' and active territorial reserves (foreleteritoriale'
The -. Arme ,orces/0er Ma(esty1s Arme ,orces2'.ritish #rmy, Doyal #ir 5orce% @aval Service
The -S Arme ,orces' #rmy% #ir 5orce% @avy% and $oastal Buard
Branches o! the Army " Lan ,orces
3om#at arms' involved in actual fighting
3om#at su))ort arms' provide operational assistance to comat arms to include comat missions as
necessary
3om#at ser$ice su))ort arms' provide logistical and administrative support to the army> the personnel is
not directly involved in comat operations
The -nite States #rmy% as one of the three military departments (#rmy% @avy and #ir 5orce' reporting to
the Cepartment of Cefense% is composed of two distinct and equally important components/ the acti$e
com)onent an the reser$e com)onents. The reserve components are the ?nited States #rmy Deserve and
the #rmy @ational Buard. The army is also changing its ase unit from divisions to rigades. E divisional
headquarters.
The ?. S. #rmy has 1F ranch grouped into three general categories/ com#at, com#at su))ort /3S2, an
com#at ser$ice su))ort /3SS2.
3om#at arms are units and soldiers who close with and destroy enemy forces or provide firepower and
destructive capailities on the attlefield. $omat ranches of the ?S #rmy include #ir Cefense #rtillery%
#rmor% #viation% Gngineers% 5ield #rtillery% "nfantry% and Special 5orces (S45'. The #rmy classifies comat
arms units as heavy% light% or special operations forces.
Combat support encompasses critical comat functions provided y units and soldiers% in con!unction with
comat arms units and soldiers% to secure victory. Those functions include #rmy #viation% $hemical $orps%
Gngineers% Ailitary "ntelligence% Ailitary 8olice $orps% Signal $orps% and Special 4perations 5orces ($#
and 8SH48 units'.
Combat service support($SS '. The primary role of #rmy tactical $SS units is to sustain #rmy forces. The
$SS effort is successful only when it concentrates and supports forces y focusing on the sustainment and
reconstitution of tactical units. 7arfare consumes massive amounts of resources. The $SS system must
provide resources in a way that minimi*es constraints on the commander. Tactical)level $SS support must
e responsive.
The British Army
The .ritish #rmy is made up of Degulars who work full time and Territorials who work in their spare time.
The Degular #rmy are full)time soldiers. They train% travel and grow together as a team and theyre made up
of people !ust like you. Territorials are soldiers who train in their spare time. They receive pay for training%
and like the Degulars can work in the ?I and overseas.
Arms an ser$ices
3om#at Arms + the ,teeth, of the .ritish #rmy/ infantry%armoured and aviation units which engage in close
action.
3om#at Su))ort Arms + provide direct support to the $omat #rms and include artillery% engineer% signals
and aviation.
3om#at Ser$ice Su))ort Arms ( provide sustainment and support for the $omat and $omat Support
#rms. 7hilst $SS personnel are not intended to close with and engage opposition forces the fluidity of the
modern attlefield means that these personnel are likely to e engaged in close comat at times% particularly
when associated with .attle Broups.
The Romanian Lan ,orces
= $omat support rigades
= 3ogistic rigades
= $omat support and comat service support centers
= $omat support and comat service support attalions
= 3ive firing ranges
= Gducation and training structures
.ranches o! the Romanian Arme ,orces
"nfantry/ represents the main component of the 3and 5orces and has the purpose to conduct decisive
operations% independently or with other ranches% in any area and on any direction.
#rtillery/ the ranch for fire support of comat forces operations% eing the main tool of fire strike of land
and at surface water o!ectives.
Aountain "nfantry/ the military special ranch from 3and 5orces constitution trained to develop operations
independently and in cooperation with other forces% in mountain ) afforested ground% on directions and in
hard accessile areas% in any weather conditions.
Tanks ( the main force of strike% resulted from !oining of specific properties/ fire power% moility and
capacity of maneouvers% the high possiilities of protection of the staff against effects of the classic
armaments and weapons of mass destruction% the capacity of influencing in a decisive manner the enemy
moral.
Aissiles and anti)air artillery/ have as main mission the 3and 5orces air defense% meant for the discovery
and destruction of enemy air assets.
$ommunications and information structures/ are meant to accomplish and maintain the 3and 5orces
communications with specific technical tools% command automation and respective systems security
providing.
Deconnaissance/ the military ranch meant to secure% centralise% analy*e and e+ploit the information aout
enemy% field% hydro)meteorological conditions% @.$ situation% sanitary)epidemic% telecommunications and
material assets status.
Gngineers/ provide the engineer operations support and coordinate forces engineer protection% independently
or in cooperation with the other ranches.
@.$ defense units and su)units/ develop actions in order to avoid @.$ contamination% to diminish the
percentage of casualties and looses% to maintain the operational capaility of forces and to intensify those
resources in order to continue the operations in an @.$ environment.
8aratroops/ speciali*ed to conduct ample missions that imply air transportation and staff and materials
parachuting
Ailitary 8olice. The history of the Domanian Ailitary 8olice is close related to the history of Domanian
gendarmerie% eing a sort of part of it. "t should e noticed that at the origins the gendarmerie was set up as a
part of Ainistry of 7ar.