The United States has seven federal uniformed services that commission officers as defined by Title 10, and subsequently structured and organized by Title 10, Title 14, Title 42 and Title 33 of the United States Code.
Uniformed services
The seven uniformed services are:
- United States Army
- United States Navy
- United States Marine Corps
- United States Air Force
- United States Coast Guard
- United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps
Each of the uniformed services are administratively headed by a federal executive department and their corresponding civilian Cabinet leader.
Federal executive departments
- Note: The Coast Guard also operates under the Defense Department during wartime, and in military operations.
Statutory definition
The seven uniformed services are defined by 10 U.S.C. § 101(a)(5):
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The term “uniformed services” means—
(A) the armed forces;
(B) the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
(C) the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service.
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The five uniformed services that make up the Armed Forces are defined in the previous clause 10 U.S.C. § 101(a)(4):
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The term “armed forces” means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. |
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Armed forces
Five of the uniformed services make up the armed forces, four of which are within the Department of Defense. The Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement duties, and is currently under the control of the Department of Homeland Security; however, Title 14 of the U.S. Code states that the Coast Guard is part of the military at all times. It is therefore the only branch of the military not under the control of the Department of Defense, at least in peacetime; during war, control of the Coast Guard passes to the Department of the Navy if Congress declares war or at the request of the President. 1 The Commandant of the Coast Guard reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. The commissioned corps of the US Public Health Service and NOAA Commissioned Corps operate under military rules with the exception of the applicability of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, to which they are subject when militarized by executive order or while detailed to any component of the armed forces.2
The National Guard is a militia force and operates under Title 32 and under State authority. The National Guard was first formed in the Colony of Virginia in 1607 and is the oldest uniformed military force founded in the New World. The National Guard can be federally recognized as a reserve military force, becoming the National Guard of the United States which can be mobilized by the President to be under Federal authority through Title 10. The National Guard of the United States is managed by the National Guard Bureau, which is a joint activity under the Department of Defense 345, with a general 34 in the Army or Air Force as its top leader. The National Guard of the United States serves as a reserve component for both the Army and the Air Force and can be called up for federal active duty in times of war or national emergencies 34.
Noncombatant uniformed services
Commissioned officers of NOAA and PHS wear uniforms that are derived from Navy uniforms, except that the commissioning devices, buttons, and insignia reflect their specific service. Uniformed officers of NOAA and PHS are paid on the same scale as members of the armed services with respective rank and time-in-grade. Additionally, PHS Officers are covered by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act and the Service Members Civil Relief Act (formerly the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act).
Both uniformed service consist only of commissioned officers and have no enlisted ranks. Commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration can be militarized by the President of the United States. Statutory authorization to militarize the Public Health Service is under Title 42 U.S.C. (Based on rank, commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (USPHS) and NOAA can be classified as Category III, IV, and V under the Geneva Convention). The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (a predecessor to NOAA) originally began commissioning its officers so that if captured while engaged in battlefield surveying, they could not legally be tried as spies. The Public Health Service (PHS) traces its origins to a system of marine hospitals created "for the relief of sick and disabled seamen" by the U.S. Congress in 1798; they adopted a military model of organization in 1871. 6 7
See also
References
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| Portal:Military of the United States |
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Branches
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other Uniformed Services:
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| Structure |
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| Legend: A=Army MC=Marine Corps N=Navy AF=Air Force CG=Coast Guard PHS=Public Health Service NOAA=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration MSC=Military Sealift Command |
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| Portal:United States Army |
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| Uniforms & Insignia |
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| History & Traditions |
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