There are six branches of the U.S. military: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard.

Main branches

  • Army – Handles primarily land-based operations and is the oldest and largest branch.
  • Navy – Conducts operations at sea (and also in the air) to secure oceans and sea lanes.
  • Marine Corps – Specializes in amphibious and expeditionary warfare, operating between land and sea.
  • Air Force – Focuses on air and many space-related operations, including air superiority and global strike.
  • Space Force – The newest branch, created in 2019, responsible for space operations and protecting U.S. interests in space.
  • Coast Guard – Handles maritime security, law enforcement, and search and rescue, usually under the Department of Homeland Security.

Quick context

  • All six are recognized in U.S. federal law as coequal armed forces branches.
  • Five branches (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force) sit under the Department of Defense, while the Coast Guard typically operates under Homeland Security in peacetime.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.