U. S. Military

U. S. Military

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U. S. Military

Over the years, the United States Military has always been viewed as one of the defining aspects of America’s political and global superiority. As a country that spends a large part of its budget on its armed forces, the United States has managed to create a military force that has played a key role in altering the political landscape of the global community. However, the superior nature of the American armed forces was not always guaranteed. As evidenced by incidences that occurred during the American Revolutionary War in 1776, political affairs assumed a role in the establishment of the official military. Consequently, the involvement of the military in the Cold War, the War against Terror in Iraq, and its current attendance in Syria clearly show the extent to which America’s armed forces possess a rather considerable influence on global policies and political development. Nonetheless, the focus of this discussion involves an understanding of the United States Military. Classified into the Army, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard, the U. S. military is defined by a rich history cultivated from its creation under the Constitution in 1775, its organizational framework, and its involvement in events and occurrences that shaped the world over the years.

History of the U. S. Military

The conception of the United States Military is based on the role that the Constitution of the United States assumed prior to the country’s independence. Accordingly, the Continental Army was the first part of the U. S. military to be created in 1775 (Lookingbill, 2013). The development of the Army was mainly attributed to the country’s need for independence as an outcome of the oppressive regime exercised by the British regime at the time. Even though the start of the American military may be linked to frontier settlers prior to the fight for independence, the official birth of the armed forces was related to the series of repressive laws and regulations that the British passed in an effort to control and suppress the colonists. One of the issues that led to the beginning of the country’s military involved the implementation of martial law on the colony of Massachusetts by the British (Lookingbill, 2013). At the time, the British implemented the respective regulation in response to the protests carried out by the inhabitants of the colonies against the application of taxes. With events such as the Boston Tea Party affecting the efforts of the colonialists to control the colonies, the British government sought to apply restrictive laws that ignited a newfound resistance among the members of the thirteen colonies. As such, the event in question would eventually encourage an inclination towards the creation of armed forces.

Consequently, the struggles that took place in Concord and Lexington in the same period drove America further to the creation of the military in 1775. In response to the martial law applied for Massachusetts due to the Boston Tea Party, some of the colonist groups decided to resist against the British by establishing support for Boston hence leading to the Concord and Lexington battles, which have been established as the evidence of America’s starting struggle for independence against the British colonial government (Muehlbauer & Ulbrich, 2016). With the American Revolutionary War at hand, George Washington was officially elected as the overall Commander of the Continental Army, which was entirely comprised of militia units from the British colonies (Muehlbauer & Ulbrich, 2016). Aside from the Continental Army, response against the British’s oppression encouraged the creation of the Continental Marines and the Continental Navy hence leading to the official establishment of the U. S. military. Through the creation of the respective armed entities, the American colonists were capable of establishing a successful opposing stance against the British as illustrated by the expulsion of the respective colonialists from Boston as well as the remaining colonies hence leading to the independence of the United States in 1776. In essence, the events leading up to the start and conclusion of the American Revolutionary War conceived the initial ideas and notions regarding the military.

Demobilization of Revolutionary Forces & Re-Enactment of the Official Military

Despite the role that the military assumed in the achievement of America’s independence from the British, the organization and stability that the present Armed Forces possesses was attributed largely to amendments made in the U. S. Constitution, specifically after events such as the Treaty of Paris. Accordingly, the forces created by the Continental Congress – the Continental Army, the Continental Navy, and the Continental Marines – were dissolved due to the accord in question, which established the borders between the United States and the British colonial government, which controlled parts of North America at the time (Muehlbauer & Ulbrich, 2016). Since the Treaty of Paris was rather generous to the plight of the American government, the temporary forces that were created by the Continental Congress were officially disbanded. Nonetheless, under the Constitution of the United States, Congress was officially provided with the legislative authority to create armies, the navy, and establish regulations aimed at the administration of the naval and terrestrial forces. Aside from this, the Constitution established the President of the United States as the Commander-in-Chief of the American military.

Organizational Framework of the U. S. Military

The Constitution is the core aspect involved in the development of the U. S. military. As illustrated by the events leading to and after the Revolutionary War, the Constitution was able to create an official framework responsible for the holistic development of the Armed Forces as a key element of the American government. Under the Constitution, authority over the military units was implemented in respect to the President. Under Article II of the manuscript, the President constitutes the head commanding officer of the entire military force (Hendell, 2011). Consequently, the Constitution also provides platforms that can be utilized by the Commander-in-Chief to attain opinion in respect to issues that affect or require the involvement of the military. Through platforms such as executive departments, the President is actually able to seek advice from the people responsible for heading the offices, specifically principal officers. As an outcome of the respective provision, it was possible to establish the Department of Defense, which was officially created in 1947 under the conditions stipulated in the National Security Act (Hendell, 2011). Led by the Defense Secretary, the Department of Defense acts as one of the core advisors as far as issues related to the defense of the country are concerned.

Mergence of Political Affairs with Military Decisions

The political impact of the U. S. military is essentially influenced by the involvement of specific departments such as the National Security Council. Headed by the National Security Advisor, the National Security Council possesses advisory authority, which the President can utilize in an effort to enable the coordination of military tactics with political matters. With input from other members such as the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of State, and the Defense Secretary, the President is capable of initiating informed decisions that assess and weigh the political impact of military strategies (Hendell, 2011). Additionally, the President and the respective advisors are responsible for the sustenance of civilian control as far as the military is concerned. While the individuals in question may possess significant authority towards decisions regarding the military, political leadership has a considerable and essential responsibility in decisions and alternatives centered on military strategies and courses of actions. In this respect, the integration of civilian control facilitates a convergence between political matters and military affairs hence contributing to the establishment of a democratic context (Hendell, 2011). After all, the placement of military matters in the hands of expert military officers simply leads to a form of military-based dictatorship.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the United States Military possesses a rather extensive presence across the globe as an outcome of its superiority in terms of political influence and military resources. With the budget that the federal government allocates towards the Armed Forces, it is unsurprising that the American military is possibly the strongest and most influential combat unit in the world. However, the superiority of the U. S military is not based merely on the financing that it receives. Instead, it is based on its history, which essentially led to its progression. Prior to the occurrence of America’s independence in 1776, American colonies were comprised of militia units that openly instigated the British colonial government. With oppressive laws and regulations passed by the colonialists, the Continental Congress established a loose version of the military that would eventually lead to the achievement of sovereignty for the American people in the respective period. Nonetheless, the true establishment of the U. S. military was illustrated in 1784 after the events influenced by the Treaty of Paris and the Constitution’s official recognition of the Armed Forces as an essential facet of the country’s global political affairs. Essentially, such historical incidences established the platform necessary to develop the U. S. military.

References

Hendell, G. B. (2011). Domestic use of the Armed Forces to maintain law and order. Publius, 41(2), 336-348.

Lookingbill, B. D. (2013). American military history. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Muehlbauer, M. S., & Ulbrich, D. J. (2016). Ways of war: American military history from the colonial era to the twenty-first century. New York, NY: Routledge.