Military branch

Subdivision of the national armed forces

"Service branch" redirects here. For the non-military topic of a branch of an organization that provides charitable service, see service club. For the activities of a branch of an organization that provides servicing, see maintenance.

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A United States Armed Forces Joint-Service Color Guard. This color guard consists of personnel from 5 of the 6 military branches of the United States Armed Forces (Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard).  Part of a series on

War
(outline)

History

* Prehistoric
* Ancient
* Post-classical
* castles
* Early modern
* pike and shot
* napoleonic
* Late modern
* industrial
* fourth-gen

Military

* Organization
* Command and control
* Defense ministry
* Army
* Navy
* Air force
* Marines
* Coast guard
* Space force
* Reserves
* Regular / Irregular
* Ranks
* Standing army / Militia

* * *

* Specialties:
* Rifleman
* Staff
* Engineers
* Intel
* Recon
* Medical
* Police
* Diving
* Comms
* Pilot
* Commissar

* * *

* Land units:
* Infantry
* Armor
* Cavalry
* Artillery
* Special forces
* Signal corps

* * *

* Naval units:
* Frogman
* Warships
* Submarines
* Aircraft carriers
* Landing craft
* Auxiliary ships

* * *

* Air units:
* Fighters
* Bombers
* Command
* Close air support
* Electronic-warfare
* Reconnaissance

* * *

* Combat systems:
* Fire-control system
* Fire-control radar
* Director (military)
* Combat information center
* Sonar
* Radar

* * *

* Historical:
* Ship gun fire-control
* Gun data computer
* Torpedo data computer

* * *

* Development:
* Basic training
* Military manoeuvrers
* Combat training

Battlespace

* Aerospace
* Aerial
* Airborne
* Space

* * *

* Land
* Cold-region
* Desert
* Fortification
* Jungle
* Mountain
* Urban
* Subterranean
* Tunnel

* * *

* Sea
* Amphibious
* Blue
* Brown
* Green
* Surface
* Underwater
* Seabed

* * *

* Cyber
* Information

Weapons

* Air defence
* Armor
* Artillery
* Barrage
* Biological
* Camouflage
* Cavalry
* Horses
* Air cavalry
* Chemical
* Combined arms
* Conventional
* Cyber
* Denial
* Disinformation
* Drone / Robot
* Electromagnetic
* Infantry
* Loitering
* Missile
* Music
* Nuclear
* Psychological
* Radiological
* Unconventional

Tactics

List of military tactics

* Aerial
* Airlift
* Air assault
* Airbridge
* Airdrop
* Battle
* Cavalry
* Charge
* Counterattack
* Counterinsurgency
* Defeat in detail
* Foxhole
* Drone
* Envelopment
* Formation
* Guerrilla
* Naval
* Rapid dominance
* Encirclement
* Investment
* Siege
* Swarm
* Screen
* Tactical objective
* Target saturation
* Trench
* Withdrawal

Operational

* Military operation
* Operations research
* Blitzkrieg
* Expeditionary
* Deep operation
* Maneuver
* Operational manoeuvre group
* Raid
* Covert

Strategy

List of military strategies and concepts

* Military campaign
* Anti-access
* Attrition
* Commerce raiding
* Counter-offensive
* Culminating
* Defence in depth
* Fabian
* Empty fort
* Mosaic
* Deception
* Defensive
* Depth
* Goal
* Nuclear
* Naval
* Offensive
* Scorched earth

Grand strategy

* Asymmetric
* Blockade
* Broken-backed
* Class
* Cold war
* Colonial
* Conquest
* Containment
* Divide and conquer
* Economic
* Endemic
* Fleet in being
* Irregular
* Liberation
* Limited
* Network-centric
* New generation
* Perpetual
* Political
* Princely
* Proxy
* Religious
* Resource
* Strategic
* Succession
* Technology
* Theater
* Total war
* World war

Administrative

* Branch
* Policy
* Staff
* Training
* Service
* Sociology

Organization

* Area of responsibility
* Chain of command
* Command and control
* Doctrine
* Principles of war
* Economy of force
* Medicine
* Engineers
* Intelligence
* Ranks
* Technology and equipment

Personnel

* Recruitment
* counter
* Conscription
* Mobilization
* Training
* Specialism
* Morale
* Women
* Children
* Transgender
* Harassment
* Conscientious objector
* Volunteer
* foreign
* Mercenary
* Soldier / Warrior

Logistics

* History
* War economy
* Military–industrial complex
* Arms industry
* Materiel
* Supply-chain management
* Base
* MOB
* FOB
* Outpost

Science

* Power projection
* Loss-of-strength gradient
* Lanchester's laws
* Force multiplication

Law

* Armistice
* Ceasefire
* Court-martial
* Desertion
* Geneva Conventions
* Geneva Protocol
* Islamic rules
* Justice
* Perfidy
* Jewish laws on war
* Right of conquest
* Rules of engagement
* Martial law
* War crime
* Penal military unit

Theory

* Air supremacy
* Appeasement
* Command of the sea
* Deterrence theory
* Full-spectrum dominance
* Overmatch
* Unrestricted Warfare
* Just war theory
* Principles of war
* Philosophy of war
* Security dilemma
* Tripwire force
* War games

Non-warfare

* Arms control
* Counter-insurgency
* deterrence
* Disaster response
* Grey-zone
* Gunboat diplomacy
* Humanitarian aid
* Law enforcement
* Low-intensity conflict
* Military engineering
* Multilateralism
* Peacekeeping
* Peacebuilding
* Peace through strength
* Show of force

Culture

* Awards and decorations
* Battle cry
* Warrior caste
* War film
* Military science fiction
* War novel
* Anti-war movement
* Foot drill
* War song
* Uniform
* Wargame

Related

* Women in war
* War resister
* War studies
* Horses in warfare
* Wartime sexual violence
* Fifth column

Lists

* Battles
* Military occupations
* Military terms
* Operations
* Sieges
* War crimes
* Wars
* Weapons
* Writers

* v
* t
* e

Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state.

## Types of branches

[edit]

Type  | Role  | Example (if atypical)

|
|

Air and space force | Air and space warfare | French Air and Space Force
Airborne forces | Paratrooper operations  | Russian Airborne Forces
Air defence force | Air and missile defense | Egyptian Air Defense Forces
Air force | Aerial warfare |
Army | Ground warfare |
Border guard | Border security | Vietnam Border Guard
Coast Guard | Maritime security | United States Coast Guard
Command and control | Reconnaissance, Communication, Surveillance, Information warfare | People's Liberation Army Information Support Force
Cyber force | Cyberwarfare | Digital and Intelligence Service (Singapore)
Emergencies service  | Disaster relief and emergency management | Military Emergencies Unit (Spain)
Engineering service  | Military engineering | Construction and Engineering Forces (Mongolia)
Gendarmerie | Military and/or public policing | National Gendarmerie (France)
General Staff | Command and control | Strategic Command Operations (Venezuela)
Logistics service  | Military logistics | Joint Support Service (Germany)
Marines | Naval land force  | United States Marine Corps
Medical service  | Medical service | Belgian Medical Component
Military police | Military law enforcement agency | Republic of China Military Police
Military reserve force | National reserve and auxiliary service  | Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces
Navy | Naval warfare |
Strategic rocket force | Operation of land-based strategic missiles | People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (China)
Royal/Presidential guard | Protection of royal families / presidential offices and ceremonial duties  | Saudi Royal Guard Regiment / Republican Guard (Algeria)
Space force | Space warfare | United States Space Force
Special forces | Special operations | Polish Special Forces
Unmanned systems forces  | Drone warfare (usually)  | Unmanned Systems Forces (Ukraine)

### Unified armed forces

[edit]

The Canadian Armed Forces is the unified armed forces of Canada. While it has three environmental commands - namely the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force \- it remains a single military service.[1]

### NATO definition

[edit]

Branch of service (also branch of military service or branch of armed service) refers, according to NATO standards, to a branch, employment of combined forces or parts of a service, below the level of service, military service, or armed service.[2]

## See also

[edit]

* List of militaries by country
* Military organization

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Boileau, John (November 11, 2021). "Unification des Forces armées canadiennes" [Unification of the Canadian Armed Forces]. "L'Encyclopédie canadienne" [The Canadian Encyclopedia] (in English and French).
2. ^ "A – K" [A – K]. Militärisches Studienglossar Englisch Teil I Englisch [Military Study Glossary English Part I English] (in German). Hürth: Bundesprachenamt. 1996. p. 226\. OCLC 1245240835.

* v
* t
* e

Military branches

* Airborne forces
* Air force
* Army
* Air defence
* Border guard
* Coast guard
* Gendarmerie
* Marines
* Missile defence
* Military police
* Militia
* Navy
* Public Force
* Security forces
* Space force
* Special forces

* v
* t
* e

Military and war

Concepts|

* Military
* Service
* History
* Technology
* Occupational roles
* Recruitment
* Roles:
* Soldier
* Sailor
* Airman
* Enlisted rank
* Officer
* Commanding officer
* Executive officer

* Protocols and structure:
* Ranks
* List
* Uniforms
* Awards and decorations
* By country
* Highest
* Categories:
* Ranks

Forces|

* Command and control
* Defense ministry
* Armed Forces:
* Army
* Navy
* Air force
* Marines
* Space force
* Special forces
* Airborne forces
* Commando
* Frogman
* Militia
* Reserves
* Functional specialties:
* Communications
* Engineers
* Intelligence
* Reconnaissance
* List
* Medical
* Military police
* Gendarmerie
* Security forces
* Border guard
* Coast guard
* Logistics
* By country
* Categories:
* Combat occupations
* Development:
* Basic training
* Military maneuvers
* Combat training

Branches|

* Land units:
* Combat arms
* Infantry
* Armor
* Cavalry
* Artillery
* Special reconnaissance
* Signal corps
* Naval units:
* Warships
* Surface
* Littoral
* Patrol
* Submarines
* Aircraft carriers
* Landing craft
* Auxiliary ship
* Air units:
* Fighters
* Bombers
* Command
* Close air support
* Electronic-warfare
* Reconnaissance

Structure|

* Organization
* By country
* Armies by country
* Chain of command
* Unified combatant command
* General staff
* Land:
* Army group
* Field army
* Corps
* List
* Division
* List
* Brigade
* By type
* Regiment
* By country
* By type
* Battalion
* By country
* By type
* Platoon
* Squad
* Naval:
* Naval fleet
* Task force
* Carrier strike group
* Division
* Flotilla
* Squadron
* Air:
* Combat box
* Special units by nation:
* Battle Fleet; U.S. Navy
* Front; Russian land forces

Vehicles|

* Ground:
* Ground
* List
* Combat
* Tracked vehicles
* Wheeled vehicles
* Armor
* Tank
* Infantry fighting vehicle
* Lists
* By country
* Armored car
* Scout car
* Truck
* List
* Gun truck
* Self-propelled artillery
* List
* Anti-aircraft
* Rail

Weapons|

| Land|

* Weapons
* List
* Artillery:
* Artillery
* List
* By country
* Battery
* Field gun
* List
* Howitzer
* List
* Rocket
* List
* Infantry guns:
* Pistols
* Machine guns
* List
* Service rifles:
* Battle rifles
* List
* Assault rifle
* List
* Sniper rifle
* Other infantry weapons:
* Bazooka
* Anti-tank gun
* List
* Grenade
* List
* Flamethrower
* Bayonet
* Combat knife
* List
* Missiles:
* Shoulder-fired
* Anti-tank
* List
* By country
* Mortar
* Lists:
* Infantry
* Heavy
* Other:
* Land mine
* Shells

|

Sea/Air:|

* Guided missiles
* List
* Naval:
* Naval artillery
* List
* Anti-ship missiles
* Torpedoes
* Depth charges
* Close-in weapons
* Aerial:
* Guns
* Missiles
* Bombs

Equipment|

* Military equipment
* Lists
* By country
* Helmet
* List
* Camouflage
* List
* Body armor
* Facilities:
* Military base
* Lists
* Field hospital

Combat systems|

* Fire-control system
* Fire-control radar
* Director (military)
* Combat information center
* Sonar
* Radar
* Historical:
* Ship gun fire-control
* Gun data computer
* Torpedo Data Computer

Warfare|

* War
* Battle
* Strategy
* Tactics
* Combat
* Military science
* Diplomacy
* International law
* By era:
* Prehistoric
* Ancient
* Post-classical
* Early modern
* Late modern
* industrial
* fourth-gen
* By type:
* Armoured warfare
* Artillery
* Barrage
* Biological
* Camouflage
* Cavalry
* Chemical
* Class
* Combined arms
* Conventional
* Cyber
* Denial
* Disinformation
* Drone
* Electronic
* Infantry
* Lawfare
* Loitering
* Music
* Nuclear
* Psychological
* Radiological
* Unconventional

Battlespace|

* Aerospace
* Air
* Airborne
* Space
* Land
* Cold-region
* Desert
* Jungle
* Mountain
* Urban
* Sea
* Amphibious
* Blue
* Brown
* Green
* Surface
* Underwater
* Subterranean
* Tunnel
* Cyber
* Information

Tactics|

* List of military tactics
* Aerial
* Airlift
* Airbridge
* Airdrop
* Battle
* Cavalry
* Charge
* Counterattack
* Counterinsurgency
* Defeat in detail
* Foxhole
* Envelopment
* Guerrilla
* Morale
* Rapid dominance
* Siege
* Swarming
* Tactical objective
* Target saturation
* Trench
* Withdrawal

Operational|

* Military operation
* Operations research
* Blitzkrieg
* Expeditionary
* Deep operation
* Maneuver
* Operational manoeuvre group

Strategy|

* List of military strategies and concepts
* Military campaign
* Attrition
* Counter-offensive
* Culminating
* Defence in depth
* Fabian
* Mosaic
* Deception
* Defensive
* Depth
* Goal
* Naval
* Offensive
* Scorched earth

Policy|

* Diplomacy:
* Alliances
* Peace treaty
* Cooperation
* United Nations
* Mediation
* Public policy:
* Conscription
* Defense budget
* Defense policy
* Related:
* Government
* Nation

Lists|

* Military lists
* Wars
* Weapons
* Military tactics
* History lists:
* Wars
* Battles
* Military occupations
* Operations
* Sieges
* Related lists:
* War crimes
* Writers

Other namespace|

| Templates|

* {{War}}
* {{Weapons}}
* {{Ranks}}
* Vehicles and weapons
* {{Tanks}}
* {{Weapons}}
* {{Infantry fighting vehicles}}
* {{Modern warships}}
* {{Aircraft}}
* Specific modern wars
* {{Napoleonic Wars}}
* {{World War I}}
* {{World War II}}
* {{Cold War}}

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Categories|

* Lists of wars by country
* Conflicts by time

Related|

* Peace
* Peace and conflict studies
* Peace movement
* Peace process
* Disarmament
* Pacifism
* Détente
* Global studies
* Conscientious objector
* Anti-war movement
* Idealism in international relations
* Humanitarianism
* International cooperation
* Crimes against humanity
* {{International relations}}
* Categories:
* Peace organizations

Category Commons

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