6 Facts You Don’t Know About the US Military
The US military has been serving the citizens of America since the September 29, 1789. Yet, we know surprisingly little about the world’s most powerful military force. For this reason, you should read the following six facts you might not know about the US military.
- The Use of Camouflage
George Washington originally chose blue as the Continental Army’s uniform color in 1779, and it was a hue that was worn until the Spanish American War of 1898. Camouflage wasn’t born until US troops smeared themselves in mud to successfully hide from the enemy in Cuba. The army then chose to adopt a khaki summer uniform and a brown/green winter service uniform. It wasn’t, however, until World War I that the camouflage known today was created to disguise troops.
- The First Female Troops
American women commonly served as nurses, cooks and seamstresses during the Revolutionary War. Yet a few females did enter combat, as Mary Ludwig Hays replaced her husband at a cannon at the Battle of Monmouth, whilse Deborah Sampson successfully disguised herself as a man to join the military. It wasn’t until the introduction of the Army and Navy Nurse Corps in 1901 and 1908 that women were officially allowed to serve, and the first non-nurse females enlisted into the US military in 1917 to enter World War I.
- The World’s Largest Employer
The US Department of Defense employs more people than any other organization across the world. It currently has approximately 1.4 million active duty personnel, 700,000 civilian personnel, and 1.1 million National Guard and reserve personnel. The organization also owns a significant amount of land, as it controls approximately 30 million of acres internationally.
- Customized Military Coins
Pride for both the nation and unit is instilled into every service man or woman in the military. For this reason, many elite units, such as the Navy SEALs and Special Operations, often provide custom military coins to their forces, as do other military style structures, such as fire and police departments. Every line of duty can therefore create customized coins with the help of MilitaryCoinsUSA.
- The Biggest Defense Budget in the World
The United States provided the US military with $619 billion, which is as much as the combined nine highest-spending countries’ military budgets. The sum therefore accounts for 37% of the worldwide total budget for military defense, which is a testament to the quality of America’s military forces.
- US Presidents’ Military Service
Out of the 45 men who have served as President of the United States, an incredible 31 of them have served in the military. 24 of the 31 also served in the US army or in state militias (the modern National Guard). Of course, it is not a stipulation for US presidents to have served, but it was a trend started by President George Washington. Theodore Roosevelt also received the Medal of Honor, whilst George H.W. Bush received the Distinguished Flying Cross in WWII.
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