Military
The Military, in a general sense, refers to the standing armed forces of a country, that are directed by the national government and are tasked with that nation's defense. "Militaries" are generally divided into different branches of a specific type of service, including (in alphabetical order) an Air Force (specifically for Aircraft- or Space-based operations), an Army (for land operations), or a Navy (for operations at sea).
Examples of Military Forces
Here listed are several examples of current Military forces.
Armed Forces of Canada
The three traditional services (Navy, Army, and Air Force) were merged in Canada into a single service known as the Canadian Forces on 1 February 1968. Despite an attempt to meld the three services into one, institutional friction prevented this theoretical ideal from becoming a reality. In the mid 1980s, the services began to extend their individuality once more, most notably by the adoption of distinctive uniforms (the Distinctive Environmental Uniform, or DEU). The services are represented today by Air Command, Land Force Command, and Maritime Command, though the terms "navy", "army" and "air force" are used colloquially and are gaining favour. The previous official titles had been Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force.
Armed Forces of the United States of America
The Armed Forces of the United States of America are an all-volunteer standing militia, and are divided into several branches and departments based on the capabilities they bring to the battle. These branches - also called "services" - include:
- The United States Air Force
- The United States Army
- The United States Navy
- The United States Coast Guard
- The United States Marine Corps
Armed Forces of the United Kingdom
(commonly known as the British Armed Forces)
- The British Army
- The Royal Air Force
- The Royal Navy