A military is, in American English a dedicated defense force whose job is to protect a country. Most other speakers of English say "armed forces", as the word "military" originally (and still does in some contexts) concerns things relating to an army only (and not a navy or an air force).

People in the military usually wear clothes that are the same. This is called a uniform.

People who have been in the military but aren’t any more are called “veterans”.

Sometimes countries get people for their military by allowing people to join voluntarily (if they want to). Other countries have laws which say that some people have to be in the military, even if they don't want to be. This is called the draft or conscription.

Types

A military force that is based on people on foot or in land vehicles is called an army.

A military force that uses ships and boats is called a navy.

A military force that uses mainly airplanes is called an air force.

Militaries may also have special groups for special situations.

Marine forces serve on ships, but also to fight on land when needed. They work closely with a navy, but are not sailors.

Groups

People in the military are part of a group that is part of a larger group, or organization.

Here are some of the common types of groups. They often go in an order similar to this.

• squad (small)
• platoon
• company
• battalion
• regiment or brigade
• division
• corps (big)

Ranks

“Ranks” are different levels. A person with a higher rank can tell a person with a lower rank what to do. People with higher ranks usually also get paid more money.

People in the military wear a symbol of their rank on their uniform.

Here are some common ranks for the army (and sometimes the air force). They often go in this order, from the lowest to the highest:

• private
• Private First Class (one that has been a private for some time)
• corporal
• sergeant
• warrant officer
• second-lieutenant
• first-lieutenant
• captain
• major
• lieutenant-colonel
• colonel
• brigadier-general or brigadier
• major-general
• lieutenant-general
• general

The navy has different ranks, listed here from the lowest to the highest:

• seaman or rating
• petty officer
• chief petty officer
• warrant officer
• ensign
• lieutenant (junior grade) or sub-lieutenant
• lieutenant
• lieutenant-commander
• commander
• captain
• rear admiral (lower half) or commodore
• rear admiral (upper half)
• vice admiral
• admiral

Training

New people in the military are often called “recruits”. Their training is sometimes called “boot camp”.

During this training, they usually have very little free time. They do a lot of exercise. Some things they learn about are weapons, first aid, and their uniforms.

They also learn how to march. This is a special way to walk together, similar to what you might see in a parade. This is sometimes called “drill.”

By the time soldiers finish "boot camp", they should know enough to be a contributing person in their group.

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