Table Of Content‘Understanding the U.S. Military is by far the best primer in existence on the history and
organization of the U.S. Department of Defense and military services, their role in American
society, and the challenges they confront today. The authors have accomplished the near
impossible – making comprehensible to the lay reader the myriad complex organizations
and operations of the U.S. defense establishment. Highly recommended for course adoption
at the undergraduate and graduate levels for education and training in national security and
citizenship.’
Peter R. Mansoor, Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.), Ohio State University,
USA, Author of Surge: My Journey with General David Petraeus
and the Remaking of the Iraq War
‘Understanding the U.S. Military has arrived just in time. American citizens are increasingly
disconnected from those who serve and fight in their name. If the American people do not
understand the requirements of national defense or the warrior ethos that is foundational to
military effectiveness, our ability to deter conflict and, if necessary, to fight and win wars will
be greatly diminished. That is why it is important to read and discuss this book.’
H.R. McMaster, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Ret.),
USA, Author of Battlegrounds and Dereliction of Duty
‘Service members often complain that citizens don’t understand the military, but there has
been no single place for people to learn about the armed forces, their relationship with
society, and their role in national security decision-making. Katherine Carroll and William
B. Hickman have provided this vital volume so citizens can better understand the military
and hold officials accountable.’
Christopher D. Kolenda, Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.), Strategic Leaders
Academy, USA, Author of Zero-Sum Victory:
What We’re Getting Wrong About War
Understanding the U.S. Military
This book offers an accessible introduction to the U.S. military as an institution and provides
insights into the military’s structure and norms.
Designed for undergraduate students, the book offers an interdisciplinary overview
of America’s armed forces through three critical lenses. First, it introduces the military’s
constitutional and historical context. Second, it presents concise factual information chosen
for its relevance to the military’s structures, procedures, norms, and varied activities. Finally,
it intersperses these facts with debates, theories, and questions to spark student interest, class
discussion, and further research. The text is written for the beginner but covers complex
topics such as force structure and the defense budget. With contributions informed by both
scholarly approaches and long military careers, the book will prepare students for further
studies in international relations, civil-military relations, or U.S. foreign policy. It also
encourages critical thinking, elucidating an institution that undergraduates and other civilians
too often perceive as both baffling and above reproach.
This book will be of much interest to students of the U.S. military, civil-military relations,
U.S. politics, and public policy.
Katherine Carroll is a non-tenure track associate professor at Vanderbilt University where
she teaches courses on the U.S. military, the Iraq War, and the Middle East in the Department
of Political Science. She is also the associate director of Vanderbilt’s program in Public
Policy Studies.
William B. Hickman is a retired Major General in the U.S. Army, with extensive experience
supporting our European allies, deployments in support of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan,
and the Middle East, and strategic and operational assignments focused on U.S. national
security.
Understanding the U.S. Military
Edited by Katherine Carroll and
William B. Hickman
Cover image: © zabelin
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Katherine Carroll and William B. Hickman;
individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Katherine Carroll and William B. Hickman to be identified as the authors of
the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted
in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to
infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Carroll, Katherine Blue, 1970– editor. | Hickman, William B., editor.
Title: Understanding the US military / Katherine Carroll and William B. Hickman.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York : Routledge, [2023] | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022007430 (print) | LCCN 2022007431 (ebook) | ISBN
9780367724559 (paperback) | ISBN 9780367724573 (hardback) | ISBN
9781003154877 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: United States—Armed Forces. | United States—Armed
Forces—Organization.
Classification: LCC UA23 .U143 2023 (print) | LCC UA23 (ebook) |
DDC 355/.033573—dc23/eng/20220331
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022007430
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022007431
ISBN: 978-0-367-72457-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-72455-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-15487-7 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003154877
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
For past, present, and future members of the U.S. military and
their families.
Contents
List of Figures and Tables xi
List of Contributors xiii
Acknowledgements xvii
List of Abbreviations xviii
Introduction: Understanding the U.S. Military 1
KATHERINE CARROLL AND WILLIAM B. HICKMAN
SECTION ONE
The U.S. Military’s Context 7
1 The U.S. Military in the Constitution 9
THOMAS SHEPPARD
2 Civil-Military Relations 25
DAMON COLETTA
SECTION TWO
The Branches of Service and Reserve Component 43
3 The United States Army 45
MICHAEL MEESE
4 The United States Navy 61
DOYLE HODGES
5 The United States Air Force 77
HEATHER VENABLE
6 The United States Marine Corps 91
JAMES B. SEATON III
