Military Background and

Structure

The U.S. Department of Defense is comprised of the following hierarchy and branches:

Department of Defense

President of the United States

Secretary of Defense

Secretary of the Navy

Commandant of the Marine Corps

Chief of Naval Operations

Secretary of the Air ForceSecretary of the Army

Active Duty & ReserveActive Duty

Forces• Permanent & active force• Full Time

– On Call 24 hours /7 days– Generally work 40—50 hours

when not deployed or training

• Full military benefits (i.e. health insurance, housing allowance, dependent benefits)

Reserve Forces

• Extra forces ready, but inactive until activated for duty

• Reserve Forces include National Guard (managed by individual states)

• Part-time– 1 weekend a month– 2 weeks a year

• Limited benefits* Reserve forces, including National Guard can be activated into federal active duty status.*

Reserve Organizations

• Army Reserve• Army National

Guard• Air Force Reserve• Air National

Guard

• Navy Reserve• Marine Reserve• Coast Guard

Reserve

Reserve forces are a part of all the military branches and include state reserve units. The purpose of reserve units is to provide trained and readily available additional military support when needed to support active units. Reserve units can be activated at any time. Below is a list of the reserve branches.

Active Duty Personnel by Branch

38.6%

22.6%

22.1%

13.8%

Army Air Force Navy Marine Corps

N= 1,411,425*

Military Branch: ARMY• Established:

June 14, 1775. It is the oldest branch of the military.• Mission:

“to fight and win our Nation’s wars by providing prompt, sustained land dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of combatant commanders”• Core Values:

Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal courage• Member identified as: Soldier

Military Branch: NAVY• Established:

October 13, 1775• Mission:

“to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining

freedom of the seas”• Core Values:

Honor, Courage, Commitment• Member identified as: Sailor

Military Branch: AIR FORCE

• Established:September 18, 1947. It is the youngest branch of the military.

• Mission:“deliver sovereign options for the defense of the

United States of America and its global interests, to fly and fight in air, space and cyberspace”• Core Values:

Integrity firstService before selfExcellence in all we do

• Member identified as: Airman

Military Branch: MARINES• Established:

November 10, 1775. It is the smallest branch of the military.• Mission:

“the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and other land operations to support naval

campaigns, the development of tactics, techniques, and equipment used by amphibious landing forces and such other duties as the President may direct”• Core Values:

Honor, Courage, Commitment• Member identified as: Marine

Military Branch: COAST GUARD

• Established:January 28, 1915.

• Mission:“protect the public, the environment, and the

United States economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters

and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways”• Core Values:

Honor, Respect, Devotion to Duty• Member identified as: Guardian or Coastie

The Coast Guard is a part of Department of Homeland Security not Department of Defense (DoD).

Chain of Command

• The rank system and chain of command structure in the military provides a source of order, process, and camaraderie to service members.

• It is deemed an essential part of day-to-day operations.

• Sometimes a civilian’s lack of structure can be frustrating to a service member.

Rank StructureThe rank structure of each military branch is divided into 3 categories: Enlisted, Warrant Officer, and Officer. Within each rank are levels of hierarchy. The titles for each rank are specific for each branch.

Categories of RankEnlisted:

• Identified as E-1 to E-9

• Lowest rank categoryInclude:• Non-Commissioned

Officer (NCO)• Junior Non-

Commissioned Officer• Senior Non-

Commissioned Officer

Warrant Officer:Identified as W-1 to W-5• Higher ranked

than Enlisted, but below Officer

Include:• Warrant Officer• Chief Warrant

Officer

Officer:Identified as O-1 to O-10• Highest ranking

categoryInclude 3 levels of rank:• Company Grade• Field Grade• General Grade

*Increased rank imparts more responsibility and duties.*

Common Terms• Active Service Members

– Refers to Active duty, National Guard, and Reserve• Veterans

– Anyone who served in the U.S. military• OEF-Operation Enduring Freedom

– War in Afghanistan• OIF-Operation Iraqi Freedom

– War in Iraq• Spouses

– Married to service member, also considered dependents• Dependents

– Anyone classified as a dependent receiving benefits of a service member• Military-Related Students

– All active duty, veteran, reserves, spouse, or dependents

Military Demographics

• Age• Gender• Race• Marital Status

Age of Active Duty Military

25 or Younger 26-30 31-35 36-40 41 or Above0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

Age of Active Duty Military

22.8%

14.3%14.3%

8.8%

43.2%

Gender Demographics

MaleFemale85.5%

14.5%

Ethnicity Demographics

White

Other/Unknown

Multi-Racial

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

Native American/Alaskan

Asian

African American

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

69.90%

4.90%

2.50%

0.60%

1.60%

3.80%

16.90%

Marital Status

Married56%

Never Married

38%

Divorced4%

Other*1%

TCC Military Demographics

Percent of Total   Headcount

24.1% of active duty and veterans

Active Duty 2,076

75.9% of active duty and veterans

Veteran 6,523

 Total Active duty and Veterans

8,599

40.0% of all military-related

students

Dependent Family Members

5,744

Total Military Related Student

14,343

  Total all TCC students 42,440

 % Military-related students

34.0%

TCC Veterans and Active Duty Enrollment as of 2013-2014

Conclusion

• Understanding the structure and demographics of the military is important for assisting and instructing military-related students in their academic and career endeavors.