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[[Image:Casing.jpg|thumb|250px| A U.S. Army soldier firing a 5.56 mm round from an M4 rifle (the M4 also has an M203 40mm Grenade Launcher attached).]]An '''Army''' is a term either referring to one of the largest types of [[Formation (ground military forces)|formation]] for a land-based military force, or the entirety of a nation's military force responsible for its land defenses, both of which are composed of [[Soldier|soldiers]], trained to engage in war.
[[Image:Casing.jpg|thumb|250px| A U.S. Army soldier firing a 5.56 mm round from an M4 rifle (the M4 also has an M203 Grenade Launcher attached).]]
An '''Army''' is a term either referring to the largest type of [[formation]] for a land-based military force, or the entirety of a nation's military force responsible for its land defenses, both of which are composed of [[Soldier|soldiers]], trained to engage in [[war]].


An army, as a single in-theater force, operates at a [[military doctrine#Strategy|strategic]] level, but is composed of smaller operational units which operate at the level of [[military doctrine#Operational art|operational art]] or [[military doctrine#tactics|tactics]].  
An army, as a single in-theater force, operates at a [[Strategy|strategic]] level, but is composed of and often divided into smaller operational units which operate at a [[Tactics|tactical]] level. It is also characterized by a command hierarchy utilizing ranks (divided between [[Officer|officers]] and [[enlisted]], but often with a [[non-commissioned officer]] corps as well), with a rigid adherence to protocol and chain of command necessitated by the conditions of war.
 
In modern warfare, a '''field army''' is an [[echelons above corps|echelon above corps]], but usually more an administrative than operational headquarters. It is unlikely that multiple field armies will ever be in battle, but, in the Second World War, '''army groups''' were operational headquarters for multiple field armies.
 
Not all countries use "army" to indicate the same level of command. Western practice is that a field army is made up of two or more [[corps]], and is commanded by a full general or [[lieutenant general]]. WWII Japanese "armies" were of several levels; an unqualified "army" was equivalent to a Western corps, an "area army" to a field army, and a "general army" to an army group.
 
Armies are most commonly numbered, with the designation written out [[Third United States Army]] or [[First Canadian Army]]. The Japanese [[Kwantung Army]] was actually at army group/theater level. Some countries use honorific, branch, or both in their army names, such as the Soviet [[First Guards Army]] or [[Sixth Guards Tank Army]].


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Reviewed Passed if Improved]]

Latest revision as of 03:37, 27 March 2024

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A U.S. Army soldier firing a 5.56 mm round from an M4 rifle (the M4 also has an M203 Grenade Launcher attached).

An Army is a term either referring to the largest type of formation for a land-based military force, or the entirety of a nation's military force responsible for its land defenses, both of which are composed of soldiers, trained to engage in war.

An army, as a single in-theater force, operates at a strategic level, but is composed of and often divided into smaller operational units which operate at a tactical level. It is also characterized by a command hierarchy utilizing ranks (divided between officers and enlisted, but often with a non-commissioned officer corps as well), with a rigid adherence to protocol and chain of command necessitated by the conditions of war.

References

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