A military or military force (n., from Latin militarius, miles "soldier") has seen many different incarnations throughout time. Early armies were most likely men with sharpened sticks and rocks; through time they have included advancements such as men mounting horses, men wielding swords and other metallic weapons, the bow and arrow, siege weapons, the stirrup, to the advance of the musket which form the roots of the armed forces of most nations we know today. In modern times people use motorized vehicles and firearms.

While military can refer to any armed force, it generally refers to a permanent, professional force of soldiers or guerrillas—trained exclusively for the purpose of warfare and should be distinguished from a sanctioned militia or a levy, which are temporary forces— citizen soldiers with less training, who may be "called up" as a reserve force, when a nation mobilizes for total war, or to defend against invasion. The term military is often used to mean an army.

The doctrine that asserts the primacy of a military within a society is called militarism.

More on [ Military ]

Military Top Stories Center

Lawmakers Offer 'War Bonds' Legislation

Senator Hits Army on FBI Hasan Inquiry

Some Stores Bloating APO Shipping Costs


News Releases RSS Feed

U.S. Army Chief of Staff GEN George Casey visits Army equipment displays at the Dec. 12 Army-Navy game
Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0000
U.S. Army Chief of Staff GEN George Casey joined hundreds of football fans at the Dec. 12 Army-Navy game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., who stopped by Army equipment displays outside the stadium showcasing state-of-the-art and next-generation guns, vehicles, UAVs, and robots. "Fans are excited. They like to see what the new technology is," said Thomas Banks, a TACOM engineer who stood by the 33-ton ambush-protected Buffalo vehicle.
U.S. Army to Fast-Track More Gear to Afghans
Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0000
The U.S. Army is preparing to step-up materiel transfers of urgently needed war-fighting gear such as HMMWVs, .50 caliber machine guns, boots, ammunition and other supplies to Afghan forces in light of President Barack Obama's Dec. 1 announcement that he will send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to the country.
Apache Block III Aircraft Tests New Technology
Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0000
Developmental prototypes of the U.S. Army's next-generation Block III Apache Attack helicopter tested emerging technologies which allow pilots to control UAVs and their sensor payloads from the cockpit of the aircraft during a so-called Limited User Test (LUT) in November at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., service officials said.

Subscribe to Military RSS feed

Eisenhower warns us of the military industrial complex.