The major U.S. Army Field Armies are:

• 1st Army with headquarters at Fort Gillem, Atlanta Georgia, and is the U.S. Army training and mobilization of U.S. Army reserves and National Guard unis.  It has two sub-commands, First Army Division East at Ft. George, Maryland, and First Army Division West at Fort Carson, Colorado.
  
• 3rd Army with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, currently deployed with the U.S. Central Command at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
• 7th Army with headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany and is currently deployed with U.S. European Command

There are several reduced Army field commands such as:

• 5th Army with headquarters at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, and is responsible for Homeland Defense and support for U.S. Army North and civil affairs.
• 6th Army  with headquarters in at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, is responsible for all of South America with a special focus on the Panama Canal and the Canal Zone, supporting the U.S. Southern Command.
• 8th Army with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea and is currently deployed with U.S. Forces, Korea with 7 U.S. Army installations
• 9th Army with headquarters in Japan which is a service component of U.S. Pacific Forces Command (PACCOM) hq'd in Hawaii

The majority of other field armies  have been deactivated with the majority of deactivations occuring in two periods, one right after World War II (by the end of 1946 most of the WWII armies had been deactivated) and drawdowns starting regularly in the 1960s.  It is the opinion of the author that the drawdowns continued well past the safety zone, and tempo and repeated deployments into the Middle East clearly demonstrate the understaffing of the U.S. Army.

Several famous field armies during World War II have been stood down, with proud histories of service in the epic war:

• 2nd U.S. Army  -- Essentially a reinforcing army first tasked with holding the line east of he Moselle River, France, then along the Western Front, then advanced on retreating German forces until November 11.   In April  of 1945 it was deactivated, however it was given life again after the war until it was merged with the U.S. First Army in January of 1966 at Ft. Meade, Maryland.
  
• 4th U.S. Army -- Stationed at the Presido in San Francisco, California,  and tasked with defense of the U.S. western coast in 1932.  It was consolidated into the Fifth Army at Fort Sam Houston in 1971.
  
• 5th U.S. Army -- Responsible for the defense of Algeria and Morroco, attacked Salemo, Monte Cassino, and the Anzio, Italy and then onto Rome, Posa and Rimmin before finally pinned the retreating German forces at the Po River before deactivation in October, 1945.
  
• 6th U.S. Army  -- Initial thrusts at Rabaul, then New Guinea, then Leyte, Mindoro and Luzon in the Phillipines, then occupied Japan.
  
• 9th U.S. Army -- Northwest Europe in 1944-1945  The 9th took part in defense in the Battle of the Bulge, and labored throughout the Rhineland campaign through to Wesar, and finally met with Russian forces after reducing teh Ruhr Pocket in May of 1945.
• 10th U.S. Army -- Pacific Theatre army, occupied Okinawa in June of 1945.  After the Japanes surrender the Army was deactivated
  
• 14th U.S. Army  -- A fictional Army was supposed to be commmanded by General George Patton for an invasion that never took place.  This disinformation campaign was one of the most successufl and included a complete listing of Army Corps and Divisions leaked to the Axis powers, forcing movement of German forces away from the eventual real invasion at Normandy.
  
• 15th U.S. Army  -- Training and rehabilition command in the European Theater of operations and was the final command of U.S. Army General George S. Patton after the war ended.  The 15th was deactivated in 1946<>

The U.S. Army restructuring in the last decade has moved many of the field army components into Multi-Service Components or MSCs.  These new unit organizations place field army components under the command of Specific or Geographical commands such as CENTCOM, FORCECOM, or EUCOM.  Thus, today, it is difficult to determine the exact structure of Army commands.  

An example would be one familar to the author, the Pacific theater's Pacific Command.   Elements of U.S. Army Pacific are part of the U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, which operates several facilities on Oahu, Hawaii, including Schofield Barracks and Ft. Shafter.  Schofield was a primary defense area prior to World War II and both it and Ft. Shafter have remained as major Army facilities on the Island serving the Asian Theaters (the occupation of Japan after the end of World War II until the late 1950s, and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War).

The Army units on Oahu are support units such as helicopter and other vehicle repair.  These units there have been deployed to Iraq, being "chopped" to CENTCOM and assigned to bases such as Ft. Speicher in northern Iraq as needed to support U.S. Army combat forces in theater.  These servicemen and women saw edges of combat as some were aboard helicopters transporting personnel and cargo all around combat zones in Iraq, manning machine guns or carrying their weapons to defend against attack during their operations.  While not assigned to patrollign streets in major cities in Iraq, these Army personnel were still at risk of attack either on the ground or while in the air conducting operations.

In other words, despite Army units being moved around within Specific or Geographic commands and not being assigned to the major field army (U.S. 3rd Army)  in those combat zones, few Army personnel have been immune to assignment into either Iraq or Afghanistan combat zones.  Indeed current speculation is that few Army personnel have escaped deployment in Iraq no matter where they are stationed, or whether they are regular Army or reserves.

According to CDI's Defense Monitor ¹⁵, here are the totals for U.S. ground forces including planned 2008 numbers:

	FY 2000	FY 2005	FY 2008 (Planned)
Army
Army Divisions
Active	10	6	3
Reserve	8	6	2
Seperate Army Brigades/Regiments
Active	3	3	1
Reserve	18	15	9
Modular Forces (Brigade Combat Teams and Support Brigades)
Active	-	37	78
Reserve	-	5	59
Marine Corps
Marine Corps Divisions
Active	3	3	3
Reserve	1	1	1
Fighter/Attack Aircraft (squadrons)
Active	319 (25)	475(2)	N/A
Reserve	48 (4)	52(4)	N/A

Recent Composition of U.S. Armed Forces ¹⁵

The chart is somewhat deceptive, albeit unintentionally.  The Army's change from Division orientation to the so called Modular Brigades concept is what creates the problem.  Let's see if we can't clear that up.  What we need to be counting is combat maneuver batallions -- the real fighting forces in the Field Armies of the past, and now the essence of the new Modular Forces Brigade.

In FY2000 there were some 10 Active Divisions, 3 brigades per Division.  That totals out to 30 brigades, with 3 Combat Maneuver Batallions of 3 each for a total of 90 CMBs. 

In FY2005 that number dropped to 18 brigades, however, the so called Modular Brigades were formed and these number an additional 37 CMBs, for a grand total of 55 brigades, an uptick of some 25 brigades.  Except of course the new modular brigades are really not full strength brigades, but something called a Brigade Combat Team which reduces the combat maneuver battallions from 3 down to 2.  So the total number of CMBs is 37x2 or 72 CMBs.  Added to the full sized Division Brigades which sport 3 Brigades each (6X3=18 X 3 CMBs), the total for 2005 was 72 + 54 = 126 CMBs. 

In FY 2007 the number was planned out to be 3 Divisions or 9 Brigades.  The Divisions give us with some 27 CMBs and the Modular Combat Teams give us 2X78 CMBs.  This yields a grand total of (27 + 156) CMBs.  Again that is even more deceptive since the 78 Combat Brigades.

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Personnel

The U.S. Army consists currently of some 522,000 Active duty soldiers and 189,000 reservists ⁸ and approximately 456,000 in the National Guard (FY2004 figure) ⁹. There are also some 246,000 civilians employed by the U.S. Army ⁷.  And as we mentioned earlier, there are some 40,000 plus personnel who might be tasked for ground operations from the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

The following table lists details of the force strengths of the U.S. Army from 2003 through 2005:

Soldiers Magazine,  Jan, 2007   Active Army Personnel 486k 2005 494k 2004 494k 2003 U. S. Army Civilians * 2005 209k 2004 201k 2003 197k * Appropriated-fund employees only. Location of the Forces Continental United States (CONUS) 2005 403k 2004 392k 2003 394k Outside CONUS (OCONUS) 83k 2005 102k 2004 100k 2003 Army Budget * $ in Billions 2002 $81.1 2003 $122.1 2004 $134.5 2005 $147.7 * Includes supplemental Appropriations Note: Table made from bar graph. A Diverse Force Whites 60.8% Blacks 21.7% Hispanics 10.5% Other 7.0% Active Army Ranks Officers Captains and Lieutenants 50.5% Colonels, Lt. Colonels & Majors 34.0% Warrant Officers 15.1% Generals .4% NCOs Sergeants and Staff Sergeants 72.9% Sergeants First Class 19.8% Master Sergeants 5.5% Sergeants Major 1.8% Active Army Breakout * Commissioned Officers 68,932 Warrant Officers 12,276 NCOs 187,504 Enlisted (E-1 to E-4) 217,764 2005 Officer Graduates USMA graduates 905 ROTC graduates 2,685 OCS graduates 1,009 * End strength for FY 2005. Army Women 69,638 women are currently serving in the active Army. Commissioned: 11,492 Warrants: 950 NCO/Enlisted: 57,196 Army Families 54% of all Soldiers are married. 9% of all married Soldiers are married to other service member. Army Retirees * OFFICER (at retirement)-- Average rank: LTC Average age: 45 yrs Average service time: 22 yrs ENLISTED (at retirement)-- Average rank: SFC Average age: 42 yrs Average service time: 21 yrs Number of living, active-duty Army retirees--447,800 (* Non-disabled) (Unless otherwise noted, all data drawn from official sources as of Sept. 2005.) Army National Guard Army National Guard Personnel 2005 333k 2004 343k 2003 351k Army National Guard Breakout 2005 Commissioned Officers 29,952 Warrant Officers 6,602 NCOs 139,146 Enlisted (E-1 to E-4) 157,477 Army National Guard Women 42,760 women are currently serving in the Army National Guard. Commissioned: 3,429 Warrant: 495 NCO/Enlisted: 38,836 Army National Guard Families 73% of officers/warrants and 46% of enlisted Guard Soldiers are married. Overall, 49% of the National Guard force is married. Army National Guard Budget $$ in Billions 2002 $8.0 2003 $9.7 2004 $9.7 2005 $11.2 Army National Guard Ranks Officers Captains and Lieutenants 49.4% Colonels, Lt. Colonels & Majors 32.0% Warrant Officers 18.1% Generals .5% NCOs Sergeants and Staff Sergeants 76.4% Sergeants First Class 16.4% Master Sergeants 5.7% Sergeants Major 1.5% Diverse Force Whites 74.0% Blacks 13.7% Hispanics 7.4% Other 4.9% Army Reserve Army Reserve Budget $ in Billions 2002 $4.6 2003 $5.3 2004 $5.5 2005 $5.7 Note: Table made from bar graph. Army Reserve Ranks Officers Captains and Lieutenants 39.1% Colonels, Lt. Colonels & Majors 53.7% Warrant Officers 6.9% Generals .3% Enlisted Privates, Corporals and Specialists 44.6% Sergeants and Staff Sergeants 37.6% Sergeants First Class 11.5% Master Sergeants 5.1% Sergeants Major 1.2% A Diverse Force Whites 59.1% Blacks 23.3% Hispanics 11.3% Other 6.3% Army Reserve Breakout 2005 Commissioned Officers 34,406 Warrant Officers 2,529 NCOs 84,222 Enlisted (E-1 to E-4) 67,848 Army Reserve Women 43,839 women are currently serving in the Selected Reserves. Commissioned: 8,434 Warrant: 326 NCO/Enlisted: 35,079 Army Reserve Families 71% of officers/warrants and 43% of enlisted Army Reserve Soldiers are married. Overall, 48% of the Army Reserve force is married. Army Reserve Personnel 2005 189k 2004 204k 2003 212k (All information provided by Dr. Betty Maxfield, G-1 Office of Army Demographics.)

Using these figures, we can look at a trend for total number of personnel in the Regular and Reserve forces:

Army	2003	2004	2005	2007
Regular (Active Duty)	494,000	494,000	486,000	506,000
Reserve	212,000	204,000	180,000	190,000
Total	706,000	698,000	666,000	696,000

  The table above are active duty and reserve army personnel and does not include civilians and the Army National Guard.

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U.S. Marine Corps (official site link)




The U.S. Marine Corps reports through the Commandant to the Chief of Naval Operations to the Secretary of the Navy.  The Marines, typically "first-in", are the major amphibious assault forces for the U.S.  They typically operate off of U.S. Navy vessels.  The Marines have their own air wings and for the most part their own support forces for logistics and equipment repair.  However, in many cases, the U.S. Navy provides in theater support via U.S. Navy ships purpose built to provide transport and disembarkation into the war zone.  For instance, helicopters are carried aboard U.S. Navy aircraft carriers or other capital ships designed specifically to carry helicopters and armored equipment close to the coastline of an opponent.  There are U.S. Marine bases In the U.S. and at key strategic sites throughout the world and U.S. Marines help protect embassies and most naval bases throughout the world.

The Marines are comprised of operating forces; the Marine Corps Reserve; the supporting establishment; and Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.

Currently there are some 186,000+ active duty Marines, and approximately 40,000 Marine Corps Reservists.

The Marines are typically thought of as being organized under the Marine-Air-Guard-Task-Force (MAGTF) concept which places their capabilities into one of two assignments; as part of a Naval Expeditionary Force (embarked on carriers and with special purpose built ships), or as assigned to one of the unified commands has elements of the U.S. Marine Corps assigned to them for military operations.

The operational organizations are:

• Marine Corps forces (MARFOR)
• Marine Corps security forces (MCSF) at naval installations
• Marine security guard detachments at embassies and consulates around the globe ¹⁰
  

The MARFOR is organized into:

1. Two Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) as part of the U.S. Navy's two Fleet organizations the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets:
1. Fleet Marine Force Atlantic (FMFLANT) with headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia
   
2. Fleet Marine Force Pacific (FMFPAC) with headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii.  ¹⁰

FMF

Each FMF reports to a Naval Fleet Commander-in-Chief. The commanding general, a Lieutenant General, may be either an aviator or a ground officer and his deputy commanding general must be chosen from the other community of Marines.

Each FMF consists of at least:

1. one Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW),
   
2. one Marine Division (MARDIV), and
   
3. one Force Service Support Group (FSSG)..  ¹⁰

The MAGTFs can be:

1. MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force)
   
2. MEB (Marine Expeditionary Brigade)
   
3. MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit).  ¹⁰

MEF

Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) is commanded by a Lieutenant General and consists of the entire Division, Wing, and Force Service Support Group with some fifty thousand soldiers. The MEF is designed to enter combat zones with a full supply of food, ammunition and medicals for up to 60 days.  ¹⁰

 MEB

The Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) fields somewhere between ten to thirteen thousand Marines and is commanded by a Brigadier General. It carries 30 days of supplies and is capable of operations ashore independent of an ATF.

The MEB consists of an entire infantry regiment plus reinforcing units (i.e. armor, reconnaissance, combat engineers, etc.) and an ACE
which consists of an entire Marine Aircraft Group whose individual squadrons will be task organized to support the mission.  ¹⁰

NOTE:  In preparation for a mandated reduction in force to be accomplished by 1997, the USMC was recommended to reduce the MEFs from two to one, and disestablish all the MEB.  Major Glen White took up the issues created by this move in a brief white paper ¹¹ which is well worth the read. 



MEU

The Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is the smallest MAGTF. Commanded by a Colonel, it contains:

1. one infantry battalion,
   
2. one composite helicopter squadron (which may include AV-8B VSTOL aircraft) and
   
3. a small CSSE.
   

The MEU carries fifteen days of all classes of supply (including Class VIII - medical and dental). But it is dependent upon the "sea based" support of the Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) of three or four ships from which it operates.

The LF6F Landing Force Sixth Fleet) is a permanently assigned MEU that maintains a presence in the Mediterranean with a total strength of approximately 2700 marines and sailors.  ¹⁰

An excellent article on how the Marine Corps structure operates is found in an article by Rod Powers at About.com  ¹⁶ :

"...each Marine has three things to worry about. Three men to a fire team commanded by a Corporal (so there are actually a total of four on the team, when you count the team leader). Three fire teams to a rifle squad commanded by a sergeant. Three rifle squads to a platoon commanded by a Lt.. Three rifle platoons to a company commanded by a Capt. Three companies to a battalion commanded by a Lt Col. etc.

Team: Four individual Marines assigned to a specific team (Three team members, plus the team leader).

Squad: Three Teams are assigned to a specific squad. [MILNET:  12 Marines plus one Squad Sergeant making 13]

Platoon: Three squads are usually assigned to a specific platoon [MILNET: 39 Marines and 1 Officer per Platoon]

Company (or Battery): Three platoons are assigned to a Company (sometimes called a battery). The Company/battery is the lowest level of command with a headquarters element (example, a Company Commander, or Company First Sergeant).
[MILNET:  117 Marines and 4 Officers (3 L.T.s and the Company Commander, a Captain) to a company plus a headquarters element]

Battalion: Three companies/batteries are assigned to form a Battalion. [MILNET:  351 Marines and 13 officers to a Batallion, which includes the Batallion Commander, a Lt. Colonel or Colonel]

Brigade/Regiment: Three battalions form a Regiment (Sometimes called a Brigade). [MILNET: 1053 Marines  and 40 officers to a Brigade, which includes the Brigade Commander, a Brigadier General]

Division: Three Brigades are assigned to make up a Division. [MILNET:  3159 Marines and 121 officers to a Division plus various headquarters personnel, including the Division Commander a Major General]

Marine Corps: Three or more divisions make up the Marine Corps.  ¹⁶  [MILNET: 9477 Marines plus some 363 officers are the combatants in the Marine Corps.   The other 179,000 are headquarters, aviation or support personnel.]

MAW

A Marine Aircraft Wing is commanded by a Major General and these units are much larger than a Navy Carrier Air Wing. Each Marine Aircraft Wing is assigned a majority of the types of aircraft in the Navy inventory.  It should be noted that U.S. Navy combat support teams on helicopters provide a majority of the crews in transporting Marines ashore in combat situations.  It should be noted that Marine pilots fly combat attacks and close air support missions for Marine deployments ashore flying F/A-18, AV-8B, EA-6B, and OV-10D fixed wing aircraft:

Fixed Wing

1. F/A-18 (A, C, CN, D)
   
2. AV-8B
   
3. EA-6B
   
4. OV-10D

Rotary Wing

1. CH-46F (Replacement transitioning to MH-60S)
   
2. CH-53
   
3. UH-1N
   
4. AH-1T/W (T aircraft, the single turbine version are all but phased out expect perhaps for reserves)
   

Each MAW is task-organized (i.e., has different component units, depending upon the mission assigned).

Typically, a Marine Aircraft Wing consists of:

1. Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron,
   
2. Marine Air Control Group,
   
3. Marine Wing Support Group, and
   
4. several Marine Aircraft Groups - The Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) consists of:
1. Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron,
   
2. Marine Air Base Squadron, and
   
3. several (nominally three to six) aircraft squadrons.
   

Different types of aircraft usually are grouped by basic mission (e.g., tactical jet fighter, tactical jet attack, helicopter, and transport). However, variations do occur, usually because of availability of base facilities and particular training areas.  ¹⁰

Again, Rod Powers explains how this all works on About.com ¹⁶:

"

Marine Aviation

The Marines structure their aviation commands a little differently. The structure for aviation commands are:

Squadron: (applied to flying & non-flying units). In aircraft squadrons, the number of aircraft varies from 4 - 24, depending on the type of squadron. Non-flying squadrons include Marine Aviation Logistics Sqns (supply), Marine Wing Support Sqns (construction), Marine Air Control Sqns (air defense), Marine Air Support Sqns (Airfield control), Marine Tactical Air Command Sqns, Marine Wing Communications Sqns, Marine Wing Headquarters Sqns (Admin).
[MILNET:  lets go with 24 fighters or 4 helicopters]

Group: (3 or more squadrons) Includes Marine Aircraft Group (MAG), Marine Wing Support Group (MWSG), Marine Air Control Group (MACG). The MAGs are usually all helo or all fixed-wing (MAG-36 in Okinawa has a KC-130 sqn attached)
[MILNET: 72 fighters and  12 helicopters plus 2 tanker aircraft]

Wing: 3+ Groups. 2 or more MAGs + MWSG, MACG.  [MILNET:   216 fighters, 24 helicopters and perhaps 6 tankers]

For example, 1st MAW has 1 fixed-wing MAG (MAG-12)+ 2 helo MAG (MAG-36 + Aviation Support Element, Kaneohe). 2nd & 3rd MAW each have 2 fixed-wing + 2 helo MAGs. 4th MAW (Reserves) has 4 mixed MAGs

There is no set size (number of troops) assigned to any specific element. The size of an element of command depends primarily upon the type of unit and mission. For example, an aviation squadron would have a different number of troops assigned than an infantry company because it has a different mission, different equipment, and therefore different requirements." ¹⁶

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Personnel

According to CDI's Defense Monitor, the following summarizes the personnel strength by Divisions for the U.S. Marine Corps.

	FY 2000	FY 2005	FY 2008 (Planned)
Marine Corps
Marine Corps Divisions
Active	3	3	3
Reserve	1	1	1
Fighter/Attack Aircraft (squadrons)
Active	319 (25)	475(2)	N/A
Reserve	48 (4)	52(4)	N/A

Recent Composition of U.S. Armed Forces ¹⁵   

We also repeat the 2007 personnel counts from the U.S. Department of Defense:

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Equipment

The U.S. Marine Corps equipment is divided for our purposes here into four sections:

1. Ground Combatants
2. Air Combatants
3. Ground Support
4. Air Support

Ground Combatants

M1A2 Abrams MBT	AAVP7A1 AAV		HMMWV

The major ground combatants are identified in three groups and we link to the U.S. Navy Factfiles for more information on each of these three groups:


Armor (Tracked Vehicles)

1. Tanks (Main Battle Tanks -- MBT, Medium Tanks, Light Tanks)
1. Abrams M1A2 Main Battle Tank
2. Armored Personnel Carriers -- APC
1. AAVP7A1 Assault Amphibian -- AAV
   

Wheeled Vehicles

1. HMMWVA2 (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), armed with various weapons from machine gun to light anti-tank cannon or missile launcher.
2. IFAV - Interim Fast Attack Vehicle (FAS article)
   
3. LAV-25 - Light Attack Vehicle (FAS article)
   

Artillery (Indirect Fire Systems)

M198 155mm Howitzer	M777A1 155mm Howitzer	HIMARS Rocket System

1. Towed (Artillery Pieces)
1. M198 155mm Howitzer
   
2. M777 155mm Howitzer
   
2. Self Propelled
1. HIMARS Rocket System
   

Air Combatants

The air combatants are identified in two groups and we link to the U.S. Navy Factfiles for more information on air combatants:

AV-8B Harrier II	AH-1W Super Cobra Gunship	F/A-18D Hornet	MV-22 Osprey

Aircraft

1. Fixed Wing Aircraft
1. AV-8B Harrier II VTOL
2. EA-6B Prowler Electronic Warfare Aircraft
   
3. F/A-18A, FA-18C, FA-18CN, F/A-18D Hornet Attack Fighter
4. MV-22 Osprey Tilt Rotor Assault Aircraft
2. Rotary Wing Aircraft
1. Gunship - AH-1W Super Cobra Helicopters
2. Troop Assault - CH-46E Sea Knight Helicopter
3. Combat Assault Transport - MH-53E Sea Dragon
4. Combat Search and Rescue - HH-60H Seahawk Helicopter

Ground Support

The air combatants are identified in two groups:

M88A1 Hercules	M93A1 NBCRS	Model 7A1 AAV	M60A1 AVLB

1. Tracked Vehicles
1. M88A2 Hercules
2. M60A1 Assault Vehicle Landing Bridge
3. Model 7A1 Assault Amphibian Vehicle Recovery
   
2. Wheeled Vehicles
1. M93A1 FOX NBC recon vehicle

Air Support

Marine Corps air support are identified in two groups below:

KC-130 Hercules		CH-53E Super Sea Stallion	UH-1H Iroquois

1. Fixed Wing Aircraft
   
1. KC-130 Air-to-Air Refueling Aircraft
   

2. Rotary Wing Aircraft (Helicopters)
   
1. UH-1H Iroquois Utility Helicopters
   
2. MH-60S Seahawk Helicopter (replacing aging CH-60D, operated by U.S. Navy for Rescue and Combat Support)
   
3. CH-53D Sea Stallion Helicopter
4. CH-53E Super Sea Stallion Helicopter
   

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Ships (U.S. Navy)

The USMC are typically transported to their mission areas aboard U.S. Navy ships.  Some of these ships are purpose built for the Marine Corps and may even serve as offshore command and control centers or house the headquarters elements while in theater.  Below we list the major ship types, however there are also several smaller vessel types carried by these capital ships -- for instance rubber assault craft or hovercraft.  Carriers are included simply because they serve to lead a major naval force and may recover Marine helicopters and certainly carry and launch the USMC F/A-18, EA-6B and other Marine piloted fixed wing aircraft.

However the LHD, LHA, LPH and LPD (which carry and launch the hovercraft) are the major Marine capital ships of interest.

Ship Type	Active Roll
CVN  (Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier)  The nuclear powered aircraft carrier ushered in a new era for power projection during the cold war. With nuclear carriers traveling over a million miles without needing refueling, on board fuel tank space could be devoted to other tasks. Essentially larger carriers could be built and they were able to carry more aviation fuel for longer deployments. Combined with decreases in the sizes of various avionics and electronic components, more combat and support equipment could be crammed aboard the multi-story aircraft carrier. With bigger decks on top, more aircraft could be carried, and more catapults could be added. The result is an awesome yet compact city of serviceman, support equipment and aircraft all together on one rather large capital ship. See CVX at the end of the CV section below.	Designator Name                                                     CVN-65 U.S.S. Enterprise (Class Vessel) CVN-68 U.S.S. Nimitz (Class Vessel) CVN-69 U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-70 U.S.S. Carl Vinson  (photo) CVN-71 U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt CVN-72 U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln CVN-73 U.S.S. George Washington CVN-74 U.S.S. John C. Stennis CVN-75 U.S.S. Harry S. Truman CVN-76 U.S.S. Ronald Reagan (7/12/2003) CVN-77 U.S.S. George H.W. Bush (christened) Delivery expected 2008
LHD / LHA / LPH (Amphibious Assault Ship) The Amphibious Assault Ship were designed to act as primary landing craft for assault operations performed by the U.S. Marines. Similar to aircraft carriers, these ships serve as launch platforms for AV-8B Harrier II jumpjets, helicopters as well as up to three LCACs (Landing Craft-Air Cushion). Also conventional landing craft are embarked. All of which are used to move Marine assault forces ashore. As an integral part of the modern Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), the LHD serves as a staging platform which is a dedicated aircraft carrier designed to support an amphibious assault like no other in the world's military. The LHD can also perform limited anti-submarine warfare via SH-60 helicopters, serving as a landing platform for refueling, and apply limited sea control via the Harriers. There are two other types of Amphibious Assault Ships, the slightly smaller Tarawa LHA-1 class and the even smaller Iwa Jima LPH-9 class.	Designation Name                                                      LHD-1 U.S.S. Wasp (Class Vessel) LHD-2 U.S.S. Essex LHD-3 U.S.S. Kearsarge LHD-4 U.S.S. Boxer LHD-5 U.S.S. Bataan LHD-6 U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard (Under Construction) LHA-1 U.S.S. Tarawa (Class Vessel) LHA-2 U.S.S. Saipan LHA-3 U.S.S. Bellau Wood LHA-4 U.S.S. Nassau LHA-5 U.S.S. Peleliu LPH-9 U.S.S. Guam(Iwo Jima Class)
LPD  (Amphibious Transport Dock) These versatile ships perform the mission of amphibious transports, amphibious cargo ships and the older LSDs by incorporating both a flight deck and a well deck that can be ballasted and deballasted to support landing craft. The Navy's newest class of ship, San Antonio (LPD 17), is scheduled to replace the older LPD 4 class and its increased vehicle and substantial cargo carrying capacity will make it a key element of 21st Century Amphibious Ready Groups. The 12 ships of the class integrate the latest in shipbuilding and warfighting technologies to support current and future Marine Corps aircraft, the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAAVs) and air cushion or conventional landing craft. The Navy announced the contract award for LPD-17 on Dec. 17, 1996.	Designation Name                                                     LPD-4 U.S.S. Austin (Class Vessel) LPD-5 U.S.S. Ogden LPD-6 U.S.S. Duluth LPD-7 U.S.S. Cleveland LPD-8 U.S.S. Dubuque LPD-9 U.S.S. Denver LPD-10 U.S.S. Juneau LPD-12 U.S.S. Shreveport LPD-13 U.S.S. Nashville LPD-14 U.S.S. Trenton LPD-15 U.S.S. Ponce LPD-17 U.S.S. San Antonio (Class Vessel) LPD-18 U.S.S. New Orleans  LPD-19 U.S.S. Mesa Verde LPD-20 U.S.S. Green Bay
LSD  (Dock Landing Ship) The Dock Landing Ships were designed for delivery of landing craft, cargo, and personnel in amphibious assaults. The current Harper's Ferry Class (LSD-49 thru LSD 52) can deliver up to two LCAC (Landing Craft, Air Cushion) or a larger number of conventional landing craft, plus transport some 402 Marines, as well as an additional short distance transport of 102 more. There are also two other classes currently in operation; Whitney Island LSD-41 thru LSD-48, and Anchorage class, LSD-36 thru LSD40. The Whitney Island class can carry up to 4 LCAC while the the others can only carry two. A typical ARG (Amphibious Ready Group) of Marines embarks an LHA or LHD-Amphibius Assault Ship, an LSD-Dock Landing Ship, and an LPH-Amphibious Transport Dock.	Designation Name                                                     LSD-36 U.S.S. Anchorage (Class Vessel) LSD-37 U.S.S. Portland LSD-38 U.S.S. Pensacola LSD-41 U.S.S. Whitney Island  (Class Vessel) LSD-42 U.S.S. Germantown LSD-43 U.S.S. Fort McHenry LSD-44 U.S.S. Gunston Hall LSD-45 U.S.S. Comstock LSD-46 U.S.S. Tortuga LSD-47 U.S.S. Rushmore LSD-48 U.S.S. Ashland LSD-49 U.S.S. Harpers Ferry  (Class Vessel) LSD-50 U.S.S. Carter Hall LSD-51 U.S.S. Oak Hill LSD-52 U.S.S. Pearl Harbor