The Coast Guard is the smallest of the military branches but can become part of the Navy during times of war. The primary mission of the Coast Guard is to protect domestic waterways.
The Coast Guard is a unique military branch in that it is the smallest, has a maritime law enforcement mission, and is the only one that does not normally operate under the Department of Defense, but rather the Department of Homeland Security.
The largest and oldest service in the U.S. military, the Army provides the ground forces that protect the United States. A component of the Department of the Navy, the Marine Corps maintains amphibious and ground units for contingency and combat operations.
The Marines are often the first on the ground in combat situations, leading the charge when conflict arises.
Total active duty personnel for the five armed service were approximately 472,000 for the Army, 319,000 for the Navy, 319,000 for the Air Force, 184,000 for the Marine Corps and 41,000 for the Coast Guard. See the 2021 military active-duty personnel, civilian numbers by state.
Marine Corps Basic Training
Largely considered the toughest basic training program of the United States Armed Forces, Marine training is 12 weeks of physical, mental, and moral transformation. Special attention is given to close combat skills and master marksmanship training (every Marine is a rifleman, after all).
Army. As the oldest branch of the U.S. Military, the Army protects the security of the United States and its resources.
So the safest military branch in terms of man-to-man combat and machine-to-machine accidents is the Space Force.
Unlike other reservists, who may be called to serve wherever the U.S. has an army station, members of the Army National Guard remain on domestic soil to serve U.S. interests at home.
Soldiers on active duty in the Army deploy more than any other branch, with the possible exception of the Navy (although most Navy deployments are on ships at sea). How often you deploy depends on whether the U.S. is involved in any ongoing conflicts. Deployment is also heavily determined by your Army job.
To recap: The hardest military branch to get into in terms of education requirements is the Air Force. The military branch with the toughest basic training is the Marine Corps. The hardest military branch for non-males because of exclusivity and male dominance is the Marine Corps.
The Marine Corps has the longest basic training -- 12 weeks, not including four days of in-processing time. Counting the half-week you spend in forming (in-processing), you'll spend a total of seven-and-a-half weeks in Coast Guard basic training at Cape May, (N.J.,) the shortest basic training of all the services.
For the most part, there are no differences in the benefits between the Navy vs. Army and any other branch of the military. All service members who meet the expectations of their contract and the required time in service qualify for educational benefits, have housing benefits and receive medical coverage.
For starters, an unmarried couple cannot live on a base outside of certain extenuating circumstances that would have the non-service member defined as a caregiver for the service member's children. As a result, unmarried military couples typically live off-base.
The short answer is YES! Most people can visit a military base with no issue. However, it's not like visiting grandma where you can just pull up and walk in. You must bring all required documents and be willing to submit to a background check.
The Air Force has the reputation of having the best quality of life programs (dormitories, family housing, on-base shopping and services, and recreation) of all the military service branches.
Easiest Boot Camp / Basic Training
What is this? Though boot camp / basic training is considered challenging, yet mandatory, for every branch of the military, the easiest among them would most likely be the Air Force.
When one examines the numbers by branch and component, those with the lowest average numbers of deployments were the Coast Guard and Marine Corps reserves (1.22 and 1.29, respectively) and those in the regular Coast Guard (1.28).
The Army offers the highest base pay, while the Air Force offers more opportunities for special pay. So, it really depends on what you're looking for in a military career. If you want to make the most money possible, then the Army is probably the best branch for you.
Space Force
20, 2019, the U.S. Space Force is the newest branch of the military.
NEW! REENA ROSE SIBAYAN/The Jersey JournalVeteran Bob Button stands in his Jersey City home next to photos of himself in the Navy, Marine Corps and Army. Button has served in all five branches of the military.
The United States Army is only responsible for land-based operations, meaning they only occupy military duties that take place on solid ground, whereas the Marines are considered to handle amphibious operations. This means that they can take control of military operations, whether those be land, air, or water.