The United States is synonymous with having a strong, courageous military. It may come as a surprise that the U.S. military is NOT the largest military in the world based on active personnel – that would be China, with 2,000,000 active members. The United States ranks third with 1,390,000 active personnel. However, the United States spends the most on the military; in 2021, America had a military expenditure of $801 billion, which was 3.2% of the country’s GDP and 38% of total global military spending.
Here are 5 more U.S. military facts:
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- The U.S. military has 7 distinct Forces. (source) They are the Army, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Air Force, the Space Force, the Coast Guard, and the National Guard.
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- There are special skills badges that can be earned by service members. (source) These badges include Aviator, Rigger, Parachutist, and Marksmanship. What is a Rigger badge? A Rigger badge is earned when a U.S. Army or Air Force member has successfully completed qualification courses for packing, delivery, repair, and maintenance of parachutes.
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- 31 of the 46 U.S. presidents have served in the military. (source) President Roosevelt earned the Medal of Honor, the most distinguished honor in the military. The only President who served and did not become an officer was James Buchanan. An officer is someone who holds a position of authority in the Armed Forces.
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- The U.S. military owns 29,819,492 acres of land worldwide. (source) The United States has 737 military installations overseas. The largest military site in the United States is the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico with a total site acreage of 3,542,862.
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- The Defense Department is the biggest employer in the United States. (source) It employs 1.8 million people, more than Exxon, Mobile, Ford, General Motors, and GE combined!
