Understanding the U.S. Military (Annual English Edition)

Key Chapter Title List

1. The Military in the U.S. Constitution
2. Civil-Military Relations
3. The United States Army
4. The United States Navy
5. The United States Air Force
6. The United States Marine Corps
7. The United States Space Force
8. The National Guard and Reserves
9. Command Relationships
10. Joint Forces
11. Strategy
12. The U.S. Defense Budget

Document Introduction

This report, "Understanding the U.S. Military," is a comprehensive introductory textbook and authoritative analytical guide intended for undergraduate students, policy researchers, and military enthusiasts. Its core objective is to bridge the cognitive gap between the American public, particularly the younger generation, and the highly specialized, complex U.S. military institution. The report points out that although the American public holds a high level of trust in the military, the foundation of that trust based on substantive understanding is increasingly weak. This stems from the all-volunteer service system, the geographical isolation of military bases from major cities, and the widespread lack of systematic military education courses in higher education.

The report adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating professional insights from fields such as history, political science, and strategic studies. It is co-authored by a team of experts with both deep academic backgrounds and extensive military careers. Its content structure is divided into three main parts, systematically analyzing the vast U.S. military institution. The first part focuses on the macro context of the U.S. military, delving into the constitutional design of checks and balances on military power—the historical tension and evolution between Congress's powers to declare war and appropriate funds and the President's authority as Commander-in-Chief. It also systematically analyzes the classic paradigm of civil-military relations, based on Samuel Huntington's theory, and its post-Cold War challenges, laying a theoretical foundation for understanding the military's position within a democratic polity.

The second part details each branch of the U.S. military and its reserve components chapter by chapter. The report not only traces the unique historical origins, service cultures, and core missions of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the newly established Space Force but also analyzes their operational doctrines, force structures, and current major challenges using a standardized framework. For example, the Army faces modernization pressures to shift from prolonged counterinsurgency operations to preparing for great power competition (especially with China); the Navy confronts the dual challenge of maintaining global maritime control and power projection superiority while dealing with a shrinking fleet size and the rapid rise of the Chinese navy; the Air Force must balance maintaining its traditional core competency of air superiority with adapting to emerging domains like space and cyberspace.

The third part shifts to analyzing the key structural constraints and normative factors governing U.S. military operations. The content covers the complex command system, mechanisms for joint multi-service operations, the defense budget formulation process, the military justice system, military healthcare, personnel recruitment and retention, tactical principles, military education and training systems, and the professional ethic concept of the military profession. These chapters reveal how the U.S. military operates within the multiple frameworks of law, budget, human resources, and operational doctrine, and emphasize the enduring importance of the fundamental American principle of civilian control of the military.

The value of this report lies in its successful transformation of complex military organizational information into a clear and coherent knowledge system. It provides both a solid factual foundation and introduces key policy debates and academic questions, encouraging readers to engage in critical thinking. For anyone aiming to gain a deep understanding of the U.S. defense system, national security decision-making processes, and the role of the U.S. military in global strategy, this book is an indispensable and authoritative reference.