The U.S. Army was created on June 3, 1784 by the Congress of the Confederation at the end of the Revolutionary War. “To fight and win America’s wars,” the Army exists to organize, equip, and train forces “for the conduct of prompt and sustained combat operations on land.”

The U.S. Army operates with an active component and two reserve components: the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. There are just under 500,000 soldiers serving actively in the U.S. Army today and another 550,000 serving in the reserve components.