About This Quiz
The American Army is one of the largest and most powerful on the planet. Soldiers participate in conflicts all over the world, and the Army is the oldest branch of the US military. Many Americans, both uniformed and civilian, are employed by the Army in one way or another. But how much do you know about these men and women who serve and what they are responsible for doing?Â
Whether you want to prove your knowledge and love of the Army or just want to learn more about the Army and what its members do, you are in the right place. There is a lot to know, from their training to the history of the Army to the items they use and so much more. This quiz will challenge you to prove your knowledge on a range of different facts and stats about this force, which is simultaneously high-tech and brute force.Â
Do you think you have what it takes to beat our quiz? Will you gain the rank of the General of the Armies or remain a private? Without any further ado, put on your helmet and get ready to charge the trenches and take on our difficult quiz on the Army. Stand at attention and get started!
While the secretary of defense is the leader of the Armed Forces, they are actually second in command behind the president. The president has the ultimate authority and supreme command over all US armed forces.
The Pentagon, which is located in Virginia, is the home of the Department of Defense, which makes it the home of the U.S Army. It is also officially the largest office building on the entire planet, as thousands of people work there.
While the Army uses a wide range of vehicles for a number of other things, there is none more common than the Humvee. Humvees are used for transporting troops, as well as a variety of other functions.
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There are many different ways that different divisions in the Army may fight. The most common is infantry, which is essentially fighting on foot. While they may use some mounted weapons and transport, they are often on foot.
"Hooah" is a common battle cry used among soldiers. At one point it was meant like "how do you do," but since World War II it has gone on to mean "anything and everything except no".
In 1929, a colonel in the Army looked into creating a type of sunglasses to minimize distraction for pilots. They were eventually patented and called the Ray-Ban Aviators, which are still very popular to this day.
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A crew-served weapon is used for heavy firepower at a range that most weapons simply won't be able to cut. These are large and incredibly powerful, so they often need an entire crew to fire and load.
The official song of the Army is called "The Army Goes RollingAlong." It was adopted only in 1956, which was much later than other military branches that had official songs for decades before that time.
Before 1947, the Air Force was a part of the Army, and some military aviation responsibilities fell on the Marines and the Navy. However, the National Security Act of 1947 changed that forever.
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The Army has several highly prestigious ranks, but none are higher than the General of the Armies. Very few people have ever achieved the rank, and it is essentially a five-star general.
While most of the American presidents who served in the military did so in the Army, not Jimmy Carter. Carter actually served in the Navy during both World War II and the Korean War.
Throughout the country, there are only four different locations where basic combat training takes place. They are Fort Jackson, Fort Benning, Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Sill. Each provides different training for different jobs and specialties.
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There are dozens of different awards and medals that can be given out to those in the Army, but none is more prestigious than the Medal of Honor. In fact, it is normally given out by the president of the United States personally.
In total, throughout its entire history, the U.S government has employed the draft for five different conflicts. These were the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, Cold War (Korea and Vietnam) and both of the World Wars.
Army basic training is a 10-week cycle of training courses that teach future Army soldiers a lot of what they will need to know. This is quite difficult, as it is meant to test these individuals to ensure they can handle being in the Army.
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The Lewis and Clark Expedition was the first journey across the US into the western states, and it was carried out by several volunteers from the Army. These individuals helped to map the US, as well.
There are currently five different branches of the military. In addition to the Army, you also have the Navy, the Coast Guard, the Marines and the Air Force. All of these branches have their own duties, tasks and rules.
Because he was the first president and was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, George Washington was the president who officially chose the colors that the Army would wear.
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Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was the name of the Prussian officer who assisted in training U.S Army soldiers. He helped found the Continental Army and without him, the United States as we know it would likely be very different.
A five-star general is the second-highest rank in the Army, behind a General of the Armies. In total, there have only been five Army officers who have been given the prestigious award, including the likes of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Scott got to the ripe old age of 75 before he retired from the Army. This makes him one of the oldest Army soldiers ever, as he served from 1808 to 1861 in the Army after a year in a militia.
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Back during the Revolutionary War, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man to be able to serve in the Continental Army. She served for 17 months before she was injured in 1782 and discharged honorably the following year.
While the US and its army have been in numerous different wars and conflicts, they have only declared war against other nations on five different occasions. The last time was way back in 1942.
The motto for the U.S Army is "This We'll Defend". The motto is referring to one of the largest purposes and duties of the Army, which is to protect and defend the soil of the United States of America.
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The most commonly used weapon among Army soldiers is the M4 Carbine. It is a smaller and more compact version of an M-16, to allow for easier movement, storage and maneuverability.
While it's not the most commonly used weapon in the U.S Army, the most common sidearm pistol is the M9. Eventually, these will be replaced by the M17, as it won a competition to be the next military sidearm.
While many think you need to be 18 to enlist in the Army and the other Armed Forces, that isn't the case. Individuals can enlist at the age of 17, as long as they have their parents' permission and meet the other requirements to join the Army.
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The Continental Army, which was the origin of the modern U.S Army, was founded on June 14, 1775. As a result, the Army is actually technically older than the USA itself. The Continental Army actually helped the USA become a nation.
Before 1973, the draft was incredibly common during numerous conflicts such as the Civil War and the Cold War. However, after the Selective Service Act ended and expired in 1973, conscription in the USA was essentially over, although almost all men between the ages of 18 and 25 must still register.
Throughout the history of the US Army, only two individuals have been given the prestigious rank of General of the Armies. They were George Washington (who was given the rank posthumously) and John J. Pershing.
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Guerrilla warfare has been around for a very long time, but Francis Marion was one of the fathers of modern guerrilla warfare. His nickname was the "Swamp Fox" for his unorthodox style and tactics.
When going through basic training, there are three different phases that a person must go though. They are named after colors and are the Red, White and Blue phases, in order from 1 to 3.
The U.S Army is among the largest employers in the USA, with about 472,000 uniformed personnel. There are more civilian employees who serve in noncombat support roles, as well.
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In November 2018, a new version of the "Army Greens" was announced. These are based on the green uniforms worn by Americans in World War II. These new uniforms will first be fielded in 2020 during the summer.
The Green Berets, which is a name given to the Army Special Forces, have been around since 1952. They have a long list of responsibilities and tasks that are quite different from normal Army divisions.