Understanding the U.S. Military

Katherine Carroll, William B. Hickman, Katherine Carroll, William B. Hickman

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9780367724573
• eBook ISBN: 9781000630541
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

This book offers an accessible introduction to the U.S. military as an institution and provides insights into the military's structure and norms.

Designed for undergraduate students, the book offers an interdisciplinary overview of America's armed forces through three critical lenses. First, it introduces the military's constitutional and historical context. Second, it presents concise factual information chosen for its relevance to the military's structures, procedures, norms, and varied activities. Finally, it intersperses these facts with debates, theories, and questions to spark student interest, class discussion, and further research. The text is written for the beginner but covers complex topics such as force structure and the defense budget. With contributions informed by both scholarly approaches and long military careers, the book will prepare students for further studies in international relations, civil-military relations, or U.S. foreign policy. It also encourages critical thinking, elucidating an institution that undergraduates and other civilians too often perceive as both baffling and above reproach.

This book will be of much interest to students of the U.S. military, civil-military relations, U.S. politics, and public policy.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Figures and Tables
• List of Contributors
• Acknowledgements
• List of Abbreviations
• Introduction: Understanding the U.S. Military
• Section One The U.S. Military’s Context
• Section Two The Branches of Service and Reserve Component
• Section Three Structural and Normative Constraints
• Index