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60-674: PMRF is the world's largest instrumented, multi-dimensional testing and training missile range. The US military and its contractors favor its relative isolation, ideal year-round tropical climate and encroachment-free environment (see PMRF Agriculture Preservation Initiative below). It is the only range in the world where submarines , surface ships , aircraft and space vehicles can operate and be tracked simultaneously. There are over 1,100 square miles (2,800 km) of instrumented underwater range and over 42,000 square miles (109,000 km) of controlled airspace . The base itself covers roughly 2,385 acres (965 ha). The base includes

120-445: A 6,000-foot (1,800 m) runway with operations and maintenance facilities. It has roughly 70 housing units and various recreational facilities for those who can access the base. The base has support facilities at Port Allen, Makaha Ridge , and Koke'e State Park . The base also uses a portion of the nearby island of Niihau for a remotely operated APS-134 surveillance radar , an 1,100-acre (450 ha) Test Vehicle Recovery Site,

180-477: A large pool of professional volunteers . The U.S. has used military conscription , but not since 1973. The Selective Service System retains the power to conscript males, requiring the registration of all male citizens and residents of the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 25. The U.S. Armed Forces are considered the world's most powerful military, especially since the end of the Cold War . The military expenditure of

240-463: A live warhead from the USS ; Ethan Allen  (SSBN-608) , which was situated near PMRF. The nuclear warhead flew toward Christmas Island and detonated in an air burst at 11,000 feet (3,400 m). The Navy is currently using PMRF to test "hit to kill" technology using direct collision of the anti-ballistic missile with its target. This destroys the target by using only kinetic energy from

300-658: A single organization. The mission of Army Aviation is to find, fix and destroy any enemy through fire and maneuver and to provide combat support and combat service support in coordinated operations as an integral member of the combined arms team. Major aircraft include the AH-64 Apache , which serves as the Army's attack helicopter, the UH-60 Black Hawk , and the CH-47 Chinook for troop and cargo transport. Army Aviation also flies

360-453: A special operations force, Army Rangers are generally better equipped than standard infantry, utilizing the FN SCAR rifle. Army Special Forces , commonly known as Green Berets after their iconic headgear, are among the most elite soldiers in the Army. Special Forces conduct: Army Special Forces are trained in military free-fall parachuting and combat diver skillsets. They are considered

420-596: Is unique in that it is a military branch specializing in maritime operations and also a law enforcement agency. The United States Army (USA) is the United States Armed Forces' land force and is the largest and oldest service. Originally established in 1775 as the Continental Army , it consists of one million soldiers across the Regular Army, Army Reserve , and Army National Guard . The Army serves as

480-474: Is unique in that it specializes in maritime operations and is also a law enforcement agency. From their inception during the American Revolutionary War , the U.S. Armed Forces have played a decisive role in the country's history . They helped forge a sense of national unity and identity through victories in the early-19th-century First and Second Barbary Wars . They played a critical role in

540-700: The 10th Mountain Division , 11th Airborne Division , 25th Infantry Division , 82nd Airborne Division , 101st Airborne Division , and 173rd Airborne Brigade have a cavalry squadron equipped with the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle . The Field Artillery's mission is to destroy, suppress or neutralize the enemy by cannon, rocket or missile fire. Rocket systems include the M142 HIMARS and M270 multiple launch rocket system , which are corps-level assets found in field artillery brigades. Towed artillery includes

600-523: The 11th Airborne Division , 82nd Airborne Division , and 173rd Airborne Brigade are capable of airborne operations, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force's transport aircraft. Finally, Infantry Brigade Combat Teams assigned to the 10th Mountain Division specialize in mountain warfare . Standard Infantry Brigade Combat Teams are assigned to the 25th Infantry Division , which offers additional training in jungle warfare . Armored Brigade Combat Teams comprise mechanized infantry battalions mounted in

660-400: The 4th Infantry Division . Each Armored Brigade Combat Team also possesses a cavalry squadron equipped with M2 Bradleys for scouting and security. Stryker Brigade Combat Teams from the 2nd Infantry Division , 4th Infantry Division , 11th Airborne Division , 2nd Cavalry Regiment , and 3rd Cavalry Regiment have a cavalry squadron equipped with Strykers . Infantry Brigade Combat Teams from

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720-559: The 75th Ranger Regiment are an elite special operations infantry force in the United States Army Special Operations Command , specializing in air assault and airborne infiltration methods. The three primary missions of the 75th Ranger Regiment are special operations raids , forcible entry operations, such as an airfield seizure to enable the Air Force to bring in more forces, and special reconnaissance . As

780-722: The British Empire in the American Revolutionary War . These forces demobilized in 1784 after the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War. The Congress of the Confederation created the current United States Army on 3 June 1784. The United States Congress created the current United States Navy on 27 March 1794 and the current United States Marine Corps on 11 July 1798. All three services trace their origins to their respective Continental predecessors. The 1787 adoption of

840-636: The Constitution gave Congress the power to "raise and support armies," to "provide and maintain a navy", and to "make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces", as well as the power to declare war . The President of the United States is the United States Armed Forces' commander-in-chief . The United States Coast Guard traces its origin to the formation of the Revenue Cutter Service on 4 August 1790, which merged with

900-707: The Department of Homeland Security responsible for administering the United States Coast Guard . The military chain of command flows from the President of the United States to the secretary of defense (for services under the Defense Department) or secretary of homeland security (for services under the Department of Homeland Security), ensuring civilian control of the military . Within the Department of Defense,

960-582: The Department of the Navy , which is a military department under the leadership of the secretary of the Navy and the under secretary of the Navy . The U.S. Marine Corps itself is led by the commandant of the Marine Corps and the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps , both generals who are advised by the sergeant major of the Marine Corps . The Marine Corps statutory mission is outlined in 10 U.S.C.   § 5063 and as originally introduced under

1020-683: The FIM-92 Stinger man-portable air-defense system , AN/TWQ-1 Avenger for short range air defense , and the counter rocket, artillery, and mortar 20mm gun system. The Iron Dome provides air defense against rockets, artillery, mortars, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The MIM-104 Patriot is capable of defeating a wide range of threats including aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, ballistic and cruise missiles, and Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense protects strategic critical assets by conducting long-range endo-and-exo-atmospheric engagements of ballistic missiles using

1080-600: The M119 howitzer in infantry brigade combat teams and the M777 howitzer found in both infantry and Stryker brigade combat teams. The M109 self-propelled howitzer is utilized in armored brigade combat teams. During the Cold War, Army field artillery was responsible for the service's ballistic missile programs, including the PGM-11 Redstone , which was the first large ballistic missile in

1140-660: The M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle . Divisions with Armored Brigade Combat Teams include the 1st Infantry Division , 3rd Infantry Division , 4th Infantry Division , 1st Armored Division , and 1st Cavalry Division . Stryker Brigade Combat Teams are centered around Stryker infantry battalions operating out of the Stryker . Divisions with Stryker Brigade Combat Teams include the 2nd Infantry Division , 4th Infantry Division , 11th Airborne Division , 2nd Cavalry Regiment , and 3rd Cavalry Regiment . United States Army Rangers with

1200-681: The MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone. A specialized unit within Army Aviation, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) serves as a special operations unit and operates modified variants of the MH-60 Black Hawk, MH-47 Chinook, and the MH-6 Little Bird . The U.S. Army is organized into four major Army Commands, nine Army Service Component Commands which serve as the Army component and joint force land component commanders for

1260-466: The Marine Corps Reserve . The Marine Corps maintains a very close relationship with the U.S. Navy, its sister service in the Department of the Navy. Although the Marine Corps has previously operated as an independent land force alongside the Army, its primary purpose is to serve as part of a unified naval service alongside the Navy in the maritime domain. The U.S. Marine Corps is organized under

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1320-484: The NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps . Each of the different military services is assigned a role and domain. The Army conducts land operations. The Navy and Marine Corps conduct maritime operations, the Marine Corps specializing in amphibious and maritime littoral operations primarily for supporting the Navy. The Air Force conducts air operations. The Space Force conducts space operations. The Coast Guard

1380-563: The National Security Act of 1947 , with its three primary areas of responsibility including: Short-range ballistic missile A short-range ballistic missile ( SRBM ) is a ballistic missile with a range of about 1,000 km (620 mi) or less. In past and potential regional conflicts, these missiles have been and would be used because of the short distances between some countries and their relative low cost and ease of configuration. In modern terminology, SRBMs are part of

1440-688: The Regulus I missile. In 1958, the Pacific Missile Range Facility was established to support the growing demand of the Navy at Bonham. In 1964, the Pacific Missile Range Facility and Bonham was transferred to the Navy, becoming Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands. In 1962, the U.S. military conducted the Frigate Bird Test of the Operation Dominic program near PMRF. The military launched an operational ballistic missile with

1500-807: The United States Life-Saving Service on 28 January 1915 to establish the Coast Guard. The United States Air Force was established as an independent service on 18 September 1947; it traces its origin to the formation of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps , which was formed 1 August 1907 and was part of the Army Air Forces before being recognized as an independent service in the National Security Act of 1947. The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

1560-488: The homeland security advisor , and the deputy national security advisor may also be members of the United States Armed Forces. The National Security Council Deputies Committee also includes the deputy secretary of defense , deputy secretary of homeland security , and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . Military leadership, including the secretary of defense, the secretary of Homeland Security, and chairman of

1620-603: The joint force land component , Navy components are typically dual-hatted as the joint force maritime component , and Air Force components are typically dual-hatted as the joint force air component , with the theater special operations command dual-hatted as the joint force special operations component, and Space Force component typically dual-hatted as the joint force space component. Combat support agencies are Department of Defense agencies with combat support missions that service operating forces planning or conducting military operations. This includes support during conflict or in

1680-410: The sergeant major of the Army . The Army's primary responsibility is to conduct prompt and sustained land combat as part of the joint force. Army landpower focuses on destroying an enemy's armed forces, occupying its territory, and breaking the will of an adversary. The five core competencies of the Army are: The thirteen specified functions of the Army are: The Infantry Branch forms the core of

1740-563: The territorial evolution of the U.S. , including the American Civil War . The National Security Act of 1947 created the modern U.S. military framework, establishing the National Military Establishment (later the Department of Defense or DoD) headed by the secretary of defense and creating both the U.S. Air Force and National Security Council ; in 1949, an amendment to the act merged the cabinet-level departments of

1800-523: The unified combatant commands , and thirteen direct reporting units. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) serves as the U.S. Armed Forces' naval land force, responsible for executing amphibious warfare and operating in the maritime littorals in support of the U.S. Navy. Originally established in 1775 as the Continental Marines , the Marine Corps consists of the Regular Marine Corps and

1860-540: The Air Force through its Air and Missile Defense Commands and the Space Force through Army Space and Missile Defense Command, given their shared missile defense and space roles. In 1962, Air Defense Artillery achieved the first intercept of a ballistic missile with a nuclear-tipped Nike Zeus and operated the Nike Zeus as an anti-satellite weapon after completing a successful intercept in 1963. Army Aviation, distinct from

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1920-471: The Armed Forces principal land service, responsible for conducting land warfare operations. The U.S. Army is organized under the Department of the Army , which is a military department under the leadership of the secretary of the Army and under secretary of the Army . The U.S. Army itself is led by the chief of staff of the Army and vice chief of staff of the Army , both generals who are advised by

1980-485: The Army , commandant of the Marine Corps , chief of naval operations , chief of staff of the Air Force , chief of space operations , and the chief of the National Guard Bureau . The commandant of the Coast Guard is not an official member of the Joint Chiefs, but sometimes attends meetings as one of the military service chiefs. The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman is the most senior enlisted member in

2040-489: The Army, Navy, and Air Force into the DoD. The president of the U.S. is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and forms military policy with the DoD and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), both federal executive departments , acting as the principal organs by which military policy is carried out. The U.S. Armed Forces are one of the world's largest military forces in terms of personnel. They draw their personnel from

2100-572: The Department of Defense's military departments. The United States Coast Guard is nominally under the Department of Homeland Security , but may be transferred to the Department of Defense's Department of the Navy (which is the civilian entity that oversees the coequal U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy) at the direction of the President or Congress. With the exception of the Coast Guard, the military services only organize, train, and equip forces. The unified combatant commands are responsible for operational control of non-service retained forces. Each of

2160-726: The Joint Chiefs of Staff also sit on the National Space Council . Unified combatant commands are joint military commands consisting of forces from multiple military departments, with their chain of command flowing from the president, to the secretary of defense, to the commanders of the combatant commands. Each service organizes, trains, and equips forces that are then presented to the unified combatant commands through service component commands. Special Operations Command and Cyber Command also present theater special operations commands or joint force headquarters – cyber to other combatant commanders. Army components are typically dual-hatted as

2220-446: The Navy has stated that it would like to lease about 300 acres (120 ha) of land, it has also stated that its main goal is not to purchase more land but to merely ensure the land continues to be used for agricultural purposes. When North Korea threatened to launch Taepodong-2 ICBMs toward Hawaii in 2009, the US temporarily deployed a THAAD missile unit to the facility. The range hosted

2280-787: The Perch Electronic Warfare site, multiple EW Portable Simulator sites, and a Helicopter Terrain Flight training course. In 1921, the land area known as the Barking Sands was acquired by the Kekaha Sugar Company and became a runway for private planes. In 1928 Charles Kingsford Smith , a record-setting Australian aviator, took off with his four-man crew from a sandy runway here to fly non-stop to Fiji. They had arrived in Hawaii at Wheeler Army Airfield , but left from Barking Sands as Wheeler

2340-442: The U.S. The U.S. Air Force is the world's largest air force, followed by the U.S. Army Aviation Branch . The U.S. Naval Air Forces is the fourth-largest air arm in the world and is the largest naval aviation service, while U.S. Marine Corps Aviation is the world's seventh-largest air arm. The U.S. Navy is the world's largest navy by tonnage . The U.S. Coast Guard is the world's 12th-largest maritime force. The history of

2400-482: The U.S. Air Force and its predecessors, began as part of the field artillery in 1942. Small spotter planes were used to spot for artillery and naval bombardment, as well as to perform observation. These few aircraft formed the core of Army Aviation once the U.S. Air Force gained independence. In 1983, the Army created the Aviation Branch, for the first time since the Air Force's independence consolidating aviation under

2460-538: The U.S. Armed Forces dates back to 14 June 1775, with the creation of the Continental Army , even before the Declaration of Independence marked the establishment of the United States. The Continental Navy , established on 13 October 1775, and Continental Marines , established on 10 November 1775, were created in close succession by the Second Continental Congress in order to defend the new nation against

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2520-656: The U.S. Armed Forces is established in Article II in the Constitution whereby the president is named as the " Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States." The United States Armed Forces are split between two cabinet departments, with the Department of Defense serving as the primary cabinet department for military affairs and

2580-708: The U.S. arsenal, the MGM-31 Pershing , and the Pershing II . In 2023, the Army is intending to field the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon and has reestablished larger artillery formations like the 56th Artillery Command . The Air Defense Artillery is responsible for defending geopolitical assets and providing maneuver forces with the freedom to move on the battlefield by deterring the enemy and destroying aerial threats, missile attacks, and surveillance platforms. Weapons employed by Air Defense Artillery include

2640-531: The U.S. military and the first new branch in 72 years. The origin of the Space Force can be traced back to the Air Force Space Command , which was formed 1 September 1982 and was a major command of the United States Air Force. The U.S. Congressional Research Office annually publishes a List of Notable Deployments of U.S. Military Forces Overseas since 1798. Presidential command over

2700-624: The U.S. military's sea-based missile defense system, the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, showed it could intercept two targets simultaneously when it destroyed a cruise missile and a short-range ballistic missile during a test off the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The test marked eight out of ten times the Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Navy's Aegis missile defense system successfully intercepted its target, but

2760-404: The U.S. was US$ 916 billion in 2023, the highest in the world, accounting for 37% of the world's defense expenditures . The U.S. Armed Forces has significant capabilities in both defense and power projection due to its large budget, resulting in advanced and powerful technologies which enable widespread deployment of the force around the world, including around 800 military bases outside

2820-487: The United States Armed Forces. Leadership of the Armed Forces, to include the president of the United States, the secretary of defense , the secretary of Homeland Security and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are members of the United States National Security Council , which advises the president on national security, military, and foreign policy matters. The national security advisor ,

2880-662: The conduct of other military activities related to countering threats to U.S. national security. This mission is focused on providing support to echelons at the CCMD level and below and may not encompass the full scope of the CSA's mission. The United States Armed Forces is composed of six coequal military service branches. Five of the branches, the United States Army , United States Marine Corps , United States Navy , United States Air Force , and United States Space Force , are organized under

2940-401: The different military services is assigned a role and domain. The U.S. Army conducts land operations, while the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps conduct maritime operations, with the Marine Corps specializing in amphibious and maritime littoral operations in support of the Navy. The U.S. Air Force conducts air operations, while the U.S. Space Force conducts space operations. The U.S. Coast Guard

3000-525: The following programs: US military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States . The armed forces consist of six service branches : the Army , Marine Corps , Navy , Air Force , Space Force , and Coast Guard . All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States , along with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and

3060-550: The force of the collision. The two Missile Defense Agency programs that currently utilize the range at PMRF are the Navy's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System and the Army's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, or THAAD. The THAAD program relocated their testing operations from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and conducted its first demonstration at PMRF on 26 January 2007. On 27 April 2007,

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3120-539: The land next to the base. In order to ensure that PMRF can continue to safely conduct important research and training operations in the future, the Navy and some citizens of Kauai are seeking to permanently preserve the land adjacent to PMRF for agricultural purposes. Under the PMRF Agriculture Preservation Initiative the Navy would have the roughly 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of land adjacent to PMRF preserved solely for agricultural use. Although

3180-471: The military departments ( Department of the Army , United States Department of the Navy , and Department of the Air Force ) are civilian led entities that oversee the coequal military service branches organized within each department. The military departments and services are responsible for organizing, training, and equipping forces, with the actual chain of command flowing through the unified combatant commands . The Joint Chiefs of Staff , although outside

3240-663: The most versatile special operations force in the entire world, operating as a multi-purpose force since 1952. The Armor Branch traces its history back to the United States Cavalry and are responsible for tank and cavalry reconnaissance operations. The U.S. Army fields the M1 Abrams main battle tank in Armored Battalions as part of Armored Brigade Combat Teams across the 1st Armored Division , 1st Cavalry Division , 1st Infantry Division , 3rd Infantry Division , and

3300-400: The operational chain of command, is the senior-most military body in the United States Armed Forces. It is led by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , who is the military head of the armed forces and principal advisor to the president and secretary of defense on military matters. Their deputy is the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . Other members include the chief of staff of

3360-762: The service's land combat power. U.S. Army infantry are generally equipped with the M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun , which will be replaced by the XM7 rifle and XM250 . Infantry is a core part of the Army's Brigade Combat Teams . The most numerous variant, the Infantry Brigade Combat Team, comprises light infantry battalions who fight on foot. Infantry Brigade Combat Teams of the 82nd Airborne Division are air assault capable, with infantry soldiers being transported by U.S. Army Aviation UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Infantry Brigade Combat Teams of

3420-506: The world's largest air-transportable X-band radar. The Ground-Based Midcourse Defense is an anti-ballistic missile system operated by Army Space and Missile Defense Command to defend the United States homeland against an intercontinental ballistic missile attack. Major Air Defense Artillery units include the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command and Army Space and Missile Defense Command's 100th Missile Defense Brigade . Air Defense Artillery has an extremely close relationship with

3480-405: Was formerly considered to be a branch of the United States Armed Forces from 29 July 1945 until 3 July 1952, and is now one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Should it be called into active duty again, it would constitute a seventh branch of the Armed Forces. The United States Space Force was established as an independent service on 20 December 2019. It is the sixth branch of

3540-482: Was not long enough to take off with their heavy load. The U.S. Army acquired the land in 1940, named it Mana Airport , and paved the runway. Additional land acquired in 1941 expanded the facility to 2,058 acres (833 ha). Private airlines frequently utilized the airport, and World War II incurred a great deal of military flight operations. The base was officially designated Bonham Air Force Base in 1954. U.S. Navy operations at Bonham began in 1956, with testing of

3600-443: Was the first time the system knocked out two targets at the same time. The Navy is currently working with the State of Hawaii and Kauai County to ensure the long-term viability of PMRF. For many decades, the land adjacent to PMRF was used for sugarcane fields, which was wholly compatible with operations at PMRF. Since Kekaha Sugar's closure, the Navy has become wary of "encroachment", incompatible developments, that might occur on

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