The following are Officer Branch Specialties of the US Army:
Combat Arms Branches
Infantry
The Infantry encompasses positions concerned with the employment of the combined arms to close with the enemy by means of fire and maneuver in order to destroy or capture him, or repel his assault by fire, close combat, and counterattack. Infantry forces fight dismounted or mounted according to the mobility means provided. They form the nucleus of the Army's fighting strength around which the other arms and services are grouped.
Air Defense Artillery
Air Defense Artillery encompasses positions concerned with the employment of a family of Air Defense Artillery weapons in support of military land combat operations and against enemy aircraft and missile attacks. Depending upon the mission, Air Defense Artillery units are found defending the ground-gaining combat arms units or critical units/areas against enemy air attack. When not in combat, Air Defense Artillery units maintain an around-the-clock state of readiness to respond immediately to hostile action.
Armor
The Armor encompasses positions concerned with the employment of the Armor/Cavalry maneuver forces and combined arms organizations during mobile combat operations. Armor's mission is to close with and destroy the enemy using fire, maneuver, and shock action. The dynamism that distinguished the cavalry of yesteryear is now the hallmark of the Armor, the Combat Arm of Decision. Armor Officers command the World's Best Main Battle Tank, The M1A1 Abrams!
Aviation
Aviation is a combat arms branch which encompasses 80 percent of the commissioned officer operational flying positions within the Army (less those in Aviation Material Management and Medical Service Corps). Army Aviation is concerned with the accomplishment of the assigned mission to conduct prompt and sustained combat operations. Upon completion of flight training, the newly rated officer can expect leadership positions with aviation units which will be challenging.
Corps of Engineers
The Corps of Engineers is a Combat Arms Branch which also has combat support and combat service support roles. Engineer officers plan and execute missions relating to engineer support on the battlefield in light, heavy, airborne, and topographic missions. They coordinate and control all facilities and housing support at military installations. Additionally, the engineer officer serves as the Army's component to the Department of Defense (DOD) team charged with mapping, charting, geodesy, and military geographic responsibilities.
Field Artillery
The Field Artillery is the King of Battle. They are sound leaders of soldiers as well as astute managers of the most deadly resources on the modern battlefield. They blend a knowledge of tactics and a technical expertise of many weapons systems to provide all types of fire support to the ground-gaining arms. They are experts in the capabilities of cannons, rockets, missiles, naval gunfire, and close air support.
Special Forces
Special Forces is a nonaccession branch (eligible after promotion to Captain) which encompasses positions concerned with the employment of highly specialized Army units and elements to accomplish specific missions throughout the levels of warfare. They conduct the missions of unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, strategic reconnaissance, and counterterrorism. Special Forces unit members are airborne qualified, language trained and area oriented. Since potential missions are worldwide, soldiers train in forest, desert, mountain, arctic, jungle, and urban environments.
Combat Support Branches
Chemical Corps
The Chemical Corps encompasses functions which are primarily oriented toward operations, training, scientific development, and acquisition activities in support of nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) defense program. The Chemical Corps provides the Army with a highly trained corps of NBC defense and operational experts.
Signal Corps
Signal Corps officers must blend together combat leadership skills and technical proficiency as they plan and manage information systems that support the command and control of the Army's forces. Signal officer assignments and career opportunities are diverse and challenging. They direct and control the installation, operations, maintenance, and reconfiguration of networks of information systems for theater/tactical, strategic, and sustaining base operations and the operation of the Army portion of the global defense communications systems.
Military Intelligence Corps
Military Intelligence encompasses the application and integration of all Military Intelligence functions at both the tactical and strategic levels. Officers serving in this specialty plan, conduct, and supervise intelligence collection resources, analysis of the resultant raw intelligence information, and the production and dissemination of finished all-source intelligence in the form of briefings and written reports to the ultimate consumer, the commander.
Military Police Corps
The Military Police Corps encompasses positions concerned with Military Police (MP) support to combat operations, law enforcement, security of U.S. Government resources, criminal investigation, and corrections. The combat support role provides a vital link in our national defense, and the MPs provide the tactical commander with a force that is highly organized, trained, and responsive to the battlefield commander. Military Police also serve as peacekeeping forces in a low-intensity conflict and provide security in war and peace to critical Army facilities and resources.
Combat Service Support Branches
Adjutant General's Corps
Officers in the Adjutant General's Corps serve at all organization levels of the Army where they plan, develop, and operate the Army's personnel management support systems: a vital responsibility in both peace and war. Personnel systems include all life cycle functions such as personnel requisitioning, reassignments, evaluations, promotions, awards and decorations, reenlistment, casualty reporting, strength accounting, and replacement operations. Administrative systems management includes courier and postal services. As a member of the Army band, officers coordinate band activities for the command and conduct technical inspections to evaluate the operational status, capability, and proficiency of command bands.
Finance Corps
All officers commissioned in the Finance Corps (FI) serve in a variety of financial management and leadership positions in today's Army. The ultimate mission of the FI is to support the soldiers and commanders in the field and provide the Army with expertise concerning all aspects of financial management. Finance officers are required to be both technically and tactically proficient to perform their mission in wartime as well as peacetime. They must continuously develop their professional skills and knowledge in order to stay abreast of evolving doctrine and stay current in the finance and accounting profession.
Ordnance Corps
The purpose of the Ordnance Corps is to develop, produce, acquire, and support weapons systems, ammunition, missiles and ground mobility material during peace and war in order to provide combat power for the U.S. Army. The Ordnance Branch encompasses all functions related to the life cycle management of its three commodities: tank/automotive materiel, munitions materiel, and missile materiel.
Quartermaster Corps
The Quartermaster Corps offers a broad spectrum of opportunities. The Quartermaster Corps officer plans and directs the activities of Army units and organizations engaged in the acquisition, receipt, storage, preservation, and issue of equipment, repair parts, fortification/construction material, subsistence, petroleum products, water, and other general supplies.
Special Branches:
Judge Advocate Generals Corps
The Judge Advocate General's Corps is a special branch of the Army whose officers are all lawyers. Their duties include all areas of legal practice including criminal law, administrative and civil law, contract law, and international law.
Chaplain Corps
The Chaplains Branch is a special branch which has the primary mission to perform or provide for comprehensive religious support for soldiers and their family members in war and peace. Chaplains assist commanders in facilitating the right to free exercise of religion for all personnel. Chaplains are commissioned officers and accredited clergy endorsed by a recognized denomination or faith group for the military ministry.
Medical Corps
The Medical Corps is a part of the Army Medical Department and is a special branch of the Army. There are three functional areas in the Army Medical Corps: Clinical Medicine, Staff and Command, and Research.
Medical Service Corps
The Medical Service Corps is a special branch of the Army and is one of the branches of the Army Medical Department. Officers of this branch provide administrative, operational, logistical, technical, and scientific support for the Army Medical Department in the accomplishment of its mission " to conserve the fighting strength." The Corps is organized into four sections: Pharmacy Supply and Administration (PS&A).
Dental Corps
The Dental Corps is a special branch of the Army. The Corps consists of commissioned officers who are doctors of dental surgery or dental medicine. Their mission is to conserve the fighting strength by preserving oral health, treating oral disease, and supporting the combat medical mission.
Veterinary Corps
The Veterinary Corps is a part of the Army Medical Department and is a special branch of the Army. The Corps directs its activities toward four areas: veterinary food inspection and hygiene, animal medical care, veterinary preventive medicine, and research and development.
Army Medical Specialist Corps
The Army Medical Specialist Corps is a part of the Army Medical Department and is a special branch of the Army. The Nutrition Care Section, Physical Therapist Section, and the Occupational Therapist Section make up the Medical Specialist Corps.
Army Nurse Corps
The Army Nurse Corps is a part of the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) and is a special branch of the Army. The mission of the Army Nurse Corps is to provide quality nursing support and nursing leadership. To fulfill its mission, the Army Nurse Corps officers specialize as nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists and serve as staff officers at all levels throughout the AMEDD. Army ROTC has a program specially designed for Nursing Cadets that aguments the curriculum of a standard nursing program.
