Insane Facts You Never Knew About the US Military
The US Military has been protecting Americans for hundreds of years - and
it’s developed a lot of secrets in that time.
Here are fifty surprising facts about the US military.
#50. Older Than You Know
A country’s first business after being founded would probably be to create a military, right?
Well, in the United States, they didn’t have to - they already had one. About thirteen months before
the United States declared independence, the Second Continental Congress passed a
the resolution creating a united Continental Army. It would be led by George Washington and the army
was trained in preparation for increasingly likely hostilities with the British Crown.
So at least in this country, the US Army is older than the United States!
And it’s grown a lot since then!
#49. Bigger Than You Know
The military is run today by the US Department of Defense, and it’s laid claim to a large swath
of land. It controls federal land in the US, land it leases abroad, and land the US
The government has claimed territory in past military engagements. Altogether,
that comes to around thirty million acres of land worldwide. Not only is that larger than
the state of Pennsylvania, but if all combined, it would be larger than all but 99 countries.
And it’s a path to success.
#48. Honored Men
You’d think that most people who become US Presidents probably grew up in the elites - and
they might be less likely to serve. But actually, around two-thirds of the men who became the US
Presidents were US military veterans - starting with the very first, George Washington. The most
decorated was probably Theodore Roosevelt, who even received the Medal of Honor. Ulysses S.
Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower were probably the most renowned generals of the Civil War
and World War II. But we’re in a dry spell right now - of the last five Presidents, only
one served in the military, and George W. Bush only served stateside in the Air National Guard.
And it came from humble beginnings.
#47. No, not Gorillas
During the first days of the military, the US Army didn’t have much to work with. They were
ill-equipped only had a short time to train and were facing one of the world’s largest
empire. But they had one advantage - they were on their home turf,
and they knew how to use it. General Francis Marion took full advantage of the swampy terrain
and used it for surprise attacks against unsuspecting British patrols.
The US soldiers would emerge from the swamp, attack, and just as quickly retreat
rather than engaging - a tactic that would become the blueprint for modern guerilla warfare.
But today, it’s spread pretty thin.
#46. All Over the Place
There are 195 recognized countries in the world - and the US military is present in
over two-thirds of them! Of the US military’s three million current employees, 450,000 of those
are soldiers deployed to foreign countries? But the US isn’t involved in any current wars, since
we withdrew from Afghanistan - so what exactly are we doing there? It’s complicated. While in some
countries the US is engaged in active operations against terror groups, in others they’ve been
invited in as peacekeepers or to maintain a presence as a deterrent. The US also has permanent
military bases on the soil of many of their allies that coordinate with other militaries.
But what happens when the US is considering leaving?
#45. Cash Cow
For many years, budget-conscious politicians and activists in the US wondered - why does
Does the US still have military bases in places like Europe? After all, that’s not exactly
a military flashpoint anymore. Okay, that takes aged pretty poorly - but people still wondered
if bases in places like Germany were worth the investment. Well, if you asked the Germans,
they were. When word got out that the US was considering closing bases in some locations,
the locals were strongly opposed - the local economy was heavily based around
the presence of United States soldiers, and they didn’t want to face a budget crunch.
And the US military has a lot of mouths to feed.
#44. Top of the Heap
The top employer in the United States? It’s not Exxon-Mobil, the largest energy company,
which has just under a million employees. It’s not even Walmart,
the mega-sized shopping chain, which has 1.3 million. It’s the United States Department of
Defense, which in addition to all the active-duty and reserve soldiers, maintains enough civilian
personnel to have a whopping total staff of three million people. And unlike many businesses,
it’s going to be around as long as the US is - so that’s a lot of job security.
And it keeps on growing.
#43. Recruits Welcome
Each year, the military takes in around 79,000 new recruits. The US Army alone
has more people in it than major cities like San Francisco - and it’s only one of five branches,
with the smaller Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Marines joining it. Today, all five branches of
the military is a volunteer only, with recruits getting details on their pay rate and all the
potential benefits they’ll get after they complete their term. Many people’s first exposure to the
the military is at recruitment fairs - where they often make it sound like an awesome adventure.
But it wasn’t always this way.
#42. Does anyone Feel a Draft?
For the US military’s first eighty years, it was also mostly an all-volunteer force,
and it was capable of winning both the American Revolution and
the British revenge strike in the War of 1812. But then came the Civil War,
as the US split in two - and the Confederacy took a lot of the military’s manpower with it.
Soon, both armies were instituting the US’ first military draft, requiring people to sign up under
the penalty of law. It didn’t go over well - many people were angry about how some were able to
buy their way out of the draft, and it led to bloody riots in New York City. But it
worked - and the draft would be brought back for the two World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam.
But it wasn’t the time young men had to check the mail nervously.
#41. A Draft…Just In Case
The first peacetime draft was created in 1940, but was it really peacetime? Everyone
knew that World War II would likely make its way over to the United States eventually - and
Pearl Harbor proved them right. But the second peacetime draft was more controversial.
Passed in 1948, it wasn’t as widespread but it deployed countless young men around the world
just in case they were needed when hostilities with the Soviet Union broke out. There was no
a formal declaration of war, but many men drafted under this law wound up in Korea or Vietnam.
And there was no allowance for celebrities - if your number came up, you had to serve.
Even if you were Elvis.
#40. The King in Fatigues
When the King was drafted in 1958, there was no war going on - something his millions of fans were
no doubt happy about it. He insisted he didn’t want to be treated any differently than the
average soldiers, despite the mob of fans waiting for him as he arrived at boot camp. He served as
a private, did his duty quietly and chose not to apply for a transfer to special services where he
could have given concerts as part of his service. His label was prepared - they had stockpiled
musical material before his induction and his fans would barely notice he was in the army now.
But one group wasn’t allowed in the army until recently.
#39. Woman’s Day
Women have been aiding the military since its beginning - but often in limited roles,
or with many roadblocks in their way. A disguised woman, Deborah Sampson, even became a decorated
Revolutionary War veterans, but women weren’t allowed to join the military until 1948.
Before that, many served unofficially as spies, nurses, or support staff - but weren’t eligible
for honors despite often being in as much danger as the armed soldiers. Since then,
though the laws have changed - and now women are eligible to serve in all combat roles.
There is, however, one exception.
#38, Selective Indeed
The draft has been off the table since the 1970s, and the military does not want it back. However,
all males between eighteen and twenty-five are still required to register for selective
service - which means if a draft is needed, it can be snapped into action and people can be
pulled into the military in only days. However, it doesn’t include women - despite them being
eligible for all combat roles and serving in the same way as men. Should this change? Some
say it’s only fair - and others are telling the military to get their hands off their daughters.
But not all the recruits are human, either.
#37. Good Boy!
There are twenty-seven hundred recruits in the US military who don’t follow the regular rules.
They don’t sleep in the barracks, they chase birds in their off-time, and they might even greet a
commanding officer by licking them. And they’re not going to be ordered to do any push-ups,
because they’re military working dogs! In a similar way to police dogs, this elite canine
soldiers are specialized in detecting narcotics and explosive devices, but they can also patrol
for enemies and chase off threats. And not just any good boy can do this job - it takes sixteen
hours of training every month, plus tests every three months to become a military working dog.
And then there are some surprising heavy-duty soldiers.
#36. Robo-Troops!
US military robots have been around since the 1960s when the US created the Beetle.
This massive robot was designed to be used for handling nuclear materials.
They never actually saw use, but smaller robots became an essential part of military life.
Today, high-tech robots are used for all sorts of missions, including carrying victims to safety
and disarming explosive. And flying drones have become an effective way to
eliminate targets without putting troops in harm’s way. And unlike other soldiers,
these robot troops don’t need rest and food - just an occasional recharge.
But it takes a lot of energy to keep the military going.
#35. Gas, Gas, Gas
Every time you head to the gas pump, it’s hard not to cringe. But if you think filling up a
the gas tank of a car is bad, imagine the cost of trying to keep a tank or fighter jet-fueled.
During World War II, it took around a gallon of fuel each day to support a single soldier - but
that was with a lot of foot patrol and collective transport. Today, with the high-powered vehicles
shuttling soldiers and powerful weapons around the battlefield, it takes around
22 gallons of fuel per day just to support one soldier - and those costs are only going up.
And all that adds up.
#34. Fuel Follies
Today, the US Army alone burns through around a billion gallons of fuel each
year - and that’s without a major war going on. In a combat situation,
those numbers go up massively - and fuel is a limited resource. The Department of Defense
is increasingly worried about both fuel costs and the impact on the environment,
so they’re looking into increasing the use of alternative energy sources. Not only could this
be more efficient, but it would protect the US from an oil embargo from enemy nations.
But it’s been a long time since the US was truly at war.
#33. What Is It Good For?
When was the last time the US went to war? You might be thinking of Iraq, Afghanistan,
or even Vietnam. But the actual answer is - against Japan and Nazi Germany when they formally
declared war on the Axis powers. Since then, every military action the US has been involved in
was not accompanied by a formal declaration of war. Some were classified as police actions,
others as limited military operations. While most were authorized by Congress,
in none of them did Congress vote on a formal declaration of war.
But that could change based on something half a world away.
#32. The NATO Factor
Ever since the post-war founding of the North American Treaty Organization, many countries of
Europe and North America have been aligned. The most significant part of the treaty is Article 5,
which is a mutual defense pact. If one country in the treaty is attacked by a hostile power,
it means all the other countries will consider it an attack against them as well.
That means that if a small nation like Belgium is attacked, it would have nuclear powers like
the United States, Great Britain, and France came to its defense.
No wonder many countries in Eastern Europe want to join the alliance.
But what happens if it’s NATO vs. NATO?
#31. Family Feud
Say a soccer match between Belgium and the Netherlands gets out of control, and the
next thing you know soldiers from both sides is aiming guns at each other. There actually are no
official bylaws on how to govern an attack by one NATO member against another - because the
the treaty is supposed to prevent exactly that. However, most legal experts believe that NATO
would be obligated to assist the country that was attacked. Of course, it’s common for parties to
disagree on who started a war even if one fired first, so there’s a good chance that NATO might
wind up splitting down the middle on who to support, with the US having to choose a side.
And they would have to be careful to avoid sending in soldiers they might not want to.
#30. The Youngest Soldier
You usually have to be eighteen to join the US military - but that didn’t stop
countless teenagers from signing up with false documents during the world wars.
But no one topped John Lincoln Clem for jumping the gun. The nine-year-old boy wanted to join
the Union army during the Civil War, and after being rejected once, managed to make it in.
He was so small that his superiors in the 22nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry
even sawed down his musket so he could carry it. He was a Sergeant by age twelve,
and went on to serve in the military for most of his life - retiring as a Major General.
But in terms of dedication, no one tops this guy.
#29. The Oldest Soldier
To find the oldest active-duty member of the US military ever,
you’ve got to head over to the Coast Guard. When Anthony Christy was laid to rest in 1862,
the 105-year-old man had a unique distinction - he was still on active duty! How was this
possible? He served as a lighthouse keeper, a job that generally didn’t involve heavy exertion. As
long as his eyes were sharp enough to do his job, the Coast Guard had no reason
to retire him - and so he kept the lighthouse running almost forty years past retirement age.
And with a lot of people in the military, it means that they need a pretty big headquarters.
#28. Welcome to HQ
The Department of Defense runs the US Military and used to run all the branches. And they’re
all run out of one building - the Pentagon. It’s easy to underestimate since it’s relatively flat,
but the Pentagon is one of the largest office buildings in the world, with three times the
office space of massive skyscrapers like the Empire State Building. Holding the brains of
the US military and many of its highest-ranking officials, it’s also heavily fortified. When the
Pentagon was targeted by one of the planes on September 11th, 2001, it sustained heavy damage
- but the damage was much less widespread than it could have been in another Washington building.
So wait, what’s the one exception?
#27. Coastal Changes
Why doesn’t the Coast Guard operate out of the Department of Defense? It was,
until post-9/11 laws handed it over to the newly-created Department of Homeland Security.
Due to the Coast Guard’s larger domestic responsibilities, it was uncoupled from
the other branches’ foreign duties. However, a clause was put into the bill so that if the
Coast Guard is needed in an active war, the US Navy can take control of all its assets.
And no matter how high someone in the military ranks, they always answer to one person.
#26. The Commander
The Commander in Chief is the highest-ranking position in the military, and they have final
say over almost all areas of military policy - up to and including deploying nuclear weapons.
And they can outrank the highest Generals without ever serving a day in the military.
All they have to do is win an election - because the President of the United States doubles as
the Commander in Chief, and they’re the only ones who can begin a military engagement - or end it.
Which might get tense when a President who never served is giving the orders.
But there’s one other rank that is impossible to reach.
#25. That Fifth Star
The rank of five-star General was created in 1944
to represent soldiers given special promotions above the typical four-star rank. Over the years,
only ten officers were ever granted five-star status - four in the Navy, five in the Army,
and one in the Air Force. However, there won’t be any others - when General Omar Bradley,
the last surviving five-star officer passed away, and the military decided to retire the ranks.
But there’s one person above them all in rank.
#24. The General of the Armies
The year was 1976, and the bicentennial was the perfect time to honor those who
made America possible. There was one man who did more than any other - George Washington.
He had been dead for 177 years, but the decision was made to promote him to the title of General of
the Armies - a position only held once before, by World War I legend John J. Pershing. As
part of the promotion, Washington was granted permanent seniority over all US Generals and
Admirals - ensuring that the father of the United States is its highest-ranking official forever.
And for decorated veterans, there’s usually one end of the road.
#23. The Final Honor
Arlington National Cemetery holds the remains of close to half a million US veterans from
multiple wars and Generals who pass away are frequently given a place of honor there.
Only two US Presidents have been buried at Arlington - John F. Kennedy,
who served with distinction in World War II and was seriously injured in combat,
and William Howard Taft. Taft never actually served in the military,
but by being a Secretary of War and Commander in Chief, he was able to get his plot of land.
But not everyone buried at Arlington has a traditional tombstone.
#22. The Unknown
War is messy, and it’s not always possible to get everyone home for a proper burial. Especially
today, with high-yield bombs, it’s possible for remains to be burned too badly to be identified.
That’s where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier comes in - a memorial to soldiers who have been buried
at Arlington but never identified. There are tombs for World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
One was created for Vietnam, but it’s currently empty - after DNA evidence allowed the government
to identify Lieutenant Joseph Blassie and give him a proper burial in 1998.
And those tombs are attended to by a unique unit.
#21. The First Unit
They call them the Old Guard for a reason - they’ve been on active duty since 1784. But
the 3rd US Infantry Regiment isn’t just any unit of soldiers. They’re a ceremonial unit,
serving as escorts to the US Commander in Chief. But they also have one other
key duty - the regular changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
But while they’re primarily a ceremonial unit, they have been deployed in combat - and four
members of the unit have been awarded the Medal of Honor, most recently in Vietnam.
And the military’s ranks have always been diverse.
#20. A Unit of Immigrants
When the US military saw many of its forces join the Confederates in the Civil War,
they were bailed out by an unlikely source - immigrants. Along with a large number of
free African-Americans who wanted to fight the slaveholding south,
the Union army was one-third composed of immigrants- and in a quarter of all regiments,
the majority of soldiers were not born in the United States. That pattern continues,
and today around 5% of US forces are either naturalized immigrants or non-citizens.
Now let’s get into some truly strange facts.
#19. Looking Cool
You know those smooth Ray-Ban glasses you love to wear? They didn’t come from fashion,
but from necessity. When Air Force pilots were struggling to keep their vision straight due
to the rays of the sun in the cockpit, Army Air Corps Lieutenant General John MacReady
contacted glasses manufacturer Bausch and Lomb for help to make glasses with better
anti-sun properties. Soon, the first Ray-Bans were available, pilots were flying without
that persistent nausea and headaches, and were looking good while doing it.
It’s surprising just how many companies work with the military.
#18. Crack Open a Cold One
Who doesn’t love an ice-cold Coca-Cola? A little taste of
a home that can be a psychological lifesaver for a struggling soldier,
and the company wanted to make sure that was possible in World War II. Company President
Robert Woodruff decreed that any WWII soldier around the world should be able to get a
bottle of coke for a nickel. That led to the creation of the technical observer position,
which oversaw the management of these wartime plants. Not only did they help distribute five
a billion bottles of coke around the world, but they had an Army officer’s salary and rank.
This one’s just a little awkward.
#17. A Bad Symbol
The 45th Infantry was a proud unit that served in multiple US wars and was unique due to being
made up of a majority of Native Americans. That led them to work on indigenous iconography
into their sleeve insignias, and they proudly wore those pins into battle - at least they
did until World War II. Because one of those traditional Native symbols was the swastika,
and after Hitler and the Nazis co-opted it, it was quickly dropped and replaced with a Thunderbird.
In combat, every little detail matters.
#16. A Smooth Snap
A velcro is a convenient tool, an easy way to fasten clothes and items without having to
stop to tie things. There’s just one problem - that annoying dripping sound that alerts
anyone in the immediate area, aka the bane of any teenager sneaking out of the house.
Of course, in a combat situation, the consequences of waking up the wrong person might be far direr.
That’s why the military developed a silent version of velcro that reduced that annoying sound almost
to nothing. Unfortunately for all those sneaky teenagers, it’s still top-secret.
The military is particular about how they’re portrayed, as well.
#15. Hollywood Military
You know all those times the military swoops in to save the day? Be it a modern war movie or a
ridiculous action movie where the Army fights off aliens, they have one thing in common - if a movie
wants to portray the military, they usually work with the Department of Defense’s entertainment
unit. Many producers want to borrow military equipment or film on military bases for accuracy,
and in those cases, the Department of Defense gets script approval. Of course, they’re not too picky
- some of the movies the DOD approved included “Batman and Robin” and “Last Action Hero”!
But one movie may have had a bigger impact than any other.
#14. The Top Gun
When the Tom Cruise military adventure “Top Gun” was released in 1986, Navy recruiters started
hanging out around movie theaters. The men who saw the movie suddenly thought being a pilot was
the coolest thing in the world, and some even decided they would like to sign up on the spot.
According to official Navy reports, the position of Naval Aviator saw a 500% jump in applications
in the aftermath - and the brass is no doubt excited for the sequel to finally come out.
The US Military is always prepared - in more ways than one.
#13. A Useful Tool
US military members who do air missions are given a parachute pack survival kit in case
they get shot down and need to survive on their own. It includes some useful tools like wire,
knives, matches, and fire starters - as well as a large non-lubricated condom.
No, the military isn’t making sure that soldiers are able to practice safe sex while trying to
survive in the jungle - condoms are stretchy, as anyone who’s put one over their entire hand knows,
so it can double up as a water canteen that holds up to a liter of rainwater if needed!
The military even has a department of…trash talk?
#12. They’re Fightin’ Words
In Afghanistan, the US faced a challenge of a motivated and ruthless Taliban opposition
that knew the terrain far better than them. It was time to call in the psychological
warfare department to develop some new tactics - and what they came up with was
loudspeakers that goaded enemy fighters into picking flights they couldn’t win by calling
their names. Apparently, such inventive nicknames like “Cowardly dogs” and “Lady men” were enough,
even if the tactic may have been borrowed from the elementary school playground.
And the military takes care of their own.
#11. Wounded Warriors
Many soldiers come back from combat with serious injuries - some with missing limbs or
other disabilities. And once they complete their rehabilitation, there’s a new challenge waiting
for them - the Warrior Games. This Olympic-like competition pits representatives from the various
branches of the military against each other for bragging rights - with every competitor
being a combat-wounded veteran. And since the games began in 2010, the Marines have dominated.
And there are some truly odd positions in the military.
#10. Devil’s Advocate
When the military debate new policies, it’s easy to fall into groupthink.
Not only is there a lot of money at stake, but there’s always a high-ranking member in the room
and it’s easy to defer to him. But if no one is willing to say no,
costly mistakes can happen - which is why some graduates at Fort Leavenworth
are trained in the art of being skeptical. These “Red Teamers” are unafraid to play
devil’s advocate in heated debates, and can save the team from the bane of consensus.
And some things are older than you think.
#9. Down Under
The Submarine is one of the military’s most useful tools, able to take command of the seas
and deliver powerful clinical strikes from underwater. It saw the most use
in the World Wars - but actually goes back far earlier than that. The Turtle, an early example
of a submersible weapon, was deployed during the Revolutionary War to sink a British ship
off New York…and failed miserably, but was an effective test of the future of weaponry.
But for all the US military’s efforts, they can leave a big footprint.
#8. Eviction Notice
The island of Diego Garcia, a British possession, had a population of over a thousand people
living happily on the Indian Ocean paradise - until the US military came calling.
They wanted to build a military base there, they needed total security,
and so the entire island’s population needed to go. The British government agreed, and soon the
the entire population was being sent to the island of Mauritius - which took them after a hefty payment.
And the US military’s experiments even hit the homeland.
#7. Spray Test
In the 1950s and 1960s, residents of cities including San Francisco, St.
Louis, and areas of Minnesota, South Carolina, and Georgia saw something alarming - motorized
blowers spraying odd, colorful substances all over the city. It looked almost like a chemical
attack - and the zinc cadmium sulfide wasn’t a weapon, but it was related. The fluorescent
the substance was sprayed because the military wanted to see how chemical or biological weapons
would spread by the wind - and there was no better way than actually spraying a close substitute.
But other places got it far worse.
#6. In the Depths
In the aftermath of World War II, there was an enormous amount of spare hardware to dispose of.
Much of it was dangerous and couldn’t be simply scrapped, so the government came up with another
solution - just dump it in the ocean. Much of this started after the first World War,
and continued until 1970. A wide range of military hardware was dumped such as 64 million pounds of
nerve gas and other chemical weapons, plus hundreds of thousands of bombs, rockets,
and land mines. They’re still down there - but no one really knows exactly what’s lurking where.
And sometimes, the military just gets it wrong.
#5. Firing at Nothing
The Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942 was one of the biggest military operations in the homeland in
a long time. It was World War II, and the military was on high alert for an attack on US soil.
So when reports came in of an enemy aircraft, the military responded with overwhelming force.
They fired 1,400 anti-aircraft weapons and countless rounds at the mystery object until it
was brought down - and found that it was a lost weather balloon. Hey, better safe than sorry.
But sometimes, the military
gets pretty innovative.
#4. Game Time
When the military needed a new supercomputer in 2010, they came up with many plans - but
few of them were cost-effective. The solution that did pass muster?
They collected 1,700 PlayStation 3 consoles, removed and combined much of the hardware,
and wound up with an amalgam processing core that had all the power and memory
they needed - at a fraction of the cost and the carbon footprint.
And some of their ideas sound a little like science fiction.
#3. Mad Science
DARPA, or the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is where the military’s wildest
ideas start to become reality. One of those ideas? A computer chip that could be implanted directly
into the brains of soldiers. This would allow them to connect remotely to computers without a device,
which could allow vital intelligence to be put into their minds directly from headquarters.
But not all of DARPA’s ideas are that out there.
#2. Master of Invention
DARPA has been responsible for some of the military’s wildest and longest-lasting inventions,
but they’ve also given the general public a lot. Two of their biggest contributions? The
internet, which was heavily funded by the US government along with private tech companies,
and the GPS systems that help you get where you’re going in the car.
Both are used by the government today - but most people couldn’t live without them.
But this one last fact about the US military might shock you.
#1. Boom
The US has only used the nuclear bomb twice in combat - and they’re currently the only country
to do so. But they’ve used many more nuclear bombs than that. To develop their nuclear arsenal,
they’ve conducted over a thousand nuclear tests over the decades - more than half the
number conducted around the world. 800 of those have been underground nuclear tests,
while two hundred have been atmospheric and created the signature mushroom cloud
everyone fears. But for now, that’s all they are - tests.
Want to know how the US military stacks up against the competition?
Check out “Most Powerful Military in 2022 Ranked”, or watch this video instead.
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