Furthermore, the United States has her own military career history to tell. America's first military force, the continental army, was established in 1775 to fight the British. So valued was the army, that its commander and most revered general, George Washington, became the first president of the United States. The Army remains the oldest branch of the military, followed by the Navy, which was officially established in 1798. The Marine Corps had been considered part of the Navy until 1834, when it established itself as both a land and sea defense force, thereby becoming its own military branch. Similarly, the Air Force was part of the Army until 1947, making it the youngest of the five military branches.
Meanwhile, the Civil War was America's most tragic military incident, with Americans suffering more casualties than in any other war. America asserted itself as a military power in World War I, expanding its military jobs to its populace. However, social influences within the country led to a period of isolationism, where America reduced the size of its military and removed itself from foreign affairs. After the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, America was forced onto World War II, emerging as the strongest power of the western world. Civilian military jobs even multiplied into vast numbers. But unlike the isolationist trend that occurred before World War II, the United States became involved in foreign affairs. Its presence was felt throughout the world, generating a new non-violent Cold War. Fear of the Communists led to propagandistic Pro-American sentiments and increased military spending.
This sense of American pride in its military extended through the Korean War and the U.S. military job ever expanded to external strategic places. It was not until the Vietnam War in the mid-1960s that the American military policy was challenged by the younger generation. This challenge demanded a reevaluation of the American presence in foreign countries. For the first time in American history, the military was not a respected institution nor its military opportunities appreciated. Students burned their draft cards and other fled the country to avoid the draft. Since Vietnam, the military has done much to improve its image, trying to make the military an appealing career option. The abolition of the draft has made it even more challenging for the military to recruit talented men and women.
Through the course of American military history, there have been a series of technological improvements and innovative military jobs that have changed the structure of the military world. From the airplane to nuclear-powered submarines, chemical warfare to hydrogen bombs, the military has had to adapt and adjust the internal structure. These developments have changed the focus of the military, making many other military jobs and positions obsolete or less necessary and creating new ones. While national safety was always a concern, the draft was not installed until the Civil War, when were recruited for both the north and south. At that time, military service was still not compulsory, rather the draft was established to inspire volunteers. After the war, conscription ended, reappearing years later for World War I. The draft ended a second time after World War I, being reinstated once again in 1940 for World War II. The government did not abolish the draft until 1973.
It can be recalled, that as part of the preparatory military employment for the national defense, The Reserved Army Training Corps, otherwise known as ROTC, was established in 1916. It was designed to provide a basic college and military education to those who wished to become future officers. It gave these students the opportunity to qualify for commissions while in college. A similar program was installed for the Navy in 1926. In 1964, Congress strengthened the ROTC program by allowing it to award college scholarships and loans to students in exchange for military services. This is also part of the government's program to expand civilian military jobs- so as to prepare the country in a state of emergency or in times of war. Hence, the military plays a vital role to maintain the stability of the country in terms of peace, order and security. Thus, soldiers who hold a dangerous military jobs for his country are considered -the living heroes.
