Military branch

Subdivision of the national armed forces

A United States Armed Forces Joint-Service Color Guard. This color guard consists of personnel from 5 of the 6 military branches of the United States Armed Forces (Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard).

Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state.

Types of branches

Unified armed forces

The Canadian Armed Forces is the unified armed forces of Canada. While it has three environmental commands - namely the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force - it remains a single military service.^[1]

NATO definition

Branch of service (also branch of military service or branch of armed service) refers, according to NATO standards, to a branch, employment of combined forces or parts of a service, below the level of service, military service, or armed service.^[2]

See also

• List of militaries by country
• Military organization

References

1. Boileau, John (November 11, 2021). "Unification des Forces armées canadiennes" [Unification of the Canadian Armed Forces]. "L'Encyclopédie canadienne" [The Canadian Encyclopedia] (in English and French).
2. "A – K" [A – K]. Militärisches Studienglossar Englisch Teil I Englisch [Military Study Glossary English Part I English] (in German). Hürth: Bundesprachenamt. 1996. p. 226. OCLC 1245240835.