The United States Army was established on June 14th, 1775 as the Continental Army charged with the protection of the country, particularly during the American Revolutionary War (1775 – 1783). It was not until June 3rd, 1784 that the US Congress (then known as the Congress of the Confederation) established the “United States Army” as an official national entity. The Continental Army was, therefore disbanded at the end of the Revolutionary War to make way for the new American Army. Since that time, the US Army has been a part of every major offensive land action on behalf of the United States government and includes the Indian Wars during expansion to the West, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, World War 1, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Panama, the Gulf War, Somalia and Kosovo. More recently, the US Army has been called to action in both Afghanistan and Iraq following the events of 9/11, preserving peace, national security and national policy.
At its core, the United States Army is the land-based arm of the American military. It is currently staffed with over 560,000 active personnel and a further 567,000 in reserve (numbers approximate for 2011), making it one of the largest land armies in the world and is broken down into enlisted personnel, warrant officers and officers. The Army branch maintains permanent and temporary bases all across the United States, its territories and around the world where American interests lie. Many famous names have been born out of service to the US Army, among those being George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, George S. Patton, Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley.
Today, the US Army maintains an extensive inventory of small arms, support weaponry, artillery, equipment, vehicles, armored vehicles (tracked and wheeled), combat tanks and rotary air power including both transport and attack helicopter types.
US Army Pay Scale by Rank
Enlisted Personnel and Officers
| Insignia | Title | Abbr. | Pay Grade | Salary Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Private | PVT | E-1 | $18,194 - $18,194 (based on experience) |
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Private 2 | PV2 | E-2 | $20,398 - $20,398 (based on experience) |
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Private First Class | PFC | E-3 | $21,449 - $24,178 (based on experience) |
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Specialist | SPC | E-4 | $23,756 - $28,840 (based on experience) |
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Corporal | CPL | E-4 | $23,756 - $28,840 (based on experience) |
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Sergeant | SGT | E-5 | $25,913 - $36,770 (based on experience) |
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Staff Sergeant | SSG | E-6 | $28,285 - $43,808 (based on experience) |
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Sergeant First Class | SFC | E-7 | $32,702 - $58,774 (based on experience) |
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Master Sergeant | MSG | E-8 | $47,041 - $67,097 (based on experience) |
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First Sergeant | 1SG | E-8 | $47,041 - $67,097 (based on experience) |
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Sergeant Major | SGM | E-9 | $57,467 - $89,222 (based on experience) |
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Command Sergeant Major | CSM | E-9 | $57,467 - $89,222 (based on experience) |
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Sergeant Major of the Army | SMA | E-9 | $57,467 - $89,222 (based on experience) |
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Warrant Officer | WO1 | W-1 | $33,739 - $58,298 (based on experience) |
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Chief Warrant Officer 2 | CW2 | W-2 | $38,434 - $64,156 (based on experience) |
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Chief Warrant Officer 3 | CW3 | W-3 | $43,434 - $76,194 (based on experience) |
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Chief Warrant Officer 4 | CW4 | W-4 | $47,567 - $88,600 (based on experience) |
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Chief Warrant Officer 5 | CW5 | W-5 | $84,575 - $110,675 (based on experience) |
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Second Lieutenant | 2LT | O-1 | $34,517 - $43,430 (based on experience) |
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First Lieutenant | 1LT | O-2 | $39,769 - $55,037 (based on experience) |
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Captain | CPT | O-3 | $46,026 - $74,880 (based on experience) |
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Major | MAJ | O-4 | $52,348 - $87,404 (based on experience) |
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Lieutenant Colonel | LTC | O-5 | $60,671 - $103,079 (based on experience) |
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Colonel | COL | O-6 | $72,778 - $128,840 (based on experience) |
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Brigadier General | BG | O-7 | $98,190 - $146,704 (based on experience) |
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Major General | MG | O-8 | $118,174 - $170,359 (based on experience) |
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Lieutenant General | LTG | O-9 | $167,011 - $207,173 (based on experience) |
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General | GEN | O-10 | $190,958 - $234,803 (based on experience) |