The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. United States federal law establishes six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard, each assigned specific roles and operational domains. With the exception of the Coast Guard, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in peacetime, the services are organized under the Department of Defense (DoD). Established during the American Revolutionary War, the Army and the Navy, and later the other services, have played a decisive role in the country's history. They contributed to early national consolidation through conflicts such as the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, shaped the country's territorial evolution, and were involved in global conflicts including World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the war on terror. The National Security Act of 1947 reorganized the military establishment by creating the DoD, the Air Force, and the National Security Council; in 1949, an amendment to the act merged the cabinet-level departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force into the DoD. formalizing a unified defense structure under civilian control. The Space Force was established in 2019 as the newest branch. The president of the U.S. serves as commander-in-chief and exercises authority over the armed forces through the DoD and, for the Coast Guard in peacetime, DHS. Since 1973, the United States has maintained an all-volunteer force, although the Selective Service System remains authorized to conscript most male citizens and residents aged 18 and 25 to register. All six services are also among the eight uniformed services of the United States. The armed forces consist of active-duty personnel, Reserve components, and the National Guard. The U.S. Armed Forces are widely considered the world's most powerful and most advanced military. The military expenditure of the U.S. was US $957 billion in 2025, the highest in the world, accounting for 33% of the world's military expenditures. The personnel size of the six armed forces together ranks them among the world's largest state armed forces. The U.S. Armed Forces has significant capabilities in both defense and power projection due to its large budget, resulting in advanced and powerful technologies which enable widespread deployment of the force globally, including around 800 military bases around the world.
History
The history of the U.S. Armed Forces dates back to 14 June 1775, with the creation of the Continental Army, even before the Declaration of Independence marked the establishment of the United States. The Continental Navy, established on 13 October 1775, and Continental Marines, established on 10 November 1775, were created in close succession by the Second Continental Congress in order to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War. These forces demobilized in 1784 after the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War. The Congress of the Confederation created the current United States Army on 3 June 1784. The United States Congress created the current United States Navy on 27 March 1794 and the current United States Marine Corps on 11 July 1798. All three services trace their origins to their respective Continental predecessors. The 1787 adoption of the Constitution gave Congress the power to "raise and support armies," to "provide and maintain a navy", and to "make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces", as well as the power to declare war. The president of the United States is the United States Armed Forces' commander-in-chief. The United States Coast Guard traces its origin to the formation of the Revenue Cutter Service on 4 August 1790, which merged with the United States Life-Saving Service on 28 January 1915 to establish the Coast Guard. The United States Air Force was established as an independent service on 18 September 1947; it traces its origin to the formation of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps, which was formed 1 August 1907 and was part of the Army Air Forces before being recognized as an independent service in the National Security Act of 1947. The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps was formerly considered to be a branch of the United States Armed Forces from 29 July 1945 until 3 July 1952, and is now one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Should it be called into active duty again, it would constitute a seventh branch of the Armed Forces. The United States Space Force was established as an independent service on 20 December 2019. It is the sixth branch of the U.S. military and the first new branch in 72 years. The origin of the Space Force can be traced back to the Air Force Space Command, which was formed 1 September 1982 and was a major command of the United States Air Force. The U.S. Congressional Research Office annually publishes a List of Notable Deployments of U.S. Military Forces Overseas since 1798.
== Structure == Presidential command over the U.S. Armed Forces is established in Article II in the Constitution whereby the president is named as the "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States." The United States Armed Forces are split between two cabinet departments, with the Department of Defense serving as the primary cabinet department for military affairs and the Department of Homeland Security responsible for administering the United States Coast Guard. The military chain of command flows from the President of the United States to the secretary of defense (for services under the Defense Department) or secretary of homeland security (for services under the Department of Homeland Security), ensuring civilian control of the military. Within the Department of Defense, the military departments (Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, and Department of the Air Force) are civilian led entities that oversee the coequal military service branches organized within each department. The military departments and services are responsible for organizing, training, and equipping forces, with the actual chain of command flowing through the unified combatant commands.
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, although outside the operational chain of command, is the senior-most military body of the Department of Defense. It is led by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is the principal advisor to the president and secretary of defense on military matters. Their deputy is the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Both the Chairman and Vice Chairman are barred from exercising military command over the Joint Chiefs of Staff or any of the armed forces with the exception of the Joint Staff. Other members include the chief of staff of the Army, commandant of the Marine Corps, chief of naval operations, chief of staff of the Air Force, chief of space operations, and the chief of the National Guard Bureau. The commandant of the Coast Guard is not an official member of the Joint Chiefs, but sometimes attends meetings as one of the military service chiefs. The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman is the most senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) in the United States Armed Forces and is a unique enlisted rank which only one individual may hold it. Is the primary enlisted advisor to the chairman, and serves at the pleasure of the secretary of defense. The president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the secretary of homeland security and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are members of the United States National Security Council, which advises the president on national security, military, and foreign policy matters. The national security advisor, the homeland security advisor, and the deputy national security advisor may also be members of the United States Armed Forces. The National Security Council Deputies Committee also includes the deputy secretary of defense, deputy secretary of homeland security, and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Military leadership, including the secretary of defense, the secretary of Homeland Security, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also sit on the National Space Council.
Unified combatant commands
Unified combatant commands are joint military commands consisting of forces from multiple military departments, with their chain of command flowing from the president, to the secretary of defense, to the commanders of the combatant commands. Each service organizes, trains, and equips forces that are then presented to the unified combatant commands through service component commands. Special Operations Command and Cyber Command also present theater special operations commands or joint force headquarters – cyber to other combatant commanders. Army components are typically dual-hatted as the joint force land component, Navy components are typically dual-hatted as the joint force maritime component, and Air Force components are typically dual-hatted as the joint force air component, with the theater special operations command dual-hatted as the joint force special operations component, and Space Force component typically dual-hatted as the joint force space component.
Combat support agencies
Combat support agencies are Department of Defense agencies with combat support missions that service operating forces planning or conducting military operations. This includes support during conflict or in the conduct of other military activities related to countering threats to U.S. national security. This mission is focused on providing support to echelons at the CCMD level and below and may not encompass the full scope of the CSA's mission.
== Service branches == The United States Armed Forces is composed of six coequal military service branches. Five of the branches, the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Space Force, are part of the Department of Defense. The United States Coast Guard is normally under the Department of Homeland Security, but may be transferred to the Department of Defense's Department of the Navy (which is the civilian entity that oversees the coequal U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy) at the direction of the President or Congress. With the exception of the Coast Guard, the military services only organize, train, and equip forces. The unified combatant commands are responsible for operational control of non-service retained forces. Each of the different military services is assigned a role and domain. The U.S. Army conducts land operations, while the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps conduct maritime operations, with the Marine Corps specializing in amphibious and maritime littoral operations in support of the Navy. The U.S. Air Force conducts air operations, while the U.S. Space Force conducts space operations. The U.S. Coast Guard is unique in that it is a military branch specializing in maritime operations and also a law enforcement agency.
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the United States Armed Forces' land force and is the largest and oldest service. Originally established in 1775 as the Continental Army, it consists of one million soldiers across the Regular Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. The Army serves as the Armed Forces principal land service, responsible for conducting land warfare operations. The U.S. Army is organized under the Department of the Army, which is a military department under the leadership of the secretary of the Army and under secretary of the Army. The U.S. Army itself is led by the chief of staff of the Army and vice chief of staff of the Army, both generals who are advised by the sergeant major of the Army. The Army's primary responsibility is to conduct prompt and sustained land combat as part of the joint force. Army landpower focuses on destroying an enemy's armed forces, occupying its territory, and breaking the will of an adversary. The five core competencies of the Army are:
Prompt and sustained land combat Combined arms operations: Combined arms maneuver and wide area security Armored and mechanized operations Airborne and air assault operations Special operations Set and sustain the theater for the joint force Integrate national, multinational, and joint power on land
The thirteen specified functions of the Army are:
Conduct prompt and sustained combined arms combat operations on land in all environments and types of terrain, to include complex urban environments, in order to defeat enemy ground forces, and seize, occupy, and defend land areas. Conduct air and missile defense to support joint campaigns and assist in achieving air superiority. This is conducted by the Army's Air Defense Artillery Branch, specifically by the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, and Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Conduct airborne and air assault, and amphibious operations. The Army has primary responsibility for the development of airborne doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures. Army airborne and air assault operations are conducted by the XVIII Airborne Corps, 11th Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Conduct civil affairs operations. Civil affairs operations are conducted by the United States Army Special Operations Command, predominantly under United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command and the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade. Conduct riverine operations. Occupy territories abroad and provide for the initial establishment of a military government pending transfer of this responsibility to other authorities. Interdict enemy sea power, space power, air power, and communications through operations on and from the land. Provide logistics to joint operations and campaigns, including joint over-the-shore and intra-theater transport of time-sensitive, mission-critical personnel and materiel. This is primarily conducted through the Army Logistics Branch, including the Quartermaster Corps, Ordnance Corps, Transportation Corps, and through Army Materiel Command's Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. Provide support to space operations to enhance joint campaigns, in coordination with the other military services (primarily the United States Space Force), combatant commands (primarily United States Space Command), and other U.S. government departments and agencies. Army space operations are conducted by Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Conduct authorized civil works programs, to include projects for the improvement of navigation, flood control, beach erosion control, and other water resource developments in the United States, its territories, and its possessions, and conduct other civil activities prescribed by law. These are conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers. Provide intra-theater aeromedical evacuation. These missions are flown by the Army Medical Service Corps and Army Aviation Branch. Conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. Operate land lines of communication. This is primarily conducted through the Transportation Corps and Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command.
Infantry
The Infantry Branch forms the core of the service's land combat power. U.S. Army infantry are generally equipped with the M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun, which will be replaced by the XM7 rifle and XM250. Infantry is a core part of the Army's Brigade Combat Teams. The most numerous variant, the Infantry Brigade Combat Team, comprises light infantry battalions who fight on foot. Infantry Brigade Combat Teams of the 82nd Airborne Division are air assault capable, with infantry soldiers being transported by U.S. Army Aviation UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Infantry Brigade Combat Teams of the 11th Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, and 173rd Airborne Brigade are capable of airborne operations, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force's transport aircraft. Finally, Infantry Brigade Combat Teams assigned to the 10th Mountain Division specialize in mountain warfare. Standard Infantry Brigade Combat Teams are assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, which offers additional training in jungle warfare. Armored Brigade Combat Teams comprise mechanized infantry battalions mounted in the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.Divisions with Armored Brigade Combat Teams include the 1st Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, 1st Armored Division, and 1st Cavalry Division. Stryker Brigade Combat Teams are centered around Stryker infantry battalions operating out of the Stryker.Divisions with Stryker Brigade Combat Teams include the 2nd Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, 11th Airborne Division, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and 3rd Cavalry Regiment. United States Army Rangers with the 75th Ranger Regiment are an elite special operations infantry force in the United States Army Special Operations Command, specializing in air assault and airborne infiltration methods. The three primary missions of the 75th Ranger Regiment are special operations raids, forcible entry operations, such as an airfield seizure to enable the Air Force to bring in more forces, and special reconnaissance. As a special operations force, Army Rangers are generally better equipped than standard infantry, utilizing the FN SCAR rifle.
Army Special Forces
Army Special Forces, commonly known as Green Berets after their iconic headgear, are among the most elite soldiers in the Army. Special Forces conduct:
counterinsurgency distinguishing between civilians and enemy combatants while assisting with the stabilization, defense, and training of developing countries facing insurgent threats. direct action seizing, capturing, recovering, or destroying enemy material; or utilizing quick strikes to recover personnel. foreign internal defense training and equipping foreign allied military forces to defend against insurgency, subversion, terrorism, and other security threats. special reconnaissance executing surveillance in hostile, denied, or diplomatically or politically sensitive environments to collect or verify information of strategic significance. unconventional warfare enabling a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce, disrupt, or overthrow a government or occupying power by operating through or with an underground force in a denied area. Army Special Forces are trained in military free-fall parachuting and combat diver skillsets. They are considered the most versatile special operations force in the entire world, operating as a multi-purpose force since 1952.
Armor and Cavalry
The Armor Branch traces its history back to the United States Cavalry and are responsible for tank and cavalry reconnaissance operations. The U.S. Army fields the M1 Abrams main battle tank in Armored Battalions as part of Armored Brigade Combat Teams across the 1st Armored Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry Division, and the 4th Infantry Division.Each Armored Brigade Combat Team also possesses a cavalry squadron equipped with M2 Bradleys for scouting and security. Stryker Brigade Combat Teams from the 2nd Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, 11th Airborne Division, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and 3rd Cavalry Regiment have a cavalry squadron equipped with Strykers. Infantry Brigade Combat Teams from the 10th Mountain Division, 11th Airborne Division, 25th Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, and 173rd Airborne Brigade have a cavalry squadron equipped with the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
Field Artillery
The Field Artillery's mission is to destroy, suppress or neutralize the enemy by cannon, rocket or missile fire. Rocket systems include the M142 HIMARS and M270 multiple launch rocket system, which are corps-level assets found in field artillery brigades. Towed artillery includes the M119 howitzer in infantry brigade combat teams and the M777 howitzer found in both infantry and Stryker brigade combat teams. The M109 self-propelled howitzer is utilized in armored brigade combat teams. During the Cold War, Army field artillery was responsible for the service's ballistic missile programs, including the PGM-11 Redstone, which was the first large ballistic missile in the U.S. arsenal, the MGM-31 Pershing, and the Pershing II. In 2023, the Army is intending to field the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon and has reestablished larger artillery formations like the 56th Artillery Command.
Air Defense Artillery
The Air Defense Artillery is responsible for defending geopolitical assets and providing maneuver forces with the freedom to move on the battlefield by deterring the enemy and destroying aerial threats, missile attacks, and surveillance platforms. Weapons employed by Air Defense Artillery include the FIM-92 Stinger man-portable air-defense system, AN/TWQ-1 Avenger for short range air defense, and the counter rocket, artillery, and mortar 20mm gun system. The Iron Dome provides air defense against rockets, artillery, mortars, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The MIM-104 Patriot is capable of defeating a wide range of threats including aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, ballistic and cruise missiles, and Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense protects strategic critical assets by conducting long-range endo-and-exo-atmospheric engagements of ballistic missiles using the world's largest air-transportable X-band radar. The Ground-Based Midcourse Defense is an anti-ballistic missile system operated by Army Space and Missile Defense Command to defend the United States homeland against an intercontinental ballistic missile attack. Major Air Defense Artillery units include the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command and Army Space and Missile Defense Command's 100th Missile Defense Brigade. Air Defense Artillery has an extremely close relationship with the Air Force through its Air and Missile Defense Commands and the Space Force through Army Space and Missile Defense Command, given their shared missile defense and space roles. In 1962, Air Defense Artillery achieved the first intercept of a ballistic missile with a nuclear-tipped Nike Zeus and operated the Nike Zeus as an anti-satellite weapon after completing a successful intercept in 1963.
Army Aviation
Army Aviation, distinct from the U.S. Air Force and its predecessors, began as part of the field artillery in 1942. Small spotter planes were used to spot for artillery and naval bombardment, as well as to perform observation. These few aircraft formed the core of Army Aviation once the U.S. Air Force gained independence. In 1983, the Army created the Aviation Branch, for the first time since the Air Force's independence consolidating aviation under a single organization. The mission of Army Aviation is to find, fix and destroy any enemy through fire and maneuver and to provide combat support and combat service support in coordinated operations as an integral member of the combined arms team. Major aircraft include the AH-64 Apache, which serves as the Army's attack helicopter, the UH-60 Black Hawk, and the CH-47 Chinook for troop and cargo transport. Army Aviation also flies the MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone. A specialized unit within Army Aviation, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) serves as a special operations unit and operates modified variants of the MH-60 Black Hawk, MH-47 Chinook, and the MH-6 Little Bird.
==== Army commands ==== The U.S. Army is organized into four major Army Commands, nine Army Service Component Commands which serve as the Army component and joint force land component commanders for the unified combatant commands, and thirteen direct reporting units.
U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) serves as the U.S. Armed Forces' naval land force, responsible for executing amphibious warfare and operating in the maritime littorals in support of the U.S. Navy. Originally established in 1775 as the Continental Marines, the Marine Corps consists of the Regular Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Reserve. The Marine Corps maintains a very close relationship with the U.S. Navy, its sister service in the Department of the Navy. Although the Marine Corps has previously operated as an independent land force alongside the Army, its primary purpose is to serve as part of a unified naval service alongside the Navy in the maritime domain. The U.S. Marine Corps is organized under the Department of the Navy, which is a military department under the leadership of the secretary of the Navy and the under secretary of the Navy. The U.S. Marine Corps itself is led by the commandant of the Marine Corps and the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, both generals who are advised by the sergeant major of the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps statutory mission is outlined in 10 U.S.C. § 5063 and as originally introduced under the National Security Act of 1947, with its three primary areas of responsibility including:
Seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and other land operations to support naval campaigns; Development of tactics, technique, and equipment used by amphibious landing forces in coordination with the Army and Air Force; and Such other duties as the president or Department of Defense may direct.
The seven specified functions of the Marine Corps are:
Seize and defend advanced naval bases or lodgments to facilitate subsequent joint operations. Provide close air support for ground forces. Conduct land and air operations essential to the prosecution of a naval campaign or as directed. Conduct complex expeditionary operations in the urban littorals and other challenging environments. Conduct amphibious operations, including engagement, crisis response, and power projection operations to assure access. The Marine Corps has primary responsibility for the development of amphibious doctrine, tactics, techniques, and equipment. Conduct security and stability operations and assist with the initial establishment of a military government pending transfer of responsibility to other authorities. Provide security detachments and units for service on armed vessels of the Navy, provide protection of naval property at naval stations and bases, provide security at designated U.S. embassies and consulates, and perform other such duties as the president or secretary of defense may direct. These additional duties may not detract from or interfere with the operations for which the Marine Corps is primarily organized. Marine Corps Security Force Regiment is responsible for supporting the Navy with Marine security operations, while the Marine Security Guard protects embassies and consulates of the United States Department of State.
Fleet Marine Force
The combat power of the Marine Corps is centralized in the Fleet Marine Force (FMF), which itself is organized into Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, to support the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command, and Fleet Marine Force Pacific, which supports the U.S. Navy's U.S. Pacific Fleet. The basic Marine Corps unit for conducting operations is the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), which combines Marine Corps and Navy land, air, sea, and cyberspace capabilities into a single command. There are three size variants of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force, but each consists of a command element, ground combat element, aviation combat element, and logistics combat element. A Marine ground combat element (GCE) is centered around Marine infantry, typically armed with a M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. Unlike the Army, the Marine Corps does not train its own combat medics, relying on the Navy to provide hospital corpsmen. These infantry units are supported by Marine Corps combat engineers, who conduct engineer reconnaissance, obstacle system emplacement, and breaching operations; and Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance teams. While the Marine Corps no longer operates its own tanks, opting to request support from the Army if needed, it maintains Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalions which operate the LAV-25 amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicle. Assault Amphibian Battalions operate the Assault Amphibious Vehicle and Amphibious Combat Vehicle, which enable the ground combat element to conduct amphibious landing operations. Marine Corps artillery operates the M777 howitzer and the M142 HIMARS, both supporting the ground combat element and the Navy at sea by striking enemy ships.
The Marine aviation combat element (ACE) is the operational arm of Marine Corps Aviation, working to support the ground combat element. The F-35B Lightning II and AV-8B Harrier II are flown off Navy amphibious assault ships, while the F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18 Hornet are flown off Navy carriers by Marine Corps pilots. The Marine Corps also operates the KC-130J to serve as a tanker and tactical airlift platform. The UH-1Y Venom helicopter provides the Marine Corps with light transport and attack, while the AH-1Z Viper is a dedicated attack helicopter. Medium-lift squadrons fly the MV-22 Osprey, while heavy-lift squadrons use the CH-53K King Stallion. The Marine Corps has also begun flying unmanned aerial vehicles, such as the MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-8 Fire Scout. Notably, the aviation combat element also includes Low-Altitude Air Defense Battalions, which employ the FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missile. The smallest MAGTF is the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), which is typically forward deployed on a Navy ship. Commanded by a colonel, a Marine Expeditionary Unit consist of 2,200 marines split across a battalion landing team (ground combat element), a composite helicopter squadron (aviation combat element), and a combat logistics element (logistics element). Marine Expeditionary Units are supplied for 15 days. Forward deployed Marine Expeditionary Units are often embarked on Navy amphibious assault ships as part of an amphibious ready group. The mid-sized MAGTF is the Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), which is organized for specific missions. Commanded by a brigadier general, Marine Expeditionary Brigades consist of 4,000 to 16,000 marines across a Regimental-sized ground combat element, a Marine Aircraft Group, and a Combat Logistics Regiment. Marine Expeditionary Brigades are supplied for 30 days and offer increased firepower and airpower over the Marine Expeditionary Unit. The largest MAGTF is the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), which is the primary warfighting force for larger operations. A Marine Expeditionary Force is commanded by a lieutenant general and consists of 46,000 to 90,000 marines. Currently there are only three Marine Expeditionary Forces, each with its own Marine Division, Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Logistics Group, and Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group. Marine Expeditionary Forces are supplied for 60 days. Certain elements are held at the Marine Expeditionary Force level, such as Force Reconnaissance. The MEF Information Group (MIG) also provides a number of functions such as the intelligence battalion; radio battalion which conducts signals intelligence, electronic warfare, and cyberspace operations; communications battalion; the MEF support battalion; and the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company.
While not a MAGTF, the Marine Corps has begun to reorganize some of its regiments into Marine Littoral Regiments (MRL), which are similar in size to a Marine Expeditionary Unit. A Marine Littoral Regiment is a self-deployable force, designed to be naval in nature and operate in the littoral region. A Marine Littoral Regiment consists of a littoral combat team, a littoral anti-air battalion, and a combat logistics battalion. Notably, the Marine Littoral Regiment has no aviation combat element, unlike a Marine Expeditionary Unit. Another Marine Corps element that does not function as part of the MAGTF is the Marine Raider Regiment, functioning under United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command. Marine Raiders specialize in direct action, unconventional warfare, maritime interdiction, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, counterterrorism, and counterinsurgency missions.
==== Marine Corps commands ==== Under Headquarters Marine Corps, the Marine Corps is organized into the Fleet Marine Force, multiple commands, and Marine Corps service components to the unified combatant commands.