Okay, a bit puzzled here. I keep hearing about the 'four branches of the military'. Last time I checked, there were five: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Did one get left out or am I missing something here? Thanks in advance for the info.
You're correct that the United States military is split into distinctly-operated service branches. There are, indeed, five branches: the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Each of these branches has its own unique set of duties and responsibilities to protect and serve our country.
Sometimes, when people refer to the "four branches," they might be excluding the Coast Guard from the list. This is because the United States Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime. Having said that, during times of war or at the direction of the President, the Coast Guard can operate as a part of the Department of the Navy.
On the other hand, the U.S. Space Force was officially established in 2019 as a sixth military service branch, under the Department of the Air Force. If we include it in the count, it would make the total six branches. However, it's not seen as often in general conversation, as it's the newest and smallest branch, hence the confusion around the number of branches.
In a nutshell, it's not that one branch gets left out - it's more about how people categorize and refer to them.
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