Understanding U.S. Government: Who Leads the Military?

I'm kind of confused about how leadership works in the military. Which branch of our government is responsible for leading the military? Just trying to understand how our system works.

The President of the United States serves as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, which includes all branches of the military. This leadership role is established by the U.S. Constitution. In this role, the President has the power to order troops into combat and is responsible for overall strategic military planning.

However, it's important to understand that civilian control of the military is a key principle in the U.S., so the President's orders and decisions are carried out by civilian officials who are confirmed by the Senate. The Secretary of Defense, who heads the Department of Defense, is the most senior of these officials. The Department of Defense oversees the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space Force.

Each of these individual military branches also has its own leadership structure. Each branch is led by a secretary (Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, etc.), and these individuals report to the Secretary of Defense.

On a day-to-day basis, operational control of military forces is delegated to the various Unified Combatant Commands, each headed by a four-star general or admiral who reports directly to the Secretary of Defense.

Remember that the governance of the military is designed to be collaborative and it involves checks and balances among different branches of the government. While the President can order troops into combat, only Congress has the power to declare war.