Crazy Facts about the U.S. Army

 

Crazy Facts about the U.S. Army

The Army is one of the oldest and longest lasting institutions in America. It's been around for 243 years, and with the United States spending more on the military than the next eight highest-spending countries combined, it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

In fact, thanks to its rich history, there is a wealth of trivia about the U.S. Army that you might not know. If you're curious to learn more, we've rounded up 30 crazy facts about the U.S. Army, each more unbelievable than the last.

1.The Army Is Older Than the Country

The measure to create a unified Continental Army, to be led by George Washington, was passed by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. So, technically, the United States has had an army for a year longer than it's been a country.

 2.The Army Pioneered Modern Guerrilla Warfare

General Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion pioneered modern guerrilla warfare during the Revolutionary War. He traveled along swamp paths and lead his men in surprise attacks against unsuspecting British troops. Then, they would withdraw just as unexpectedly as they'd popped up.

3.George Washington Chose the Army's Dress Colors

George Washington chose the Army's service dress colors in 1779. Though the Army has tried many color schemes over the years, in 2010 they went back to Washington's picks

4.There Have Only Been Five Five-Star Generals in the Army

The rank of five-star general didn't exist until 1944, and it was only given to five men, including former president Dwight D. Eisenhower. The ranks were retired in 1981, when the last surviving five-star general, Omar Bradley, died.

5. The Army Tested Chemical Agents on the United States

In the 1950s and 1960s, the military used motorized blowers to blow zinc cadmium sulfide into the air over large swaths of the United States as part of Operation LAC (Large Area Coverage). The San Francisco Bay area, Saint Louis, parts of Minnesota, and the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia were all sprayed with the substance. Zinc cadmium sulfide was used because it's a fluorescent, and the military was researching potential dispersion of chemical and biological weapons.

6.The Air Force Was Part of the Army Until 1946

Until 1947, the Air Force was the Army Air Corps. The National Security Act of 1947 turned it into its own separate branch of the Armed Forces.

7.The Army Has a Special Unit of Skeptics

Graduates from Fort Leavenworth's University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies have been trained to play devil's advocates to avoid the pitfalls of groupthink that were happening in the military. Graduates of the program are called Red Teamers.

8.A Third of Union Army Soldiers Were Immigrants

The Union would have had a tough time during the Civil War if it weren't for immigrants, who made up a third of the army, and African-Americans, who were one-tenth of soldiers. In fact, in a quarter of all regiments, the majority was made up of foreigners.

9.The First Submarine Was Used by the Army in the Revolutionary War

The first documented submersible vehicle used in combat was the Turtle, which was operated with hand controls and foot pedals. The Turtle was used in a failed attempt to sink a British ship that was moored off Governors Island in New York City.

10.The Ranger Slogan Was Created During the Normandy Invasion

"Rangers lead the way" was adopted as the Army Rangers slogan during an exchange on Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion. General Norman Cota said to Major Max Schneider, "If you're Rangers, lead the way!"

11.Coca-Cola Had Engineers in the Army in WWII

Coca-Cola president Robert Woodruff said that any servicemen in World War II should be able to get a bottle of Coke for a nickel, anywhere in the world, so Coca-Cola created the Technical Observer program to make it happen. There were 148 Technical Observers, who supervised the shipment and operation of 64 bottling plants. Technical Observers had an Army officer's rank and pay, as well as uniforms with a special patch to identify them. They distributed more than 5 billion bottles of Coke to soldiers.

12.The Army Employs Over 1 Million Personnel

Currently, the Army employs 476,000 Regular Army, 343,000 Army National Guard, and 199,000 Army Reserve for a total of 1,018,000 uniformed personnel, in addition to 330,000 civilian personnel.

13.The Army Is Responsible for Ray-Bans

U.S. Army Air Corps Lieutenant General John MacCready asked Bausch & Lomb to make glasses for his pilots that would block the rays of the sun and reduce their nausea and headaches, and thus the company Ray-Ban was formed.

14.The Swastika Was a Sleeve Insignia Until WWII

The 45th Infantry used a Swastika as their sleeve insignia to honor their numerous Native American members, for whom it was a symbol of good luck. After the symbol was co-opted by the Nazis, the Infantry abandoned the symbol and settled on using the Thunderbird as their insignia thereafter.

15.The Army Dumped 64 Million Pounds of Nerve and Mustard Agents Into the Ocean

In addition to the nerve and mustard agents, 400,000 chemical bombs, rockets, and land mines were also dumped at at least 26 different spots off the coast. The dumping took place post-WWII and carried on until 1970. The Army isn't entirely sure where all the weapons were discarded.

16.PSYOPS Taunted Enemies by Calling Them "Lady Men"

PSYOPS would lure enemies in Afghanistan into fights they couldn't win by calling them "cowardly dogs" and "lady men."

17.The Army Uses Depleted Uranium Bullets

Depleted uranium ammunition can pierce armored vehicles. The energy released upon impact creates heat that causes the bullets to ignite. So, when a round makes it inside an armored vehicle, it can also ignite any ammunition that's inside the vehicle, along with fuel, which kills the crew and can even cause the vehicle to explode.

18.The Army Uses Depleted Uranium Bullets

The original Army was a ragtag crew of people in need of some serious training. A Prussian officer named Baron Friedrich von Steuben was brought on to be the Army Inspector General and taught soldiers military drills, tactics, and discipline. At the time he was hired, he was fleeing France, where French clergy were demanding he receive punishment for being homosexual.

19.An Entire Island of People Lost Their Homes for a Military Base

The every inhabitant of the island of Diego Garcia, over 1,000 in total, was kicked out by the British government to make room for a U.S. military base to be constructed. The inhabitants were relocated to Mauritius, mostly in slum neighborhoods. Mauritius only accepted the islanders after payment of £650,000.

20.There Are Currently About 500 Dogs in the Army

Military Working Dogs, or MWDs are trained in various methods of attack, detection, and patrol. The dogs can also specialize in narcotics or explosives detection. Dogs must undergo 16 hours of training every month, in addition to quarterly evaluations.