Major branch of the U.S. military forces, charged with preserving peace and security and defending the nation.
The first regular U.S. fighting force, the Continental Army, was organized by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, to supplement local conscription , and decreased during peacetime. The Department of the Army is organized as a military section of the Department of Defense and is headed by the Secretary of the Army. The Army Staff gives advice and assistance to the secretary and administers civil functions, including the civil-works program of the Corps of Engineers. The army also administers the {{link=United States Military Academy">U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In 2000 there were about 400,000 soldiers on active duty.