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Military Families different from “average” kids in some important ways. So the term military brat is a kind of badge of honor for kids who have grown up in that environment. But before we get to that, let’s look at how the U.S. military is organized and who military families are. OVERVIEW OF THE MILITARY The U.S. military has five branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Each branch has its own responsibilities. People usually associate the Army with what’s called “ground troops,” while the Air Force is associated with planes, and the Navy and Coast Guard with ships. But the reality is somewhat more complicated than that, and there is plenty of overlap. For example, although the Army and Air Force are different branches, the Army has its own pilots and uses helicopters in attacks. The Navy has pilots, too. There is also overlap between the activities of the Marines and the Navy. Meanwhile, the Marines also have their own planes and pilots. As its name sug- gests, the Coast Guard is primarily focused on protecting American waters, but during wartime, the Coast Guard can also be sent all over the world. There are lively rivalries among the branches. (Just ask someone in the Navy who is better: Navy pilots or Air Force pilots!) But in practice all the branches work together to defend the United States at home and abroad. All branches of the U.S. military have an active duty side and a reserve side. Active duty refers to people who are part of the military full time, while reservists are people who are trained and can be “called up” to service if needed. There is also a distinction between enlisted personnel and officers . Enlisted personnel make up about 82 percent of the military, and they carry out the operations. The remaining 18 percent are officers. Officers do the planning and management of military activities. They also perform certain specialized jobs, such as medicine. When we think of “the military,” we usually think of soldiers as they’re shown in movies. But it’s important to understand that the U.S. military is a huge