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Chapter One: Soldiers and Families

One example of the long rivalry between military branches is the famous Army–Navy football game, which has been played annually since 1890. Here the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen take the field in 2012.

organization. There are many service members who are not literally soldiers. They might be engineers, machine and vehicle operators, electricians, construction workers, and so on. The military also has its own health-care staff, which includes not only doctors, but also dentists, nurses, pharmacists, and physical therapists. The U.S. military has its own police force and even its own firefighters. THE MILITARY COMMUNITY There are more than 3.6 million men and women in the U.S. military. That includes about 1.4 million active duty personnel and 1.1 million reservists, plus retired and