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Military Families

A Coast Guard officer looks for survivors after Hurricane Katrina. Both the National Guard and the Coast Guard were lauded for their efforts after the 2005 hurricane hit the Gulf Coast.

standby reservists, and civilian personnel. Broken down by branch, the numbers look like this:

• Army: about 530,000 on active duty. • Air Force: about 325,000 on active duty. • Navy: about 320,000 on active duty.

• Marine Corps: about 195,000 on active duty. • Coast Guard: about 40,000 on active duty. There is roughly one officer for every five enlisted personnel, although that varies slightly by branch. There are more than 200,000 women on active duty, or just shy of 15 per- cent of the total force. In the reserve force, the percentage is slightly higher: