The Roman Republic military was one of the first well-organized military of all time. Because of this, most succeeding militaries follow their example by adopting and adapting some of the same characteristics. The Roman and U.S. military are from different eras, but still share similar characteristics as well as vast modernized differences that have established the U.S. military as efficient and organized.
Separating a military into unique specialized forces increases efficiency and the Romans knew that. The Roman legions consisted of: “10 cohorts to one legion, six centuries to one cohort, 10 tents to one cohort, eight soldiers to one tent, 120 cavalry” (Lloyd, 2013). The Roman formation was the triplex acies, which was the hastati, principles, and triarri. In addition to the triplex acies, the velites were at the front of the line. The velites were the skirmishers that were armed with a javelin and gladius, a short sword; their main goal was to weaken the enemy as much as possible using projectiles. After the velites completed their attack, the triplex acies would constantly rotate to the front of the line to take waves of the battle so the others can rest. The first to start the battle would be the hastati, followed by the principles and then the triarri. The Roman formation allowed for soldiers to rest and fight with a consistent effort and the soldiers knew exactly what they were suppose to do since their organization and duties were established (Hanson, 2008).
Following the Romans, the U.S. military is split into different branches of specialized soldiers. Instead of having generic soldiers, the U.S. have branches specialized for land, sea, and aerial battle. There are five branches: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine C...
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...al History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2006. Print. The book describes all aspects of the Roman military including pensions, strategy, responsibilities, and famous generals and battles.
"United States Department of Defense." Department of Defense. United States Department of Defense, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. . This website is a primary source that describes all the different ranks soldiers can be for each different branch of the military.
Uschan, Michael V. Life of an American Soldier in Iraq. San Diego: Lucent, 2005. Print. Michael Uschan describes the military during the Iraq War including responsibilities and conditions of the war.
Yancey, Diane. Life of an American Soldier. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2001. Print. Diane Yancey describes the military during the Vietnam War as well as any social issues at the time.
Stewart R. W. (2005). American Military History (Vol. 1). The United States Army and the
The Vietnam War, which lasted for two decades (1955-1975), was probably the most problematic of all American wars. US involvement in Vietnam occurred within the larger context of the Cold War between the US and the USSR. It was, and remains, morally ambiguous and controversial. The Vietnam War was slated as both a war against Communism and a war aimed at suppressing dangerous nationalist self-determination. Christian G. Appy's book, Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam, is a graphic and perceptive portrayal of soldiers' experiences and the lasting effects the Vietnam War has had on the American culture and people. Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam, is an analytical work that has three major purposes: 1. to show that those who fought in Vietnam were predominantly from the working class 2. to convey the experiences of the soldiers who served in Vietnam and 3. to offer his own scathing commentary of American actions in Vietnam.
Fussell, Paul. "Vietnam." The Bloody Game: An Anthology of Modern War. Ed. Paul Fussell. London: Scribners, 1991. 651-6.
Fall of Rome - the military's role. The Military's Role in the Beginning of the End of Rome The fall of Rome occurred over many centuries and was caused by several factors including military decay, barbarian invasions, and the failure of the government to respond to these problems. While these problems existed to a greater or lesser degree, since the end of the 2nd century, their effects were accelerated by the reforms of the emperors Constantine and Diocletian.
Hynes, Samuel Lynn. "What Happened in Nam." The soldiers' tale: bearing witness to modern war. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: A. Lane, 1997. 177-222. Print.
Tim O’ Brien’s narrative, How to Tell a War Story depicts the livelihood and experience of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. More so evaluating the life Tim O’ Brien and several other characters in his platoon. The sequences of stories reveals the thoughts and behavior of many post-Vietnam veterans and also can be related to the behavior of many veterans today. Throughout the segments of stories, “How to tell a War Story”, “Speaking of Courage and Notes”, and “The Things They Carried”, O’ Brien illustrates a common theme of guilt and sacrifice among the key characters Lieutenant Cross, Rat, and O’ Brien himself. Each character are presented with an unexpected responsibility and are forced to serve their state. A sense of discomfort
Military background and history has been in the world for a long time. It goes back as far as Assyrians, Spartans, Aztecs, Romans and Greek. The military purpose is mainly to protect our country and our rights and freedoms. It’s just a part of nature. No one came up with military it just happened and got stronger and stronger over the years. It first started with random people coming together protecting towns and homes and families, and eventually more and more people came together. The three main branches of the military are The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. All three of these branches are the reason the U.S is how it is. These branches fight for our freedom, our rights, and our country!! (Robbie Hughes Interview)
When looking back at a war as controversial as America's involvement in Vietnam, it is difficult to understand why soldiers would choose to fight and why they kept fighting for so long. Through a series of letters written by the soldiers themselves, one can see multiple motivations for soldiers in Vietnam, such as believing in the cause, self-preservation, and comradary amongst the men. This is all brought together in Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam, an adequate volume edited by Bernard Edelman for the New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission.
The book, We Were Soldiers Once... And Young, begins at a pivotal point in American history. The year was 1965; the year America began to directly interfere with the Vietnam affairs and send our young men to defend the notion of "freedom." During this year, Vietnam interested and concerned only a few Americans. In fact, the controversy of American involvement in Vietnam had hardly begun. But this all changed in November 1965 at the Ia Drang Valley in distant Vietnam. The Battle at LZ X-Ray and LZ Albany was the first major battle of the Vietnam conflict; a conflict that lasted decade and caused American turmoil for many more years.
The strength of the Roman military was the string that held the Roman Empire together for as long as it lasted. The military was made up of strictly disciplined men whom were ready and willing to serve their emperor.
The Vietnam War was a controversial conflict that plagued the United States for many years. The loss of life caused by the war was devastating. For those who came back alive, their lives were profoundly changed. The impact the war had on servicemen would affect them for the rest of their lives; each soldier may have only played one small part in the war, but the war played a huge part in their lives. They went in feeling one way, and came home feeling completely different. In the book Vietnam Perkasie, W.D. Ehrhart describes his change from a proud young American Marine to a man filled with immense confusion, anger, and guilt over the atrocities he witnessed and participated in during the war.
Marcel Le Glay, Jean-Louis Voisin, Yann Le Bohec. A History of Rome. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
Heichelheim, Fritz, Cedric A. Yeo, and Allen M. Ward. A History Of The Roman People. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1984.
The political system of both Roman empires was based on virtue and the republic was founded with the Senate as the center. The magistrates were elected annually and also had control of the armies. The key to Roman superiority was the patriotism and training and drills.
Gilbert, Marc Jason. "Vietnam War." World Book Student. World Book, 2010. Web. 21 March 2010.