# Military branch

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"Service branch" redirects here. For the non-military topic of a branch of an organization that provides charitable service, see [service club](/source/Service_club). For the activities of a branch of an organization that provides servicing, see [maintenance](/source/Maintenance).

A **military branch** (also **service branch** or **armed service**) is a first level subdivision of the national [armed forces](/source/Military) of a state.

## Types of branches

Type Role Example (if atypical) Air and space force Air and space warfare French Air and Space Force Airborne forces Paratrooper operations Russian Airborne Forces Air defense force Air and missile defense Egyptian Air Defense Forces Air force Aerial warfare Army Ground warfare Border guard Border security Vietnam Border Guard Coast guard Maritime security United States Coast Guard Command and control Reconnaissance, Communication, Surveillance, Information warfare People's Liberation Army Information Support Force Cyber force Cyberwarfare Digital and Intelligence Service (Singapore) Emergencies service Disaster relief and emergency management Military Emergencies Unit (Spain) Engineering service Military engineering Construction and Engineering Forces (Mongolia) Gendarmerie Military and/or public policing National Gendarmerie (France) General Staff Command and control Strategic Command Operations (Venezuela) Logistics service Military logistics Joint Support Service (Germany) Marines Naval land force United States Marine Corps Medical service Medical service Belgian Medical Service Military police Military law enforcement agency Republic of China Military Police Military reserve force National reserve and auxiliary service Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces Navy Naval warfare Strategic rocket force Operation of land-based strategic missiles People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (China) Royal/Presidential guard Protection of royal families / presidential offices and ceremonial duties Saudi Royal Guard Regiment / Republican Guard (Algeria) Space force Space warfare United States Space Force Special forces Special operations Polish Special Forces Unmanned systems forces Drone warfare Unmanned Systems Forces (Ukraine)

### Unified armed forces

The [Canadian Armed Forces](/source/Canadian_Armed_Forces) is the unified armed forces of Canada. While it has three distinct commands – namely the [Canadian Army](/source/Canadian_Army), [Royal Canadian Navy](/source/Royal_Canadian_Navy), and [Royal Canadian Air Force](/source/Royal_Canadian_Air_Force) – it remains a single military service.[1]

### NATO definition

*Branch of service* (also *branch of military service* or *branch of armed service*) refers, according to NATO standards, to a branch, employment of combined forces or parts of a [service](/source/Military_service), below the level of service, military service, or armed service.[2]

## See also

- [List of militaries by country](/source/List_of_militaries_by_country)
- [Military organization](/source/Military_organization)

## References

1. Boileau, John (November 11, 2021). ["Unification des Forces armées canadiennes"](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/unification-des-forces-armees-canadiennes) [Unification of the Canadian Armed Forces] (in en, French). *"[L'Encyclopédie canadienne](/source/The_Canadian_Encyclopedia)" [The Canadian Encyclopedia]*

1. "A – K" [A – K]. *Militärisches Studienglossar Englisch Teil I Englisch* (in German). Hürth: Bundesprachenamt. 1996. p. 226. [OCLC 1245240835](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1245240835)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Military branch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_branch) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_branch?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.