United States Armed Forces

The **United States Armed Forces** are the military forces of the United States. They mainly consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. During the turbulent years of World War II, the U.S. Army fought against the Nazi Third Reich and Fascist Italy in Europe and the Japanese Empire in Asia.

## History

### 20th Century

#### World War II

When the USA entered World War II in 1941, the US Armed Forces had to fight on two fronts, against the Nazi Third Reich & Kingdom of Italy in Europe and North Africa, and against the Empire of Japan in the Pacific.

In 1944, on the order of General John McGinnis, a US Army Air Forces plane flew over the Soviet positions around the German town of Finow, releasing the gas called the Midnight Oil in hopes of helping the Soviets crush the German resistance. However, the gas turned the Soviet soldiers into raving beasts, and most of them killed each other. That incident later became known as the Battle of Finow.

On June 6 of that year, members of the US First Army, along with forces from the British Armed Forces (including a Canadian division), stormed the beaches of Normandy on the coast of Nazi-occupied France. The American units secured Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, while the British/Canadians secured Gold Beach, Juno Beach, and Sword Beach.

Once the beachhead at Normandy was established, American units penetrated deep into Europe, fighting against the Nazis in battles such as the Battle of the Bulge, eventually advancing all the way into Germany.

#### Cold War

After World War II, the United States became engaged in a Cold War with the Soviet Union.
In cooperation with the Army, Isodyne Energy tested an Atomic Bomb. The explosion created a mysterious anomaly that sucked everything close to it, including a military team that was witnessing the event and all their supplies and vehicles. When the portal vanished, the only thing left behind was a cluster of what became known as Zero Matter.

At that time, the industrialist Howard Stark was involved in developing weapons for the United States Armed Forces. In the early days of the new period of tension, the Soviet analogue to HYDRA and the SSR began operating in the United States, stealing many of Howard Stark's most dangerous inventions. While federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies investigated Stark, members of the 107th Infantry Regiment and Howling Commandos, along with SSR Agents Peggy Carter and Jack Thompson, were dispatched to investigate the source of an intercepted Leviathan transmission. They were first deployed into Communist Poland, before making their way through Soviet Lithuania into Belarus at Ashmyany. They encountered resistance from both the students of the academy, and from Red Army troops attached to the facility.

As the Cold War progressed, the United States Armed Forces found themselves active in various other theaters across the world. In 1962, the US Navy blockaded the island of Cuba in response to the Soviet placement of missiles there. Through the 1960s and 1970s, the United States Armed Forces were also engaged in the Vietnam War, were major figureheads of the modern day.

## Facilities

* Pentagon - Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense
* Fort Johnson - United States Army Facility
* Fort Meade - United States Army Facility
* Edwards Air Force Base - United States Air Force Facility
* Bagram Air Base - United States Armed Forces Base
* Ali Al Salem Air Base - United States Air Force Base
* Camp Lehigh - Military Base
* Kaena Point Air Force Base - Satellite relay station
* Laura Creek Station - Satellite relay station
* Government Storage Warehouse - Containment Facility

## Paraphernalia

### Weapons

The US Armed Forces has the state-of-the-art high-tech weaponry at their disposal. Most of them were manufactured by Taylor Industrial and other weapons companies.

* Pistols and Handguns
Colt M1911A1 - Used mainly during World War II

* Submachine Guns
	+ M1921 Thompson - Used mainly during World War II.
	+ M1928A1 Thompson - Used mainly during World War II.
	+ M3/M3A1 "Grease Gun" - Used mainly during World War II.

* Rifles
	+ M1 Garand Rifle - Used mainly during World War II.
	+ M1 Carbine - Used mainly during World War II.
	+ M1941 Johnson rifle - Used mainly during World War II.
	+ M1903 Springfield - Used mainly during World War II.

* Assault Rifles

* Machine Guns
	+ Browning M1919A4 - Used mainly during World War II.
	+ Mk 46 Mod 0 Light Machine Gun - Used by the US troops in Afghanistan.
	+ FN M240B - Used by the US troops in Afghanistan.
	+ Browning M2 - Used by the US troops in Afghanistan.

* Sniper Rifles

### **Vehicles**

#### United States Army

* CH-53 Sea Stallion: Normally used by branches of the United States Armed Forces other than the Army.
* IAV Stryker: Can be seen in a hangar owned by the US Army.
* M4 A4 'Sherman V': Used during World War II.

#### United States Air Force

* F-35 Lightning II
* F-22 Raptor
* E-3 Sentry: An AWACS (**A**irborne **Wa**rning and **C**ontrol **S**ystem) was being operated by the United States Air Force in the airspace over Gulmira, Afghanistan during the battle there.
* RQ-4 Global Hawk: One of these drones was seen at a United States Air Force hangar shortly after Tony Stark's return from Afghanistan. Another was conducting ISR in the area over Gulmira, Afghanistan during the battle there.
* F-16 Fighting Falcon: Tony Stark is seen posing with USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons in a promotional photograph that was shown at the 2010 Apogee Awards.
* HH-60 Pave Hawk - Used to deploy Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes and USAF Pararescue jumpers to recover Tony Stark in the Afghan desert after he escaped Ten Rings custody.
* B-2 Spirit: A stealth bomber in service with the United States Air Force. One was stationed at Edwards AFB when Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes arrived with the confiscated Mark II Iron Man armor.
* B1-B Lancer: A supersonic strategic heavy bomber in service with the United States Air Force. One was stationed at Edwards AFB when Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes arrived with the confiscated Mark II Iron Man armor.
* B-52H Stratofortress: A strategic bomber in service with the United States Air Force. One was stationed at Edwards AFB when Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes arrived with the confiscated Mark II Iron Man armor.
* Chevrolet Tahoe: Used for transport at Edwards AFB when Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes arrived with the confiscated Mark II Iron Man armor.
* Humvee: Airmen were driving several M1025 variants in a convoy while transporting Tony Stark back to Bagram Air Base when they were attacked by heavily-armed Ten Rings insurgents.
* Air Force One: The call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft that is carrying the President of the United States. However, the term is most often used to refer to a specific Boeing VC-25 aircraft dedicated to Presidential transport. This aircraft was in use during the Mandarin bombings and terror campaign to carry President Matthew Ellis to safety. However, an Extremis-enhanced supersoldier, Eric Savin, hijacked the plane and nearly killed everyone on board. Most people were saved by the sudden arrival of the remotely-controlled Mark XLII Iron Man armor, though the VC-25 was destroyed.
* Bell 412: This helicopter was used to transport Royal Marines Commando Emil Blonsky to meet with General Thaddeus Ross.
* C-130 Hercules: Transport aircraft seen in service with United States Air Force during the military's hunt for Bruce Banner.
* V-22 Osprey: Tiltrotor aircraft capable of both transportation and close air support. These were mentioned by General Thaddeus Ross during a conversation he had with Emil Blonsky. Also operated by the Marine Corps.

#### United States Navy

* *Gearing*-class destroyer: In service during the Cold War. Several destroyers of this class assisted with the US Navy's blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

#### United States Marine Corps

* F/A-18 Hornet: Tony Stark is seen posing with USMC F/A-18 Hornets in a promotional photograph that was shown at the 2010 Apogee Awards.
* CH-46 Sea Knight: A recently-retired helicopter still in service with several NATO countries and allies. It was still in use by the USMC at the time of Tony Stark's abduction in Afghanistan as it could be seen at Bagram Air Base.
* CH-53E Super Stallion: A heavy-lift cargo helicopter; it is the largest and heaviest helicopter in service with the military. A USMC-operated Super Stallion could be seen at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan at the time of Tony Stark's abduction.
* V-22 Osprey: Tiltrotor aircraft capable of both transportation and close air support. These were mentioned by General Thaddeus Ross during a conversation he had with Emil Blonsky. Also operated by the Air Force.

1. ↑ *Agent Carter: 2.02: A View in the Dark*
2. ↑ *The Iron Ceiling*