Posted on Apr 3, 2024
Why is Active Duty so called? My understanding is everyone on AD is Regular Army. So why not use the traditional name Regular Army?
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Posted 9 mo ago
Responses: 9
All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares.
I think you misspoke when you said, "everyone on active duty is Regular Army" and meant it the other way around or said "is" when you meant "is not", as almost all individuals on full-time military service in the Army are on "active duty", but only a majority of them would be classified as "Regular Army" (full-time reserve component service members make up the lion's share of the rest).
You are correct in specificity (assuming you did mean it the other way around), but since most are never educated on the differences between those terms and the types of active and inactive duty, it's just 'one of those things'.
Why do most people often call generic things by a brand name (Jell-O, Band-Aid, Fiberglass, Super Glue, etc.)? Because that's how it was always referred to in their experience. Even when you point out that they are technically wrong, they usually fall into the "who cares? You know what I mean!" mindset.
In fact, it's so commonplace that even the U.S. Army refers to it as "Active Duty" when they mean "Regular Army" in the recruitment literature*. You, I and the majority of those reading these comments know the difference, but to the average civilian, they completely understand if you talk about enlisting on Active Duty, but are a bit confused if you talk about enlisting in the "Regular Army".
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* https://www.goarmy.com/explore-the-army/army-structure/active-duty.html
I think you misspoke when you said, "everyone on active duty is Regular Army" and meant it the other way around or said "is" when you meant "is not", as almost all individuals on full-time military service in the Army are on "active duty", but only a majority of them would be classified as "Regular Army" (full-time reserve component service members make up the lion's share of the rest).
You are correct in specificity (assuming you did mean it the other way around), but since most are never educated on the differences between those terms and the types of active and inactive duty, it's just 'one of those things'.
Why do most people often call generic things by a brand name (Jell-O, Band-Aid, Fiberglass, Super Glue, etc.)? Because that's how it was always referred to in their experience. Even when you point out that they are technically wrong, they usually fall into the "who cares? You know what I mean!" mindset.
In fact, it's so commonplace that even the U.S. Army refers to it as "Active Duty" when they mean "Regular Army" in the recruitment literature*. You, I and the majority of those reading these comments know the difference, but to the average civilian, they completely understand if you talk about enlisting on Active Duty, but are a bit confused if you talk about enlisting in the "Regular Army".
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* https://www.goarmy.com/explore-the-army/army-structure/active-duty.html
Active duty is the largest component within the Army. You’ll help the Army perform day-to-day operations with a specialized skillset in a specific field.
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MAJ Ronnie Reams
Wow, I did think AUS gone except for us commissioned as a Reserve Officer in the Army of the United States and GOs. My reired component listed as Major AUS, although DFAS and others still list me as Major USA, which I never was. Even LTGs and GENs are listed as USA even tough they are AUS as highest USA rank is MG. I wonder if enlisted stil contribute a quarter q month for Old Soldiers' Home, as I did when my serial number started with RA?
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SSG Roger Ayscue
MAJ Ronnie Reams - From my understanding for enlisted soldiers the term AUS (Army of the United States) was a term used for conscripts. My father was drafted in the Army of the United States, and was offered the opportunity to reenlist in the United States Army before his conscription period ended. He was discharged from the AUS and reenlisted in the Regular Army.
I may be wrong, or more likely this changed after the end of the draft.
I may be wrong, or more likely this changed after the end of the draft.
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1SG(P) Dean Mcbride (MPER) (SPHR)
At one time, military service numbers started with the prefix of RA and US. RA (Regular Army) was used for those that enlisted. US was conscripted (drafted) enlisted personnel. My Service Number was: RA 19 658 ###. During training for Gas Mask use, we were required to enter the Gas Chamber, remove our Gas Mask, state your name, rank, and service member, replace and clear your mask...
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The term "Regular Army" is often not considered in its historical context.
It came into existence after the Continental Army was transformed from a volunteer force to a standing army. In theory the current U.S. Army is composed of 3 components: Active, Reserve, and National Guard.
To CSM Chuck Stafford's point, until the NDA of 1920, there was the possibility of holding Army rank in any component (or multiple) of the "The Army of the United States" (composed of the the United States Army, the Regular Army, the United States Army Reserve, the Army National Guard of the United States, the U.S. Volunteers, and the U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps).
As the other armed force branches became more defined and shortly before the Korean War, the United States Department of War became the Department of Defense, including the United States Armed Forces that houses the United States Department of the Army (+the other branch departments). In the DA there is the United States Army and its 3 components.
This is where is gets confusing, the Regular Army as a concept is short for "The Army of the United States" and is often confounded to mean "Active Duty", which would be technically incorrect (considering a given time period). However, "Regular Army" has been a stand-in for "Active Duty".
It came into existence after the Continental Army was transformed from a volunteer force to a standing army. In theory the current U.S. Army is composed of 3 components: Active, Reserve, and National Guard.
To CSM Chuck Stafford's point, until the NDA of 1920, there was the possibility of holding Army rank in any component (or multiple) of the "The Army of the United States" (composed of the the United States Army, the Regular Army, the United States Army Reserve, the Army National Guard of the United States, the U.S. Volunteers, and the U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps).
As the other armed force branches became more defined and shortly before the Korean War, the United States Department of War became the Department of Defense, including the United States Armed Forces that houses the United States Department of the Army (+the other branch departments). In the DA there is the United States Army and its 3 components.
This is where is gets confusing, the Regular Army as a concept is short for "The Army of the United States" and is often confounded to mean "Active Duty", which would be technically incorrect (considering a given time period). However, "Regular Army" has been a stand-in for "Active Duty".
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Active duty is full-time. Regular Army hints at the existence of an irregular Army...
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MAJ Ronnie Reams
Yeppers, it was called the Army of the United States. Enlisted SNs ere prefixed US.
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1SG(P) Dean Mcbride (MPER) (SPHR)
MAJ Ronnie Reams During my early service years (1960s), RA was enlisted service members and US was conscripted (drafted) service members.
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MAJ Ronnie Reams
Yeppers, R prefix Regular Army and US prefix AUS. ER enlisted reserve and NG National Guard. First two numbers also indicated component and where you entered service. My SN was RA 24..... RA Regular Army and 24 my first enlistment was National Guard.
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