Uniformed services of the United States
The United States has seven uniformed services.
These are broken down into five military services and two services which are considered uniformed but are not military.
Military services
Other uniformed services
Members of these services are paid on the same scale and wear similar insignia of rank.
Members of the NOAA Corps and Public Health Service Commissioned Corps wear uniforms closely resembling those of the U.S. Navy.
The distinction between a commissioned officer of a non-military uniformed service and a civilian is important under the laws of war. The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey originally began commissioning officers so that if captured while engaged in battlefield surveying, they could not legally be tried as spies.
See also United States armed forces.
