America's Military - Reading Comprehension
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America's Military Reading Comprehension
     America's Military reading comprehension (sample is shown below)


America's Military
By Phyllis Naegeli 		  
1     America's military forces started as a rag-tag group of colonists determined to win their freedom. Their heart and determination turned them into a force to reckon with. And, with a leader like George Washington, they won their independence from England.
 
2     America was free, but the new country needed a united military force to protect itself. Imagine if each state had its own army. States were fiercely independent in the new republic. If one state was attacked, what incentive would another have to come to its defense? The central government was granted the responsibility of defending us as a nation. This power was divided between the Congress and the president. Section eight of the U.S. Constitution gave the power to establish an army and a navy to Congress. The president was made commander-in-chief.
 
3     The army was already established when the new country began. It has been in force since June 14, 1775 when the Continental Congress formed the official Continental Army and placed George Washington in command. Another force within the Continental Army was formed on November 10, 1775. It became know as the Marines. Today, the Marines are a separate branch of our military. In 1789, when Congress was given the power to form a Navy, it did so by placing an order for six frigates. From 1789 through 1798, the Department of War was in charge of both the Army and the Navy. In 1798, Congress formed the Department of the Navy, separating the branches under two different cabinet departments. In 1912, the government added the Air Force to our defense department.
 
4     In 1949, Congress created the Department of Defense (DOD) to direct all branches of the military. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines fall under the leadership of the DOD. Led by the Secretary of Defense and headquartered in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., it employs over 650,000 civilians and 1.4 million active service members. Over 470,000 military men and women are stationed around the world in more than 146 countries.
 
5     As of 2004, the DOD had a budget of $380 million dollars. These tax dollars are used to pay the men and women who serve in the armed forces. They are also utilized to develop new weapons for air, land, and sea operations and provide training for service men and women. Civilian duties covered by these funds include money management, research, development, new technology advisors, and administration.

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