Firearms in Different Military Branches

Hi, I've been doing research about different military branches and their daily operations. I've read about soldiers and marines handling firearms obviously, but what about other branches? Are all military branches issued firearms or does it depend on your specific job within the military?

In the United States military, each branch has a different operational focus and varying standard issue weapons. As such, whether or not a service member is issued a firearm—and which type—can depend on their role, the specific branch they're in, and their level of training.

In the Marine Corps and Army, which are the primary ground-combat branches of the U.S. military, almost every service member is trained in handling firearms, due to their close-combat nature. These service members are typically issued firearms no matter their specific job function. The standard issue firearm is typically a version of the M4 Carbine or the M16 rifle.

The Air Force and Navy, meanwhile, have a different focus. While they do have combat roles, a significant portion of their personnel operate technically complex systems, like aircraft and naval ships. Be that as it may, they do have security forces and special operations units who are issued firearms. Yet, for many of the non-combat roles in the Navy and Air Force, personnel may not be routinely armed in their day-to-day duties.

Finally, we have the Coast Guard and the Space Force. Given its role in maritime law enforcement, all Coast Guard personnel receive some level of weapons training and may be issued firearms. As for the Space Force, its operations heavily center around satellite and space technology management. Hence, most Space Force members are not typically armed during their regular duties.

Therefore, while all military branches have some components dealing with firearms, the extent of firearm handling among the personnel indeed depends on the service member's specific role and duties within the branch. Please consider reaching out to a recruiter from the specific branch you are interested in if you want more accurate and detailed information about their firearm issuing policies.