Preface

The Department of the Army Manual is published for the purpose of gathering into a single volume useful information concerning the role of the United States Army as an instrument of national security.

The manual is designed to serve key officials and agencies of the Department of the Army as a handy reference source. It provides them with an organized body of material descriptive of Army roles, philosophy, doctrine, organization, history, and operations. The manual also covers the functions and responsibilities of the Army's principal officials and agencies.

The Department of the Army Manual discusses national security and collective security matters in broad terms, reflecting the fact that the role, philosophy, and doctrine of the United States Army must be viewed within the framework of the broad considerations of national security policy. The document stresses the role of the Army as one of the interdependent elements of national power to be applied under unified direction and command toward attainment of the objectives of the United States and its allies.

Changes to The Department of the Army Manual will be published, as the need for them arises, in the form of revised pages, sections, or chapters to be substituted for the superseded portions.