This course combines the text, For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States 1607-2012, with supplemental in-class presentations and lectures to guide students chronologically through the history of the United States military from the Revolutionary War through the War on Terrorism. We will review major themes, tactics, battles, weaponry, industrialization, and personnel for all branches of the military in wars and conflicts including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Indian Wars, World Wars I & II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and the War on Terror. In addition to the broad view, we will also focus on the story of the soldier in the trenches and the bomber in the skies. While this study will require some global focus to fully understand each conflict, the focus of this course is on the efforts of the U.S. Military and their ideology and initiatives in conjunction with those of the adversaries.