Without the operational Army, the institutional Army has no purpose.English: The 1942 German Taschenbuch für den Winterkrieg manual contains discusses winter, mud, and thaw with sections on the influence and duration of winter, the seasons of mud and thaw, preparation for winter warfare, winter combat methods and maintaining morale, including the use of reading material, lectures, movies, and 'strength through joy' exercises. Without the institutional Army, the operational Army cannot function.

Once those forces are deployed, the institutional Army provides the logistics needed to support them. Army installations provide the power-projection platforms required to deploy land forces promptly to support combatant commanders. The industrial base provides world-class equipment and logistics for the Army. It also allows the Army to expand rapidly in time of war. The training base provides military skills and professional education to every Soldier-as well as members of sister services and allied forces. Institutional organizations provide the infrastructure necessary to raise, train, equip, deploy, and ensure the readiness of all Army forces. The institutional Army supports the operational Army. The operational Army consists of numbered armies, corps, divisions, brigades, and battalions that conduct full spectrum operations around the world.

Regardless of component, the Army conducts both operational and institutional missions. The reserve components are the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. The Army, as one of the three military departments (Army, Navy and Air Force) reporting to the Department of Defense, is composed of two distinct and equally important components: the active component and the reserve components.

Military illustrator tank diagram