Capitalize Branches of the Military
Capitalization
Rulebase Summary
Capitalize the names of all branches of the United States military — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard. These are proper nouns referring to specific national organizations.
Examples
A. I served in the army for six years.
A. I served in the Army for six years.
Army is a proper noun — the name of a specific military branch — and is always capitalized.
A. He was a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton.
A. He was a marine stationed at Camp Pendleton.
When referring to an individual enlistee rather than the branch itself, marine is lowercase.
Transcript Notes
Do not capitalize soldier, marine, sailor, or airman when referring to an enlistee. If airman precedes the name, however, it is capitalized (Airman Johnson). Capitalize the names of the branches of service (Marines, Navy, Army, Air Force) and the words 'Armed Forces.'
Style Guide References (2)
Morson's
BGGP