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A soldier is a person who has enlisted with, or was conscripted into, the armed forces of a sovereign country and has undergone training and received equipment to defend that country or its interests. Soldiers are a part of strictly hierarchical societies called armies. Within the army, groups of soldiers are usually divided into military units of some kind.
A soldier is not necessarily a warrior. Although all soldiers get basic combat training, many soldiers serve in the rear in non-combat positions (such as in office management, clerical, logistics, or research and development positions).
In an army, most soldiers are of the lowest military rank - In the United States Army, a private. All soldiers can in theory be promoted to officers.
A soldier who no longer serves in the armed forces is called a veteran.
Infantry are soldiers who specialize in ground combat. Not all soldiers are infantry, and not all infantry are soldiers. Infantry that are not soldiers include members of the RAF RegimentThe RAF Regiment is a specialist corps within the Royal Air Force responsible for defending airfields and associated installations. Organistion and Current Role The RAF Regiment's 2800 members are organised into ten squadrons of 100-150 personnel each, ro of the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly (technically they are airmen not soldiers), and members of the United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps USMC is the second-smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. The United States Coast Guard is the smallest. The Marine Corps is nonetheless la, Royal MarinesThe Royal Marines are the United Kingdom's amphibious forces and a core component of their Rapid Reaction Force. They are lightly equipped, able to operate independently in all terrains, and highly trained as a commando force. History The first unit of En of the United Kingdom, or other marine forces (who are marines not soldiers; in fact many marines bristle at being called soldiers). Finally, many naviesA navy is the branch of the military that operates primarily on water. Most (but not all) armed forces make considerable distinction between the land-based warfare of an Army, the sea-based warfare of a Navy, and the air-based warfare of an Air Force ofte maintain naval infantry, who are sailors not soldiers.
A pre-modern soldier is also called a warrior. The word warrior implies one who is not part of a full-time army. Without strict heirarchial discipline constantly being imposed on them, warriors in pre-modern societies were often guided by societal warrior codeIn many societies in which a specialized warrior class exists, specific codes of behavior ( ethical codes) are instituted in order to ensure that the warrior class is not dangerous to the rest of society. Warrior codes often have common features and usuals.