Impact Ordnance has on Warfare and Civilization, The

The United States has been in conflict with a degree of wars since its establishment in 1776. Throughout time there has been a growing power for more weapons, technology, and intelligence to keep us ahead of all our enemies. The United States Ordnance Corps continues to develop weapons that change the warfare tactics and strategies used against America's enemies. When the development of new ordnance is authorized on the battlefield, there are new ways to execute these products. From the Revolutionary War to present War on Terrorism, there are direct correlations to how each war's ordnance and developments have influenced the outcome. Rifles, artillery, aviation, atomic bombs, and improvised explosive devices (IED) have changed the way the American Army has performed on the battlefield. The change in war has been from conventional to insurgent in such a short time. Who will we fight in the future, and, what will that fight look like? Aside from the strategic and tactical advancements of ordnance, the development of ordnance has dictated civilization. The more advanced ordnance becomes, the stricter laws and policies are passed to ensure they are not used to incinerated the Earth 8x over. How does the fear of ordnance dictate the behaviors of society? The research conducted in this paper illuminates the advancements of certain ordnances that helped change and shape the American Wars. It also verifies that ordnance improvements have shaped fear in our society.