Proposal to Create a U.S. Army Drone Corps
June 18, 2024
Introduction
A provision of the House-passed H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, would establish the “Drone Corps” as a basic
branch of the U.S. Army, one responsible for small and medium uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and
defensive counter-UAS. If the House provision is adopted in law, Congress would be responsible for the
oversight and funding of this new branch of the Army. This product provides a background on the Army’s
basic branches, as well as a discussion of the proposed legislation and potential considerations for
Congress.
What is a Basic Branch of the Army?
The U.S. Army organizes its members according to their roles and abilities and to authorities prescribed
by Congress. Basic branches consist of career fields in the combat, combat support, and services support
roles; these include the infantry, aviation, military intelligence, and ordnance branches, among others.
Special branches are comprised of personnel with professional qualifications in medicine, law, or religion.
The Continental Congress authorized the establishment of five separate departments—later, basic
branches—of the Army in June 1775. In time, Congress added new departments like the Signal Corps and
Chemical Corps.
The Army Organization Act of 1950 (P.L. 81-581) consolidated the changes made to the Army prior to
and during the Second World War. Under Section 306 of the act, codified as Title 10, Section 7063 and
Section 7064 of the United States Code (U.S.C.), Congress established 12 basic branches and formalized
the distinction between basic and special branches. Congress also authorized the Secretary of the Army to
assign its members to “such other basic branches as the Secretary considers necessary.”
Since 1950, the Army has used its authority under 10 U.S.C. §7063(a) to establish seven new basic
branches, as well as divide artillery into two branches, Air Defense Artillery and Field Artillery, bringing
the total to 20 basic branches. The Army last established a new basic branch, the Cyber Branch, in 2014.
Existing authorities notwithstanding, Congress has on at least one other occasion since 1950 sought to
establish a basic branch. Under Section 582 of the Fiscal Year 2018 (FY2018) National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) (P.L. 115-91), Congress would have established the Explosive Ordnance
