Ejército Nacional de Colombia

The National Army of Colombia is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, and is the second largest army in the Americas after the United States and before Brazil. It is headed by the Commandant of the National Army, falls under the authority of the Commandant General of the Military Forces, and is supervised by the Ministry of National Defense, which answers to the President of Colombia. The modern Colombian Army has its roots in the Army of the Commoners, which was formed on 7 August 1819 – before the establishment of the present day Colombia – to meet the demands of the Revolutionary War against the Spanish Empire. After their triumph against the Spanish, the Army of the Commoners disbanded, and the Congress of Angostura created the Gran Colombian Army to replace it. Throughout its history, the Colombian Army has seen action in several wars and civil conflicts, including the Gran Colombia-Peru War, the Ecuadorian–Colombian War, the Thousand Days War, and the Korean War.