Syrian Army

The Syrian Army, officially the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) (Arabic: الجيش العربي السوري, romanized: al-Jayš al-ʿArabī as-Sūrī), is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces.

Syrian Arab Army
الجيش العربي السوري
Syrian Arab Army Flag
Active	1 August 1945 1971 (current form)
Country	Syria
Type	Army
Role	Land warfare
Size	estimated 100,000 (2019) Military age: 18 Conscription: 18 years of age for forced and voluntary military service; people who are forced to serve in the military have to serve for 18 months; women are not forced but may volunteer to serve; re-enlistment is for 5 years, with retirement after 15 years or age 40 (enlisted) or 20 years or age 45
Part of	Syrian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Damascus
Motto(s)	"حماة الديار" (Guardians of the Homeland)
Colors	Green, Red, White
Anniversaries	August 1st
Engagements	1948 Arab–Israeli War War of Attrition Black September Yom Kippur War/October War Lebanese Civil War 1982 Lebanon War Islamist uprising in Syria Mountain War (Lebanon) Operation Desert Storm Syrian Civil War
Commanders
President of Syria	FM Bashar al-Assad
Minister of Defense	Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayyoub

Establishment

It started from local military forces created by France after World War I. These forces became one force in 1945, the year before Syria became independent.

Politics

Since 1946, it has played a major role in Syria's politics. They did six military coups: two in 1949, including the March 1949 Syrian coup d'état and the August 1949 coup by Colonel Sami al-Hinnawi, and one each in 1954, 1963, 1966, and 1970.

Wars

It has fought four wars with Israel (1948, the Six-Day War in 1967, the October War of 1973, and 1982 in Lebanon) and one with Jordan (Black September in Jordan, 1970). An armored division was also sent to Saudi Arabia in 1990–91 during the Persian Gulf War, but it did not do much. From 1976 to 2005 it was the major pillar of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. Within Syria, it played a major part in stopping the 1979–82 Islamist uprising in Syria. Since early 2011 has been fighting the Syrian Civil War.