The Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, provides the Roman Catholic Church's pastoral and spiritual services to those serving in the United States armed forces or other federal services overseas. This military ordinariate is a special diocese that dates back to 1917 and was canonically erected in 1939 by Pope Pius XII for the members and others employed by the five branches of the United States military (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy), for the employees of the U.S. Veterans Health Administration and its patients, and for Americans in government service overseas. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, was created by Pope John Paul II in 1985 and incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland that same year.