What is the Department of Defense?
The Department of Defense is America's largest government agency. With our military tracing its roots back to pre-Revolutionary times, the department has grown and evolved with our nation.
How many military departments are in the Department of Defense?
There are three Military Departments within the Department of Defense: the Department of the Army, within which the United States Army is organized. the Department of the Navy, within which the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps are organized.
How much does the Department of Defense spend each year?
The Department of Defense budget encompasses the majority of the National Defense Budget of approximately $716.0 billion in discretionary spending and $10.8 billion in mandatory spending for a $726.8 billion total.
What are the duties of civilian defense decision makers?
Top civilian defense decision-makers work with the secretary to develop policy, operational and fiscal plans, manage resources and evaluate programs. The Department of Defense is America's oldest and largest government agency, tracing its roots back to pre-Revolutionary times.
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How big is the U.S. defense?
The DOD is the largest employer in the world, with over 1.4 million active-duty service members (soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, and guardians) as of 2021.
Is the Department of Defense over the military?
The Department of Defense is responsible for providing the military forces needed to deter war and protect the security of our country. The major elements of these forces are the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, consisting of about 1.3 million men and women on active duty.
How many agencies are in the Department of Defense?
The Department of Defense (DOD) includes 33 Agencies and Components supported by 950,000 civilian employees that work alongside our respected Service members and an expansive network of industry experts to tackle the world's largest challenges through public service.
Is Department of Defense state or federal?
U.S. Department of Defense, executive division of the U.S. federal government responsible for ensuring national security and supervising U.S. military forces.
Who owns the US military?
The secretary of the Department of Defense (DoD) has control over the military and each branch -- except the Coast Guard, which is under the Department of Homeland Security. With more than 2 million civilian and military employees, the DoD is the world's largest "company."
Who runs the US military?
The president of the United States is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and forms military policy with the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), both federal executive departments, acting as the principal organs by which military policy is carried out.
Is CIA under Department of Defense?
Since 2004 the CIA is organized under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)....Central Intelligence Agency.CIA headquarters, Langley, VirginiaAgency overviewFormedSeptember 18, 1947Preceding agencyOffice of Strategic ServicesTypeIndependent (component of the Intelligence Community)8 more rows
Who runs the Department of Defense?
U.S. Department of DefenseDepartment of DefenseSecretary:Lloyd AustinAnnual budget:$589 billion (FY2017)Total employed:2.8 million (2016)Year created:19492 more rows
Who is the highest ranking US military officer?
General Mark A. Milley is the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council.
How many generals does the U.S. have?
The total number of active-duty general or flag officers is capped at 231 for the Army, 162 for the Navy, 198 for the Air Force, and 62 for the Marine Corps. From 31 December 2022, the cap will be reduced further to 220 for the Army, 151 for the Navy, 187 for the Air Force, and 62 for the Marine Corps.
Who owns the Pentagon building?
Department of DefenseThe PentagonConstruction started11 September 1941Completed15 January 1943Cost$83 million (equivalent to $1.14 billion in 2020)OwnerDepartment of Defense28 more rows
Who is over the Department of Defense?
Lloyd J. Austin III is the 28th secretary of defense, sworn in on Jan. 22, 2021.
What does the dept of defense do?
The Department of Defense provides the military forces needed to deter war, and to protect the security of the United States.
What is the Defense Department responsible for?
United StatesUnited States Department of Defense / Jurisdiction
What is the job of Department of Defense?
We Are Your Defense The Department of Defense is America's largest government agency. With our military tracing its roots back to pre-Revolutionary times, the department has grown and evolved with our nation. Our mission is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security.
How much did the Department of Defense spend in 2015?
In 2015 the allocation for the Department of Defense was $585 billion, the highest level of budgetary resources among all Federal agencies, and this amounts to more than one-half of the annual Federal Expenditures in the United States federal budget discretionary budget.
Why is the Department of Defense unique?
The Department of Defense is unique because it is one of the few federal entities where the majority of its funding falls into the discretionary category. The majority of the entire federal budget is mandatory, and much of the discretionary funding in the budget consists of DoD dollars.
How much is the Defense Department budget for 2019?
The FY2019 Budget for the Department of Defense is approximately $686,074,048,000 (Including Base + Overseas Contingency Operations + Emergency Funds) in discretionary spending and $8,992,000,000 in mandatory spending totaling $695,066,000,000
What is the military department?
The Military Departments are each headed by their own secretary (i.e., Secretary of the Army, ...
What is the Department of Defense Directive 5100.01?
Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 describes the organizational relationships within the department, and is the foundational issuance for delineating the major functions of the department. The latest version, signed by former secretary of defense Robert Gates in December 2010, is the first major re-write since 1987.
What is the DOD?
The United States Department of Defense ( DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces .
When was the National Military Establishment renamed?
The National Military Establishment was renamed the "Department of Defense" on 10 August 1949 and absorbed the three cabinet-level military departments, in an amendment to the original 1947 law.
What is the Department of Defense?
U.S. Department of Defense. The Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for providing military force to ensure the nation's security. Established in 1949, it is the oldest and largest executive department of the United States federal government, employing more than 2.8 million individuals as of December 2016.
What is the purpose of Defense.gov?
The mission of Defense.gov is to support the overall mission of the Department of Defense by providing official, timely and accurate information about defense policies, organizations, functions and operations. Also, Defense.gov is the single, unified starting point for finding military information online.
What is the mission of the DoD?
This mission is consistent with the DoD Principles of Information, which outline the Department's policy for providing information to military members, DoD civilians, military family members, the American public, the Congress, and the news media.
What is the Pentagon?
The Pentagon is the headquarters for the Department of Defense. Construction of the Pentagon began on September 11, 1941, and it officially opened on January 14, 1943. It was believed to be a short-term necessity during World War II; however, as the United States continued to expand its military presence throughout the world, the Pentagon remained the headquarters for the Department of Defense. It is one of the world's largest office buildings with triple the amount of floor space of the Empire State Building in New York City.
How many people died in the 9/11 attack?
Traveling 529 miles per hour at the time of the impact, the hijacked Boeing 757 made a gash 30 yards wide and 10 yards deep, puncturing the three outer rings of the building. The resulting fire raged for 36 hours, and by the time it was extinguished, 189 people were dead: 135 Pentagon workers and 64 people on the plane (including the five hijackers)."
What is the Office of the Inspector General?
The inspector general's office of the Department of Defense is an independent office in the department charged with auditing and investigating programs and operations of the department.
Which military department has its own secretaries?
Military Departments. The departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force are organized under their own secretaries and follow the direction of the secretary of defense. The secretary of defense updates the department secretaries on operations and activities regarding their responsibilities.
What are the armed forces of the United States?
The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard are the armed forces of the United States. The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority.
What is the National Guard?
Comprised of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, the National Guard is a versatile force, supporting combat missions, domestic emergencies, humanitarian efforts, homeland security operations and more.
What is the Coast Guard?
The Coast Guard provides law and maritime safety enforcement, marine and environmental protection and military naval support. Part of the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, the Coast Guard operates under the Navy during times of war.
What is the largest and oldest service in the U.S. military?
The largest and oldest service in the U.S. military, the Army provides the ground forces that protect the United States.
How long does it take for the Air Force to deliver?
The Air Force provides a rapid, flexible, and lethal air and space capability that can deliver forces anywhere in the world within hours.
What is unified command plan?
The Unified Command Plan is a classified executive branch document prepared by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staf that assigns missions; planning, training and operational responsibilities; and geographic areas of responsibility to combatant commands. Functional cocoms operate worldwide across geographic boundaries ...
How many cocoms are there in the world?
There are currently 11 cocoms:
Overview
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces. The DoD is the largest employer in the world, with over 1.4 million active-duty service members (soldi…
History
Faced with rising tensions between the Thirteen Colonies and the British government, one of the first actions taken by the First Continental Congress in September 1774 was to recommend that the colonies begin defensive military preparations. In mid-June 1775, after the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress, recognizing the necessity of having a national a…
Organizational structure
The secretary of defense, appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate, is by federal law (10 U.S.C. § 113) the head of the Department of Defense, "the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to Department of Defense", and has "authority, direction, and control over the Department of Defense". Because the Constitution vests all military aut…
Budget
Department of Defense spending in 2017 was 3.15% of GDP and accounted for about 38% of budgeted global military spending – more than the next 7 largest militaries combined. By 2019 the 27th secretary of defense had begun a line-by-line review of the defense budget; in 2020 the secretary identified items amounting to $5.7 billion, out of a $106 billion subtotal (the so-called "fourth e…
Energy use
The Department of Defense was the largest single consumer of energy in the United States in 2006. It is one of the largest carbon pollutors in history, producing more carbon emissions than the total emissions of over 100 countries combined.
In FY 2006, the department used almost 30,000 gigawatt hours (GWH) of electricity, at the cost of almost $2.2 billion. The department's electricity use would supply enough electricity to power m…
Criticism
In the latest Center for Effective Government analysis of 15 federal agencies which receive the most Freedom of Information Act requests, published in 2015 (using 2012 and 2013 data, the most recent years available), the DoD earned 61 out of a possible 100 points, a D− grade. While it had improved from a failing grade in 2013, it still had low scores in processing requests (55%) and their disclosure rules (42%).
Related legislation
The organization and functions of the Department of Defense are in Title 10 of the United States Code.
Other significant legislation related to the Department of Defense includes:
• 1947: National Security Act of 1947
• 1958: Department of Defense Reorganization Act, Pub.L. 85–599
See also
• Arms industry
• List of United States military bases
• Military–industrial complex
• Nuclear weapons
• Private military company
History
Leadership
- The president is the commander-in-chief of the armed force and is responsible for the decisions made regarding the United States' national defense. The president coordinates with the secretary of defense and the National Security Council to decide security needs, as well as necessary plans of action. Those policies are then delegated by the office of the secretary of defense. The secret…
Organization
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
The office of the secretary of defense is primarily in place to be the government liaison of the department. The department develops policy, manages resources, provides oversight, and exchanges information with other government entities both domestic and foreign. Additionally, t… - Office of the Inspector General
The inspector general's office of the Department of Defense is an independent office in the department charged with auditing and investigating programs and operations of the department.
Initiatives and Issues
- Trump administration, 2017-2020
Click on the tiles below to read more about the Trump administration's specific policy proposals.
Recent News
- The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms United States Department of Defense.These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
External Links