United States Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government of the United States 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 1.3 million active-duty service members as of 2020.

History

The Department of Defense was established on August 10, 1949, by the National Security Act of 1947 as a successor to the Department of War. It is directed by the Secretary of Defense, who is a civilian and member of the Cabinet of the United States. The Defense Secretary is second in the U.S. Armed Forces chain of command, with the exception of the Coast Guard, which is under the Secretary of Homeland Security, and is just below the President of the United States.

Organization

The Department of Defense is divided into three major components: the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force. Each department is headed by a civilian service secretary who is responsible for the administration and the operational readiness of their respective services.

Budget

The Department of Defense operates with a budget that is larger than those of most other nations. In fiscal year 2020, the DoD's budget was $721.5 billion. This funding pays for a wide range of activities, including training and equipping soldiers, maintaining military bases, and developing and purchasing weapons systems.

Criticism and Controversy

The Department of Defense has been criticized for its high level of spending, its conduct of wars, and its impact on the environment. It has also been involved in a number of controversies, including the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp controversy.

See also

• List of Department of Defense agencies
• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
• Pentagon
• United States Secretary of Defense