The United States Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for staffing, training, and equipping the military services to deter aggression and fight wars. The DoD administers the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as intelligence gathering operations and logistical support. The military branches can operate independently or in concert, with each having an intelligence function. The Secretary of Defense reports directly to the president, and each military branch is headed by a civilian secretary who reports to the Secretary of Defense.
Created in 1947, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for staffing, training and equipping the nation’s military services so they can deter aggression against the United States and fight wars. The largest area of responsibility for the Department of Defense is the administration of the three branches of the military, the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Additional responsibilities focus primarily on maintaining national security intelligence gathering operations and providing logistical support throughout the department.
The military branches of the United States Department of Defense can operate independently or in concert. The land forces reside primarily in the military, which is responsible for overseas deployment. The army includes infantry, armored warfare equipment, a variety of air support equipment, such as attack helicopters, and a nuclear arsenal.
Navy personnel are primarily responsible for protecting U.S. interests offshore and for projecting U.S. power into foreign areas. The US Coast Guard is charged with protecting the US shoreline, but it becomes a wartime responsibility of the US Department of Defense. In addition to surface support vessels, warships and submarines, the Navy has a large air arsenal including fighters, helicopters and nuclear and conventional missiles. The Marine Corps is the ground combat arm of the Navy, but also maintains fighters and support aircraft.
The Air Force was created after World War II after originally being a subset of the Army. Air Force Staff Air Bases in the United States and around the world where permitted by local governments. They maintain a fleet of fighters, bombers and support aircraft.
Each of the services has an intelligence function; The United States Department of Defense has overall responsibility for United States defense intelligence activities worldwide and administers them through the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, among other groups. Several other Department of Defense responsibilities span military branches and are department-wide, including technology acquisition, personnel, budget, military health care, and the office of the inspector general. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is a unified branch of the military under the Department of Defense with a mission to protect the United States homeland from terrorism and natural disasters in support of local, state and federal authorities when permitted by law.
The Authority for the United States Department of Defense originated in federal law with the president of the United States as commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces. The Secretary of Defense is a member of the presidential cabinet and reports directly to the president. Each military branch is a component of the DOD headed by a civilian secretary who in turn reports to the Secretary of Defense. The military commanders of each of the three branches of the armed forces, who hold the title of Chief of Staff, report to the heads of their civilian departments and to the Secretary of Defense.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
