The US military has five branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. As shown in the graphic below, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines are housed under the Department of Defense (DOD).
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. They are backed, in case of emergency, by the 825,000 members of the Reserve and National Guard. In addition, there are about 600,000 civilian employees in the Defense Department. Under the President, who is also Commander in Chief, the Secretary of Defense exercises authority, direction, and control over the Department, which includes the separately organized military departments of Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Joint Chiefs of Staff providing military advice, the combatant commands, and defense agencies and field activities established for specific purposes. The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 redesignated the National Military Establishment as the Department of Defense and established it as an executive department (10 U.S.C. 111), headed by the Secretary of Defense. link
Department of Defense (DOD) Sub Agencies:
Defense Acquisition Regulations System (DARS)
The Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA):
Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS):
Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA):
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA):
Defense Investigative Service (DIS):
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA):
Defense Special Weapons Agency – The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA):
United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Engineers Corps:
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA):
National Security Agency/Central Security Service:
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences:
Department of Air Force (DAF) – Air Force Department
Department of the Air Force (DAF) -
The United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Air Force was formed on September 18, 1947, per the National Security Act of 1947 (codified into Title 10 of the United States Code) and it is the military department within which the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force are organized.
United States Air Force (USAF) -
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States.[12] Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the second youngest branch of the United States Armed Forces[e] and the fourth in order of precedence. The United States Air Force articulates its core missions as air supremacy, global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.
United States Space Force (USSF) - The United States Space Force (USSF) stands as the newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, tasked with the critical mission of protecting national interests within the vast domain of space. Established in 2019, it safeguards satellites, deters space-based threats, and provides essential capabilities that support both military operations and daily life. Who Are The […]
Department of the Army (DA) – Army Department
Department of the Army - The mission of the Department of the Army is to organize, train, and equip active duty and reserve forces for the preservation of peace, security, and the defense of our Nation. As part of our national military team, the Army focuses on land operations; its soldiers must be trained with modern arms and equipment and […]
United States Army (USA) - The United States Army, born amidst the fires of the American Revolution, stands as a testament to the nation’s enduring commitment to liberty and defense. Founded in 1775, this venerable institution has served as the shield of the republic, shaping the course of history through its valor and sacrifice on countless battlefields. Who Are The […]
Department of the Navy (DON) – Navy Department
United States Department of the Navy (DON) -
The United States Department of the Navy (DON) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging of Secretary of War James McHenry, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy (USN); since 1834, it has exercised jurisdiction over the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and, during wartime, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), though each remains an independent service branch. It is led by the secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), a statutory civilian officer.
United States Navy (USN) -
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of its active battle fleet alone exceeding the next 13 navies combined, including 11 allies or partner nations of the U.S. as of 2009. It has the highest combined battle fleet tonnage (4,635,628 tonnes as of 2023) and the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with 11 in service, 1 undergoing trials, two new carriers under construction, and six other carriers planned as of 2024. With 336,978 personnel on active duty and 101,583 in the Ready Reserve, the U.S. Navy is the third largest of the United States military service branches in terms of personnel. It has 299 deployable combat vessels and about 4,012 operational aircraft as of July 18, 2023.
United States Marine Corps (USMC) - Founded on November 10, 1775: The Marine Corps has a rich history predating the United States itself, originally formed as the Continental Marines during the American Revolution. Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful): The Marine Corps motto encapsulates the unwavering loyalty to country, Corps, and fellow Marines that is their hallmark.
National Guard Bureau (NGB)
National Guard (NG) - The Who, What, and Where of the U.S. Army National Guard The U.S. Army National Guard is a unique and important element of American defense, serving as both a reserve force for the U.S. Army and a guardian force for individual states. Let’s break it down: Who are the United States Army National Guard Soldiers: […]
Air National Guard (ANG) - The U.S. Air National Guard, also known as the Air Guard, wears two hats – it serves as both a federal reserve force for the United States Air Force and the air militia for each individual state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Who Are The U.S. Air National Guard: […]
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The DOD is headed by The Secretary of Defense, a civilian appointed by the President. Each department within the DOD is headed by its respective Secretary (e.g., the Secretary of the Army), civilians appointed by the President. Each branch is headed by a military 4-star general or admiral (i.e., Army Chief of Staff, Air Force Chief of Staff, Chief of Naval Operations, and Commandant of the Marine Corps) and these individuals are collectively known as the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Link: https://www.va.gov/vetsinworkplace/docs/em_structureBranches.asp#:~:text=The%20US%20military%20has%20five,civilian%20appointed%20by%20the%20President.
The 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 U.S. government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces. As of June 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense is the largest employer in the world, with over 1.34 million active-duty service members, including soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, and guardians. The Department of Defense also maintains over 778,000 National Guard and reservists, and over 747,000 civilians bringing the total to over 2.87 million employees. Headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., the Department of Defense’s stated mission is to provide “the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation’s security”
Department of Defense Loop – Display Posts
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) - Authorized by act of September 21, 1972 (10 U.S.C. 2112), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences: was established to educate career-oriented medical officers for the Military Departments and the Public Health Service. The University currently incorporates the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine (including graduate and continuing education programs) and the Graduate School of Nursing.
- National Security Agency/Central Security Service - The National Security Agency/Central Security Service: was established in 1952, and the Central Security Service (CSS) was established in 1972. NSA/CSS is under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. As the Nation's cryptologic organization, NSA/CSS employs the Nation's premier codemakers and codebreakers. It ensures an informed, alert, and secure environment for U.S. warfighters and policymakers. The cryptologic resources of NSA/CSS unite to provide U.S. policymakers with intelligence information derived from America's adversaries while protecting U.S. Government signals and information systems from exploitation by those same adversaries.
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) - The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA): is the nation’s primary source of geospatial intelligence for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Intelligence Community. NGA delivers world-class geospatial intelligence that provides a decisive advantage to policymakers, military service members, intelligence professionals and first responders. It is a unique combination of intelligence agency and combat support agency, […]
- United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - The Corps story began more than 200 years ago when Congress established the Continental Army with a provision for a chief engineer on June 16, 1775. The Army established the Corps of Engineers as a separate, permanent branch on March 16, 1802, and gave the engineers responsibility for founding and operating the U.S. Military Academy […]
- The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) - Defense Special Weapons Agency – The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA): traces its roots back to the Manhattan Project in 1942. A mission that began strictly as a weapons development program, expanded during the Cold War and eventually included non-nuclear weapons development nonproliferation efforts. The November 1997 Defense Reform Initiative joined the Defense Special Weapons […]
- Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) - The Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) was established from the Mapping Charting and Geodesy Division, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), by DoD Directive 5105.40 of January 1 1972, pursuant to a Presidential directive (press release), November 5, 1971, under authority of the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 495), July 26, 1947, as amended, initiating the […]
- The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) - In 1977, The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA):was renamed the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and was placed under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. DLA supports both the logistics requirements of the military services and their acquisition of weapons and other materiel. The Agency provides logistics […]
- The Defense Investigative Service (DIS) - The Defense Investigative Service (DIS): was established by the Secretary of Defense, effective January 1, 1972, to consolidate certain investigative activities within the Department of Defense. The DIS’s functions were to provide DoD components, and other U.S. Government agencies when authorized, with a single centrally directed personnel security investigative service. In 1999 The Defense Investigative […]
- The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) - The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA): was established on October 1, 1961 by DoD Directive 5105.21 of August 1, 1961. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is a Department of Defense combat support agency and an important member of the United States Intelligence Community. It is comprised of more than 16,500 military and civilian employees worldwide, DIA […]
- Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) - Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) was originally established as the Defense Communication Agency (DCA) within the Department of Defense by direction of the Secretary of Defense on May 12, 1960. The DCA was renamed Defense Information Systems Agency by DoD Directive 5105.19 of June 25, 1991. DISA is a combat support agency comprised of military, […]
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Department of the Air Force (DAF)
The United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Air Force was formed on September 18, 1947, per the National Security Act of 1947 (codified into Title 10 of the United States Code) and it is the military department within which the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force are organized.
United States Air Force (USAF)
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States.[12] Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the second youngest branch of the United States Armed Forces[e] and the fourth in order of precedence. The United States Air Force articulates its core missions as air supremacy, global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.
United States Space Force (USSF)
The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Along with the U.S. Air Force, it is part of the Department of the Air Force, led by the secretary of the Air Force. Its military heads are the chief of space operations, who is one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the vice chief of space operations.
Department of the Army (DA)
The United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Air Force was formed on September 18, 1947, per the National Security Act of 1947 (codified into Title 10 of the United States Code) and it is the military department within which the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force are organized.
National Guard Bureau (NGB)
The National Guard Bureau (NGB) is the federal agency responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was created by the Militia Act of 1903. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, elevated the National Guard to a joint function of the Department of Defense. The 2007 NDAA, from the previous year, elevated the chief of the National Guard Bureau from a lieutenant general to a four-star general.
