United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense, also known as the Department of War (DoW), is an is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with supervising the six U.S. armed services consisting of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, the Coast Guard.[2] The current secretary of defense is Pete Hegseth. In 2025, President Donald Trump authorized "Department of War" as a secondary title for the DOD, however, congressional approval is needed to change the legal statutory name of the department.[3]
| United States Department of Defense | |
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| Seal of the Department of Defense | |
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| Logo for the Department of Defense | |
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| Formed | 18 September 1947 (as National Military Establishment) |
| Preceding agencies | Department of War Department of the Navy |
| Jurisdiction | U.S. federal government |
| Headquarters | The Pentagon Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Employees |
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| Annual budget | $842 billion FY2024 |
| Agency executives | Peter Hegseth, Secretary Steve Feinberg, Deputy Secretary Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Christopher W. Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| Child agencies | Department of the Army Department of the Navy Department of the Air Force National Security Agency Defense Intelligence Agency National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency National Reconnaissance Office |
| Website | |
| defense.gov | |
The Department of Defense is headed by the secretary of defense, a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the president of the United States. Below the Department of Defense are three different military departments consisting of the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force. In addition, four national intelligence services are second to the Department of Defense consisting of the Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency (NSA), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and National Reconnaissance Office.
Other Department of Defense agencies include the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Defense Logistics Agency, Missile Defense Agency, Defense Health Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Space Development Agency and Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
United States Department Of Defense Media
Alternative seal of the United States Department of Defense, depicting an American Eagle holding three arrows, superimposed by the shield adorned with the design of the American flag. Below is the green wreath. Rind reads "DEPARTMENT OF WAR" and "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA".
Seal of the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of War Logo (2025, Small Use)
United States Department of Defense Logo (2021) Simple
President Truman signs the National Security Act Amendment of 1949.
Organization of the Department of Defense following the creation of the United States Space Force
A December 2013 Department of Defense organizational chart
A 2008 Office of the Secretary of Defense organizational chart
Joint Chiefs of Staff and Joint Staff organizational chart
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References
- ↑ DoD Personnel, Workforce Reports & Publications (June 30, 2024)Defense Manpower Data Center. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.
- ↑ The World's Biggest Employers. Statista (November 11, 2022). Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ↑ (in en) Trump to Sign Order Renaming the Defense Department as the Department of War. 2025-09-04. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/us/politics/trump-department-of-war-defense.html. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
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