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BACKGROUND
Country Description
Basis Of Government
Election Process
History Of Events
Historical Documents
History Of Wars
Past Presidents
Making Laws
Citizenship
National Accounts
Banking And Currency
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Branches Of Government
The Executive
The Legislative
The Judicial
Independent Agencies
The Right To Lobby
THE 50 SOVEREIGN STATES
Details of 50 Sovereign States, Maps, Regulations, Harbors and Airports...
THE TERRITORIES
A list of Territories ...

Specials
A visual tour of America
View the National Monuments
Important Symbols of America
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

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Department of Defense (1947)

Secretary of Defense: Robert M. Gates

Branches:

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 1.4 million men and women on active duty. They are backed, in case of emergency, by the l million members of the Reserve and National Guard. In addition, there are about 700,000 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 unified combatant commands, and various defense agencies established for specific purposes.