The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces. The Pentagon serves as its headquarters.
The Department of Defense is headed by the United States Secretary of Defense, a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the President of the United States. Beneath the Department of Defense are three subordinate military departments: the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force. In addition, four national intelligence services are subordinate to the Department of Defense: the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Other Defense agencies include the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO), the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (formerly the DSS), and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), all of which are subordinate to the Secretary of Defense.
Additionally, the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) delivers actionable acquisition intelligence, from factory floor to the warfighter. Military operations are managed by eleven regional or functional Unified combatant commands. The Department of Defense also operates several joint services schools, including the Eisenhower School (ES) and the National War College (NWC).
History[]
Before Angel Has Fallen[]
In 2007, the aftermath of the Nissour Square Massacre committed by the private military company Blackwater in Baghdad prompted the U.S. Department of Defense to shut down contracts with several private military companies. One private military company affected was Salient Global, founded by former Army Ranger Wade Jennings.
Olympus Has Fallen[]
External Links[]
- United States Department of Defense at Wikipedia