Defense Department

The Department of the Air Force is responsible for defending the United States through control and exploitation of air and space. The Department of the Air Force (USAF) was established as part of the National Military Establishment by the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 502) and came into being on September 18, 1947. The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 redesignated the National Military Establishment as the Department of Defense, established it as an executive department, and made the Department of the Air Force a military department within the Department of Defense (63 Stat. 578). The Department of the Air Force is separately organized under the Secretary of the Air Force. It operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense (10 U.S.C. 8010). The Department consists of the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Air Staff, and field organizations.

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 be ready to respond quickly. The Army also administers programs aimed at protecting the environment, improving waterway navigation, flood and beach erosion control, and water resource development. It provides military assistance to Federal, State, and local government agencies, including natural disaster relief assistance. The American Continental Army, now called the United States Army, was established by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence. The Department of War was established as an executive department at the seat of government by act approved August 7, 1789 (1 Stat. 49). The Secretary of War was established as its head. The National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401) created the National Military Establishment, and the Department of War was designated the Department of the Army. The title of its Secretary became Secretary of the Army (5 U.S.C. 171). The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 (63 Stat. 578) provided that the Department of the Army be a military department within the Department of Defense.

The Defense Acquisition Regulations System (DARS) develops and maintains acquisition rules and guidance to facilitate the acquisition workforce as they acquire the goods and services DoD requires to ensure America's warfighters continued worldwide success.

The Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) is a subagency of the Department of Defense under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller. It was established January 8, 1965. While serving the public interest as its primary customer, The DCAA performs all necessary contract audits for the Department of Defense and provides accounting and financial advisory services regarding contracts and subcontracts to all DoD Components responsible for procurement and contract administration. These services are provided in connection with negotiation, administration, and settlement of contracts and subcontracts to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent on fair and reasonable contract prices. The DCAA also provides contract audit services to other Federal agencies as appropriate.

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) was established in 1981 as the criminal investigative arm of the Office of Inspector General, Department of Defense. The Office of the Inspector General along with the DCIS was established under the DOD Authorization Act in 1983 (Pub. L. 97-252). The DCIS protects America’s Warfighters by investigating terrorism; preventing the illegal transfer of sensitive defense technologies to proscribed nations and criminal elements; investigating companies that use defective parts in weapons systems and equipment utilized by the military; stopping cyber crimes and computer intrusions; and investigating cases of fraud, bribery, and corruption to ensure taxpayer dollars are better spent defending our Nation.

The 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, federal civilian, and contractor partners. DISA engineers and provides command and control capabilities and enterprise infrastructure to continuously operate and assure a global net-centric enterprise in direct support to joint warfighters, National level leaders, and other mission and coalition partners across the full spectrum of operations. (Source: http://www.disa.mil/)

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 is a major producer and manager of foreign military intelligence. We provide military intelligence to warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners, in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, in support of U.S. military planning and operations and weapon systems acquisition.

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 Service changed its name to Defense Security Service.

In 1977, The Defense Supply Agency 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 support and technical services to all branches of the military and to a number of Federal agencies. Agency supply centers consolidate the requirements of the military services and procure the supplies in sufficient quantities to meet their projected needs. The Agency manages supplies in eight commodity areas: fuel, food, clothing, construction material, electronic supplies, general supplies, industrial supplies, and medical supplies.

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 consolidation of mapping functions previously dispersed among the military services. Consolidation effected, and DMA became operational, effective July 1, 1972, pursuant to General Order 3, DMA, on June 16, 1972, which formally transferred specified DOD components to DMA. DMA was terminated and its functions were transferred to the National Imagery and Mapping Agency by Pub. L. 104-201 (Sept. 23, 1996) In 2003, NIMA was redesignated as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

The Defense Special Weapons Agency (DSWA) was established by General Order No. 1 of July 1, 1971. DSWA serves as the DoD center for nuclear and advanced weapons effects expertise and performs essential missions in the areas of nuclear weapons stockpile support, nuclear effects research and operational support and nuclear threat reduction to include arms control verification technology development. The functions of DSWA were absorbed into the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) by DoD Directive 5105.62 of September 30, 1998.

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 at West Point. Since then, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has responded to changing defense requirements and played an integral part in the development of the country. Throughout the 19th century, the Corps built coastal fortifications, surveyed roads and canals, eliminated navigational hazards, explored and mapped the Western frontier, and constructed buildings and monuments in the Nation's capital. While the mission and tasks have evolved with the needs and priorities of the Nation, the dedication and commitment of the workforce has remained constant. Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approximately 34,000 dedicated Civilians and Soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 90 countries worldwide. With environmental sustainability as a guiding principle, our disciplined Corps team is working diligently to strengthen our Nation's security by building and maintaining America's infrastructure and providing military facilities where our servicemembers train, work and live. We are also researching and developing technology for our war fighters while protecting America's interests abroad by using our engineering expertise to promote stability and improve quality of life. We are energizing the economy by dredging America's waterways to support the movement of critical commodities and providing recreation opportunities at our campgrounds, lakes and marinas. And by devising hurricane and storm damage reduction infrastructure, we are reducing risks from disasters. [http://www.usace.army.mil/]

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency 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, and is the world leader in timely, relevant, accurate and actionable GEOINT. NGA manages a global consortium of more than 400 commercial and government relationships, and the agency director serves as the functional manager for GEOINT, the head of the National System for Geospatial Intelligence and the coordinator of the global Allied System for Geospatial Intelligence. In this capacity, the director is charged with synchronizing operations to realize a professional, interoperable, agile and integrated GEOINT enterprise. NGA is headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, and has two major locations in St. Louis and Arnold, Missouri. Approximately 14,500 civilian, military and contractor employees work across more than 100 locations in the U.S. and 20 international locations.

The National Security Agency (NSA) 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.

The primary mission of the Department of the Navy is to protect the United States, as directed by the President or the Secretary of Defense, by the effective prosecution of war at sea including, with its Marine Corps component, the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases; to support, as required, the forces of all military departments of the United States; and to maintain freedom of the seas. The United States Navy was founded on October 13, 1775, when Congress enacted the first legislation creating the Continental Navy of the American Revolution. The Department of the Navy and the Office of Secretary of the Navy were established by act of April 30, 1798 (10 U.S.C. 5011, 5031). For 9 years prior to that date, by act of August 7, 1789 (1 Stat. 49), the conduct of naval affairs was under the Secretary of War. The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 provided that the Department of the Navy be a military department within the Department of Defense (63 Stat. 578).

Authorized by act of September 21, 1972 (10 U.S.C. 2112), the 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. Students are selected by procedures recommended by the Board of Regents and prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. The actual selection is carried out by a faculty committee on admissions and is based upon motivation and dedication to a career in the uniformed services and an overall appraisal of the personal and intellectual characteristics of the candidates without regard to sex, race, religion, or national origin. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Medical school matriculants will be commissioned officers in one of the uniformed services. They must meet the physical and personal qualifications for such a commission and must give evidence of a strong commitment to serving as a uniformed medical officer. The graduating medical student is required to serve a period of obligation of not less than 7 years, excluding graduate medical education. Students of the Graduate School of Nursing must be commissioned officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Public Health Service prior to application. Graduate nursing students must serve a commitment determined by their respective service.