| The '''United States Department of Defense''' ('''DoD''',<ref>{{cite web |title=Manual for Written Material|url=http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/blaw/dodd/corres/pdf/51104m_030204/p51104m.pdf |publisher=Department of Defense |access-date=December 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040829163034/http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/blaw/dodd/corres/pdf/51104m_030204/p51104m.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2004 |page=9}}</ref> '''USDOD''', or '''DOD''') is an [[United States federal executive departments|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 November 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense is the second largest employer in the world—After India; and potentially China, if including the Central Military Commission.<ref>{{cite web |title=The World's Biggest Employers|url= https://www.statista.com/chart/3585/the-worlds-biggest-employers/ |work=Statista |date= November 11, 2022 |access-date=August 19, 2024 |archive-date=April 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240408133455/https://www.statista.com/chart/3585/the-worlds-biggest-employers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> With over 1.4 million active-duty service personnel, including soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, and guardians. The Department of Defense also maintains over 778,000 [[National Guard (United States)|National Guard]] and reservists, and over 747,000 civilians bringing the total to over 2.91 million employees.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DoD Personnel, Workforce Reports & Publications |url=https://dwp.dmdc.osd.mil/dwp/app/dod-data-reports/workforce-reports |access-date=October 30, 2022 |publisher=www.dmdc.osd.mil |archive-date=November 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103152017/https://dwp.dmdc.osd.mil/dwp/app/dod-data-reports/workforce-reports |url-status=live }}</ref> 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".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.defense.gov/our-story/ |title=U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Our Story |website=www.defense.gov |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007223518/https://www.defense.gov/our-story/ |archive-date=October 7, 2018 |access-date=October 17, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://taskandpurpose.com/pentagon-mission/ |title=Trump's Pentagon Quietly Made a Change to the Stated Mission It's Had for Two Decades |last=Szoldra|first=Paul |date=June 29, 2018 |work=Task & Purpose |access-date=July 1, 2018 |language=en-US |archive-date=June 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630143357/https://taskandpurpose.com/pentagon-mission/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> | | The '''[[Department of Defense]]''' ('''DoD''', '''USDOD''', or '''DOD''') is an [[United States federal executive departments|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 November 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense is the second largest employer in the world—After India; and potentially China, if including the Central Military Commission. With over 1.4 million active-duty service personnel, 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 2.91 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". |
| The Department of Defense is headed by the [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]], a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the [[president of the United States]], the latter of which is also the [[Powers of the president of the United States#Commander-in-chief|commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces]]. Beneath the Department of Defense are three subordinate military departments: the [[United States Department of the Army|Department of the Army]], the [[United States Department of the Navy|Department of the Navy]], and the [[United States Department of the Air Force|Department of the Air Force]]. In addition, four [[United States Intelligence Community|national intelligence services]] are subordinate to the Department of Defense: the Defense Intelligence Agency ([[Defense Intelligence Agency|DIA]]), the National Security Agency ([[National Security Agency|NSA]]), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency ([[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency|NGA]]), and the National Reconnaissance Office ([[National Reconnaissance Office|NRO]]). Other [[List of Department of Defense agencies|Defense agencies]] include the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ([[DARPA]]), the Defense Logistics Agency ([[Defense Logistics Agency|DLA]]), the Missile Defense Agency ([[Missile Defense Agency|MDA]]), the Defense Health Agency ([[Defense Health Agency|DHA]]), Defense Threat Reduction Agency ([[Defense Threat Reduction Agency|DTRA]]), the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency ([[Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency|DCSA]]), the Space Development Agency ([[Space Development Agency|SDA]]) and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency ([[Pentagon Force Protection Agency|PFPA]]), all of which are subordinate to the secretary of defense. Additionally, the Defense Contract Management Agency ([[Defense Contract Management Agency|DCMA]]) is responsible for administering contracts for the Department of Defense. Military operations are managed by eleven regional or functional [[unified combatant command]]s. The Department of Defense also operates several joint services schools, including the [[Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy|Eisenhower School]] (ES) and the [[National War College]] (NWC).
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| | The Department of Defense is headed by the [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]], a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the [[president of the United States]], the latter of which is also the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. Beneath the Department of Defense are three subordinate military departments: the [[United States Department of the Army|Department of the Army]], the [[United States Department of the Navy|Department of the Navy]], and the [[United States Department of the Air Force|Department of the Air Force]]. In addition, four [[United States Intelligence Community|national intelligence services]] are subordinate to the Department of Defense: the Defense Intelligence Agency ([[Defense Intelligence Agency|DIA]]), the National Security Agency ([[National Security Agency|NSA]]), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency ([[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency|NGA]]), and the National Reconnaissance Office ([[National Reconnaissance Office|NRO]]). Other Defense agencies include the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ([[DARPA]]), the Defense Logistics Agency ([[Defense Logistics Agency|DLA]]), the Missile Defense Agency ([[Missile Defense Agency|MDA]]), the Defense Health Agency ([[Defense Health Agency|DHA]]), Defense Threat Reduction Agency ([[Defense Threat Reduction Agency|DTRA]]), the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency ([[Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency|DCSA]]), the Space Development Agency (SDA) and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), all of which are subordinate to the secretary of defense. Additionally, the Defense Contract Management Agency ([[Defense Contract Management Agency|DCMA]]) is responsible for administering contracts for the Department of Defense. 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). |
