DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
The President, as the Commander in Chief, heads
the military chain of command within the Department
of Defense (DoD). The Commander in Chief is kept
abreast of all matters affecting the ability of the DoD to
defend the United States and its allies. Figure 5-1
shows the DoD chain of command.
The DoD is responsible for providing the military
forces needed to deter war and protect the security of
our country. As of 1999, the major elements of these
forces are the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air
Force, consisting of approximately 1.4 million men
and women on active duty. They are backed, in case of
emergency, by the approximately 1.5 million members
of the Reserve and National Guard. In addition, there
are about approximately 742,000 civilian employees in
the Defense Department.
The DoD is comprised of the offices of the
Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), the Joint Chiefs of
Staff (JCS) and their supporting establishments (the
Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force), and
various unified and specified commands. The DoD
carries out the military policies of the United States. Its
function, simply stated, is to maintain and employ
armed forces to accomplish the following:
5-2
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
SECRETARY OF THE ARMY
UNDER
SECRETARY
AND
ASSISTANT
SECRETARIES
OF THE ARMY
CHIEF
OF
STAFF
ARMY
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
UNDER
SECRETARY
AND
ASSISTANT
SECRETARIES
OF THE
AIR FORCE
CHIEF
OF
STAFF
AIR FORCE
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
UNDER
SECRETARY
AND
ASSISTANT
SECRETARIES
OF THE NAVY
CHIEF
OF
NAVAL
OPERATIONS
COMMANDANT
OF
MARINE
CORPS
INSPECTOR GENERAL
OFFICE OF THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
UNDER SECRETARIES
ASSISTANT SECRETARIES
OF DEFENSE
AND EQUIVALENTS
MARINE
CORPS
MAJOR
COMMANDS
AND
AGENCIES
AIR FORCE
MAJOR
COMMANDS
AND
AGENCIES
NAVY
MAJOR
COMMANDS
AND
AGENCIES
ARMY
MAJOR
COMMANDS
AND
AGENCIES
MASTER
CHIEF
PETTY
OFFICER
OF THE
NAVY
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE ORGANIZATION
DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY
DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY
DEFENSE CONTRACT AUDIT AGENCY
DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE
DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY
DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
DEFENSE LEGAL SERVICES AGENCY
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY
DEFENSE SECURITY SERVICE
DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY
NATIONAL IMAGERY AND MAPPING AGENCY*
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL SECURITY
SERVICE*
*Reports directly to the Secretary of Defense
DEFENSE AGENCIES
DOD FIELD ACTIVITIES
AMERICAN FORCES INFORMATION SERVICES
DEFENSE POW/MP OFFICE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HUMAN RESOURCES
ACTIVITY
OFFICE OF ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT
TRICARE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY
WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES
UNIFIED COMBATANT COMMANDS
CENTRAL COMMAND
EUROPEAN COMMAND
PACIFIC COMMAND
SOUTHERN COMMAND
SPACE COMMAND
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
STRATEGIC COMMAND
TRANSPORTATION COMMAND
U.S. JOINT FORCES COMMAND
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
CHAIRMAN,
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
THE JOINT STAFF
VICE CHAIRMAN,
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
CHIEF OF STAFF, ARMY
CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS
CHIEF OF STAFF, AIR FORCE
COMMANDANT,
MARINE CORPS
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
PRESIDENT
(COMMANDER IN CHIEF)
MRLf0501
Figure 5-1. DoD chain of command.
Q1.
What article of the Constitution provides that
the executive power shall be vested in a
President of the United States?
1.
V
2.
II
3.
III
4.
IV
REVIEW QUESTION
