their service over forces under unified or specified
commands. Therefore, the CNO’s function in opera-
tional matters for unified or specified commands is
as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Joint
Chiefs of Staff provides direction and guidance to
the commanders of unified and specified commands.
THE PRESIDENT
(COMMANDER IN CHIEF)
The President’s power as the Commander in
Chief of the Armed Forces is extensive. That
power increases in war or any other national
emergency. For example, the President may
declare an emergency and call out the military
Reserves. He may even order the armed forces
into military action before Congress actually
declares war. Often a President has referred a
matter to Congress after the fact. The following
examples of such actions show the presidential
authority and control of U.S. military forces:
In 1801 President Jefferson sent naval
squadrons to the Mediterranean and then
informed Congress.
In 1845 President Polk deployed the Navy
to the coast of Mexico to quell trouble
caused by the annexation of Texas. He
asked Congress to declare war on Mexico
5 months later, and Congress did.
In 1862 President Lincoln personally
assumed command of successful military
operations against Confederate forces in
Norfolk, Virginia.
In 1896 President McKinley ordered the
naval blockade of Cuba. Congress
declared war on Spain 3 days later,
In 1941 President Franklin Roosevelt
declared an unlimited national emergency
and ordered the U.S. Navy to “sink on
sight” foreign submarines found in our
“defensive waters.”
In 1962 President Kennedy ordered a naval
quarantine of Cuba based on Soviet
military activity on that island.
In 1965 President Johnson ordered naval
air action against North Vietnamese
gunboats and support facilities.
In 1979 President Carter ordered units of
the U.S. Sixth and Seventh Fleets to the
Indian Ocean to help in hostage evacuation
operations and as deterrents against
Iranian actions.
In 1989 President Bush directed U.S.
forces to execute a preplanned mission
(code named Operation Just Cause) in the
Republic of Panama. Objectives were
protection of American lives, restoration
of the democratic process, protection of
the integrity of the Panama Canal treaties,
and apprehension of General Manuel
Noriega.
In 1991 President Bush sent troops into
Saudi Arabia (code named Operation
Desert Shield) to prevent Iraq from
extending aggression into Saudi Arabia.
THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE (DOD)
The President, as the Commander in Chief,
heads the military chain of command within the
Department of Defense. The Commander in Chief
is kept abreast of all matters affecting the ability
of the Department of Defense to defend the
United States and its allies.
The offices of the Secretary of Defense; 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 make up the DOD.
The Department of Defense is the largest
government agency in the United States. It spends
a major portion of the national budget and
employs nearly 4 million people (military and
civilian). The DOD carries out the military policies
of the United States. Its functions, simply stated,
are to maintain and employ armed forces to
accomplish the following:
Support and defend the Constitution of the
United States against all enemies
Protect the United States, its possessions,
and areas vital to its interests
Advance the policies and interests of the
United States
Safeguard the internal security of the
United States
Secretary of Defense (SECDEF)
The Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) is a
member of both the President’s Cabinet and the
National Security Council. In that capacity, the
SECDEF exercises “direction, authority, and
control over the Department of Defense.” The
Secretary of Defense, by virtue of an Executive
order, has responsibility for all the President’s
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