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1 [1] (July 31, 2026)

handle is hein.crs/goveuyj0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Defense Primer: The Department of Defense The Department of Defense (DOD) was established after World War II by the 1947 National Security Act (P.L. 80- 253). At the time, some policymakers, including former President Truman, took the view that the different components of the U.S. military had been insufficiently integrated to wage World War II effectively. Congress's stated intent was to, inter alia, provide a Department of Defense ... under the direction, authority, and control of the Secretary of Defense; ... provide more effective, efficient, and economical administration; ... and provide for the unified strategic direction of the combatant forces. Since September 5, 2025, DOD has been using a secondary Department of War designation, under Executive Order 14347. One of the lessons which have most clearly come from the costly and dangerous experience of this war is that there must be unified direction of land, sea and air forces at home as well as in other parts of the world where our Armed Forces are serving. President Harry S. Truman, Message to Congress, December 19, 1945. Over time, DOD has grown into one of the largest bureaucracies in the world, currently comprising more than 2.8 million servicemembers and civilians stationed in over 4,800 sites across the United States and around the globe. Congress, in its constitutional role, legislates both defense authorization and appropriations bills, and conducts oversight of DOD, through budget and posture hearings. The Senate provides advice and consent through the confirmation process for multiple DOD civilian officials, including the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, and military officers, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and officer promotion selection lists. DOD's mission is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security. It does so through five primary sets of institutions, each representing thousands of people in dozens of specific offices: * The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), which is using Office of the Secretary of War as a secondary designation under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025. * The Joint Chiefs of Staff and Joint Staff. * The Military Departments. * The Unified Combatant Commands. * The Defense Agencies. Updated July 31, 2026 The Office ofthe Secretary of Defense (OSD) Title 10, Section 113, of the U.S. Code specifies that the Secretary of Defense exercises authority, direction and control over DOD. OSD assists the Secretary in exercising such authority in a variety of areas, including policy development, planning, resource management, fiscal management, and program evaluation. OSD political appointees and civilian employees also help provide civilian oversight of the military services and combatant commands. The joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) The Joint Chiefs of Staff is the preeminent military advisory body in the U.S. national military establishment. Its membership consists of the six military service chiefs (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard Bureau, and Space Force), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VCJCS). The JCS regularly convenes to formulate and provide military advice to the President, the National Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. According to Title 10, Section 151, of the U.S. Code, the CJCS is the principal military advisor to the President; the CJCS does not exercise command authority over U.S. military forces. The CJCS therefore has statutory responsibility to present military advice-as well as any dissenting views from other members of the JCS-to senior leaders in the U.S. national security establishment. Per the Joint Staff website, the JCS have no executive authority to command combatant forces. The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-433, 10 U.S.C. § 162(b)) states, Unless otherwise directed by the President, the chain of command to a unified or specified combatant command runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense; and from the Secretary of Defense to the commander of the combatant command. The Joint Staff supports the CJCS by developing the unified strategic direction of the combatant forces, their operations under unified command, and their integration into a team of land, naval, and air forces. The Joint Staff comprises officers and noncommissioned officers from the five military Services, the Reserve Component, and DOD civilians. The Mltary Departments There are three military departments: the Army, Navy and Air Force. The Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy. The Space Force is part of the Department of the Air Force. The departments organize, train, and equip the military forces. According to Title 10, Sections 7013, 8013, and 9013, of the U.S. Code, a civilian Service Secretary leads each department; each Service Secretary is