Defense Agencies

Defense Agencies in the United States

Defense Security Cooperation Agency

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) was established in 1971
and is under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary
of Defense (Policy). DSCA provides traditional security assistance functions
such as military assistance, international military education and training, and
foreign military sales. DSCA also has program management responsibilities for
humanitarian assistance, demining, and other DOD programs.

For further information, contact the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, 2800 Defense Pentagon, Washington,
DC 20301–2800. Phone, 703–601–3700. Email, lpa-web@dsca.mil. Internet, http://www.dsca.mil.

Defense Security Service

The Defense Security Service (DSS) is under the authority, direction,
and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. DSS
ensures the safeguarding of classi?ed information used by contractors on
behalf of the DOD and 22 other executive branch agencies under the
National Industrial Security Program. It oversees the protection of conventional
arms, munitions, and explosives in the custody of DOD contractors; evaluates
the protection of selected private sector critical assets and infrastructures
(physical and cyber-based systems) and recommends measures needed to maintain operations identi?ed as
vital to DOD. DSS makes clearance determinations for industry and
provides support services for DOD Central Adjudicative Facilities. It
provides security education, training, and proactive awareness programs for
military, civilian, and cleared industry to enhance their pro?ciency and awareness
of DOD security policies and procedures.

DSS also has a counterintelligence of?ce to integrate counterintelligence
principles into security countermeasures missions and to support the national
counterintelligence strategy. Information on DSS operating locations and centers
is available at http://www.dss.mil/isp/ dss_oper_loc.html.

For further information, contact the Defense Security Service, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs,
1340 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314–1651. Phone, 703–325–9471. Internet, http://www.dss.mil.

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) was established in 1998 and
is under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. DTRA’s mission is to reduce
the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD). DTRA covers the
full range of WMD threats (chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, and high
explosive), bridges the gap between the war?ghters and the technical community,
sustains the nuclear deterrent, and provides both offensive and defensive
technology and operational concepts to the war?ghters. DTRA reduces the threat
of WMD by implementing arms control treaties and executing the Cooperative
Threat Reduction Program. It uses combat support, technology development, and
chemical-biological defense to deter the use and reduce the impact of such
weapons. DTRA also prepares for future threats by developing the technology and
concepts needed to counter new WMD threats and adversaries.

For further information, contact the Public Affairs Office, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, 8725 John J. Kingman
Road, MS 6201, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060–5916. Phone, 703–767–5870. Internet, http://www.dtra.mil.

Missile Defense Agency

The Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) mission is to establish and deploy a
layered ballistic missile defense system to intercept missiles in all phases of
their ?ight and against all ranges of threats. This capability will provide a
defense of the United States, deployed forces, allies, and friends. MDA is under
the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. MDA manages and directs DOD’s
ballistic missile defense acquisition programs and enables the Services to ?eld elements of the overall system as
soon as practicable. MDA develops and tests technologies and, if necessary, uses
prototype and test assets to provide early capability. Additionally, MDA improves
the effectiveness of deployed capabilities by implementing new technologies as
they become available or when the threat warrants an accelerated capability.

For further information, contact the Human Resources Directorate, Missile Defense Agency, Washington, DC
20301–7100. Phone, 703–614–8740. Internet, http://www.mda.mil.

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), formerly the National
Imagery and Mapping Agency, was established in 1996 and is under the
authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for
Intelligence. NGA is a DOD combat support agency and a member of the
national intelligence community. NGA’s mission is to provide timely, relevant,
and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of our national security.
Geospatial intelligence means the use and analysis of imagery to describe,
assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced
activities on the Earth. Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, NGA has major facilities
in the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and St. Louis, MO, areas with
NGA support teams worldwide.

For further information, contact the Public Affairs Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, 4600
Sangamore Road, Bethesda, MD 20816–5003. Phone, 301–227–2057. Fax, 301–227–3920.


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