Department of Defense (DOD) in the United States

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in the International Business Landscape

Definition of U.S. Department of Defense in the context of U.S. international business and public trade policy: Federal agency responsible for providing the military forces needed to deter war and protect U.S. security.

Introduction to Department of Defense

Department of Defense, executive branch of the United States government, created by Congress in 1947. It is administered by a secretary who is appointed by the president, with the approval of the Senate, and who is a member of the Cabinet and the National Security Council.” (1)

Roles and Personeel

The mission of the U.S. Department of Defense is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country. The department’s headquarters is at the Pentagon.

The Department of Defense consists of the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as many agencies, offices, and commands, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The Department of Defense occupies the vast majority of the Pentagon building in Arlington, VA.

The Department of Defense is the largest government agency, with more than 1.3 million men and women on active duty, nearly 700,000 civilian personnel, and 1.1 million citizens who serve in the National Guard and Reserve forces. Together, the military and civilian arms of Department of Defense protect national interests through war-fighting, providing humanitarian aid, and performing peacekeeping and disaster relief services.

Finding the law: Department of Defense in the U.S. Code

A collection of general and permanent laws relating to department of defense, passed by the United States Congress, are organized by subject matter arrangements in the United States Code (U.S.C.; this label examines department of defense topics), to make them easy to use (usually, organized by legal areas into Titles, Chapters and Sections). The platform provides introductory material to the U.S. Code, and cross references to case law. View the U.S. Code’s table of contents here.

Department of Defense

In Legislation

Department of Defense in the U.S. Code: Title 10, Subtitle A, Part I, Chapter 2

The current, permanent, in-force federal laws regulating department of defense are compiled in the United States Code under Title 10, Subtitle A, Part I, Chapter 2. It constitutes “prima facie” evidence of statutes relating to General Military Law (including department of defense) of the United States. The reader can further narrow his/her legal research of the general topic (in this case, Military Organization of the US Code, including department of defense) by chapter and subchapter.

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Department of Defense in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Department of Defense

In this Section

Federal Departments, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense (including Department of Defense Purpose, Department of Defense Organization, Department of Defense Liaison of Command and Department of Defense Supporting Agencies), Department of Education, Department of Energy (including Department of Energy Purpose, Department of Energy Organization and Department of Energy Research and Development), Department of Health and Human Services (including Department of Health and Human Services History and Department of Health and Human Services Agencies and Services), Department of Homeland Security (including Department of Homeland Security Organization and Functions, Department of Homeland Security Origins and Department of Homeland Security Supporting Agencies), Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice (including Department of Justice Functions, Department of Justice Structure and Department of Justice Associated Agencies), Department of Labor, Department of National Defence, Department of State (including Department of State Administration and Department of State Bureaus), Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army, Department of the Interior (including Department of the Interior Functions and Department of the Interior Principal Agencies), Department of the Navy, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs (including the Department of Veterans Affairs Service Categories, Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Available and GI Bill of Rights) and Department of War.