Department of the Army in the United States

The mission of the Department of the Army is to organize, train, and equip active
duty and Reserve forces for the preservation of peace, security, and the defense of our
Nation. As part of our national military team, the Army focuses on land operations; its
soldiers must be trained with modern arms and equipment and be ready to respond
quickly. The Army also administers programs aimed at protecting the environment,
improving waterway navigation, controlling ?oods and beach erosion, and developing
water resources. It provides military assistance to Federal, State, and local government
agencies, including natural disaster relief assistance.

The American Continental Army, now called the United States Army, was
established by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, more than a year
before the Declaration of Independence. The Department of War was established
as an executive department at the seat of government by act approved August
7, 1789 (1 Stat. 49). The Secretary of War was established as its head. The
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.401) created the National Military
Establishment, and the Department of War was designated the Department
of the Army. The title of its Secretary became Secretary of the Army (5
U.S.C. 171). The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 (63 Stat. 578)
provided that the Department of the Army be a military department within the
Department of Defense.

Secretary

The Secretary of the Army is the senior of?cial of the Department of the Army.
Subject to the direction, authority, and control of the President as Commander
in Chief and of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army is responsible
for and has the authority to conduct all affairs of the Department of the Army,
including its organization, administration, operation, ef?ciency, and such other
activities as may be prescribed by the President or the Secretary of Defense as
authorized by law.

Army Staff

Presided over by the Chief of Staff, the Army Staff is the military staff of the
Secretary of the Army. It is the duty of the Army Staff to perform the following
functions: prepare for deployment of the Army and for such recruiting, organizing,
supplying, equipping, training, mobilizing, and demobilizing of the Army
as will assist the execution of any power, duty, or function of the Secretary or the
Chief of Staff; investigate and report upon the ef?ciency of the Army and its
preparation for military operations; act as the agent of the Secretary of the Army
and the Chief of Staff in coordinating the action of all organizations of the
Department of the Army; and perform such other duties not otherwise assigned
by law as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Army.

Program Areas

Civil Functions Civil functions of the Department of the Army include the
Civil Works Program, the Nation’s major Federal water resources development
activity involving engineering works such as major dams, reservoirs,
levees, harbors, waterways, locks, and many other types of structures; the
administration of Arlington and the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National
Cemeteries; and other related matters. History This area includes advisory
and coordination service provided on historical matters, including historical
properties; formulation and execution of the Army Historical Program; and
preparation and publication of histories required by the Army.

Installations This area consists of policies, procedures, and resources for
the management of installations to ensure the availability of ef?cient and affordable
base services and infrastructure in support of military missions. It includes
the review of facilities requirements and stationing, identi?cation and validation of
resource requirements, and program and budget development and justi?cation.

Other activities include support for base operations; morale, welfare, and recreation; real property maintenance and repair; environmental programs; military construction; housing; base realignment and closure; and competitive sourcing.
Intelligence This area includes management of Army intelligence
with responsibility for policy formulation, planning, programming,
budgeting, evaluation, and oversight of intelligence activities. The Army
Staff is responsible for monitoring relevant foreign intelligence
developments and foreign disclosure; imagery, signals, human, opensource,
measurement, and signatures intelligence; counterintelligence; threat
models and simulations; and security countermeasures.

Medical This area includes management of health services for
the Army and as directed for other services, agencies, and organizations;
health standards for Army personnel; health professional education and
training; career management authority over commissioned and warrant
of?cer personnel of the Army Medical Department; medical research, materiel
development, testing and evaluation; policies concerning health aspects of
Army environmental programs and prevention of disease; and planning,
programming, and budgeting for Armywide health services.

Military Operations and Plans This includes Army forces strategy formation;
mid-range, long-range, and regional strategy application; arms control,
negotiation, and disarmament; national security affairs; joint service matters;
net assessment; politico-military affairs; force mobilization and demobilization;
force planning, programming structuring, development, analysis, requirements,
and management; operational readiness; overall roles and missions; collective
security; individual and unit training; psychological operations; information
operations; unconventional warfare; counterterrorism; operations security;
signal security; special plans; equipment development and approval; nuclear and
chemical matters; civil affairs; military support of civil defense; civil disturbance;
domestic actions; command and control; automation and communications programs and activities; management of the program for law enforcement,
correction, and crime prevention for military members of the Army; special
operations forces; foreign language and distance learning; and physical security.

Reserve Components This area includes management of individual and unit
readiness and mobilization for Reserve Components, comprising the Army
National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve.

Religious This area includes management of religious and moral
leadership and chaplain support activities throughout the Department; religious ministrations, religious education, pastoral care, and counseling
for Army military personnel; liaison with ecclesiastical agencies; chapel
construction requirements and design approval; and career management of
clergymen serving in the Chaplains Corps.

Introduction to Department of the Army

Department of the Army, one of the three major components of the United States Department of Defense, was created by the National Security Act of 1947 to succeed the Department of War, which had been established in 1789. The department is headed by the secretary of the army, a civilian who is appointed by the president and functions under the direction of the secretary of defense. The secretary of the army is responsible for the conduct of all affairs of the army, including those necessary for its training, operations, administration, logistical support and maintenance, welfare, preparedness, and effectiveness. The secretary is also responsible for the administration of civil functions, such as the maintenance of Arlington and Soldiers’ Home National Cemeteries, and for the civil works program of the Army Corps of Engineers.

Military assistance and advice are provided by the Army Staff, headed by the chief of staff, who serves as the army member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The chief of staff is a principal adviser to the president, to the National Security Council, and to the secretary of defense.

Various acts of Congress and executive orders have increased the scope of department responsibilities beyond exclusively military matters. Thus, the department now administers programs aimed at protecting the environment, flood control, and water resource development. The army also may be called on to provide natural disaster relief assistance and emergency medical air transportation service.” (1)

Department of the Army

In Legislation

Department of the Army in the U.S. Code: Title 10, Subtitle B, Part I, Chapter 303

The current, permanent, in-force federal laws regulating department of the army are compiled in the United States Code under Title 10, Subtitle B, Part I, Chapter 303. It constitutes “prima facie” evidence of statutes relating to Army (including department of the army) of the United States. The reader can further narrow his/her legal research of the general topic (in this case, Army Organization of the US Code, including department of the army) by chapter and subchapter.

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Department of the Army in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Department of the Army

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.