JUNE GIBBS BROWN COL. NATHANIEL L. YOUNG, USA DEREK J. VANDER SCHAAF Workforce Liaison Deputy Inspector General Assistant Inspector General for Administration and Information Assistant Inspector General for Analysis Assistant Inspector General for Auditing Policy and Oversight Investigation Policy and Oversight Assistant Inspector General for Inspections Assistant Inspector General for Investigations/Director, Defense Director for Inspector General Regional Director for Inspector General Regional Office-Pacific Director of Administration and Management and Director, Washington Headquarters Services Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Vice Chairman Chief of Staff, Army Joint Staff Director Vice Director ROBERT J. LIEBERMAN STEPHEN A. TRODDEN JAMES H. CURRY MORRIS B. SILVERSTEIN REAR ADM. THOMAS RYAN, USN DONALD MANCUSO STEPHEN A. WHITLOCK CAPT. J.W. HEGEMAN, USN WILLIAM M. GUY, Acting D.O. COOKE ADM. WILLIAM J. CROWE, JR., USN GEN. A.M. GRAY, JR., USMC LT. GEN. HANSFORD T. JOHNSON, USAF MAJ. GEN. RICHARD B. GOETZE, JR., USAF [For the Department of Defense statement of organization, see the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 32, Chapter 1, Subchapter R] The Department of Defense is responsible for providing the military forces needed to deter war and protect the security of our country. The major elements of these forces are the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, consisting of about 2.1 million men and women on active duty. Of these, some 541,000-including about 82,000 on ships at sea-are serving outside the United States. They are backed, in case of emergency, by the 1.7 million members of the reserve components. In addition, there are about 1.1 million civilian employees in the Defense Department. Under the President, who is also Commander in Chief, the Secretary of Defense exercises direction, authority, and control over the Department, which includes the separately organized military departments of Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Joint Chiefs of Staff providing military advice, the unified and specified combatant commands, and various defense agencies established for specific purposes. Every State in the Union has some defense activities. Central headquarters of the Department is at the Pentagon, the "world's largest office building. The Department of Defense (DOD) is the successor agency to the National Military Establishment created by the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401). It was established as an executive department of the Government by the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 with the Secretary of Defense as its head (5 U.S.C. 101). Since that time, many legislative and administrative changes have occurred, evolving the Department into the structure under which it currently operates. Structure The Department of Defense is composed of the Office of the Secretary of Defense; the military departments and the military services within those departments; the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the unified and specified combatant commands; the Armed Forces Policy Council; the Defense agencies; DOD field activities; and such other offices, agencies, activities, and commands as may be established or designated by law, or by the President or the Secretary of Defense. In providing immediate staff assistance and advice to the Secretary of Defense, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, though separately identified and organized, function in full coordination and cooperation. The Office of the Secretary of Defense includes the offices of the Deputy Secretary of Defense; the Special Assistant to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of Defense; the Executive Secretary of the Department of Defense; the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense; the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition; the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; the Comptroller of the Department of Defense, who also serves as the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Comptroller); Assistant Secretaries of Defense; the General Counsel; the Director of Defense Research and Engineering; the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation; the Inspector General; and such other staff offices as the Secretary of Defense establishes to assist him in carrying out his duties and responsibilities. The heads of these offices are staff advisers to the Secretary and perform such functions as he assigns to them. The Joint Chiefs of Staff consist of the Chairman; the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; the Chief of Naval Operations; the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force; and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Supported by the Joint Staff, they constitute the immediate military staff of the Secretary of Defense. The Chairman is the principal military adviser to the President, the National Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. The other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the senior military officers of their respective services and are military advisers to the President, the National Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs acts as Chairman when there is a vacancy in the Office of the Chairman or in the absence or disability of the Chairman. Each military department (the Department of the Navy includes naval aviation and the United States Marine Corps) is separately organized under its own Secretary and functions under the direction, authority, and control of the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of a military department is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for the operation and efficiency of his department. Orders to the military departments are issued through the Secretaries of these departments, or their designees, by the Secretary of Defense or under authority specifically delegated in writing by the Secretary of Defense or provided by law. The commanders of unified and specified combatant commands are responsible to the President and the Secretary of Defense for accomplishing the military missions assigned to them and exercising command authority over forces assigned to them. The operational chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense to the commanders of the unified and specified combatant commands. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff functions within the chain of command by transmitting the orders of the President or the Secretary of Defense to the commanders of the unified and specified combatant commands. The Armed Forces Policy Council advises the Secretary of Defense on matters of broad policy relating to the Armed Forces and such other matters as the Secretary may direct. Its members report regularly on important matters that are of interest to the Department of Defense. In addition to the members identified below, such other officials of the Department of Defense and other departments and agencies in the executive branch as may be designated by the Secretary of Defense are invited to attend appropriate meetings of the Council. Council membership is as follows: Secretary of Defense, Chairman; Deputy Secretary of Defense; Secretaries of the military departments; Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Under Secretaries of Defense; Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition; Chief of Staff, Army; Chief of Naval Operations; Chief of Staff, Air Force; and Commandant, Marine Corps. |