Organizational structure of the United States Department of Defense
The
In wartime, the Department has authority over the Coast Guard, which is under the control of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in peacetime. Prior to the creation of DHS, the Coast Guard was under the control of the Department of Transportation, and earlier under the Department of the Treasury. According to the U.S. Code, the Coast Guard is at all times considered one of the six armed services of the United States. During times of declared war (or by Congressional direction), the Coast Guard operates as a part of the Navy; this has not happened since World War II, but members have served in undeclared wars and conflicts since then while the service remained in its peacetime department.
Chain of Command
The
The President and the Secretary of Defense exercise authority and control of the Armed Forces through two distinct branches of the
In the
Civilian control
Article II Section 2 of the Constitution designates the President as "Commander in Chief" of the Army, Navy and state militias.[2] The
Historically, there have been challenges to civilian control. Most notably, during the
DoD policies and directives protect the policy of civilian control by establishing strict limitations on military members' political activities. For example, DoD Directive 1344.10 prohibits active-duty members of the military from running for office or making political appearances in uniform.[7] However, enforcing this strict separation between the military and politics has been problematic. For example, over the years, many elected officials, including members of Congress, continued serving in the reserves while holding elected office. As another example, at a September 14, 2007, rally for Republican Presidential candidate John McCain in New Hampshire, seven on-duty uniformed Army personnel addressed the gathering.[8] As another example, although DOD Directive 1344.10 prohibits political appearances by active-duty military members in uniform, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell invited a uniformed Army Staff Sergeant to stand behind him during his televised Republican response to the 2010 State of the Union Address.[9][10]
Components of the Department of Defense
Program | |
---|---|
Secretary of Defense | Defense Innovation Unit |
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs *Defense Media Activity | |
Director of Administration and Management
*Pentagon Force Protection Agency *Washington Headquarters Services | |
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs | |
Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation | |
Office of Net Assessment | |
General Counsel of Defense *Defense Legal Services Agency | |
Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer | |
Chief Information Officer | |
Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate
| |
United States Department of the Army | |
United States Department of the Navy | |
United States Department of the Air Force | |
Joint Chiefs of Staff | |
Acquisition and Sustainment Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment |
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acquisition) *Defense Contract Management Agency *Defense Acquisition University *Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell |
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Sustainment) *Director of the Office of Economic Adjustment *Director of the Defense Logistics Agency | |
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment/Chief Sustainability Officer *Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) | |
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs) *Defense Threat Reduction Agency | |
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy *Office of Small Business Programs | |
Joint Production Accelerator Cell
Director of Special Programs | |
Research and Engineering Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering |
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology |
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies | |
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Mission Capabilities | |
Missile Defense Agency | |
DARPA | |
Policy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy |
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities) |
United States Mission to NATO
*Secretary of Defense Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | |
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Homeland Defense) and Global Strategic Affairs
| |
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict) | |
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Indo-Pacific Security Affairs) | |
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency | |
Defense Security Cooperation Agency | |
Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee | |
Defense Technology Security Administration
| |
Comptroller Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/CFO |
Deputy Comptroller (Program/Budget) |
Deputy Comptroller (Budget and Appropriation Affairs) | |
Deputy Comptroller (Enterprise Financial Transformation) | |
Deputy Chief Financial Officer | |
Director, Human Capital and Resource Management | |
Defense Contract Audit Agency | |
Defense Finance and Accounting Service | |
Personnel and Readiness Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness |
Joint Advertising Marketing Research & Studies (JAMRS)[11] |
Military Deputy to the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) *Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity **Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute *Defense Suicide Prevention Office *Personnel Risk Reduction Office | |
TRICARE Management Activity[13]
| |
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) *Defense Commissary Agency *Department of Defense Education Activity **Department of Defense Dependents Schools *Office of Total Force Planning & Requirements *Transition to Veterans Program Office | |
Defense Human Resources Activity | |
DoD/VA Collaboration Office | |
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences | |
Office of the Chancellor for Education and Professional Development | |
Intelligence and Security Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence) |
Director for Defense Intelligence (Warfighter Support) |
Director for Defense Intelligence (Intelligence & Security) | |
Director for Defense Intelligence (Technical Collection & Special Programs) | |
Director for Defense Intelligence (Intelligence Strategy, Programs & Resources) | |
Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency | |
Defense Intelligence Agency | |
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency | |
National Security Agency | |
Central Security Service | |
National Reconnaissance Office |
Defense Agencies
Defense Agencies are established as DoD Components by law, the President, or the Secretary of Defense to provide for the performance, on a DoD-wide basis, of a supply or service activity that is common to more than one Military Department when it is determined to be more effective, economical, or efficient to do so, pursuant to sections 101, 191(a), and 192 of Title 10 of the United States Code or when a responsibility or function is more appropriately assigned to a Defense Agency. Pursuant to section 191(b) Title 10, such organizations are designated as Defense Agencies. Each Defense Agency operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, through a Principal Staff Assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
On 1 March 2003 the Secretary of Defense lost Executive Agent responsibilities for the
Department of Defense Field Activities
Department of Defense Field Activities are established as DoD Components by law, the President, or the Secretary of Defense to provide for the performance, on a DoD-wide basis, of a supply or service activity that is common to more than one Military Department when it is determined to be more effective, economical, or efficient to do so, pursuant to sections 101, 191(a), and 192 of Title 10 of the United States Code. Pursuant to section 191(b) of Title 10, such organizations are designated as DoD Field Activities. Each DoD Field Activity operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, through a Principal Staff Assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Military Departments
Department of the Army
The Department of the Army includes all elements of the U.S. Army
Headquarters, Department of the Army
- Office of the Secretary of the Army
- Chief of Staff of the Army
Army Field Organizations
- Army Commands
- Army Component Commands
- Field Operating Agencies
- Direct Reporting Units
The Department of the Navy includes all elements of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps
- Secretary of the Navy
- Office of the Secretary of the Navy
- Under Secretary of the Navy
OPNAV
- Chief of Naval Operations
- Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
- United States Naval Observatory falls under the Chief of Naval Operations.
- Vice Chief of Naval Operations
Headquarters Marine Corps
- Commandant of the Marine Corps
- Headquarters Marine Corps (See also: Organization of the United States Marine Corps)
Department of the Air Force
The Department of the Air Force includes all elements of the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force
- Secretary of the Air Force
- Office of the Secretary of the Air Force
- Under Secretary of the Air Force
Headquarters Air Force
Air Force Field Organizations
- Major Commands
- Direct Reporting Units
- Field Operating Agencies
Headquarters Space Force
- Chief of Space Operations
- The Space Staff
- The
Space Force Field Organizations
- Field commands
Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Joint Chiefs of Staff
- The Joint Staff
- Director of the Joint Staff
- Vice Director of the Joint Staff
- DOM- Directorate of Management
- J1 - Personnel and Manpower
- J2 - Intelligence
- J3 - Operations
- National Military Command Center
- Alternate National Military Command Center
- National Airborne Operations Center
- J4 - Logistics
- J5 - Strategic Plans and Policy
- J6 - Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems
- J7 - Operational Plans and Joint Force Development
- J8 - Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment
- Director of the Joint Staff
- National Defense University
- College of International Security Affairs
- Industrial College of the Armed Forces
- Information Resources Management College
- Joint Forces Staff College
- National War College
- U.S. Delegation to the Inter-American Defense Board
- U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Military Staff Committee
- U.S. Representative at the NATO Military Committee
- U.S. Section, Joint Mexico-U.S. Defense Commission
Unified Combatant Commands
There are eleven
Seal | Name | Acronym | Headquarters | Area of Responsibility | Other Role of CCDR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States Africa Command | AFRICOM | Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany; to be relocated to African continent or other location TBD | Africa excluding Egypt | ||
United States Central Command | CENTCOM | MacDill Air Force Base, Florida | Egypt through the Persian Gulf region, into Central Asia, excluding Israel | ||
United States European Command | EUCOM | Stuttgart, Germany | Europe, including Turkey, and Israel | Also Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) | |
United States Northern Command | NORTHCOM | Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
|
North American homeland defense and coordinating homeland defense with federal and state civil authorities. | Also Commander of military command) | |
United States Indo-Pacific Command | INDOPACOM | Camp H. M. Smith, Oahu, Hawaii | The Indo-Asia-Pacific region including Hawaii. | ||
United States Southern Command | SOUTHCOM | Miami, Florida
|
Latin America and the Caribbean excluding Mexico and Puerto Rico | ||
United States Space Command | SPACECOM | Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
|
Outer Space | ||
United States Cyber Command | CYBERCOM | Fort George G. Meade, Maryland
|
Provides cyber operations for the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. | Also Director of the National Security Agency | |
United States Special Operations Command | SOCOM | MacDill Air Force Base, Florida | Provides special operations for the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. | ||
United States Strategic Command | STRATCOM | Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska | Deters strategic attack and employs forces, as directed, to guarantee the security of our Nation and our Allies. | ||
United States Transportation Command | TRANSCOM | Scott Air Force Base, Illinois | Covers global mobility of all military assets for all regional commands. |
The Geographic Commands |
---|
In 2007, a new geographical command for Africa was authorized. This proposed significant changes to the areas of responsibility for other adjacent geographical commands as shown in the accompanying graphic.
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense
The Office of the Inspector General is an independent and objective unit within the Department of Defense that conducts and supervises audits and investigations relating to the programs and operations of the Department of Defense, pursuant to the responsibilities specified in title 5, U.S.C. Appendix and DoDD 5106.01.
- Inspector General of the Department of Defense
National Guard Bureau
The National Guard Bureau (NGB) is a joint activity of the Department of Defense. The Chief of the National Guard Bureau is a principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense, through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on matters involving non-federalized National Guard forces, and other matters as determined by the Secretary of Defense. For NGB matters pertaining to the Departments of the Army and Air Force's responsibilities in law or DoD policy, the Secretary of Defense normally exercises authority, direction, and control over the NGB through the Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force. The NGB is the focal point at the strategic level for National Guard matters that are not under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretaries of the Army or Air Force, including joint, interagency, and intergovernmental matters where the NGB acts through other DoD officials as specified in DoDD 5105.77.
References
- ^ a b "United States Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request / Overview" (PDF). Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Chief Financial Officer. February 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ "Caselaw: constitution article 2". Retrieved 15 April 2010.
- ^ 10 U.S.C. 113
- ^ 10 U.S.C. §§ 3013, 5013 & 8013
- ^ James 1985, pp. 584–589.
- )
- ^ "DoD Directive 1344.10, February 19, 2008 -- POSTED 2/21/2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2007. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
- ^ ssenberg, Sasha (28 September 2007). "Army personnel spoke at McCain rally". Boston Globe. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
- ^ Kumar, Anita (27 January 2010). "McDonnell's guests at tonight's State of the Union response". Washington Post. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
- ^ "Bob McDonnell's Republican Response to the SOTU: A Military Misstep". 28 January 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
- ^ "Organizational Chart". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ http://www.health.mil/aboutMHS.aspx[permanent dead link]
- ^ tricare.mil
Further reading
- Vego, Milan (1999). "Command and Control". In Chambers, John W.; Anderson, Fred (eds.). The Oxford companion to American military history. Oxford University Press. pp. 165–167. ISBN 978-0-19-507198-6.