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The secretary of defense oversees the Defense Department and acts as the principal defense policy maker and advisor.
The Department of Defense is America's largest government agency. With our military tracing its roots back to pre-Revolutionary times, the department has grown and evolved with our nation. Our mission is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security. defense.gov
https://www.defense.gov/about/our-forces Nov 13, 2023 "We Are Your Defense: The Department of Defense is America's largest government agency. With our military tracing its roots back to pre-Revolutionary times, the department has grown and evolved with our nation. Our mission is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security." Army | Marine Corps | Navy | Air Force | Space Force | Coast Guard | National Guard | Army "The largest and oldest service in the U.S. military, the Army provides the ground forces that protect the United States." Marine Corps "A component of the Department of the Navy, the Marine Corps maintains amphibious and ground units for contingency and combat operations." Navy "On, above, and below the water, the Navy is America's forward-deployed force and is a major deterrent to aggression around the world." Air Force "The Air Force provides a rapid, flexible, and lethal air and space capability that can deliver forces anywhere in the world within hours." Space Force "The Space Force organizes, trains, and equips space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force." Coast Guard "The Coast Guard provides law and maritime safety enforcement, marine and environmental protection and military naval support. Part of the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, the Coast Guard operates under the Navy during times of war." National Guard "Comprised of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, the National Guard is a a versatile force, supporting combat missions, domestic emergencies, humanitarian efforts, homeland security operations and more." https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Quizzes/Quiz/Article/1988530/test-your-veterans-day-knowledge U.S. Department of Defense
https://www.nationalguard.mil/About-the-Guard/How-We-Began Nov 13, 2023 "In 1636, the first militia units in the New World organized in the Massachusetts Bay Colony under three permanent regiments. These militia units trace their lineage into the 17th century and through the Revolutionary War. Militia involvement in the Revolutionary War marked a rebirth of the militia under the "United Colonies," eventually the United States. The colonists resented and feared a standing military force following the abuses of the British Regular Army. Given that history, the young nation's citizens understandably feared abuses of military power." National Guard
https://www.army.mil/1775/timeline.html Jan 31, 2021 "Since its official establishment, June 14, 1775 — more than a year before the Declaration of Independence — the U.S. Army has played a vital role in the growth and development of the American nation. Drawing on both long-standing militia traditions and recently introduced professional standards, it won the new republic's independence in an arduous eight-year struggle against Great Britain. At times, the Army provided the lone symbol of nationhood around which patriots rallied." U.S. Army
https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Brief-Histories/Brief-History-of-the-United-States-Marine-Corps Nov 13, 2023 "On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia passed a resolution stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing forces with the fleet. This resolution established the Continental Marines and marked the birth date of the United States Marine Corps. Serving on land and at sea, these first Marines distinguished themselves in a number of important operations, including their first amphibious raid into the Bahamas in March 1776, under the command of Captain (later Major) Samuel Nicholas. The first commissioned officer in the Continental Marines, Nicholas remained the senior Marine officer throughout the American Revolution and is considered to be the first Marine Commandant. The Treaty of Paris in April 1783 brought an end to the Revolutionary War and as the last of the Navy's ships were sold, the Continental Navy and Marines went out of existence." Marines
https://www.navy.mil/About/Our-Heritage Nov 13, 2023 "We are America's primary forward deployed force. Diverse, united, and tough, we are and will remain the most lethal global maneuver force in the world. As great power competitors threaten the global commons, we will rise to deter and defeat those challenges, protect the American homeland, and protect our economic prosperity by keeping the arteries of commerce open on the world's interconnected oceans. As Sailors, forged by the sea, we will continue to be the Navy this nation needs." U.S. Navy
https://www.history.uscg.mil/Complete-Time-Line/Time-Line-1700-1800 Nov 13, 2023 "4 August 1790 Congress authorized Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton's proposal to build ten cutters to protect the new nation's revenue. Alternately known as the system of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service would officially be named the Revenue Cutter Service in 1863. The cutters were placed under the control of the Treasury Department. This date marks the officially recognized birthday of the Coast Guard. 1791 The cutter, Massachusetts, was commissioned at Newburyport, Massachusetts. She is thought to be the first ship constructed by the Service."U.S. Coast Guard
https://www.history.uscg.mil/research/chronology Feb 24, 2025 "1808 The law passed by Congress in 1807 prohibiting the importation of slaves into the U.S. went into effect. The Revenue Cutter Service enforced the law on the high seas." U.S. Coast Guard
https://static.dma.mil/usaf/cmsaf50/EnlistedForce.html Nov 13, 2023 "The Air Force may be the youngest of the US military services, but through the years, it has become the most capable and feared aerial force in the world. While Air Force officers have made significant contributions to this success, so too has the enlisted force...In 1907, just four years after Wilber and Orville Wright took flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the US Air Force of today first established its military roots as the Aviation Section of the US Army Signal Corps. The division was created to take “charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all kindred subjects,” according to notations by the Air Force Historical Research Agency. The Aviation Section was built up during modern aviation’s early inception and initially only had stewardship over 10 hot air balloons. A year later, the Army began flight testing airplanes at Fort Myer, Virginia. One pilot, Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge, died in a plane crash during the testing stage, but the early aircraft, a Wright Model A, was improved upon. Subsequently, “Airplane No. 1” was adopted into the Army’s aerial arsenal on 2 August 1909." Air Force
https://www.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/About-Space-Force Nov 13, 2023 "The U.S. Space Force was established on Dec. 20, 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law, creating the first new branch of the armed services since 1947. The establishment of the USSF resulted from widespread recognition that space is a national security imperative. When combined with the growing threat posed by strategic competitors in space, it became clear that there was a need for a military service focused solely on pursuing superiority in the space domain." U.S. Space Force
https://www.sss.gov May 24, 2023 "It's Your Country Take one minute to protect it. When you register with the Selective Service, you're helping ensure a secure future for your community and the United States of America. While there is currently no draft, registration with the Selective Service System is the most publicly visible program during peacetime that ensures operational readiness in a fair and equitable manner. If authorized by the President and Congress, our Agency would rapidly provide personnel to the Department of Defense while at the same time providing an Alternative Service Program for conscientious objectors. Federal Law requires nearly all male US citizens and male immigrants, 18 through 25, register with Selective Service." Selective Service System Registration
https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/Article/1757274/9-notable-presidents-who-served Feb 18, 2019 "With that in mind, do you know how many presidents have served in the U.S. military? There have been many, but here are some of the most notable:" George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, George H.W. Bush, Theodore Roosevelt, Zachary Taylor, Andrew Jackson, Jimmy Carter. U.S. Department of Defense News
https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Nato NATO is a transatlantic alliance of 30 like-minded North American and European countries securing peace since 1949. The alliance promotes democratic values and diplomacy and enables members to consult and cooperate on defense and security-related issues, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict. #WeAreNATO U.S. Department of Defense Spotlights
https://www.nato.int/nato-welcome/index.html Sep 24, 2020 "The most important players in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are the member countries themselves. At present, NATO has 30 members. In 1949, there were 12 founding members of the Alliance: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. The other member countries are: Greece and Turkey (1952), Germany (1955), Spain (1982), the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland (1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia (2004), Albania and Croatia (2009), Montenegro (2017) and North Macedonia (2020). NATO
U.S. Army
U.S. Army
https://www.army.mil/1775/timeline.html Jan 31, 2021 "Since its official establishment, June 14, 1775 — more than a year before the Declaration of Independence — the U.S. Army has played a vital role in the growth and development of the American nation. Drawing on both long-standing militia traditions and recently introduced professional standards, it won the new republic's independence in an arduous eight-year struggle against Great Britain. At times, the Army provided the lone symbol of nationhood around which patriots rallied." U.S. Army
https://www.navy.mil/About/Our-Heritage Nov 13, 2023 "We are America's primary forward deployed force. Diverse, united, and tough, we are and will remain the most lethal global maneuver force in the world. As great power competitors threaten the global commons, we will rise to deter and defeat those challenges, protect the American homeland, and protect our economic prosperity by keeping the arteries of commerce open on the world's interconnected oceans. As Sailors, forged by the sea, we will continue to be the Navy this nation needs." U.S. Navy
https://cnrse.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NS-Guantanamo-Bay/About/History Jan 29, 2025 "Located on the southeast corner of Cuba, Guantanamo Bay’s strategic location and topographic properties have made it a valued possession of maritime powers since the 15th century. Christopher Columbus landed at the Bay on his second voyage to the Americas, and it was later contested by the empires of England, France, and Spain...Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is on the front lines for regional security in the Caribbean area. The base is about 400 air miles from Miami, Florida. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay has many missions. The base supports the ability of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships, along with allied nation ships to operate in the Caribbean area by providing contingency and quality logistical support with superior services and facilities. The base also supports U.S. Federal agencies in U.S. migrant operations to help care for displaced migrants from the surrounding area." United States Navy
The Department of Defense is America's largest government agency. With our military tracing its roots back to pre-Revolutionary times, the department has grown and evolved with our nation. Our mission is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security. $740.5 Billion National Defense Budget | 2.91 Million Service Members & Civilians | 4,800 Sites In Over 160 Countries
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