The agency faced conflict-of-interest charges in when it was discovered that its director had awarded lucrative contracts to a company that she had co-founded and which was being operated by family members. Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Much of its work is done cooperatively with foreign nations, such as the mutual examination of nuclear stockpiles, and the dismantling of weapons and equipment of formerly hostile nations in accordance with treaties like START I.
The agency also develops countermeasures against novel threats, both for domestic use and for combat support. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Technical Support Working Group. Working with a vast array of U. Army Combined Arms Center.
Army has a long history of providing specialized training to its soldiers, going all the way back to the Revolutionary War. In recent times some elements of the CAC have drawn public attention for reports and internal debates over the George W. Army Command and General Staff College. The college has five subordinate schools. Its main purpose is to synchronize Army leader development and education systems but works as a joint, interagency, multinational school. The International Military Education and Training IMET program provides funding to train military and civilian leaders of foreign countries, primarily at schools and facilities in the U.
The program has a long, controversial history of helping to train foreign military personnel who went on to commit human rights abuses in their home countries. Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.
Formerly known as the School of the Americas, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation has long been the most controversial training center run by the U. Throughout the Cold War, the school helped train thousands of military personnel from Latin American countries. Some of these graduates went on to commit human rights abuses and other atrocities in their home countries. It is in charge of almost every consumable item, everything from combat readiness, emergency preparedness, and day-to-day operations inside the DoD.
More than just a wing of the U. Corps engineers have been responsible for key flood control systems, including numerous dams, in the Western U. Defense Information Systems Agency. The DISA focuses on delivery of information speed, operational effectiveness and efficiency, and sharing information. Its primary aim is to provide secure and reliable communications networks, computers, software, databases, applications, and other products needed for the processing and transport needs of the DoD.
Defense Contract Management Agency. Defense Contract Audit Agency. The Defense Contract Audit Agency DCAA independently investigates Pentagon contracts to determine the fairness, accuracy and completeness of financial records and reports, as well as the effectiveness of any transactions the DoD has made.
In other words, the DCAA reviews business deals to make sure everything is aboveboard and acceptably efficient. The agency also provides financial advice to the DoD at every step of the contracting or subcontracting process, from negotiation to final resolution.
In and , the agency was found to have engaged in some corrupt contractor auditing practices. Defense Finance and Accounting Services. The agency is responsible for coordination and collaboration with all civilian defense agencies, military services, and combatant commands.
Office of Economic Adjustment. The Office of Economic Adjustment OEA is responsible for managing and directing efforts to assist communities impacted by Defense program changes, including base closures, base expansions, and contract or program cancellations, and for coordinating involvement of other federal agencies in the process. Office of Inspector General. The DoDIG is supposed to operate independently of the department to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse through audits and investigations.
The Inspector General is in charge of keeping the Secretary of Defense and Congress informed about agency problems and deficiencies. Defense Criminal Investigative Service. DCIS investigates criminal activities involving terrorism, procurement fraud, computer crimes, illegal technology transfers, and public corruption within the Department of Defense.
Defense Media Activity. It creates press releases through a news service and sets policy for internal publications, visual information and audiovisual programs. The DMA also produces media aimed at service members and their families. Previously known as the American Forces Information Service, the agency had been accused by some critics of deception by, for example, releasing press releases that mimic the style of actual news reports.
Arlington National Cemetery. More than , people, including military casualties and veterans from every single U. The cemetery is also the final resting place of many notable civilian, historical, literary and minority figures, including former President John F. Contracting Opportunities. Military Family Support. Military Photographers. Pentagon Channel. Photos — Weekly Archive. Website Index for DoD.
The Department of Defense DoD would not be the costly operation it is today without private defense contractors. Covering Army -, Navy - and Air Force -related industries, defense contractors provide everything from combat boots to some of the most advanced, sophisticated technology on the planet. Large weapons systems have price tags that run into the tens of billions of dollars, making the arms trade extremely lucrative for certain companies.
F fighter shared with Boeing. Aegis Weapons System for U. Navy combat vessels. Hellfire Missile shared with Boeing. Trident Fleet Ballistic Missile. Littoral Combat Ships shared with General Dynamics. C-5 transport plane. C transport plane. F Lightning II fighter. Navy contract for the procurement of Nuclear Weapon Security system equipment at Navy installations. F fighter shared with Lockheed Martin. Harpoon Missile. Hellfire Missile shared with Lockheed Martin. F fighter Boeing, from McDonnell Douglas.
Harrier jump jet. Apache attack helicopter support services from Lockheed Martin. Since Boeing has held the Ground-based Midcourse Defense contract, for work designed to protect the U. Boeing has 17 partners on the project, including Northrop Grumman.
E-2 Hawkeye early warning and control aircraft. F Tomcat fighter. Virginia class attack submarine shared with General Dynamics. Nimitz class aircraft carriers. Global Hawk drones. Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle. Los Angeles class attack submarine. Virginia class attack submarine shared with Northrop Grumman. Sea Wolf class attack submarine. Ohio class nuclear missile submarine.
Littoral Combat Ships shared with Lockheed Martin. Mark 38 25mm machine gun system for Navy ships. Torpedo - Mark HARM Missile. Maverick Guided Missile. Sidewinder air-to-air missile. Sea Stallion helicopter. H-3 Sea King helicopter. In June , the defense contractor pleaded guilty to violating the Arms Export Control Act and making false statements with regard to exports of software to China, which that country used to develop the military aircraft. Two U. Super Cobra attack helicopter.
Huey helicopter. Department of Defense pdf. Top Defense Contractors — Government Executive. In March the Marine Corps announced contracts with several different companies for a new type of armored vehicle capable of withstanding attacks involving improvised explosive devices IEDs.
The Army also utilizes contractors to provide a variety of logistics and other services. A one-time subsidiary of Halliburton, long known as an oil services provider with strong ties to the George W. Bush administration, was until providing soldiers with food, shelter, and communications with friends and family back home through a billion-dollar exclusive-rights contract see Department of the Army, Controversies.
The company that the Air Force chooses to build a new plane can be quite controversial. Take for example the task of midair refueling. The deal fell apart after accusations arose over costs and ethical violations see Department of the Air Force, Controversies. But it has been the expansion of unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs by the U. Air Force and to some degree the Central Intelligence Agency for war that has stirred the greatest debate.
As of , the military had spent billions of dollars to expand its fleet of UAVs, which have gone from aircraft in to more than 7, By , the Air Force had already trained more pilots to fly drones than traditional, piloted aircraft, ushering in a new era of warfare. The Air Force plans to greatly expand its fleet of drones by , so much so that some see all piloted aircraft replaced by UAVs in the future.
Another advanced fighter, the F, may be the last funded, piloted fighter program, according to analysts. Some experts say drones represent an approaching technological tipping point that could produce a genuine revolution in military affairs. Officials within the Air Force argue drones are the future of the service. First and foremost, UAVs can conduct warfare with precision, and reduce collateral damage, making them a logical replacement for conventional fighters and bombers.
Not only will this reduce civilian casualties, but American ones as well, supporters say. Drone advocates also say that using UAVs in the war against terrorism is legal.
Attacks inside Pakistan have unquestionably violated international laws of armed conflict because the United States is not at war with Pakistan, critics point out. Opponents also argue that drone strikes are fueling anti-American sentiment and spurring more terrorism.
Furthermore, critics cited a recent British study that warned drones are becoming increasingly automated. Soon, UAVs could be able to launch a missile on their own without help from human controllers—and without recourse to higher, human authority. Lovett, Finding Dulcinea. The CQ Researcher Blog. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, , the United States began using targeted killings as a tactic to pursue those responsible.
The Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency have been responsible for carrying out targeted killings in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Targeted killings have escalated and increasingly involved the use of unmanned drones during the Obama administration. Bush administration practice of using U. The White House has argued targeted killings are necessary and deemed them successes of foreign policy, while critics have condemned the tactic on moral, legal, and political grounds.
The Obama administration has argued that targeted killings are legal under U. Furthermore, officials have labeled them as ethical and wise, because the attacks are done with precision that effectively takes out threats to the U. This tactic also prevents future attacks on the country by weakening adversaries like al-Qaeda and sending a message to other would-be dangers that the U.
From an economic standpoint, drones are also a good idea because they cost considerably less than manned aircraft to produce. War Game Truth Be Told. Morally, it makes no sense at all for the U.
Killing individuals, even suspected terrorists, without due process is anathema to the American way and our system of jurisprudence, critics say. Also, targeted killings have turned out to be anything but precise. Again and again reports have surfaced of so-called surgical missions turning out to be blunders that cost numerous civilian lives, which have poisoned opportunities for the U.
Targeted Killings Council on Foreign Relations. Shortly after President Barack Obama took office, administration and congressional leaders called for the Pentagon to carry out drastic reforms of its acquisition process. What the Pentagon needed was a process that could respond rapidly to the needs for specialized, low-tech equipment to carry out counterinsurgency missions.
The USSOCOM was noted for its shorter cycle for decision making, its ability to keep up with technological advances, and a greater willingness to take risks in order to get the right equipment to the right people and places expeditiously.
Although in March the Government Accountability Office identified problems with some USSOCOM programs, the Command was also credited for focusing on its organizational culture to plow through bureaucracy, implying that the Pentagon would be well served to do the same. One example already developed by the Marine Corps was Mobile Solar Power, which allowed soldiers to recharge Marine batteries through the use of solar panels. At Nellis Air Force Base in southern Nevada, the service built a megawatt photovoltaic solar array involving more than 72, solar panels that could generate 30 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year—enough to power the entire 12,person base.
Future plans for the Army include making 16 bases net-zero energy, waste, and water installations by , adding nine more to that list by It is also looking into tents with better insulation, solar-powered canopies, the use of more LED lighting, and low-flow latrines. Prior to being elected to the White House, Barack Obama promised to bring more transparency to government operations, including work involving contractors.
But outside groups found themselves still calling for such reforms after Obama was elected, noting the need for more transparency still existed, especially with the Department of Defense.
She did note the creation of USASpending. But this reform was labeled incremental, owing to the fact that it did not go far enough, according to Scott Amey, general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight. First, choosing contractors would become more efficient and effective, generating greater value for taxpayer dollars.
Second, government agencies and contractors would have a more productive, and less contentious relationship. And, third, there would be fewer bid protests, which would save the government money by not having to respond to as many protests.
An SVU would be set up in each of the four branches of the armed forces to conduct investigations, according to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Panetta said that the SVUs would be led by an officer with the rank of colonel, or in the case of the Navy, a captain—one rank below general and admiral. In fact, the DoD estimates that one-third of the women in the military have been sexually assaulted.
Military by Jesse Ellison, Daily Beast. Reforming Military Compensation by Lawrence J. Carl Gingrich, Brookings Institution. After being criticized by congressional watchdogs for years, the DoD finally made progress during the Obama administration in improving its personnel security clearance process. Pentagon officials lauded their reforms that they said had resulted in better speed and efficiency of background investigations and other processes by The changes also were said to have reduced duplication and waste.
Michael C. In a paper published by Synesis in , Veneri wrote the U. Things to consider, Veneri wrote, were the will and skill of a partner country. Also, the U. Veneri, Synesis. Panetta said there had been no decision yet about how reform the system, only that a proposal from a Pentagon task force was being considered that would abandon the traditional pension system in favor of a k -style contribution program. To avoid panic among service members, Panetta added that any change would grandfather in benefits for current recipients.
Nonetheless, retired Gen. The Defense Business Board plan being reviewed called for all troops to receive annual retirement contributions if they served at least 20 years. But the money would not vest until service reached at least three to five years and would then be payable at retirement age.
Anyone leaving the service before the three- to five-year mark would have their contributions rolled over into Social Security. Baldor, Associated Press. In November , Frank Kendall, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, said it was important to improve the development of requirements for DoD goods and services and provide better training for the employees charged with purchasing. Nineteen industry-lobbying groups launched a campaign in to convince Congress and the Obama administration to implement reforms for export controls.
The groups, which call themselves the Coalition for Security and Competitiveness and represent hundreds of companies selling everything from aircraft to software, argued the government should de-emphasize the current reliance on lists of munitions and dual-use technologies to make export decisions.
Instead, approval of military-related items should be based on such factors as whether an item could be purchased from another country, whether it was widely used outside of defense, and whether the buyer was a trusted partner. One key change came down to this: if a weapons technology could be bought from other countries, then the U. The changes proposed by the industry groups could have boosted U. The Pentagon was fully behind the reforms, saying it had been a leading proponent of changing export controls.
Defense officials echoed the White House in noting that the economy was not helped by trying to protect too much from being exported. Shapiro, the assistant secretary of state for political military affairs, told the media.
Examples offered up by Shapiro included night vision systems, stealth and cloaking technologies, and satellite and communications technologies. Under the current system, the State Department and the Commerce Department each maintained their own list of items subject to export controls. Shapiro said this situation caused confusion among allies, industries, and even within the U.
There were also three different licensing agencies with their own policies and several agencies with overlapping authority—and all operating on incompatible computer systems. Manufacturing and Technology Sectors White House.
Department of Defense, Defence Talk. Remarks of Eric L. Department of Commerce. The use of National Guard units in Iraq and Afghanistan became increasingly unpopular in many states whose soldiers were deployed again and again to fight the wars. The request was denied. Maryland Senator Richard Madaleno Jr. The Democratic state senator said the Maryland Guard had exhausted its resources and equipment from repeated deployments, and was needed at home in case of an emergency, such as a natural disaster.
The following year, a ballot initiative was offered up Idaho that would have authorized the governor to bring members of the National Guard home from international deployment. It also prohibited Guard deployments without congressional authorization for use of military force or a declaration of war. National Guard by Christian Davenport,. Idaho Secretary of State. The United States needs to make human rights the deciding factor when considering arms sales to other countries, argued William D.
Appearing before a congressional panel in , Hartung testified that the U. He called attention to numerous countries receiving support from Washington that had poor reputations for upholding human rights. Report: The Role of U. Middle East Tumult Complicates U. The National Security Act of forbids military leaders from serving as secretary of defense until they have been a civilian for seven years.
Mattis has only been out of the service for three and a half years, so he needed Congress to grant him a waiver from the prohibition, which it did—the first such waiver since General George C. Marshall in During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and at other times, Mattis has taken several positions at odds with those of President Trump.
He attended Columbia High School, graduating in Mattis graduated with a B. Instead, he was put in charge of a stateside rifle platoon in the 3rd Marine Division.
After a promotion to lieutenant colonel, Mattis led an assault battalion in the Gulf War. His was one of the first U. By the time of the terror attacks on September 11, , Mattis had been promoted twice; to colonel and subsequently to brigadier general. In the fall of , Mattis was commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and was then given command of Task Force 58, which moved into southern Afghanistan in November of that year.
Mattis was promoted to major general and in assumed command of the 1st Marine Division, which he took into Iraq in March Immediately before the invasion, Mattis wrote a letter, a copy of which was given to each of his Marines. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon. Share your courage with each other as we enter the uncertain terrain north of the Line of Departure. Keep faith in your comrades on your left and right and Marine Air overhead. Fight with a happy heart and strong spirit.
In , Mattis visited a detention center that had been an Iraqi army barracks. There he found the body of a year-old Iraqi who had been arrested in connection with the capture by Iraqi forces of Private First Class Jessica Lynch. The dead man was found to have been tortured via sleep deprivation and being forced to stand for long periods of time, and was beaten by his captors. Finally, as they dragged him outside, a bone broke in his neck, killing him.
Mattis banned torture in his units. Because of problems with the evidence, only two Marines were convicted in the case, both of lesser charges. In , Mattis led his Marines into Fallujah.
There, hundreds of civilians were killed, and the local soccer stadium was pressed into service as a temporary graveyard because the Marines were camped out in the cemetery. Marines were also accused of shooting at ambulances, but later claimed weapons were seen being loaded into the vehicles. Later that spring, Mattis ordered an attack on what turned out to be a wedding party in the Iraqi desert.
Forty-two people were killed in the attack. Mattis said the party was in reality a group of insurgents. When Marines were found to have killed 24 civilians in Haditha in late , Mattis, by this time stationed at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, was the convening authority for the courts martial. Instead of having those involved in the killings prosecuted, however, Mattis wrote letters of exoneration for several Marines.
Only one man was ever punished for the killings, and it was a staff sergeant who was merely reduced in rank to private. I like brawling. Mattis went on to lead the U. Joint Forces Command from to and then took over U. Central Command, which is responsible for U. He retired five months early, of his own accord by his account. However, there are reports that he was forced out because there was some evidence that Mattis wanted to go to war with Iran, believing that country was partnered with ISIS.
However, Mattis has said that the United States should not pull out of its nuclear deal with Iran. If that happened, he said, the U. Since his retirement, Mattis has been a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution and sat on the board of General Dynamics and of Theranos, a blood-testing startup.
Mattis also briefly considered running for president in Some conservative donors, fearing Trump might get the Republican nomination, considered backing Mattis as a third-party candidate. Mattis, however, declined to run. The only senator to vote against his confirmation was Kirsten Gillibrand D-New York , who objected to breaking the tradition of having a civilian in charge of the Pentagon. Trump to Nominate Retired Gen.
Carter, a former deputy secretary of defense, to replace Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense. Carter attended Highland Elementary School and then Abington High School, where he ran cross-country, participated in wrestling and lacrosse and was president of the Honor Society. Carter was a hard worker even as a youth. Other early jobs were pumping gas, working as a hospital orderly, being a mate on a fishing boat and working as a telephone suicide prevention counselor. He graduated from Abington in and moved on to Yale, where he majored in medieval history and physics, two disciplines rarely found represented on one diploma.
There he studied theoretical physics, earning a Ph. After graduation, he worked as a researcher into time-reversal invariance and dynamical symmetry breaking, or the idea that the world could run backwards according to the same laws by which it runs forwards, at Rockefeller University in New York.
He moved to the Department of Defense the following year, continuing his work in the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation. Carter moved across town to Harvard University in , teaching policy issues at the Kennedy School of Government. He continued his work on fighting proliferation of nuclear weapons from the former Soviet Union. He took that mission back to the Pentagon in when President Bill Clinton made him assistant secretary of defense for international security policy.
His confirmation was held up for a couple months, but he was confirmed and concentrated on implementing the Nunn-Lugar program to remove nuclear weapons from the former Soviet republics, including Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. During this period, he also wrote, lectured and consulted on international policy issues. Commanders of the Combatant Commands carry out the missions assigned by the president and secretary of defense.
The directives of the president and secretary of defense are passed down to the commanders by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force are organized under their own secretaries and follow the direction of the secretary of defense.
The secretary of defense updates the department secretaries on operations and activities regarding their responsibilities. Click on the tiles below to read more about the Trump administration's specific policy proposals. The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms United States Department of Defense.
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