Defense Primer: The Department of Defense

Abstract

The Department of Defense (DOD) was established after World War II through the 1947 National Security Act. At the time, some, including President Truman, took the view that the different components of the U.S. military had been insufficiently integrated to wage World War II effectively. The intention of the 1947 Act was therefore to create, for the first time, an integrated institution that combined the Departments of War and Navy, and to establish a policy architecture for overseeing the newly reorganized military apparatus. Over time, DOD has grown into one of the largest bureaucracies in the world, comprising over 3million employees stationed across the United States and around the globe.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 08, 2021
Accession Number
AD1152935

Entities

People

  • Kathleen J. McInnis

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Asia
  • Combat Operations
  • Combat Support
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Congress
  • Department Of Defense
  • Homeland Security
  • Marine Corps
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Oceans
  • Security
  • Unified Combatant Commands
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • United States Northern Command
  • United States Transportation Command
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Systems Analysis and Design