A report on United States Secretary of Defense

Seal of the National Military Establishment (1947–1949)
Donald Rumsfeld is sworn-in as Secretary of Defense by Associate Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart as U.S. President Gerald R. Ford and Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General George S. Brown watch at The Pentagon on November 20, 1975.
Department of Defense organizational chart (December 2013)

Head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet.

- United States Secretary of Defense

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United States Department of Defense

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Executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces.

Executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces.

President Truman signs the National Security Act Amendment of 1949
Department of Defense organizational chart (December 2013)
2008 OSD organizational chart
Joint Chiefs of Staff/Joint Staff organizational chart
Combatant command areas of responsibility
Defense Spending as a Percent of GDP (1792–2017)
Total United States Defense Outlays 1962–2024, $millions (2019-2024 estimated)
Defense Intelligence Agency
National Security Agency
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
National Reconnaissance Office
Department of the Army
Department of the Navy
Department of the Air Force
U.S. Army
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Navy
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Space Force

The Department of Defense is headed by the secretary of defense, a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the president of the United States.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in December 2020.

Joint Chiefs of Staff

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The Joint Chiefs of Staff in December 2020.
United States Secretary of Defense Harold Brown and United States Deputy Secretary of Defense Charles W. Duncan Jr with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General George S. Brown and the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon in 1977
Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting (circa 1943). From left to right are: Gen. Henry H. Arnold, Chief of the Army Air Forces; Adm. William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy; Adm. Ernest J. King, Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations; and Gen. George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1959.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in an annual meeting with the commanders of unified and specified command in the JCS meeting room, also known as "The Tank" on January 15, 1981.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2002
The Joint Staff Organization Chart as of March 2018
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a press conference at The Pentagon with Secretary of Defense. From left to right are Army Vice Chief of Staff General Richard A. Cody, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Air Force General Richard B. Myers, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Air Force Chief of Staff General John P. Jumper and Commandant of the Marine Corps General Michael Hagee. In the absence of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or the Service Chief, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Vice Service Chief will replace its presence at an important event.
Members of The Joint Chiefs of Staff with U.S. Secretary of Defense in 1973.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (seated) and the directors of the Joint Staff directorates (standing), November 1989.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff during its early days in 1949.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at The Pentagon in 1958.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1961.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1968.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1971.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1977.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with President-Elect Jimmy Carter and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on December 17, 1976.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a cabinet meeting in the White House in 1977
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1981.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during President Ronald Reagan Inaugural Parade in January 20, 1981.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1983.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1986.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2001.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff render a salute for the late President Ronald Reagan at Andrews Air Force Base in 2004.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at Andrews Air Force Base during a funeral service ceremony for the late President Gerald Ford on December 26, 2006.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Senate Armed Services Committee testimony in The Capitol Hill 2010.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2017.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council on military matters.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

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Presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

Presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

Outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers swears in the incoming chairman, General Peter Pace as President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld look on at the change of command ceremony at Fort Myer, Virginia on September 30, 2005.
General George S. Brown is sworn in as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by Department of Defense General Counsel Martin Hoffman in the Pentagon on July 1, 1974.
General Nathan F. Twining is sworn in as the third chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1957.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Nathan F. Twining at a NATO conference in Paris, France.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General George S. Brown during a press conference at the White House in 1975.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General George S. Brown with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General David C. Jones with National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski and Deputy National Security Advisor David Aaron during a National Security Council meeting at the White House on December 20, 1978.
General David C. Jones, the ninth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presides over a JCS meeting with the commanders of unified and specified commands in the Gold Room, also known as "The Tank", on January 15, 1981.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1981.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General David C. Jones with former chairman Omar Bradley on January 20, 1981.
General Hugh Shelton hosting a conference in the Pentagon for former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on December 1, 2000.<ref>Standing from left to right are: Gen. Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret); Gen. John W. Vessey, USA (Ret); Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, USN (Ret); Gen. Shelton, USA; Gen. David C. Jones, USAF (Ret); Adm. William J. Crowe, Jr., USN (Ret); and Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, USA (Ret).</ref>
The Joint Chiefs of Staff photographed in "The Tank," in the Pentagon in 2001.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard B. Myers delivers opening remarks during a town hall meeting at the Pentagon.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard B. Myers with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during a press conference at the Pentagon on September 20, 2003.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 29, 2005.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace and his wife, Lynne, applaud the military demonstrations at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 27, 2007.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen with former chairmen Richard B. Myers and Peter Pace in 2009.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen speaking at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota on February 18, 2009.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
General Mark A. Milley is sworn in as the 20th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by General Joseph Dunford, the outgoing chairman, in a ceremony at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall, September 30, 2019.

The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces and the principal military advisor to the president, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, and the secretary of defense.

Seal of National Military Establishment (1947–1949), which was later renamed the Department of Defense.

National Security Act of 1947

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Law enacting major restructuring of the United States government's military and intelligence agencies following World War II.

Law enacting major restructuring of the United States government's military and intelligence agencies following World War II.

Seal of National Military Establishment (1947–1949), which was later renamed the Department of Defense.
Seal of the Department of the Air Force, established by the National Security Act of 1947.
President Truman signs the National Security Act Amendment of 1949. Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson leans over the desk. Behind him is Admiral Louis Denfeld, General Omar N. Bradley, and General Hoyt Vandenberg.
The first page of the National Security Act of 1947.
The last page of the National Security Act of 1947. Signed by Speaker of the House of Representatives Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA), President of the Senate pro tempore Arthur H. Vandenberg (R-MI), and President Harry S. Truman.
President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 on board this VC-54C Presidential transport, the first aircraft used for the role of Air Force One.

The majority of the provisions of the act took effect on September 18, 1947, the day after the Senate confirmed James Forrestal as the first secretary of defense.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in December 2020.

United States Armed Forces

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The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States.

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in December 2020.
Organization of the military services and military departments within the Department of Defense
Logo of the United States Army
U.S. Army Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division return fire during a firefight with Taliban forces in Barawala Kalay Valley in Kunar province, Afghanistan on 31 March 2011.
U.S. Army M1A2 Abrams tanks from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment maneuver in the streets as they conduct a combat patrol in the city of Tall Afar, Iraq, on Feb. 3, 2005.
Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
U.S. Marines with India Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit run on the beach during an amphibious assault demonstration.
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft attached to VMX-22 prepares to land on the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) in the Pacific Ocean.
Logo of the United States Navy
USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) and Carrier Strike Group 3 underway with Republic of Korea Navy ships.
USS Nebraska (SSBN-739), an ballistic missile submarine underway in the Atlantic Ocean.
United States Air Force Symbol
F-22A Raptors in flight.
U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit stealth bombers flying with Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters.
Space Force Delta
The Sodium Guidestar at the Directed Energy Directorate's Starfire Optical Range for real-time, high-fidelity tracking and imaging of satellites.
Boeing X-37B spaceplane after deorbiting and landing.
Service mark of the United States Coast Guard
USCGC Hamilton and TCG Turgutries in the Black Sea, April 30, 2021.
Coast Guard Reserve Port Security boat on patrol
Unified combatant commands areas of responsibility
A pie chart showing global military expenditures by country for 2019, in US$ billions, according to SIPRI
Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester, awarded the Silver Star for direct combat
ADM Linda L. Fagan June 2021.

Leadership of the Armed Forces, to include the president of the United States, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are members of the United States National Security Council, which advises the president on national security, military, and foreign policy matters.

The first F-35 Lightning II of the 33rd Fighter Wing arriving at Eglin AFB

United States Air Force

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Air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States.

Air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States.

The first F-35 Lightning II of the 33rd Fighter Wing arriving at Eglin AFB
An Air Force RQ-4 strategic reconnaissance aircraft
An Air Force KC-46 Pegasus refuels a C-17A Globemaster III
An Air Force A-10 demonstrating close air support at Nellis AFB
Test launch of a LGM-30 Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from Vandenberg AFB
Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base
Roundels that have appeared on U.S. military aircraft 1.) 5/1917–2/1918 2.) 2/1918–8/1919 3.) 8/1919–5/1942 4.) 5/1942–6/1943 5.) 6/1943–9/1943 6.) 9/1943–1/1947 7.) 1/1947–
The SR-71 Blackbird was a Cold War reconnaissance plane.
The F-117 Nighthawk was a stealth attack aircraft (retired from service in April 2008).
A row of Douglas C-54 Skymasters during the Berlin Airlift in 1949
Various Air Force personnel pose during the Air Force's 74th birthday celebration at the Pentagon, September 17, 2021.
Organization of the United States Air Force within the Department of Defense
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Pararescuemen and a simulated "survivor" watch as an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter comes in for a landing
U.S. Air Force trainee demonstrating a butt stroke on a strike dummy as part of Basic Military Training.
USAF Airmen training at Lackland AFB
A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft
B-2 Spirit stealth bomber
A C-17 Globemaster III, the USAF's newest and most versatile transport plane
E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system
F-22 Raptor stealth air superiority fighter
KC-10 Extender tri-jet air-to-air tanker
An MC-12W Liberty at Beale AFB
MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle
Lockheed U-2 spy plane
RQ-170 Sentinel stealth unmanned aerial vehicle reconnaissance aircraft
VC-25A (Air Force One)
A WC-130J Hercules from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron
An unarmed Minuteman III ICBM shoots out of the silo during an operational test launch

The Air Force through the Department of the Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense and is appointed by the President with Senate confirmation.

Emblem of the United States Navy

United States Navy

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Maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States.

Maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States.

Emblem of the United States Navy
USS Constellation vs L'Insurgente during the Quasi-War
USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812
A carte de visite of a U.S. Navy lieutenant during the Civil War
The Great White Fleet demonstrating U.S. naval power in 1907; it was proof that the U.S. Navy had blue-water capability.
Columbia, personification of the United States, wearing a warship bearing the words "World Power" as her "Easter bonnet" on the cover of Puck, 6 April 1901
Battleship USS Idaho (BB-42) shelling Okinawa on 1 April 1945.
USS George Washington (SSBN-598), a ballistic missile submarine
U.S. Navy officers aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) monitor defense systems during early 2010s maritime security operations exercises
U.S. Navy patrol boat near Kuwait Naval Base in 2009
The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6), launched in 2012.
Organization of the United States Navy within the Department of Defense
Simplified flowchart of the U.S. Navy command structure
Areas of responsibility for each of the United States Navy fleets. Tenth Fleet serves as the numbered fleet for U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and therefore is not shown.
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) docking at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan
A Marine F/A-18 from VMFA-451 preparing to launch from USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter preparing to land on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1)
Navy SEALs at one of the entrances to the Zhawar Kili cave complex
U.S. Navy warrant officer specialty insignias
Map of naval bases in the United States
Underwater Demolition Team members using the casting technique from a speeding boat
Combat Camera Underwater Photo Team – A U.S. Navy diver during underwater photography training off the coast of Guantanamo Bay
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USS Nimitz, a
USS Bataan (LHD-5), a
USS San Antonio (LPD-17), a
USS Port Royal (CG-73), a
USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), a Zumwalt-class stealth guided missile destroyer
USS Independence (LCS-2), a Littoral combat ship
USS Freedom (LCS-1) underway in special naval camouflage
USS Warrior (MCM-10) in port
USS Typhoon (PC-5) departing Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Virginia
USS Kentucky (SSBN-737), an ballistic missile submarine
USS Virginia (SSN-774), a attack submarine
Four Navy F/A-18F Super Hornets
U.S. Navy MH-60R maritime strike helicopter assigned to the HSM-78 Blue Hawks aboard the carrier USS Carl Vinson
Aviation Ordnancemen loading GBU-12 bombs in 2005
U.S. naval jack
First navy jack
Naval Aviator Badge
Submarine Officer badge
Surface Warfare Officer Insignia

The Department of the Navy is itself a military department of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of Defense.

General Bernard Schriever, father of the United States Space Force and military space

United States Space Force

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Space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and currently the world's only independent space force.

Space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and currently the world's only independent space force.

General Bernard Schriever, father of the United States Space Force and military space
Aerospace Defense Command was the Air Force's first major command to operationally utilize space forces.
Air Force Space Command was the direct antecedent of the Space Force.
U.S. Space Force logo used from 20 December 2019 on public social media accounts
Unveiling of the flag of the United States Space Force on 15 May 2020 in the Oval Office
Organization of the United States Space Force within the Department of Defense
The Space Force's first astronaut, Colonel Michael S. Hopkins
WGS satellites in its two configurations
The first 86 Space Force lieutenants being commissioned from the United States Air Force Academy on 18 April 2020.
The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, considered the premier commissioning source for Space Force officers.
Vice chief of space operations, General David D. Thompson swears in the first four enlisted Space Force recruits on 20 October 2020.
Chief of space operations, General John W. Raymond and Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger A. Towberman perform a transfer ceremony for 300 Space Force personnel at the Pentagon on 15 September 2020.
General Raymond wearing the interim service dress uniform.
General Raymond in the final service dress uniform.
General Raymond debuting the OCP uniform.
The basic (top), senior (middle), and command (bottom) ratings of the Space Operations Badge.

The Space Force, through the Department of the Air Force, is overseen by the secretary of the Air Force, a civilian political appointee who reports to the secretary of defense, and is appointed by the president with Senate confirmation.

President Joe Biden's Cabinet pictured in July 2021

Cabinet of the United States

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Body consisting of the vice president of the United States and the heads of the executive branch's departments in the federal government of the United States.

Body consisting of the vice president of the United States and the heads of the executive branch's departments in the federal government of the United States.

President Joe Biden's Cabinet pictured in July 2021
President Joe Biden's Cabinet pictured in July 2021
James K. Polk and his Cabinet in 1845: the first Cabinet to be photographed.
A map showing the historical makeup of the Cabinet of the United States by year.

National Military Establishment (1947–1949), headed by the secretary of Defense: created by the National Security Act of 1947 and recreated as the Department of Defense in 1949.

Unified combatant commands areas of responsibility

Unified combatant command

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Joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, and conducts broad and continuing missions.

Joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, and conducts broad and continuing missions.

Unified combatant commands areas of responsibility
Geographic areas of responsibility for six land-based geographic combatant commands
Commanders of unified and specified combatant command during an annual meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at The Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff Room also known as "The Tank" on January 15, 1981.
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The chain of command for operational purposes (per the Goldwater–Nichols Act) goes from the president of the United States through the secretary of defense to the combatant commanders.