Headquartered in the Pentagon, it operates installations in dozens of countries and runs its own schools, hospitals, and grocery stores for military families. It has never passed a clean financial audit, a fact GAO reports to Congress annually.
Open the interactive page for DOD →Created byNational Security Act of 1947 (P.L. 80-253) created the National Military Establishment; converted into the Department of Defense, an executive department, by the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 (P.L. 81-216)
Head appointed10 U.S.C. § 113(a): Secretary of Defense appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; no fixed term; appointment barred within 7 years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer below O-7 (10 years for O-7 and above) (PAS)
Removal standardno statutory protection — at will
Funded underannual Department of Defense Appropriations Act (military construction via the Military Construction–Veterans Affairs act); appropriations must first be authorized in the annual NDAA per 10 U.S.C. § 114
Congressional oversightHouse Armed Services · Senate Armed Services
Inspector generalDOD OIG — PAS IG under the IG Act (added by P.L. 97-252, 1982; IG Act now codified at 5 U.S.C. ch. 4)
Judicial reviewAPA § 702 suits, but 5 U.S.C. § 701(b)(1)(G) exempts 'military authority exercised in the field in time of war'; courts-martial reviewed by CAAF with Supreme Court certiorari under 28 U.S.C. § 1259; Feres doctrine bars servicemember tort suits; FOIA Exemption 1 for classified records
Vote for President, the Commander in Chief, and Congress; only Congress can declare war and appropriate military funds; comment on the regulations DOD issues.