The Department of Defense is the federal agency responsible for the military and for national defense. It oversees the armed services, defense intelligence, military research, and the health care, supply, and personnel systems that support troops and their families. A civilian secretary of defense answers to the president, and Congress funds and oversees the department.
An independent team explaining how government works
The United States Navy, the preeminent maritime force of the modern era, is trapped in a logistical and economic paradox. Despite a shipbuilding budget that has…
TRICARE For Life (TFL), in its role as a “wraparound” payer for Medicare, covers medically necessary cataract surgery. Whether it covers the procedure in total or…
The United States possesses the world’s most powerful navy, yet it faces a profound industrial crisis. The domestic shipbuilding capacity that forged its fleet is faltering,…
In American government, few decisions carry more weight than those involving foreign policy and national security. Three institutions dominate this process: the Department of State, the…
The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force, and Coast Guard are the branches of the armed forces, each with its own mission and traditions.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funds breakthrough research, the Defense Health Agency runs the military health system, and the Defense Logistics Agency supplies the forces with goods and equipment.
Former President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have proposed renaming the Department of Defense back to its historical predecessor: the Department of…
Nuclear threat evaluation isn't a single task handled by one agency. It's a massive, ongoing operation that involves dozens of government departments, national laboratories,…
America's nuclear response system operates around the clock, combining policy, technology, alliances, and public preparedness to prevent nuclear conflict. The system's primary goal is…
The United States maintains one of the world's most complex nuclear planning systems. It spans everything from high-level strategy documents to detailed emergency instructions…
America spends more on its military than the next nine countries combined. That's nearly two-fifths of the world's total defense spending. Yet as a…
An Authorization for the Use of Military Force sounds like bureaucratic paperwork. But these little-known congressional resolutions have become the legal foundation for America's…
The United States hasn't drafted anyone since 1973, but the machinery remains ready. Nearly all American men between 18 and 25 must register with…
The United States military places a high value on the right of its service members to observe the tenets of their respective religions, or…
The Pentagon buys weapons and equipment from private companies but it also partners with them in ways most Americans never see. These collaborations shape…
When Army Chaplain Matthew Boyd baptized soldiers in a makeshift pool filled with water from a fuel bladder in the middle of Iraq, he…
