Military Structure and Branches
Who’s Actually in Charge of the U.S. Military?
The U.S. military chain of command runs president, Secretary of Defense, then combatant commanders, and troops must refuse illegal orders.
Defense and Military
Defense and military affairs cover the armed forces, how they are organized and paid for, and when and how they are used. The president commands the military, Congress funds it and declares war, and the Department of Defense runs it day to day. The subject also includes the people who serve, the equipment they use, and the laws that govern them.
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October 18last updated
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Latest in Defense and Military
War Powers
‘Imminent Threat’ Has No Legal Definition. Here’s Why That Matters.
Search the entire text of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 and you will not find a definition of "imminent threat." The phrase appears four times…
Defense Procurement and Contractors
A Tomahawk Costs $2 Million. Here’s Who Gets Paid to Replace It.
Estimates from Anadolu news agency put the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury at approximately $779 million. That number dominated the headlines. The number that…
Defense Budget and Spending
Defense Stocks and Weapons Deals After the Iran Strikes
Defense stocks jumped on March 2, 2026, the first trading day after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began February 28. Northrop Grumman closed up 6…
Topics in Defense and Military
Structure and people
The force itself is described in Military Structure and Branches, Military Personnel and Readiness, Reserve and National Guard, and Women and LGBTQ+ Service Members, while Military Draft and Selective Service and Veterans Affairs cover who must register and what follows service.
Military Structure and Branches
18 articles
- Should the Department of Defense Become the Department of War Again?
- How the Department of Defense Got Its Name
- Inside the Pentagon’s Power Center: How the Office of the Secretary of Defense Works
Military Personnel and Readiness
79 articles
- Mental Health Resources for Military Families: A Support Guide
- Total Force Fitness: The Military’s Complete Guide to Peak Performance
- A Guide to Interservice Transfers: How to Switch Military Branches
Reserve and National Guard
9 articles
- Can’t Fire You for Military Service: Job Protection for Guard and Reserve
- Three Hats, One Soldier: The Complex World of National Guard Duty Status
- Your Bridge Between Military Service and Civilian Career: The Complete ESGR Guide
Operations and force
Missions and planning are covered in Military Operations and Strategy and Special Operations, with specialized fields in Space and Cyber Operations and Nuclear Weapons and Strategy, and the places troops live and work in Military Bases.
Military Operations and Strategy
37 articles
- How Trump Used Military Threats Against Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico
- What the U.S. Military Strike on Venezuela and Capture of Maduro Means for American Foreign Policy
- The Laws of War: How the US Follows (and Doesn’t Follow) International Rules
Space and Cyber Operations
8 articles
- National Security vs. Scientific Exploration: The National Space Council’s Balancing Act
- Jammed Signals & Hacked Satellites: Threats in Space the U.S. is Fighting
- Space Debris: America’s Role in Cleaning Up Earth’s Crowded Orbit
Money and equipment
The money Congress provides is covered in Defense Budget and Spending, the buying of weapons and services in Defense Procurement and Contractors, and the transfer of arms to other countries in Arms Sales.
Defense Budget and Spending
14 articles
- Trump’s $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget and How Congress Approves It
- Trump’s $1,776 Troop Bonus: Where the Money Came From
- Despite Record Defense Spending, the US Military Still Struggles
Law and alliances
Rules for troops are in Military Justice, the authority to begin a war in War Powers, and ties with partner countries in Alliances and Partnerships.
Military Justice
7 articles
- The Boat Strike That Killed Survivors: Who Could Face Charges?
- Why the Pentagon Threatened to Court-Martial Senator Mark Kelly
- Navigating Military Justice: Service Member Rights During Investigations and Courts-Martial
All Articles on Defense and Military
The Diplomatic and Policy Timeline Leading Up to Operation Epic Fury
Trace the final U.S.-Iran talks, nuclear evidence, White House decision and congressional response behind Operation Epic Fury, with what remains unresolved.
Why NATO’s Article 5 Doesn’t Cover US Bases in the Persian Gulf
Roughly 10,000 American service members are stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a country that sits outside the geographic zone where NATO's…
Did Announcing War on Truth Social Satisfy the War Powers Resolution?
Learn why a presidential social post is not a War Powers report, what Congress received, how the 60-day rule works, and where the Iran conflict stands.
Does Fighting Alongside an Ally Require Separate Congressional Approval?
Air raid sirens wailed across Israeli cities at 8:15 a.m. On February 28, 2026, as the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes…
Can Military Members Refuse Orders? The Law Is More Complex Than You Think
A grand jury—a group of ordinary citizens—said no. While grand juries do typically approve most prosecutorial requests, they retain the legal authority to decline…
Congress Funds NASA and SpaceX Differently. Here’s Why That Matters.
While both missions are scheduled for February 2026, the timing is more complex than a simple five-day gap. The two programs pay for space…
Does US Aid to Israel Buy Influence Over Its Border Policy?
Every year, the United States sends $3.8 billion in weapons to Israel—more than it gives any other country. When Israel announced in late January…
U.S. Troops Left Syria. What Became of the ISIS Mission?
U.S. forces withdrew from Syria while the ISIS mission continued. The deployment history, changing partners and legal authority explain the regional role.
The Tied Venezuela Vote That Set a War Powers Precedent
Between September 2025 and early January 2026, U.S. military strikes in Venezuela killed more than 115 people. The Navy seized vessels in international waters.…
Naval Blockades vs. War: The Legal Distinction That Lets Presidents Act Alone
The mechanism is surprisingly simple. Call it a quarantine instead of a blockade. Frame the operation as sanctions enforcement rather than war. Characterize the…