Department of Defense, Part I

The Department of Defense was born under President Harry S. Truman when he ordered the merger of the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the just created Department of the Air Force. The Department is one of the few Cabinet level departments mandated by the Constitution. In the Preamble it states that “We the People of the United States, in Order to … provide for the common defence … do ordain and establish this Constitution…”; In Article I, Section 8 it says “The Congress shall have power … To raise and support Armies,…; To provide and maintain a Navy; To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces; To provide for calling forth the Militia …” In essence, Section 8 has 18 clauses defining the powers of the Congress. Eight of them include provisions for armed forces. Article II, Section 2 declares that the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Navy. Ergo, DoD is mandated.

Due to the size of DoD, this segment will be in at least two parts, and possibly four parts.

The Secretary of Defense is the principal defense policy adviser to the President and is responsible for the formulation of general defense policy and policy related to all matters of direct concern to the Department of Defense, and for the execution of approved policy. Under the direction of the President, the Secretary exercises authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense. The Secretary of Defense is a member of the President's Cabinet and of the National Security Council. The current Secretary is Robert M. Gates. Secretary Gates has held this position under Presidents G.W. Bush and Obama. Additionally, he was Deputy Director of the CIA under President Reagan, and both Deputy National Security Advisor and Director of the CIA under President G.H.W. Bush. During his 26 year career with the CIA, Secretary Gates has been awarded the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, has twice received the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, and has three times received CIA's highest award, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. He is one of the few men to hold this position that knows both the why and the how of National Defense.

The Deputy Secretary of Defense is delegated full power and authority to act for the Secretary of Defense and exercise the powers of the Secretary on any and all matters for which the Secretary is authorized to act pursuant to law. The current Deputy Secretary is William J. Lynn. Mr. Lynn is a former Under SecDef/Comptroller and Director of Program Analysis and Evaluation in the OSD. He served on the staff of Senator Ted Kennedy from 1987-93.

All of the following descriptive paragraphs are, in fact, the various mission statements from the DoD website(s). That means that they’re written in “Washington speak” which is quite different from American English.

At the next level we have a those men and women who report directly to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. These include:
A. Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
a. Dr. Ashton B. Carter was sworn in as Under Secretary on April 27, 2009. Before assuming this position, he was chair of the International and Global Affairs faculty at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Co-Director (with former SecDef William J. Perry) of the Preventive Defense Project, a research collaboration of Harvard and Stanford Universities. Dr. Carter was also Senior Partner at Global Technology Partners and a member of the Board of Trustees of the MITRE Corporation and the Advisory Boards of MIT’s Lincoln Laboratories and the Draper Laboratory. He was a consultant to Goldman, Sachs on international affairs and technology matters. He was a member of the Aspen Strategy Group, the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Physical Society, the International Institute of Strategic Studies, the Advisory Board of the Yale Journal of International Law, and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. Dr. Carter was also Co-Chair of the Review Panel on Future Directions for DTRA (Defense Threat Reduction Agency) Missions and Capabilities to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction, Chair of the National Security Strategy and Policies Expert Working Group of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, a member of the National Missile Defense White Team, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on International Security and Arms Control.
i. Basically, Dr. Carter is an Academic. He has served the government in a number of advisory capacities, was an Ass’t SecDef in the Clinton Administration but has never served in the military. He was awarded (twice) the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the Defense Intelligence Medal.
b. Deputy Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
i. The Deputy Under Secretary is Shay Assad. He has served as Ass’t Deputy Commandant for Installations & Logistics, USMC. He retired as CEO of Engineering and Construction for Raytheon Corp. A 1972 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Assad served two tours in destroyers and one tour in the Naval Sea Systems Command. He is a recipient of the Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service.
ii. Acquisition and Technology provides oversight and policy direction for the Department of Defense's acquisition processes, developmental testing, industrial base, contracting, small business programs and systems and software engineering.
c. Deputy Under Secretary for Industrial Policy
i. Responsible to ensure that DoD policies, procedures, and actions: (1) stimulate and support vigorous competition and innovation in the industrial base supporting defense; and (2) establish and sustain cost-effective industrial and technological capabilities that assure military readiness and superiority.
d. Deputy Under Secretary for Logistics & Material Readiness
i. The Deputy Under Secretary is P. Jackson “Jack” Bell. Mr. Bell has served as Deputy Under Secretary of the Army, Chief of Staff of the State Dep’t’s Afghanistan Advisory Group in Kabul and in senior management positions with US Airways, American Airlines, and the Burlington Northern Railroad. A former Captain of Marines, Mr. Bell served in Vietnam , earning the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V and the Presidential Unit Citation.
ii. Serves as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, Deputy Secretary of Defense (DEPSECDEF), and Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) on logistics and materiel readiness in the Department of Defense (DOD) and is the principal logistics official within the senior management.
iii. Defense Environmental Network and Information Exchange
1. The Environment, Safety and Occupational Health program is committed to sustaining the national defense mission, reducing the environmental impact of defense activities, protecting our workforce and the public, and maintaining an open and productive dialogue with our stakeholders.
e. Deputy Under Secretary for Installations & Environment
i. The Deputy Under Secretary is CAPT Wayne Arny, USNR (Ret). CAPT Arny is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. A 1964 graduate of the US Naval Academy, and a Vietnam veteran, CAPT Arny flew the F-4 Phantom II fighter.
ii. America's security depends upon defense installation assets that are available when and where needed, and with the right capabilities to support current and future mission requirements. As the guardians of the defense installations portfolio, we embrace transformation as the only way to guarantee these capabilities are delivered—effectively and efficiently.
f. Director, Office of Economic Adjustmant
i. Provide installation assets and services necessary to support our military forces in a cost effective, safe, sustainable, and environmentally sound manner
g. Assistant to the SecDef for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs
h. Director, Acquisition Resources & Analysis
i. Integrates the diverse aspects of Defense acquisition into a balanced and coherent program that supports the National Strategy and makes the most effective use of resources provided.
ii. Deputy Director, Acquisition Management
1. Oversees the execution of Major Defense Acquisition Programs as they proceed through the acquisition milestone decision process from research and development to production and operations and support.
iii. Deputy Director, External Customer Support
1. Provides customer-focused services to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the defense acquisition, technology and logistics community on legislative activities; to include Congressional hearings, proposed legislation, positions on AT&L matters to Congress, Congressional inquiries, reports to Congress, GAO/IG reviews; foreign scientist waivers, Ready Book preparation and other mission critical assignments.
iv. Deputy Director, OSD Studies
1. Responsible for OSD policy and procedures for acquiring Contract Advisory and Assistance Services. Provides management and oversight of the OSD and OUSD(A&T) Studies Program. Performs primary sponsorship functions for the Institute for Defense Analysis and Rand National Defense Research Institute FFRDCs. Supports the Director, Defense Research and Engineering by providing policy guidance and management oversight of the DoD/ FFRDC Program.
v. Deputy Director, Property & Equipment Policy
1. Lead the Department-wide effort in developing and implementing near term, mid-term, and long-term solutions to Military Equipment Valuation and Accountability:
a. To comply with the federal financial accounting standard (SSFAS No. 23) that requires all military equipment to be reported as capitalized assets on financial statements; and
b. To resolve existing personal accountability, accounting and reporting problems for military and general purpose equipment.
vi. Deputy Director, Resource Analysis
1. Provides overall direction and serves as central OUSD(AT&L) focal point for OUSD(AT&L) participation in all phases of the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS) process.
i. Director, International Cooperation
i. Director, Armaments Cooperation, Atlantic
1. DoD focal point for defense-related research, development, production and other acquisition activities that involve cooperation between the DoD and governments or industries of allied and friendly countries in Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, Eurasia and Canada.
ii. Director, Armaments Cooperation, Pacific
iii. Director, Planning & Analysis
1. Supports the Director, IC on cross-cutting issues, including international logistics, Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreements, international acquisition training, offsets in defense trade, and defense trade advocacy requests. P&A provides AT&L guidance and oversight of DoD planning for international acquisition programs, and manages the U.S. role in the US-UK Interoperability Commission. The office also manages the Coalition Warfare initiative, a defense-wide effort to integrate coalition-enabling solutions into existing and planned U.S. programs through international cooperation.
j. Director, Defense Research & Engineering
i. Ensures that the war fighters today and tomorrow have superior and affordable technology to support their missions, and to give them revolutionary war winning capabilities.

B. Under Secretary, Comptroller/Chief Financial Officer
a. The Under Secretary is Robert F. Hale. Mr. Hale is a former Ass’t Secretary of the Air Force and former head of the National Security Division of the Congressional Budget Office. Mr. Hale served as a Naval Officer for three years.
b. Defense Contract Audit Agency
i. The Agency, under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), is responsible for performing all contract audits for the Department of Defense, and providing accounting and financial advisory services regarding contracts and subcontracts to all DoD Components responsible for procurement and contract administration. These services are provided in connection with negotiation, administration, and settlement of contracts and subcontracts. DCAA also provides contract audit services to some other Government Agencies.

C. Under Secretary for Intelligence
a. Defense Security Service
i. DSS supports national security and the war fighter, secures the nation's technological base, and oversees the protection of US and foreign classified information in the hands of industry. We accomplish this mission by: Clearing industrial facilities, personnel and associated information systems; collecting, analyzing and providing threat information to industry and government partners; managing foreign ownership control and influence in cleared industry, providing advice and oversight to industry; delivering security education and training; and, providing information technology services that support the industrial security mission of DoD and its partner agencies.
b. Defense Intelligence Agency
i. Provide timely, objective, and cogent military intelligence to war fighters, defense planners, and defense and national security policymakers.
c. National GeoSpatial-Intelligence Agency
i. The Agency is a DoD combat support agency and a member of the national Intelligence Community. NGA develops imagery and map-based intelligence solutions for national defense, homeland security and safety of navigation. NGA provides timely, relevant and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of national security objectives. The term "geospatial intelligence" means the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. Geospatial intelligence consists of imagery, imagery intelligence and geospatial (e.g., mapping, charting and geodesy) information.

D. General Counsel
a. Currently the General Counsel is Mr. Jeh Charles Johnson. Mr. Johnson was formerly Assistant Federal Prosecuter in the Southern District of New York and General Counsel of the Air Force. He served as an advisor on national security and foreign policy to Presidential Candidate Obama and on the President-Elect’s Transition Team.
b. The General Counsel is responsible for the following functional areas:
i. advice to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense regarding all legal matters and services performed within, or involving, the Department of Defense.
ii. Provide legal advice to OSD organizations and, as appropriate, other DoD Components.
iii. Oversee, as appropriate, legal services performed within the Department of Defense, including determining the adherence by attorneys in the Department of Defense to appropriate professional standards.
iv. Coordinate on appeals from denial of requests under the Freedom of Information Act, as appropriate.
v. Provide advice on standards of conduct involving personnel of OSD and, as appropriate, other DoD components.
vi. Develop the DoD Legislative Program and coordinate DoD positions on legislation and Executive Orders.
vii. Provide for the coordination of significant legal issues, including litigation involving the DoD and other matters before the Department of Justice in which DoD has an interest.
viii. Establish DoD policy on general legal issues, determine the DoD positions on specific legal problems, and resolve disagreements within the DoD on such matters.
ix. Perform such functions relating to the DoD security program (including surveillance over DoD personnel security programs) as the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of Defense may assign.
x. Act as lead counsel for the Department in all international negotiations conducted by OSD organizations.
xi. Maintain the central repository for all international agreements coordinated, negotiated, or concluded by DoD personnel.
c. Defense Legal Services Agency
i. The General Counsel is "dual-hatted" as the Director of the Defense Legal Services Agency (DLSA), a DoD agency that provides legal advice and services for the Defense Agencies, DoD Field Activities, and other assigned organizations.The responsibilities and functions of the General Counsel in his or her capacity as the Director, DLSA, include:
1. Organize, direct, and manage the DLSA and all assigned resources. Provide legal advice and services to the Defense Agencies, DoD Field Activities, and other assigned organizations.
2. Provide technical support and assistance for development of the DoD Legislative Program.
3. Manage the Departmental legislative comment programs.
4. Provide a centralized legislative document reference and distribution point for the DoD and maintain the Department's historical legislative files.
5. Coordinate DoD policy for standards of conduct and administer the Standards of Conduct Program for the OSD and other assigned organizations.
6. Administer the Security Clearance Review Program.

E. Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness
a. The Acting Under Secretary is Gail H. McGinn. Mrs. McGinn is Deputy Under Secretary for Plans. She is a career civil servant and recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Executive Award, Presidential Meritorious Executive Award (twice), and the Defense Award for Distinguished Civil Service, among other awards.
b. Develop policies and plans, conduct analyses, provide advice, make recommendations, and issue guidance on DoD plans and programs. Develop policies, plans, and programs to ensure the readiness of the Total Force as well as the efficient and effective support of peacetime operations and contingency planning and preparedness. Develop and implement policies, procedures, and standards for manpower requirements determination and training for the Total Force. Review and evaluate plans and programs to ensure adherence to approved policies and standards.
c. Deputy Under Secretary for Military Community & Family Policy
i. The Deputy Under Secretary is Dr. Lynda C. Davis. Dr. Davis is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy and served as Captain, Signal Corps, FL Army National Guard.
ii. Provides for family support policies and programs in such areas as family center operations, child care, youth programs, family advocacy, relocation, transition support services, and support during mobilization and deployment (including casualty affairs). Provides policy and management direction for dependents' education programs stateside and overseas to ensure that educational services are of uniformly high quality. Establishes program policy for mission sustaining and basic community programs for Morale, Welfare and Recreation, Voluntary and Post-Secondary Education and coordinates the services of non-profit agencies such as the Red Cross, Armed Services YMCA and the USO. Provides policy and program oversight to ensure that military community quality of life programs are designed and executed to support the needs of the post-drawdown force and the Defense mission. Coordinates DoD oversight of the Armed Forces Retirement Home Board.
d. Deputy Under Secretary for Readiness
i. The Deputy Under Secretary is Dr. Samuel E. Kleinman. Dr. Kleinman is an academic.
ii. Serve as focal point within the OSD on all issues and activities related to readiness of America's Armed Forces. Develop and oversee policies and programs to ensure the readiness of US Forces for peacetime contingencies, crises, and war fighting. Provide support to the DoD Senior Readiness Oversight Council, the Readiness Working Group, and ad hoc high level readiness task forces. Develop and oversee DoD training policies and programs including the cost-effective application of training systems and technologies. Develop and oversee training policies and programs to ensure that training programs and resources are sufficient to produce ready forces. Serve as the DoD focal point for innovations in training such as the Advanced Distributed Learning initiative. Participate in DoD planning, programming and budgeting activities related to readiness, training and crisis planning and response. Oversee and initiate analyses and studies that support DoD's readiness, training and crisis planning and response functions.
iii. It is GUNNER’S VIEW that the Deputy Secretary for Readiness should be, at the very least, a retired Flag Officer. Someone who understands that readiness is a paramount factor in defense and has lived it most of his/her adult life.
e. Deputy Under Secretary for Program Integration
i. The Deputy Under Secretary is Jean Fites. Mrs. Fites is a career civil servant with 36 years in the Department of Defense. She has received Presidential Meritorious Executive Award (twice) and the Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award (thrice).
ii. Oversee Total Force manpower requirements determination, justification, apportionment and execution, including force mix issues. Ensure the most effective use of Total Force structure and its allocation among DoD components and between Active and Reserve components. Integrate manpower, personnel, training, human factors, and safety issues into acquisition of major Defense systems. Oversee implementation of Service manpower and personnel management information systems, ensuring interoperability, consistency, and standardization. Manage manpower research, data acquisition, and analysis of manpower, personnel and training data for the Department of Defense. Coordinate USD(P&R) participation in the planning, programming and budgeting system and the Department of Defense manpower program to the Congress. Oversee the Defense Manpower Data Center, the Training and Readiness Education and Analysis Division, the Office of Special Events, and the DoD Office of the Actuary.
f. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
i. Prepared to respond anytime, anywhere with comprehensive medical capability to military operations, natural disasters and humanitarian crises around the globe, and to ensure delivery of healthcare to all service members, retirees, and their families. The MHS promotes a fit, healthy and protected force by reducing non-combat losses, optimizing healthy behavior and physical performance, and providing casualty care.
g. Civilian Personnel Management Service
i. Develops and implement innovative human resource management solutions that enable our customers - leaders, managers, and employees throughout the Department of Defense - to ensure the DoD civilian workforce is ready and able to effectively support the Warfighter and the national security mission. We shall continue to design and deliver premier products and services that are streamlined, fiscally sound, and that: (a) Promote and sustain a versatile and high performing workforce; (b) Ensure equal opportunity and diversity; (c) Shape and enhance positive employee/management relationships; (d) Enable learning, continuous improvement, and innovation; (e) Facilitate successful management of change; and (f) Provide efficient, customer-oriented, enterprise processes, and systems.
ii. It is GUNNER’S VIEW that CPMS should be transferred to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). One Federal HR, one set of HR rules.

F. Under Secretary for Policy
a. The Under Secretary is Michele Flournoy. Ms. Flournoy is a former Principal Deputy Ass’t SecDef and Deputy Ass’t SecDef.
b. To consistently provide responsive, forward-thinking, and insightful policy advice and support to the Secretary of Defense, and the Department of Defense, in alignment with national security objectives.
c. Assistant Secretary for International Security Affairs
i. Principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Secretary of Defense on international security strategy and policy on issues of DoD interest that relate to the nations and international organizations of Europe (including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the Middle East, and Africa, their governments and defense establishments; and for oversight of security cooperation programs and foreign military sales programs in these regions.
d. Assistant Secretary for Critical Infrastructure Program, Homeland Defense
i. Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) consists of actions taken to prevent, remediate, or mitigate the risks resulting from vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure assets. Depending on the risk, these actions could include changes in tactics, techniques, or procedures; adding redundancy; selection of another asset; isolation or hardening; guarding, etc.
e. Assistant Secretary for Force Management, Policy, Personnel and Readiness
i. Ensure human resources are trained, capable, motivated, and ready to support the DoD mission.
ii. I don’t know if they’re talking about civilians or military. If it’s civilians, than this should be part of CPMS or OPM. If it’s military, this should be the responsibility of the service secretary.
f. Assistant Secretary for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict and Interdependent Capabilities
i. Overall supervision, including oversight of policy and resources, of special operations and low intensity conflict activities. These core tasks include counterterrorism; unconventional warfare; direct action; special reconnaissance; foreign internal defense; civil affairs, information and psychological operations; and counter proliferation of WMD.
ii. This position should be reassigned to the JCS.
g. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Equal Opportunity
i. Contribute to readiness by supporting and improving DoD civilian equal employment opportunity/affirmative employment program (EEO/AEP) and military equal opportunity/affirmative action plan (EO/AAP) goals and objectives. To ensure the efficient management of EEO/AEPs and EO/AAPs to achieve a military force structure and civilian workforce that are reflective of the diversity of the American people, consistent with Federal civil rights laws and regulations and Secretary of Defense policy issuances.
ii. Get over it. Racists of any race should be fired, end of story. EO has, in GUNNER’S VIEW, outlived its usefulness.

G. Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs
a. Responsible for providing support to the Secretary of in his dealings with the White House, Cabinet Members, Members of Congress, and the Department of State.

H. Assistant Secretary for Networks & Information Integration
a. Responsible for setting policy and providing oversight of information processes, systems, and technologies. As the Principle Staff Assistant, the ASD provides the expertise to advise the Secretary. As the DoD Chief Information Officer, the incumbent is the executive responsible for ensuring that capabilities are delivered.

I. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
a. Principal staff advisor and assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense for public information, internal information, community relations, information training, and audiovisual matters.

J. Assistant Secretary for Reserve Affairs
a. To serve as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense with responsibility for overall supervision of matters which involve the Reserve components, including the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Naval Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve.
b. I think this entity needs to be disestablished. The service heads (Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Naval Operations, Commandant of the Marine Corps, Commandant of the Coast Guard, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force) are responsible for their personnel, regardless of active, reserve, or retired status.

Other Agencies of the Department of Defense:

A. Business Transformation Agency
a. The mission of the Business Transformation Agency (BTA) is to guide the transformation of business operations throughout the Department of Defense and to deliver Enterprise-level capabilities that align to war fighter needs.

B. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
a. The central research and development organization for the U.S. Department of Defense. DARPA's mission is to maintain the technological superiority of the U.S. military and prevent technological surprise from harming our national security. We fund researchers in industry, universities, government laboratories and elsewhere to conduct high-risk, high-reward research and development projects that will benefit U.S. national security.

C. Defense Commissary Agency
a. The Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5–percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. Shoppers save an average of more than 30 percent on their purchases compared to commercial prices—savings worth about $3,400 annually for a family of four. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.

D. Defense Contract Management Agency
a. The Agency is the Department of Defense component that works directly with Defense suppliers to help ensure that DoD, Federal, and allied government supplies and services are delivered on time, at projected cost, and meet all performance requirements. DCMA directly contributes to the military readiness of the United States and its allies, and helps preserve the nation's freedom.

E. Defense Finance and Accounting Service
a. DFAS delivers responsive accounting and finance services to the men and women in uniform, as well as to those who support the war fighters defending our country. It is about providing timely and useful business intelligence to decision-makers who, with the right information, can more effectively manage their resources in support of our troops at home and abroad. DFAS is the world's largest finance and accounting operation and much more. Our mission has expanded from providing what the customer needs today to anticipating how these needs will evolve for tomorrow. Developing and maintaining close relationships with our customers is how DFAS meets client needs with integrity, service and innovation. DFAS is an agency supporting the OUSD(C), the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense for budgetary and fiscal matters. As such, it is the responsibility of DFAS to coordinate and collaborate with all civilian defense agencies, the military services and the combatant commands that provide war fighting capabilities for America's defense.

F. Defense Information Systems Agency
a. Requirements for successfully fighting wars and keeping the peace in the 21st century are rapidly changing. To respond to asymmetric threats and unpredictable adversaries, the Department of Defense is undergoing an historic transformation. At the core of this transformation is the Defense Information Systems Agency. DISA provides advanced information technology and immediate communications support to the president, vice president, secretary of defense, military services, and combatant commands. DISA offers solutions and enhanced capabilities that enable our customers to make rapid decisions, using real-time information, and to turn these decisions into critical strategic, operational, and tactical actions.

G. Defense Logistics Agency
a. The Defense Logistics Agency supplies the nation’s military services and several civilian
agencies with the critical resources they need to accomplish their worldwide missions. DLA provides wide-ranging logistical support for peacetime and wartime operations, as well as emergency preparedness and humanitarian missions.

H. Defense Security Cooperation Agency
a. The Department of Defense (DoD) broadly defines Security Cooperation (SC) as those activities conducted with allies and friendly nations to: (a) Build relationships that promote specified U.S. interests, (B) Build allied and friendly nation capabilities for self-defense and coalition operations and (C) Provide U.S. forces with peacetime and contingency access
i. As a subset of Security Cooperation, Security Assistance encompasses a group of programs, authorized by law, through which the U.S. Department of Defense or commercial contractors provide defense articles and services in support of national policies and objectives. SA programs allow the transfer of defense articles and services to international organizations and friendly foreign Governments via sales, grants, leases, or loans to help friendly nations and allies deter and defend against aggression, promote the sharing of common defense burdens and help foster regional stability. SA includes such diverse efforts as the delivery of defense weapon systems to foreign governments, U.S. Service school training to international students, U.S. personnel advice to other governments on ways to improve their internal defense capabilities, and U.S. personnel guidance and assistance in establishing infrastructures and economic bases to achieve and maintain regional stability. When the U.S. assists other nations in meeting their defense requirements, it contributes to its own security.
b. Am I stupid? I thought that’s what the State Department and assorted Military/Naval Attaches did!

I. Defense Threat Reduction Agency
a. The Agency is the intellectual, technical and operational leader for the DoD and the U.S. Strategic Command in the national effort to combat the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threat. In the post-Cold War environment, a unified, consistent approach to deterring, reducing and countering WMD is essential to maintaining our national security. Under DTRA, DoD resources, expertise and capabilities are combined to ensure the United States remains ready and able to address the present and future WMD threat. We perform four essential functions to accomplish our mission: combat support, technology development, threat control and threat reduction. These functions form the basis for how we are organized and our daily activities. Together, they enable us to reduce the physical and psychological terror of WMD, thereby enhancing the security of the world's citizens. At the dawn of the 21st century, no other task is as challenging or demanding.
b. I thought the entire purpose of the DoD was threat reduction.

J. Missile Defense Agency
a. To develop and field an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight.

K. National Security Agency
a. The Agency leads the community in delivering responsive, reliable, effective, and expert Signals Intelligence and Information Assurance products and services, and enables Network Warfare operations to gain a decisive information advantage for the Nation and our allies under all circumstances.

L. Pentagon Force Protection Agency
a. The Agency is a civilian Defense Agency within the DoD charged with protecting and safeguarding the occupants, visitors, and infrastructure of the Pentagon, Navy Annex and other assigned Pentagon facilities. This critical mission is accomplished with law enforcement officers (US Pentagon Police), criminal investigative and protective services agents; threat management agents; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives technicians; and anti-terrorism/force protection and physical security personnel. PFPA provides a variety of services to its customers to include emergency services, parking management, lock installation/services, classified waste disposal, access control, building pass issuance, emergency escape mask issuance/training, mail screening, and law enforcement.
b. Here’s an example of a “private” government police force. This should be, and once was, the responsibility of the military. Bring in a mixed battalion of Army MP, AP, Marine MP and Navy Master-at-Arms. Criminal investigation should be handled by the Army CID or Navy CIS.

M. Defense Criminal Investigative Service
a. See paragraph L.b.

N. Defense Courier Service

O. Defense Media Activity
a. The DoD is undertaking an initiative designed to modernize and streamline media operations by consolidating military Service and DoD media components into a single, integrated and transformed organization, the Defense Media Activity. This will enable the Department to synchronize the utilization of its world-wide media assets in a manner that provides a more efficient, timely, responsive and comprehensive distribution of information products and services to the DoD family and the public through both traditional and emerging media technologies.

P. Washington Headquarters Service
a. Defense Facilities Directorate
i. The Directorate is a field activity of the DoD. DFD employees support a customer base of about 90,000 civilian and military personnel, including the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Agencies, and the military departments in the National Capital Region. Customers occupying 14,000,000 square feet of office space are housed in the Pentagon and 140 other federal and commercial buildings in the Washington Metropolitan area. DFD provides administrative and operational support to specified DoD activities, including space management, law enforcement, maintenance, repair and alteration of assigned buildings, custodial services, landscape maintenance, trash and debris removal, physical security, building administration, graphics and presentations services, acquisition, property management, and other support services.

Q. Defense Information School
a. Located at Ft. Meade, MD, the School is tasked with the training those officers and enlisted personnel, from all branches of the military, assigned to the Public Affairs branch. The current Commandant is a Captain, USN and the Deputy Commandant is a Lieutenant Colonel, USAF

R. American Forces Information Service
a. American Forces Information Service produces news, feature articles, and TV reports on all aspects of military life. These products focus on what senior defense leaders are saying on all aspects of military life. News and feature articles are uploaded throughout the day, seven days a week. TV news reports are available daily on the Web and are broadcast on the Pentagon Channel. In the Fleet we referred to this agency as the Armed Forces TV & Radio network.

S. Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office
a. DPMO leads the national effort to prepare our personnel for possible isolation while pursuing U.S. national objectives abroad, establish the most favorable conditions to recover and reintegrate them, and fully account for those lost during our nation's past, present, and future conflicts.
b. If you have a family member who is listed as MIA, DPMO wants to talk to you regarding DNA typing. Please contact:
i. USAF Missing Persons Branch at 1 (800) 531-5501
ii. U.S. Army Human Resources Command at 1 (800) 892-2490
iii. Headquarters U. S. Marine Corps, Manpower and Reserve Affairs (MRC) at 1 (800) 847-1597
iv. Navy Personnel Command, POW/MIA Branch (PERS-624) at 1 (800) 443-9298
c. During my time in Washington, on the staff of the National Commander of AMVETS, I spent a number of hours at the DPMO HQ. The civil service employees of this organization are the only ones I’ve ever met who would be more than willing to see the agencies mission accomplished and their jobs eradicated. One of the members of the staff that I spent a lot of time with was a lawyer. His name is Adrian Cronauer, and yes, he is the man whom Robin Williams portrayed in “Good Morning, Vietnam". No, he's not a nut nor a wannabe comic. Remind me to tell you a story he told me.

T. Office of Security Review
a. Conduct the security and policy review for clearance of official DoD information proposed for official public release by the DoD and its employees (military and civilian). Thus, make available accurate and unclassified information to the public, the Congress, and the news media to help them understand Defense strategy and national security issues. Such includes reviews of proposed testimony before congressional committees, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) controlled technical data that were generated under other than DoD contracts, and material submitted by sources outside the Department of Defense for such review.
b. It’s GUNNER’S VIEW that this is a redundant agency. Its missions should be split between the Defense Media Activity and the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs.

It should be obvious that there will be, possibly, 3 more parts to this article. It should also be obvious, once again, that DoD is a bureaucracy run amuck. The DoD itself employs 667, 786 civilians and the service secretaries employ an additional 571,388 civilians (2006 figures). That's a total of 1,239,174 civilians whose mission is to support and active duty military of 1,384,968 service members (2006 figures). Of these, 13,201 are Cadets or Midshipmen at the Academies. The Army consisted of 81,708 officers and 419,353 enlisted; the Navy 51,943 officers and 293, 818 enlisted; the Marine Corps 19,025 officers and 161,391 enlisted; while the Air Force had 70,539 ofiicers and 273,990 enlisted. If you use the Army's rule of thumb that it keeps 10 GIs in the rear to support one GI at the front, we have 1,384,968 civilians and 1,234,590 service members supporting 137,177 troops on the pointy end of the spear.

Finally, look at the upper levels. As of 31 Mar 09 the Army had 312 General Officers commanding 544,181 Colonels and below or 1 General for every 1,744 other ranks: the Navy had 229 Flag Officers commanding 327,525 Captains and below or 1 Admiral for every 1,430 other ranks and ratings: the Marine Corps had 83 General Officers commanding 201,021 Colonels and below or 1 General for every 2,422 other ranks: and the Air Force had 923 General Officders commanding 325,276 Colonels and below or 1 General for every 352 other ranks. It seems to me that perhaps the most cost effective General Officer is the Marine. Perhaps the DoD could emulate the Corps.

God Bless the men and women of the Defense POW and MIA Office.
Gunner Sends