Army, Department of the, is a military department within the Department of Defense of the United States government. It serves as headquarters of the United States Army, and is located in Washington, D.C. It organizes, trains, and equips the nation’s land forces in support of the national and international policies of the United States.
The secretary of the Army heads the department, under the supervision of the secretary of defense, and ranks equally with the secretaries of the Air Force and the Navy. This official’s principal civilian aides include an undersecretary and five assistant secretaries.
The chief of staff of the United States Army serves as the main military adviser of the secretary and supervises all members and organizations of the Army. The chief of staff is assisted by the vice chief of staff and the Army General Staff. This staff includes the director of the Army staff and deputy chiefs of staff for intelligence, logistics, military operations and plans, and personnel.
Congress established the Department of War in 1789 as an executive agency. In 1903, Congress approved the adoption of a general staff system for the Army. Congress set up the National Military Establishment (NME) with a secretary of defense in 1947. At that time, the Department of War was renamed the Department of the Army and made part of the NME. In 1949, Congress replaced the NME with the Department of Defense. The Department of the Army came under the authority of the Department of Defense.
See also Army, United States ; Defense, Department of .
