Department of Defense is Created
The Department of Defense (DoD) was established in 1947 as the central military authority in the United States, aimed at enhancing national security through a unified command structure. It emerged from the consolidation of the former Departments of War, Navy, and Air Force, which had operated separately. The initiative was largely driven by President Harry S. Truman and military leaders who recognized that the fragmentation of military branches during World War II had hindered operational effectiveness. The DoD was formalized with the signing of the National Security Act of 1947, which began its operations on September 18, 1947. It was initially known as the National Military Establishment (NME) but was renamed the Department of Defense in 1949 to avoid the negative connotation of its acronym. The creation of the DoD marked a significant step toward the integration of various defense agencies and remains a fundamental component of U.S. national defense strategies, focusing on external threats. In contrast, the Department of Homeland Security, established in 2003, primarily addresses threats within the country's borders.
Department of Defense is Created
Identification Federal cabinet-level department responsible for issues of national security
Also Known As DOD
Date Established on September 18, 1947
The U.S. Department of Defense is the federal department tasked with overseeing numerous federal agencies responsible for matters related to national defense. In particular, the department coordinates and supervises the major branches of the United States military.
The Department of Defense was created in 1947 as a military department with a single secretary to preside over the entire national defense system. The department combined the former Department of War, Department of the Navy, and Department of the Air Force. The major goal of the department was to create a more centralized command structure by uniting all the various agencies responsible for the nation’s security. In particular, President Harry S. Truman, along with various World War II commanders, believed that the fragmentation and rivalry between military branches during World War II may have reduced the overall military effectiveness of U.S. forces.
From December, 1945, to the spring of 1947, Truman drafted several versions of the new department. On July 26, 1947, he gained enough congressional support and signed the National Security Act of 1947, creating the National Military Establishment (NME), which began official operations on September 18, 1947. Eventually the new department changed its name from NME to the Department of Defense in 1949, partly because the pronunciation of the acronym NME sounded like “enemy.”
Impact
Creation of the Department of Defense in the aftermath of World War II was the first major step toward integrating various national defense agencies, specifically the major branches of the United States military. This important initiative established a unified command structure in which various federal agencies could coordinate, monitor, and determine when the safety of the United States was threatened by a foreign power. In the early twenty-first century, this federal department remained the cornerstone of the American national defense system. The Department of Homeland Security, formed in 2003, coordinates in some projects but is concerned primarily with threats to the United States within its borders, while the Department of Defense is concerned with external threats.
Bibliography
Marcum, Cheryl Y., et al. Department of Defense Political Appointments: Positions and Process. Santa Monica, Calif.: National Defense Research Institute/RAND Corporation, 2001.
Trask, Roger, and Alfred Goldberg. Department of Defense 1947-1997: Organization and Leaders. Washington, D.C.: Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1997.