#Military

45 entries

Branches (4)

Camp David and Air Force One

The presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains and the aircraft that carry the President, both run by the military

The Armed Services Committees

The House and Senate committees that write the annual defense policy bill and oversee the Pentagon

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

The civilian court at the top of the military justice system, reviewing courts-martial from every service

White House Military Office

The office that runs the military support behind the presidency, from Air Force One and Marine One to secure communications and Camp David

Departments (20)

Combatant Commands

The eleven unified commands through which the President and Secretary of Defense direct American forces around the world

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

The Pentagon's high-risk research agency, whose projects helped create the internet, GPS, and stealth aircraft

Defense Contract Management Agency

The Pentagon agency that oversees defense contractors after contracts are signed, checking quality, cost, and delivery

Defense Health Agency

The agency that runs the military health system, including TRICARE and the military hospitals and clinics

Defense Intelligence Agency

The Pentagon's all-source intelligence agency, focused on foreign militaries and threats to U.S. forces

Defense Logistics Agency

The Pentagon's supply chain manager, buying the fuel, food, spare parts, and medical supplies the military runs on

Missile Defense Agency

The Pentagon agency that develops systems to detect and destroy incoming ballistic and hypersonic missiles

National Cemetery Administration

The VA administration that runs national cemeteries and provides headstones and burial benefits for veterans

National Guard Bureau

The federal office that links the states' National Guard forces to the Army, the Air Force, and the Pentagon

Office of the Secretary of Defense Reorganizing

The civilian headquarters staff through which the Secretary of Defense runs the Pentagon

The Department of Defense

The largest employer on earth: the Pentagon, three military departments, the combatant commands, and a budget near 900 billion dollars

The Department of the Air Force

The youngest military department, home to the Air Force and, since 2019, the Space Force

The Department of the Army

The military department that recruits, trains, and equips the land force, the oldest and largest of the services

The Department of the Navy

The military department for the fleet and the Marine Corps: two services, one secretary

The Joint Chiefs of Staff

The senior uniformed leaders who advise the President and Secretary of Defense but command no troops

The National Nuclear Security Administration

The agency that designs, builds, and certifies the nation's nuclear weapons and powers its nuclear navy

The five-sided headquarters of the Department of Defense in Arlington, Virginia, and a shorthand for the military establishment itself

The United States Coast Guard

A military service, a law enforcement agency, and a maritime regulator at once, housed in Homeland Security

The United States Space Force

The newest and smallest service: satellites, launch, missile warning, and the GPS signal the world runs on

Veterans' Employment and Training Service

The Labor Department agency that helps veterans find civilian jobs and protects the job rights of service members

Agencies (6)

American Battle Monuments Commission

The independent agency that maintains America's military cemeteries and war memorials overseas, honoring service members who died abroad

Department of War Dissolved

The original cabinet department for the Army, created in 1789 and replaced in 1947 by the Department of the Army within the new national military establishment

Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board

The independent agency that runs the Thrift Savings Plan, the 401(k)-style retirement savings plan for federal employees and members of the military

Office of Strategic Services Dissolved

The World War II intelligence and special operations agency that ran espionage and sabotage behind enemy lines and was the forerunner of the CIA

Selective Service System

The independent agency that keeps a registry of young men who could be drafted into military service in a national emergency

War Production Board Dissolved

The World War II agency that directed the conversion of American industry to war production and allocated scarce materials from 1942 to 1945

Offices & Roles (2)

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The highest-ranking U.S. military officer and the principal military adviser to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council

Secretary of Defense

The civilian head of the Pentagon, second only to the President in the military chain of command

Processes (7)

Declarations of War and AUMFs

Congress's power to declare war, used formally 11 times, and the authorizations for use of military force that have replaced declarations since World War II

Posse Comitatus and Domestic Deployment

The 1878 law barring federal troops from civilian law enforcement, its exceptions, the National Guard's role, and the 2025 deployments to American cities

The 2026 Venezuela Operation

The January 2026 U.S. military raid that struck targets in Caracas and captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and the war powers fight that followed

The Draft and Selective Service

The history of military conscription in the United States, its end in 1973, and the registration system that remains in place for men ages 18 to 25

The Insurrection Act

The 1807 law that lets the President deploy the military inside the United States to suppress insurrection, domestic violence, or obstruction of federal law, the main exception to the Posse Comitatus Act

The Nuclear Football and Command Authority

The briefcase that follows the President everywhere and the system that gives the President sole authority to order the use of nuclear weapons

Who decides when the United States goes to war: Congress's power to declare it, the President's command, and the long contest between them

Principles (1)

Commander-in-Chief Power

The President's authority over the armed forces, civilian control of the military, and the limits courts and Congress have set

Documents & Cases (3)

The Third Amendment

The 1791 amendment barring the government from quartering soldiers in private homes in peacetime without the owner's consent

The Twenty-sixth Amendment

The 1971 amendment lowering the voting age to 18 in all federal, state, and local elections

War Powers Resolution

The 1973 law, passed over Nixon's veto, meant to restore Congress's role in deciding when the country fights

States & Local (2)

An organized U.S. territory in the western Pacific, home to about 170,000 American citizens and major U.S. military bases

The National Guard

The state-based reserve military forces that answer to governors in peacetime but can be called into federal service by the President

All Tags

Executive Branch 148 Legislative Branch 110 Separation of Powers 110 Economy 108 Cabinet Department 105 Constitution 94 Budget 80 Supreme Court 77 Elections 76 Federalism 75 States 70 Judicial Branch 65 National Security 62 Law Enforcement 59 Administrative State 58 Oversight 49 Military 45 Foreign Policy 40 Health 39 Environment 36 Independent Agency 35 Statute 31 Civil Service 30 Data & Statistics 29 Regulatory Commission 28 Former Agency 24 Emergency Management 24 Transportation 24 Intelligence 22 Education 22 Immigration 22 Taxation 21 Government Corporation 15 Territories 12 Veterans 9 Tribal 8