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An airman wearing a face mask and gloves gives a vaccine to someone. — Spotlight | Defense News
Operation Warp Speed

Using the resources of the federal government and the U.S. private sector, Operation Warp Speed will accelerate the testing, supply, development, and distribution of safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to counter COVID-19 by January 2021.

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An airman wearing a face mask and gloves gives a vaccine to someone.

A fighter jet is refueled in midair. — Spotlight Lethality
National Defense Strategy

The National Defense Strategy provides a clear road map for the Department of Defense to meet the challenges posed by a re-emergence of long-term strategic competition with China and Russia. The National Defense Strategy acknowledges an increasingly complex global security environment, characterized by overt challenges to the free and open international order.
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A soldier wearing a face mask helps prepare pallets of food orders for distribution to the community. — Spotlight Defense News
Coronavirus: DOD Response

The Defense Department is working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services and the State Department to provide support in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.
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A youth holding an archery bow smiles for the camera as a soldier stands beside him on an outdoor field. — Spotlight Know Your Military
Military Family Support

The Defense Department recognizes the service and sacrifice of our military families, and dedicates resources, services, policies and programs to support the more than 2 million uniformed service members and 2.6 million family members across the globe.
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An illustration of a service member in silhouette saluting a group of fellow service members. — News | Defense News
Biden Administration Overturns Transgender Exclusion Policy

President Joe Biden signed an executive order overturning the previous administration's ban on the service of transgender individuals in the military.
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An old photograph shows a young man dressed in a military uniform smiling at the camera. — Feature | Know Your Military
Medal of Honor Monday: Army PFC Jose Valdez

Army Pfc. Jose F. Valdez volunteered to hold off 200 Germans so his fellow soldiers could escape an onslaught during World War II. That heroism cost him his life, but earned him a posthumous Medal of Honor.
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A soldier conducts a respirator fit test for an airman. — News | Defense News
DOD Uses 3D-Printing to Create N95 Respirators

The Defense Department has played an integral role in the ramped-up effort to produce N95 respirators for health care and frontline workers across the nation.
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Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III stands next to a man holding up his right hand facing another man. — News | Defense News
New Defense Secretary Arrives at Pentagon, Convenes COVID Meeting

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III arrived at the Pentagon today and hit the ground running, greeting the senior staff and then immediately heading into meetings on combating coronavirus.
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A satellite flies in space. — News | Reform
Space Force Exists to Deal With Threats in Space Domain, Vice Chairman Says

Threats by Russia and China to deny U.S. access and capability in space make the Space Force critical to national security, said the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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Newsroom

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General Officer Assignments

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Statement by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on Transgender Service in the Military

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Readout of Defense Secretary Austin's Call With South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook

From the Services

Two guardsmen pose holding a framed picture. — Army
Vermont Cavalry Squadron Cleared to Recruit Women

A U.S. Navy corpsman administers a U.S. Marine with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine on Camp Lejeune, N.C., Jan. 15. — Marine Corps
Deploying Marines, Sailors Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

A ship travels through waters. — Navy
USNS Laramie Joins USS Donald Cook in Black Sea

An airman pets a dog sitting inside a vehicle. — Air Force
New SUVs Provide Smoother Ride for Dogs

Space Force

Unit Emblems, Mottos Being Reviewed

Three people pose for a photo. — National Guard
Woman Joins Husband, Son in Guard

Experience DOD

America's submarines have come a long way since the first hand-cranked wooden rigs. Today's state-of-the-art vessels are able to support hundreds of sailors working and living together under the sea for months at a time. — Living in the Deep

America's submarines have come a long way since the first hand-cranked wooden rigs. Today's state-of-the-art vessels are able to support hundreds of sailors working and living together under the sea for months at a time.

A service member lies on the ground and looks through a camera lens against a backdrop of multiple photos in a collage. — DOD in Photos: 2020

This collection showcases the work of military photographers in 2020, when U.S. service members continued to conduct around-the-clock training and operations worldwide to ensure the nation's security, even while responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force – an interactive look at how each service branch is organized. — Military Units

Each military service is different, and so is the way they are organized. Here’s a cheat sheet to help you learn the structure of the Defense Department services.

Living in the Deep

DOD in Photos: 2020