U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

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A Navy petty officer wearing a face mask and gloves gives a COVID-19 vaccine to a Navy seaman. — 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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A Navy petty officer wearing a face mask and gloves gives a COVID-19 vaccine to a Navy seaman.

A row of people in uniform play trumpets on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. — Spotlight Observances
Inauguration 2021

Service members from the around the country supported inaugural proceedings as Joe Biden became the nation's 46th president and commander in chief.
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Ships sail in formation. — 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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Two Air Force airmen wearing personal protective equipment record lab results. — 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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This is a simulated response.

Explore

Two people look at wall-mounted computer screens. — News | Reform
DOD Incorporates AI Ethics in Systems Engineering, Official Says

Alka Patel, head of artificial intelligence ethics policy at the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, said that because AI enables autonomy, decision making and system execution at incredibly fast speeds, ethical considerations should play a role in its design and employment.
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A nurse reviews patient charts. — News | Defense News
DOD Responds to COVID-19 in Navajo Nation

Navy personnel deployed to the Navajo Nation reservation in New Mexico and Arizona to help treat COVID-19 patients.
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President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. takes the presidential oath of office. — News | Defense News
Biden, Harris Sworn In as America's New Leaders

Unity of the American people will lead to a path forward as the country starts afresh, said President Joe Biden, who was inaugurated as the country's 46th president along with Vice President Kamala Harris.
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A man walks down a hall carrying a cup as others follow. — News | Defense News
DOD Succession Plan Remains in Effect Until Senate Confirms Biden Nominees

Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Norquist has been sworn in as the acting defense secretary and will serve in the position until the Senate confirms the Biden administration's nominee for the position.
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An elderly man speaks with a doctor during a virtual health meeting. — Feature | Defense News
Partnerships, COVID-19 are Catalysts for Enterprise Virtual Health

The COVID-19 pandemic wiped away long-held health care delivery practices and assumptions as virtual health care went from limited use in specific settings to a core capability that is here to stay.
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Newsroom

Advisory |

DOD Announces Charges Referred Against Guantanamo Detainees

Release |

New Officials Sworn-in at the Defense Department

Release |

Acting Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist Statement on Inauguration Day

From the Services

Soldiers ski in the mountains. — Army
Leader Discusses Arctic, Indo-Pacific Strategies

A Marine fills a syringe with the COVO-19 vaccine. — Marine Corps
Okinawa Marines Get COVID-19 Vaccine

Marine Corps
Okinawa Marines Get COVID-19 Vaccine

A graphic illustration of a submarine. — Navy
Historic Names Announced for Future Navy Vessels

A graphic showing the back of three women with a dotted line underneath their hair. — Air Force
Hairstyle Rules to Change for Women Next Month

Space Force

Unit Emblems, Mottos Being Reviewed

An airman gives someone in a car a COVID-19 test. — National Guard
West Virginia Guard Gets Vaccine Into Arms

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