U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Search

A soldier wearing a face mask and gloves fills a syringe with a dose of COVID-19 vaccine. — 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.

Read More

A soldier wearing a face mask and gloves fills a syringe with a dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

A soldier blows into an instrument. — 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.
Read More

A Marine aims a weapon as a Philippine service member points into the distance. — 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.
Read More

An Air Force nurse wearing personal protective equipment prepares IV fluid for a patient. — 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.
Read More

This is a simulated response.

Explore

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.
Read More

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.
Read More

A person-size robot holds a piece of equipment used to cut through drywall on the side of a building. — News | Reform
Artificial Intelligence Is a Work in Progress, Official Says

Expectations are high that artificial intelligence will be a game changer for the military — and it is, in fact, one of the Defense Department's top priorities.
Read More

A metal micro-atomizer is shown — Feature | Armed With Science
Army Micro-Atomizer Contributes to COVID-19 Research

A device patented by Army researchers at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland is being commercialized as a tool in the study of COVID-19.
Read More

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.
Read More

Newsroom

Release |

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

Release |

Readout of Defense Secretary Austin's Call With Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi

Publication |

Memorandum on Countering Sexual Assault and Harassment – Initial Tasking

From the Services

Two soldiers pull a simulated injured soldier through the snow. — Army
Soldiers Compete for Best Medic Title

Marines carry their gear on a large pier. — Marine Corps
Marines' Deployment Supports Naval Integration

A military ship steams through the water. — Navy
U.S., Tunisian Navies Wrap Up Security Exercise

A group of airmen raise a trophy. — Air Force
Leaders Select Innovation Campaign Finalists

Space Force

Unit Emblems, Mottos Being Reviewed

A large military plane is prepared for flight. — National Guard
Winter Strike Begins in Northern Michigan

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