Department Of Defense
Facts
Defense United States Department Of : Creation
During the cold war , the Department of Defense became a major economic force , mostly through its massive purchases and researched. Under the act, the Secretary of Defense—appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate~supervises the entire military. The Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force—made cabinet members by the act of 1947—were subordinated (1949) to give the Secretary of Defense full cabinet authority over the department. During the cold war, the Dept. of Defense became a major economic force, mostly through its massive purchases and research investments (see Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). However, the breakup of the USSR and the resultant reductions in defense spending have negatively affected civilian industries that supplied the Dept. of Defense. By 1997 the department had begun a "defense reform initiative," intended to streamline and modernize what had become one of the world's largest organizations.