iefa.org

U.S. Department of Defense is the executive department responsible for providing the military forces needed to deter war and protect the security of the United States. It oversees the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the combatant commands, and it manages a global defense enterprise that includes active-duty personnel, reserve components, civilian employees, installations, research activity, health services, and logistics. The department is headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and its work spans the United States and overseas. Its mission reaches beyond military operations into education, workforce development, and family support. The Department of Defense Education Activity operates 161 accredited schools in 11 foreign countries, 7 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, serving military-connected students from prekindergarten through grade 12. For higher education and talent development, the department runs programs such as the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Scholarship-for-Service Program, which supports undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields tied to defense laboratories and facilities. The department also administers the Defense Health Agency and the TRICARE program for service members, retirees, and eligible family members. The department’s scale and responsibilities make it one of the central institutions of the federal government. Its work includes national defense strategy, acquisition and sustainment of weapons systems, cybersecurity, intelligence support, military family services, and the stewardship of a large civilian and uniformed workforce. Through schools, scholarships, health care, and worldwide military operations, it serves service members, military families, students, researchers, veterans transitioning from service, and the broader national security community.