United States Department of the Army
US Army Headquarters SSI | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | July 14, 1775 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Headquarters | The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Annual budget | $174.7B (FY2022) |
| Agency executives | |
| Parent agency | U.S. Department of Defense |
| Child agency | |
| Website | army.mil |
| United States Armed Forces |
|---|
| Executive departments |
| Staff |
| Military departments |
| Military services |
| Command structure |

The Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense. The DA is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is organized. It is led by the secretary of the Army, a civilian official appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The highest-ranking military officer in the department is the chief of staff of the Army, who is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other senior officials of the department are the under secretary of the Army (principal deputy to the secretary) and the vice chief of staff of the Army (principal deputy to the chief of staff.)
The DA is a successor to the Department of War which was originally formed in 1789 as an Executive Department of the United States. The Department of War was split by the National Security Act of 1947 into the Department of the Army and Department of the Air Force on September 18, 1947.
Organizational structure
[edit]The Department of the Army is a military department within the United States Department of Defense. The department is headed by the secretary of the army, who by statute must be a civilian, appointed by the president with the confirmation by the United States Senate. The secretary of the Army is responsible for and has the authority to conduct all the affairs of the Department of the Army, subject to the authority, direction and control of the secretary of defense. The Department of the Army is divided between its headquarters at the seat of government and the field organizations of the Army.
By direction of the secretary of defense, the secretary of the Army assigns Army forces, apart from those units performing duties enumerated in 10 United States Code § 7013[1] (i.e., organize, train & equip) or unless otherwise directed to the operational command of the commanders of the Combatant Commands. Only the secretary of defense (and the president) has the authority to approve transfer of forces to and from Combatant Commands by 10 United States Code § 162.[2]
Headquarters, Department of the Army
[edit]
Headquarters, Department of the Army is the corporate office of the department which exercises directive and supervisory functions and consists of two separate staffs: the Office of the Secretary of the Army (10 United States Code § 7014[3]), the mainly civilian staff; and the Army Staff (10 United States Code § 7031,[4] & 10 United States Code § 7032[5]), the mainly military staff. The Office of the Secretary and the Army Staff are organized along similar lines, with civilians and military officers both overseeing similar program areas.[a]
Office of the Secretary
[edit]The Office of the Secretary is led by the secretary of the Army, assisted by the under secretary of the Army and the administrative assistant to the secretary of the Army, who is the senior civilian career official of the department. The Office of the Secretary of the Army, also known as the Army Secretariat, is divided into multiple branches with functional responsibilities, the six most important of which are headed by one of the five assistant secretaries of the Army or the general counsel of the Army, each of whom are civilians appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
The Army Staff
[edit]
The Army Staff is led by the chief of staff of the Army, a four-star general who is the highest-ranking officer in the Army and the Army member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The chief of staff is assisted in managing the Army Staff by the vice chief of staff of the United States Army, a four-star general and second highest-ranking officer in the Army. The Army Staff is divided into several directorates, each headed by a three-star general; a deputy chief of staff (DCS G–1 (personnel), G–2 (intelligence), G–3 (operations), G–4 (logistics),[9] G-5 (planning), G-6 (network), G-7 (training), G-8 (finance), and G-9 (installations) respectively).[10][9] The DCS G-3/5/7 is a single office for operations, plans, and training.
A key official within the Army Staff is the director of the Army Staff, who is a three-star general. The director is responsible for integrating and synchronizing the work of the Office of the Secretary and the Army Staff so that they meet the goals and priorities of the secretary of the Army. Other key figures within the Army Staff are the sergeant major of the Army, the Army Staff Senior Warrant Officer, the Chief Warrant Officer of the Army, the United States Army judge advocate general, the chief of the Army Reserve, the United States Army provost marshal general, and the United States Army surgeon general. The chief of the National Guard Bureau was previously considered part of the Army Staff, but has been elevated to four-star rank and membership in the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the director of the Army National Guard and the director of the Air National Guard (both three-star positions) report to the chief, National Guard Bureau for strategy and policy, but receive funding and Service-specific guidance from their respective services, as they have different legal authorities.[11]
Army commands and army service component commands
[edit]
Headquarters, United States Department of the Army (HQDA):
Source: U.S. Army organization[45]
See also
[edit]- Department of the Air Force
- Department of the Navy
- National Guard Bureau
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison (United States Army)
- Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations
Notes
[edit]- ^ Understanding the Army Requirements Oversight Council (AROC)[6][7][8] See Joint Requirements Oversight Council
References
[edit]- ^ 10 U.S.C. § 7013
- ^ 10 U.S.C. § 162
- ^ 10 U.S.C. § 7014
- ^ 10 U.S.C. § 7031
- ^ 10 U.S.C. § 7032
- ^ Army Publishing Directorate sample search: AR 5-22 AR 5-22 — The Army Force Modernization Proponent System Army Publications Home page
- ^ Army Strategy Note (ASN) proponent: G-3/5/7 (LTG James E. Rainey) (1 April 2022) INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGY SD 12 STRATEGY NOTE 2022-04, should be read in conjunction with How the Army Runs
- ^ US Army War College (USAWC) School of Strategic Landpower (2019-2020) How the Army Runs: a senior leader reference handbook 32nd edition. 560 pages
- ^ a b Carter, Charles F. Jr.; Archer, Mark A.; Murray, Albert E. (July 1988). "Description of Army Staff Functions: Targets for Planning Aids" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2017.
- ^ "NATO SHAPE structure". nato.int. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010.
- ^ United States Code (1956) TITLE 10 AND TITLE 32, UNITED STATES CODE
- ^ "About US – United States Army Forces Command". forscom.army.mil. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "AMC History – Army Material Command". AMC.Army.mil. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Army Stands up Transformation and Training Command". AUSA. 2025-10-03. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
- ^ "About U.S. Army Central". usarcent.army.mil. Archived from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Army Europe and Africa Leadership". www.europeafrica.army.mil. Archived from the original on 31 March 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
- ^ "History of U.S. Army North". arnorth.army.mil. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "United States Army Pacific Overview". usarpac.army.mil. Archived from the original on 15 May 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "United States Army South Complete Overview". arsouth.army.mil. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Redesignation of the military surface deployment and distribution command as the United States army transportation command" (PDF). armypubs.army.mil.
- ^ "General Orders No. 2014–02" (PDF). Department of the Army. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 February 2015.
- ^ "General Orders No. 2010-26: Establishment of the United States Army Cyber Command" (PDF). Department of the Army. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 May 2011.
- ^ U.S. Army (1 October 2010). "Army establishes Army Cyber Command". army.mil. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ "About the Command – United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command". smdc.army.mil. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "USASOC Overview". United States Army. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "General Orders No. 2012-02: Redesignation and Assignment of Eighth Army as a Subordinate Command of The United States Army Pacific" (PDF). Department of the Army. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
- ^ "Designation of Arlington National Cemetery and Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery as a Direct Reporting Unit" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- ^ "Who is Kate Kelley?". allgov.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
- ^ REDESIGNATION AND REASSIGNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY JOINT COUNTER-SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS OFFICE army.mil
- ^ "Designation of Military Postal Serive Agency and its Subordiante Elements as Direct Reporting Unit" (PDF). armypubs.army.mil. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ "Designation of the United States Army Acquisition Support Center as a Direct Reporting Unit" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ "Craig Spisak". asc.army.mil. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
- ^ "Redesignation of the United States army audit agency as a direct reporting unit" (PDF). armypubs.army.mil.
- ^ DAGO 2017-03, DESIGNATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY CIVILIAN HUMAN RESOURCES AGENCY AND ITS SUBORDINATE ELEMENTS AS DIRECT REPORTING UNIT Archived 17 April 2025 at the Wayback Machine, apd.army.mil, dated 4 January 2017, last accessed 13 January 2017
- ^ "About Us". CHRA. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- ^ "United States Army Corps of Engineers Official website". usace.army.mil. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ "army.mil" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Homepage". cid.army.mil. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "DAGO 2017-04, Designation of United States Army Human Resources Command and Its Subordinate Elements as Direct Reporting Unit". Army Publishing Directorate. 4 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ "The Official website of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command". usainscom.army.mil. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Army Medicine Overview". army.mil. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Joint Task Force-National Capital Region and The U.S. Army Military District of Washington Homepage". jtfncr.mdw.army.mil. Archived from the original on 6 April 2025. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Designation of the United States Army War College as a Direct Reporting Unit" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ "The official website of the United States Military Academy". westpoint.edu. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ Organization, United States Army
Bibliography
[edit]- Army General Order NO. 2020-01: ASSIGNMENT OF FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, Accessed on 2021-01-22.
- Army Regulation 10–87, Army Commands, Army Service Component Commands, and Direct Reporting Units, Accessed on 2021-01-22.