United States Department of Defense United States Department of Defense The Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government concerned directly with national security and the United States Armed Forces. The department is the largest employer in the world, with nearly 1.3 million active duty servicemen and women as of 2016. Adding to its employees are over 826,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists from the four services, and over 742,000 civilians bringing the total to over 2.8 million employees. Headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia,
Construction of the Virginia approaches to Arlington Memorial Bridge county officials to plot a route around the north rather than south end of Arlington National Cemetery. In May 1932, Arlington county officials learned that the Virginia State Highway Commission had not obtained all the rights-of-way needed for the northern route. On May 22, the County Board of Supervisors ordered the Commonwealth's Attorney to seek condemnation of an right-of-way from Washington Boulevard north to North Pershing Drive. To assist the state in building this route, Senator Carter Glass attempted to secure a $10,000 appropriation to help the state survey the Lee Boulevard route. His effort was not successful. By 1933,