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 group studied the Lee Highway and other approaches to the bridge on November 15, and on December 4 the CFA said it would approve any approach that Virginia and Arlington County did. For the first time since 1931, construction on the approach occurred in 1934. WPA money was used to hire laborers to begin the extension of the roadway past Lee Boulevard toward the cemetery. Construction created a number of traffic hazards. By April 1935, the road had reached Fort Myer and Arlington National Cemetery. Survey work showed that a lower grade could be achieved by altering the route, but