Army, Department of

Founded in 1789 as the Department of War, the Department of the Army (DA) was reorganized as a service department under the National Security Act of 1947 and charged with the administrative affairs of the U.S. Army. Composed of the Office of the Secretary of the Army, the Office of the Army Chief of Staff, the Army Staff (ARSTAFF), and support agencies, DA is responsible for recruiting; organizing; supplying; equipping; training; servicing; mobilizing; demobilizing; administering; constructing and [Page 154]repairing military equipment, buildings, structures, and utilities; and acquisition of real property necessary to support the army. This entry describes the mission, function, and organization of the DA.