The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense,the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces,and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. The secretary of defense's position of command and authority over the military is second only to that of the president of the United States,who is the commander-in-chief. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a defense minister in many other countries. The secretary of defense is appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate,and is by custom a member of the Cabinet and by law a member of the National Security Council.
Robert Abercrombie Lovett was the fourth United States Secretary of Defense,having been promoted to this position from Deputy Secretary of Defense. He served in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from 1951 to 1953 and in this capacity,directed the Korean War. As Under Secretary of State,he handled most of the tasks of the State Department while George C. Marshall was Secretary.
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD) for countering weapons of mass destruction. According to the agency's Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018 to 2022,the DTRA mission "enables DoD and the U.S. Government to prepare for and combat weapons of mass destruction and improvised threats and to ensure nuclear deterrence." The agency is headquartered in Fort Belvoir,Virginia.
General Larry D. Welch is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who served as the 12th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As Chief of Staff,he served as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization,training and equipping of a combined active duty,Guard,Reserve and civilian force serving at locations in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,he and the other service chiefs functioned as the principal military advisers to the Secretary of Defense,National Security Council and the President. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Nuclear Weapon Surety Task Force for the Defense Science Board.
The United States Department of Defense is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces. The DOD is the largest employer in the world,with over 1.4 million active-duty service members as of 2021. More employees include over 826,000 National Guard and reservists from the armed forces,and over 732,000 civilians bringing the total to over 2.8 million employees. Headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington,Virginia,just outside Washington,D.C.,the DoD's stated mission is to provide "the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security".
Colonel Hubert Zemke was a career officer in the United States Air Force,a fighter pilot in World War II,and a leading United States Army Air Forces ace. General Jimmy Doolittle praised Zemke as his "greatest fighter group commander". He commanded the 56th Fighter Group in England,which came to be known as "Zemke's Wolf Pack".
The 111th Attack Wing is a unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard,headquartered at Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham,Pennsylvania. If activated to federal service,the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. It provides protection of life,property,and the preservation of peace and order when tasked to do so by state or federal authorities. The Wing also provides operational and support units,as well as qualified personnel,to support wartime tasking and contingency commitments of any nature.
The 46th Test Wing is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force last based at Eglin Air Force Base,Florida. The wing's 46th Test Group was a tenant unit at Holloman Air Force Base,New Mexico.
The 163d Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Indiana Air National Guard 122d Fighter Wing located at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station,Indiana. The 163d is equipped with the A-10 Thunderbolt II.
Major General Jeanne Marjorie Holm was the first female one-star general of the United States Air Force and the first female two-star general in any service branch of the United States. Holm was a driving force behind the expansion of women's roles in the Air Force.
The 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group is a United States Air Force unit that reports to the 53rd Wing. It is stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base,Florida. The unit is part of Air Combat Command.
The 4756th Air Defense Wing was the designation of two different discontinued United States Air Force organizations. Both wings were stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base,Florida and fulfilled similar missions. The first was organized in 1957 when Air Defense Command (ADC) assumed responsibility for managing Tyndall from Air Training Command and focused on weapons testing and development and evaluating the readiness of ADC fighter units. The wing also controlled a ground control intercept radar squadron. This wing was discontinued in 1960 and its mission transferred to its parent 73d Air Division.
The 4780th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Weapons Center at Perrin Air Force Base,Texas,where it was discontinued in 1971. The wing was organized in 1962 when Air Defense Command (ADC) assumed the interceptor pilot training mission from Air Training Command (ATC).
Ramón Colón-López is a senior non-commissioned officer of the United States Air Force,former pararescueman,and was selected as the 4th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) on December 13,2019. In his role as SEAC,Colón-López is the most senior enlisted member of the United States military. In 2007 he was the only Hispanic American among the first six airmen to be awarded the newly created Air Force Combat Action Medal. He served as the Senior Enlisted Leader of United States Africa Command from September 2016 to November 2019.
The 4750th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 73d Air Division,Air Defense Command,(ADC) at MacDill Air Force Base,Florida,where it was inactivated in 1960.
James McCormack,Jr. was a United States Army officer who served in World War II,and was later the first Director of Military Applications of the United States Atomic Energy Commission.
Alvin Roubal Luedecke was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. He commanded the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project after the war. After retiring from the Air Force in 1958,he was General Manager of the United States Atomic Energy Commission,Deputy Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and President of Texas A&M University.
Jeannie Marie Leavitt is a United States Air Force (USAF) general officer. She became the U.S. Air Force's first female fighter pilot in 1993,and was the first woman to command a USAF combat fighter wing. In April 2021,she was appointed to replace Major General John T. Rauch as Chief of Safety of the United States Air Force,and assumed office on August 13,2021.
Stephen W. "Seve" Wilson is a retired United States Air Force four-star general,who last served as the 39th vice chief of staff of the Air Force. He previously served as the deputy commander of United States Strategic Command. Prior to that,he served as the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command,Barksdale Air Force Base,La. In his capacity as commander of Air Force Global Strike Command his responsibilities included organizing,training,equipping,and maintaining all United States ICBM and nuclear-capable bomber forces. Prior to his current assignment,Wilson served as Commander,Eighth Air Force. Wilson was the longest serving vice chief of staff in Air Force history. He had his retirement ceremony on November 13,2020 and retired effective December 31,2020.
Roger D. Launius is an American historian and author of Lithuanian descent,a former chief historian of NASA. He retired in 2016 as Associate Director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington,D.C. Launius is a consulting historian in air and space history. He has written many books on space flight,and also published on the history of the Latter Day Saint movement.
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United States Air Force 
