CRS has developed a series of short primers to give Members of Congress an overview of key aspects of the Department of Defense and how Congress exercises authority over it. A consolidated list of these primers is contained in this report, along with links to each document
Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer Defense primer defense primer defense primer defense primer.
The Constitution provides Congress with broad powers over the Armed Forces, including the power "To raise and support Armies", "To provide and maintain a Navy", "To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces", and "To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States.... "
CRS has developed a series of short primers to provide Members of Congress an overview of key aspects of the Department of Defense and how Congress exercises authority over it. A consolidated list of these primers is contained in this report, along with links to each document.
For additional information on these issues, please contact the authors of the individual reports. Their contact information is listed at the end of each document.
CRS In Focus IF10535, Defense Primer: Congress's Constitutional Authority with Regard to the Armed Forces, by Jennifer K. Elsea
CRS In Focus IF10515, Defense Primer: The NDAA Process, by Valerie Heitshusen and Brendan W. McGarry
CRS In Focus IF10516, Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA, by Brendan W. McGarry and Valerie Heitshusen
CRS In Focus IF10514, Defense Primer: Defense Appropriations Process, by James V. Saturno and Brendan W. McGarry
CRS In Focus IF10534, Defense Primer: President's Constitutional Authority with Regard to the Armed Forces, by Jennifer K. Elsea
CRS In Focus IF10543, Defense Primer: The Department of Defense, by Kathleen J. McInnis
CRS In Focus IF10550, Defense Primer: The Military Departments, by Heidi M. Peters
CRS In Focus IF10544, Defense Primer: Department of the Army and Army Command Structure, by Barbara Salazar Torreon and Andrew Feickert
CRS In Focus IF10484, Defense Primer: Department of the Navy, by Ronald O'Rourke
CRS In Focus IF10547, Defense Primer: The United States Air Force, by Jeremiah Gertler
CRS In Focus IF11495, Defense Primer: The United States Space Force, by Stephen M. McCall
CRS In Focus IF10485, Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy, and U.S. Force Design, by Ronald O'Rourke
CRS In Focus IF10429, Defense Primer: Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) Process, by Brendan W. McGarry and Heidi M. Peters
CRS In Focus IF10831, Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP), by Brendan W. McGarry and Heidi M. Peters
CRS In Focus IF11243, Defense Primer: DOD Transfer and Reprogramming Authorities, by Aaron D. Walenga and Brendan W. McGarry
CRS In Focus IF11233, Defense Primer: Defense Working Capital Funds, by G. James Herrera
CRS In Focus IF10685, Defense Primer: Military Officers, by Lawrence Kapp
CRS In Focus IF11235, Defense Primer: Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps, by Kristy N. Kamarck
CRS In Focus IF11313, Defense Primer: Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC), by Kristy N. Kamarck and Xavier L. Arriaga
CRS In Focus IF10684, Defense Primer: Military Enlisted Personnel, by Lawrence Kapp
CRS In Focus IF11147, Defense Primer: Active Duty Enlisted Recruiting, by Lawrence Kapp
CRS In Focus IF11274, Defense Primer: Active Duty Enlisted Retention, by Lawrence Kapp
CRS In Focus IF11007, Defense Primer: Personnel Tempo (PERSTEMPO), by Kristy N. Kamarck
CRS In Focus IF10532, Defense Primer: Regular Military Compensation, by Lawrence Kapp
CRS In Focus IF10260, Defense Primer: Military Pay Raise, by Lawrence Kapp
CRS In Focus IF10530, Defense Primer: Military Health System, by Bryce H. P. Mendez
CRS In Focus IF11089, Defense Primer: Military Commissaries and Exchanges, by Kristy N. Kamarck and Barbara Salazar Torreon
CRS In Focus IF11049, Defense Primer: Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), by Justin D. Ellsworth and Bryce H. P. Mendez
CRS In Focus IF10483, Defense Primer: Military Retirement, by Kristy N. Kamarck
CRS In Focus IF11510, Defense Primer: Department of Defense Civilian Employees, by Alan Ott
CRS In Focus IF10600, Defense Primer: Department of Defense Contractors, by Heidi M. Peters and Moshe Schwartz
CRS In Focus IF10548, Defense Primer: U.S. Defense Industrial Base, by Heidi M. Peters
CRS In Focus IF11311, Defense Primer: The National Technology and Industrial Base, by Heidi M. Peters
CRS In Focus IF10553, Defense Primer: RDT&E, by John F. Sargent Jr.
CRS In Focus IF10834, Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, by Marcy E. Gallo
CRS In Focus IF10599, Defense Primer: Procurement, by Heidi M. Peters and Brendan W. McGarry
CRS In Focus IF10968, Defense Primer: Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Contracts, by Heidi M. Peters
CRS In Focus IF10609, Defense Primer: The Berry and Kissell Amendments, by Michaela D. Platzer
CRS In Focus IF11466, Defense Primer: Department of Defense Maintenance Depots, by G. James Herrera
CRS In Focus IF11105, Defense Primer: Emerging Technologies, by Kelley M. Sayler
CRS In Focus IF11263, Defense Primer: Military Installations Management, by G. James Herrera
CRS In Focus IF11362, Defense Primer: Arlington National Cemetery, by Barbara Salazar Torreon
CRS In Focus IF10571, Defense Primer: Organization of U.S. Ground Forces, by Barbara Salazar Torreon and Andrew Feickert
CRS In Focus IF10546, Defense Primer: United States Airpower, by Jeremiah Gertler
CRS In Focus IF10486, Defense Primer: Naval Forces, by Ronald O'Rourke
CRS In Focus IF10545, Defense Primer: Special Operations Forces, by Barbara Salazar Torreon and Andrew Feickert
CRS In Focus IF10519, Defense Primer: Strategic Nuclear Forces, by Amy F. Woolf
CRS In Focus IF10541, Defense Primer: Ballistic Missile Defense, by Steven A. Hildreth
CRS In Focus IF10540, Defense Primer: Reserve Forces, by Lawrence Kapp
CRS In Focus IF10539, Defense Primer: Legal Authorities for the Use of Military Forces, by Jennifer K. Elsea
CRS In Focus IF10542, Defense Primer: Commanding U.S. Military Operations, by Kathleen J. McInnis
CRS In Focus IF11479, Defense Primer: United States Transportation Command, by G. James Herrera and Hibbah Kaileh
CRS In Focus IF10521, Defense Primer: Command and Control of Nuclear Forces, by Amy F. Woolf
CRS In Focus IF11409, Defense Primer: Army Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), by Andrew Feickert
CRS In Focus IF10537, Defense Primer: Cyberspace Operations, by Catherine A. Theohary
CRS In Focus IF10771, Defense Primer: Information Operations, by Catherine A. Theohary
CRS In Focus IF11118, Defense Primer: Electronic Warfare, by John R. Hoehn
CRS In Focus IF11155, Defense Primer: Military Use of the Electromagnetic Spectrum, by John R. Hoehn
CRS In Focus IF11150, Defense Primer: U.S. Policy on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems, by Kelley M. Sayler
CRS In Focus IF11324, Defense Primer: Defense Support of Civil Authorities, by Amelia Litynski and Lawrence Kapp
CRS In Focus IF10525, Defense Primer: National and Defense Intelligence, by Michael E. DeVine
CRS In Focus IF10523, Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, by Michael E. DeVine
CRS In Focus IF10574, Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations, by Michael E. DeVine
CRS In Focus IF10524, Defense Primer: Budgeting for National and Defense Intelligence, by Michael E. DeVine