U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for July 26

WASHINGTON, July 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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MONDAY, JULY 26: DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHED

Profile America — Monday, July 26th.  The shape of the modern American military was cast on this date in 1947, when President Truman signed the National Security Act.  The Department of War was renamed the Department of Defense, and the secretaries of the Army and Navy were moved from the president's cabinet and placed under the secretary of defense. The same act created the U.S. Air Force, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA, and the National Security Council.  The defense department is one of the largest organizations in the world, with some 682,000 civilian employees. In addition, there are nearly 1.4 million military personnel on active duty in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2010, p. 387

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 487, 498

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau