United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense (DOD or DoD), often referred to as The Pentagon, is the U.S. federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the military. The organization and functions of the DOD are set forth in Title 10 of the United States Code.

The DOD is the major tenant of The Pentagon building near Washington, D.C., and has three major components – the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force. Among the many DOD agencies are the Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the National Security Agency (NSA). The department also operates several joint service schools, including the National War College.

During the 1960s, the DOD began to feel threatened by the CIA's growing influence in America's military affairs, especially in reference to the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the covert ops in North Vietnam, and the Metal Gear project. FOX Lieutenant Cunningham joined the DOD due to his perceived mistreatment by the CIA after losing his leg in an unknown mission. In 1970, the DOD enlisted Gene, FOX's commanding officer, to steal the new Metal Gear and lauch it into the Soviet Union, in an effort to ruin the CIA's reputation, thus increasing their own influence. However, this plan ultimately failed and both organizations were eventually brought under the direct control of the newly formed Patriots.

On September 11th, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 was deliberately crashed into the western part of The Pentagon building at 9:37 a.m. EDT by a team of five hijackers, affiliated with the al-Qaeda terrorist group. All 64 people on the airliner were killed as were 125 people who were in the building. The damage was repaired by September 2002 and a memorial was built for those who were killed.

During the early 2000s, the DOD developed the FOXDIE virus for assassination use, while its sister organization DARPA supported the Metal Gear REX project in a partnership with ArmsTech Inc. In February 2005, the DOD sent Unit FOXHOUND and the Next Generation Special Forces to Shadow Moses Island in order to oversee test exercises of a new weapon involving REX. However, a major setback occurred when both FOXHOUND and the entirety of the Next-Generation Special Forces went renegade, took over Shadow Moses, and demanded the remains of Big Boss from the U.S. government, otherwise they would launch a nuclear weapon. However, it was later revealed that the DOD had actually suspected that FOXHOUND would revolt on that day, having already made the unit a subject of an undercover investigation. After some of the soldiers went missing on the day of the revolt, they sent a rookie soldier, Meryl Silverburgh, to Shadow Moses as an emergancy replacement, though this was actually done in order to blackmail her uncle, Colonel Roy Campbell.

The DOD were in direct command of Solid Snake's mission to Shadow Moses, his orders being to rescue DARPA Chief Donald Anderson and Armstech President Kenneth Baker, and to find out if FOXHOUND could indeed launch the nuclear weapon. After REX had been destroyed by Snake, Secretary of Defense Jim Houseman ordered a nuclear strike on Shadow Moses Island. However, he was placed under arrest shortly thereafter by DIA Colonel Richard Ames for "displeasing" the Patriots, and the orders were rescinded.

Related Organisations

 * The Patriots
 * U.S. Government
 * U.S. Army
 * U.S. Navy
 * U.S. Marine Corps
 * U.S. Air Force
 * DARPA
 * DIA