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#TDIDCH: July 26, 1947 – POTUS Harry Truman signs into law the National Security Act, one of the most important pieces of legislation in American history. Most of provisions will not take effect until September 18, 1947.
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The visionary National Security Act was a MASSIVE restructuring of the American government and military. It served as the framework for today's military and for most foreign policy making ever since.
The bill did the following:
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1⃣Established the Department of Defense with its own Secretary to oversee and unify the Army & Navy.
With the burgeoning Cold War with the Soviet Union, Truman knew we could no longer isolate land and sea power in separate departments.
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2⃣Did away with the Department of War and replaced it with the Department of the Army. The Army, already a military service, was now its own military department and would now have a presidentially-appointed civilian Secretary.
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3⃣Established the White House-based, civilian-run National Security Council to coordinate all agencies of foreign policy and to advise the President.
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4⃣Established the CIA, our first peacetime non-military intelligence agency, to gather intelligence and carry out covert operations in foreign nations.
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5⃣Gave us the @usairforce as a separate military branch!!! [And deactivated the US Army Air Forces]
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6⃣ Created the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the position of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. The JCS was to consist of the Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Staff of the (new) Air Force, and the Chief of Naval Operations.
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