Which body is listed as part of the DoD alongside the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff?

• A. Office of the Secretary of Defense.
• B. Central Intelligence Agency
• C. Department of Education
• D. General Services Administration

Answer: (A)

The Office of the Secretary of Defense is the part of the Department of Defense that sits alongside the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff. It is led by the Secretary of Defense (and the Deputy Secretary) and handles overarching policy, planning, and resource management for the department. This is why it’s the correct choice: it is a DoD component, just like the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff. The other options aren’t part of DoD— the Central Intelligence Agency is part of the intelligence community, the Department of Education is a separate civilian department, and the General Services Administration is an independent agency that serves the federal government, not DoD.