Department of Defense Pentagon

Department of Defense - Pentagon

Charged with the awesome responsibility of supporting the world's largest and most technologically advanced fighting force, the Department of Defense was created in 1949.

The Department of Defense is America's largest employer, supporting 1.4 million active-duty soldiers, 1.2 million Guard and Reserve personnel, 2 million military retirees and their families, and 654, 000 civilian employees. Headquartered at the Pentagon, it operates from more than 6,000 locations worldwide.

Under the leadership of the President and Commander-in-Chief, it exercises day-to-day control over the U.S. Armed Forces and oversees all American military operations from conception to completion.

This unique pentagon-shaped coin is dedicated to the military and civilian members of the Department of Defense, who enable that organization to meet its mission to protect and defend Americans at home and abroad.

Minted in a brass alloy, this coin contains rich enamel accents on both its obverse and reverse sides. The obverse features the official seal of the Department of Defense. Positioned at the five points of the pentagon on the coin's reverse are the official seals of the five branches of America's Armed Forces. Each piece comes packaged with a header card that describes the history and mission of the Department of Defense.