A nation's combined military forces.

For the United States, the Armed Forces are comprised of the...

For more, read this Military.com overview.

Branch of the military responsible for protecting coasts, vessels, ports, and facilities at U.S. waters.

Website: www.uscg.mil.

(Coming)

(Coming)

Movement of troops into position to take military actions.

(Coming)

Families of those who died in service to the Armed Forces.

For more, read this United Service Organizations (USO) story.

When the military assumes authority over civilian institutions such as law enforcement.

The U.S. military keeps track of how much plutonium nuclear weapons companies produce, and how much of it the government knows the location of.

The difference is referred to as MUF.

The senior advisor to the President on issues regarding national security.

The formal title of the position is Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

Website: www.NSA.gov

The President's primary forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters.

It is chaired by the President. Attendees include the...

Website: www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nsc.

List maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center of people who are not allowed to fly on commercial airlines in U.S. airspace.

Headquarters building of the Department of Defense (DoD).

An intelligence and analysis report the President receives each day from the Director of National Intelligence.

For more, read the New York Times story.

A building (or part of a building) designated for working with secure compartmented information.

SCIFs are protected from electronic and other surveillance, Access to one is extremely restricted and controlled.

A security clearance (or just clearance) is a certification by the government that a person is allowed access to information considered potentially damaging to national security.

Potential damage can take many forms, such as...

For more, see this State Department fact sheet.

Sensitive government information is classified according to the amount of damage exposure might cause. A person must have a security clearance of at least that classification in order to be allowed to access it.

There are 3 main levels of security clearances...

The White House Situation Room is a 5,000 square-foot complex that serves as the central point for handling intelligence for the president.

Its official name is the John F. Kennedy Conference Room. It's located on the first floor of the West Wing, and sometimes is referred to as the woodshed.

For more, visit the White House Museum website.

Organization under the FBI that identifies potential or suspected terrorists

Health care program for members of the United States military.

The standard definition of a veteran is someone who has a long experience in any particular field.

However, we typically use the term to refer to someone who has served in the U.S. military (including those still serving).

A term used to describe a weapon capable of killing many people at once and causing widespread destruction.

Examples would be nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.

A term used to describe a veteran who was severely wounded, injured, or made ill while serving after Sept. 10, 2001.