World War II ended in 1945, but America could not rest. “Serious discussion of reorganization began in Congress and the Military Department in 1944 and aroused much public interest” (Trask 1997). Because the Air Force played such an important role, discussion began about separating the Air Force from the Army Air Forces (AAF). A proposal was created to establish a department for the United States Armed Forces, uniting all military branches under one department. “On December 19, 1945, President Truman sent a message to Congress recommending a single Department of National Defense with three coordinated branches: land, sea, and air.” (Trask 1997). Management of military and foreign policies was as necessary in peacetime as it was in wartime. The United States' need for a national defense department, and the need to prevent any future attacks such as Pearl Harbor, led President Truman to sign the National Security Act of 1947. The National Security Act of 1947 created the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) . President Truman's vision of the CIA was a peacetime intelligence agency that would provide early warning in the event of an attack. After President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, a loophole was found. The National Security Act “directed the CIA to correlate, evaluate, and disseminate intelligence and to perform 'other intelligence-related functions and duties affecting national security'” (Weiner 2007). The CIA used this formulation of "other functions" to conduct covert operations abroad and to practice cloak-and-dagger methods of obtaining information. Since its founding over sixty years ago, the CIA's implementation of cloak-and-dagger intelligence gathering has evolved into the development of a component... middle of paper... The institution may have changed name to Department of Defense, however, the decision to have a civilian secretary in place of the US Army is still in place. America could not rest after World War II and must remain vigilant today. The offices created by the National Security Act of 1947 are still charged with protecting the United States today. Works Cited Herring, G., (2008). From Colony to Superpower - Foreign Relations of the United States Since 1776. New York, NY: Oxford University PressTrask, R., & Goldberg, A., (2001). The Department of Defense 1947-1997: Organization and leaders. Washington, DC: United States. Department of Defense – History.Trest, W., (1998). Air Force Roles and Missions: A History. Washington, DC: United States. Air Force – HistoryWeiner, T., (2007). Legacy of Ashes – The story of the CIA. New York, New York: Double Day