"The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally ...
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responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, also bearing responsibility for naval affairs until the establishment of the Navy Department in 1798, and for most land-based air forces until the creation of the Department of the Air Force on September 18, 1947.
The Secretary of War, a civilian with such responsibilities as finance and purchases and a minor role in directing military affairs, headed the War Department throughout its existence." - (en.wikipedia.org 26.12.2019)
