Department of National Defence / Ministère de la Défense nationale Information

The Department of National Defence (French: Ministère de la Défense nationale), commonly abbreviated as DND, is a Canadian government department responsible for defending Canada's interests and values at home and abroad. National Defence is the largest department of the Government of Canada in terms of budget as well as staff. The Department is headed by the Deputy Minister of National Defence, who is the Department’s senior civil servant, and reports directly to the Minister of National Defence. The Department of National Defence exists to aid the minister in carrying out his responsibilities, and acts as the civilian support system for the Canadian Armed Forces. Under the National Defence Act, the Canadian Forces is completely separate and distinct from the Department of National Defence.