War Media Activity History
In the 2005 Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) report to the President, the Secretary of Defense, now known as the Secretary of War, recommended the creation of a new DoD Media Activity that consolidated military department media organizations with similar missions into a new organization. These organizations were:
•Army’s Soldier Magazine, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
•Naval Media Center, Anacostia Annex, District of Columbia
•Army Broadcasting-Soldier Radio/TV, Alexandria, Virginia
•Air Force News Agency-Army/Air Force Hometown News Service, San Antonio, Texas
The Secretary’s recommendation also included co-locating American Forces Information Services (AFIS) with the new DoD Media Activity and the existing Defense Information School at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
Furthermore, the Secretary’s recommendation met several important Department of Defense, now the Department of War, objectives with regard to future use of leased space, rationalizing the presence of DoD activities within the National Capitol Region (NCR), and enhanced security for DoD activities. The creation of a new DoD Media Activity, as the result of consolidating a number of entities with similar missions, promoted “jointness” and created opportunities for common support cost savings and operational synergy. The consolidation reduced the Department’s reliance on leased space by eliminating approximately 75,000 usable square feet of leased administrative space. The location of the activity at Fort Meade, which is outside the boundaries of the NCR, provided a dispersion of DoD activities away from the dense concentration around Washington D.C. This, plus the immediate benefit of enhanced force protection afforded by Fort Meade, provided compliance with force protection standards. In November 2005 the BRAC recommendations assumed the force of law and the Department was required to execute them by September 15, 2011. Departmental leadership formally began work in late 2006 to design DMA's new home at Fort Meade.
In 2007, as the DoD Media Activity planning moved forward, executive leaders recognized that the BRAC recommendation had three shortfalls. First, it would result in two co-located organizations – the consolidated Military Service organizations and AFIS. Secondly, the similar Marine Corps functions were not included. Finally, the BRAC recommendations had no specific timeline of actions other than the September 2011 deadline. Subsequently, on September 24, 2007, the then Deputy Secretary of Defense issued the directive-type memorandum, “Establishment of the Defense Media Activity” to address these shortcomings. As a result, the Secretary of Defense formally established the Defense Media Activity (DMA) on January 1, 2008, via DoD Directive 5105.74. On October 1, 2008, the Military Departments retained the BRAC personnel savings and the remaining positions and budget were transferred to DMA. On April 8, 2009, DMA held a ground-breaking ceremony in a field on Fort Meade.
After more than two years of hard work, DMA opened its doors in April 2011 and welcomed the first members of the new DoD Media Activity. By August 2011, the final staff moves completed the transition from the former organizations into the new DMA.
On February 9, 2026, DMA was formally changed to the Department of War Information Activity (DWIA) to align with Presidential Executive Order 14347, “Restoring the United States Department of War,'' September 5, 2025, and to more accurately reflect the missions, functions, and comprehensive services DWIA provides to Department of War stakeholders and customers.
On May 6, 2026, the Presidential Executive Order 14347 was updated to change the name to War Media Activity (WMA), to align with the restoral of the Department of War and more accurately reflect the missions and functions provided to DoW stakeholders and customers.
It’s important to note that WMA is far larger than the headquarters and the DINFOS schoolhouse at Fort Meade. More than half the organization is stationed around the world.