The Defense Media Activity (DMA) is the U.S. Department of Defense's direct line of communication for news and information to U.S. forces worldwide. The agency presents news, information and entertainment on a variety of media platforms, including radio, television, internet, print media and emerging media technologies. DMA informs millions of active, Guard and Reserve service members, civilian employees, contractors, military retirees and their families in the U.S. and abroad.
DMA is designed to modernize and streamline media operations by consolidating military service and DoD media components into a single, joint, integrated multimedia communications organization.
DMA was established in October 2008 as a result of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act. The agency consolidates the Soldiers Media Center, Naval Media Center, Marine Corps News, Air Force News Service and American Forces Information Service into a single field activity. DMA also includes Stars and Stripes newspaper and the Defense Information School.
In April 2009 DMA began construction of its new headquarters and production facility at Ft. Meade, Maryland. DMA Director David S. Jackson said the event marked "an important milestone" in the new federal agency’s "evolution to become a world-class multimedia and service organization.”
Artist renderings of the proposed DMA building
Defense Media Activity Breaks Ground at Fort Meade
FORT MEADE, Md., April 8, 2009 – With shovels in hand under a sunlit sky, federal, state and county officials, along with business and military personnel, broke ground on the Defense Media Activity’s new headquarters and production facility. Story
