Chances are, you’ve never heard of the Arctic Research Commission (though it sounds cool) and you didn’t know there is a United States agency known as the Millennium Challenge Corporation. There are hundreds of federal boards, agencies, departments, bureaus, commissions and other organizations, and while many of them are quite familiar (the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Defense), others are very obscure. But just because you haven’t heard of an agency or you think it sounds made-up (hmmm … National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency? Was that from Star Trek?), each agency serves a purpose, whether it’s aiding needy populations, inspecting the food we eat or assuring transportation safety. Following is a look at some federal agencies you’ve probably never heard of, along with their mission.
