The DHS stands for the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is a federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. The DHS has a vital mission to secure the nation from the many threats it faces, which requires the hard work of more than 260,000 employees in jobs that range from aviation and border security to emergency response, from cybersecurity analyst to chemical facility inspector. The DHS helps the country by helping when disaster strikes, protecting the economy, protecting U.S. borders, securing cyberspace and critical infrastructure, and ensuring resilience to disasters. The DHS is the third-largest Cabinet department, after the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and it constitutes the most diverse merger of federal functions and responsibilities, incorporating 22 government agencies into a single organization.