Answer:
The Peace Corps is an independent federal agency of the United States. It was established by Decree Law 10924 on March 1, 1961 and was authorized by Congress on September 22 of the same year to approve the Peace Corps Act (public law 87-293). The Peace Corps Act states that its purpose is:
"promote world peace and friendship through the Peace Corps, which will make available to American countries and areas interested in American men and women who are willing to serve and are trained to work abroad, under difficult conditions if it is necessary, and to help people in such countries and areas to meet their needs for skilled labor. "
Since 1960, more than 210,000 people have worked as Peace Corps volunteers in 139 countries.
President Barack Obama appointed Aaron Williams as director on July 14, 2009. Williams was previously the vice president of an international development company, and a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s, in the Dominican Republic.