MILNET: U.S. Military Command Structure

MILNET: U.S. Military Command Structure - October 2002

The U.S. Military Command Structure below the Secretary of Defense and his civilian officials.

There are, currently nine Unified Commmands, four of which are responsible for a geographical Area of Responsibilty (AOR). Each geographical command combines air, sea, and land operations for their AOR. The remaining Unified commands are functional commands with specialities that are implicit in their names, such as transportation, combat, space, special ops and the like.

On April 17, 2002, Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld and the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Meyers announced the new U.S. Unified Command Plan (UCP) (MAP, 2.7MB) which will go into effect on October 1, 2002.

The new command structure adds (as the tenth Unified Command) for the first time since the end of World War II, a command for the U.S. homeland, Northern Command.

Northern Command will be responsible for Alaska, the continental U.S., as well as 500 miles along coastlines and Northern Mexico and Caribbean.

Also modified is the Area of Responsibility (AOR) for European command which will be responsible for Russia, providing military to military assistance and support to Russia and the Caspian Sea region. This reflects the current relationship and cooperation with Russia since the end of the Cold War.

The current Joint Forces Command, will relinquish combattant responsibility and become a functional command, tasked with continued joint development and military transformation.

General Meyers also announced that a merger between U.S. Space Command and Strategic is being studied and the results of that exploration will be forthcoming to Secretary Rumsfeld in the near future.

The table below summarizes the ten Geographical Combattant Commands.

U.S. Command Plan (UCP)

Abreviation Full Name AOR (Area of Responsibilty) HQ

Geographical Combatant Commands

CENTCOM Central Command Central region of the Middle East, bordered by Libya in North Africa to the Southwest, Yemen on the South Arabian penninsula, and Iran on the Eastern border. The Mediterranean Sea borders the northern portion of the AOR. Countries in CENTCOM's AOR are: (West to East, North to South) Libya, Egypt, and Lebanon, Israel, Jordon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arabs Emirate, Oman, Iran McDill AFB,
fFlorida

EUCOM European Command All of Europe including (as of October 1, 2002) Russia and the region around the Caspian Sea. Nations in the AOR are: Portugual, Spain, France, Germany, the Ireland, the U.K., Austria, Belgium, Montenegro, Italy, the island of Crete, Greece, Bulgaria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzgovinia, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Responsible for waters off the Western Coast of Africa and Europe to the U.S. East Coast including the Mediteranean Sea, Caspian Sea, and Atlantic Ocean (assumed responsiblity for the former Atlantic Commands waters in 1999). Stuttgart-Vaihingen,
Germany

NORCOM Northern Command Extends from Alaska and includes all of the territory of North America including support to Canada, extending across the U.S. homeland, and south to northern Caribbean and Northern Mexico. Standup to occur on 10/01/2002. Peterson AFB,
Colorado, U.S.A.

PACOM Pacific Command Responsible for the entire Pacific Ocean from 500 miles off the U.S. West Coast including Hawaii and Guam, to the Eastern Coast of Africa and the Asia Major (Russia/China) coastline. As of October 1, 2002 there will be a coordination element interfacing to EUCOM for Russian military to U.S. military support efforts. Includes Asia including as far West as Malayasia, Singapore, Indonesia Philippines, Japan, Korea, and China. The AOR also covers all the Polynesian islands as well as Australia and New Zealand. The neutral territory of Antarctica is in the AOR of PACOM as well. Honolulu, Hawaii,
U.S.A.

SOUTHCOM Southern Command Responsible for Central and South America Miami, Florida
U.S.A.

Unified Commands

FORCECOM Joint Forces Command As of October 1, will relinquish all homeland security responsibility to NORTHCOM and will become a functional command tasked to continue joint weapons and doctrine development especially that of military transformation, focused on personnel and technology issues. Norfolk, Virginia
U.S.A.

SPACECOM Space Command All space borne and ground control elements for military use. Also given responsibility for cyber warfare and computer security and computer development for the services Peterson AFB, Colorado
U.S.A.

SOCOM Special Operations Command All U.S. special operations including air, ground and sea based elite units for spec ops. Includes training and operational doctrine, giving one command the responsibility for creating, maintaining force strength and capibility for immediate deployment of special warfare as directed by the National Command Authority in some cases within 24 hours. Assumed assets of the Ready Response Force MacDill AFB, Florida
U.S.A.

STRATCOM Strategic Command All strategic and combat elements related Mission is " Deter military attack on the United States and its allies, and should deterrence fail, employ forces so as to achieve national objectives" ¹ Offutt AFB, Nebraska
U.S.A.

TRANSCOM Transportation Command Assumed the duties of all air and sea lift capabilities for U.S. military. Operates transport aircraft and ships Scott AFB, Illinois
U.S.A.

¹ U.S. Strategic Commands, "Who Are We" web page

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Abreviation	Full Name	AOR (Area of Responsibilty)	HQ
Geographical Combatant Commands
CENTCOM	Central Command	Central region of the Middle East, bordered by Libya in North Africa to the Southwest, Yemen on the South Arabian penninsula, and Iran on the Eastern border. The Mediterranean Sea borders the northern portion of the AOR. Countries in CENTCOM's AOR are: (West to East, North to South) Libya, Egypt, and Lebanon, Israel, Jordon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arabs Emirate, Oman, Iran	McDill AFB, fFlorida
EUCOM	European Command	All of Europe including (as of October 1, 2002) Russia and the region around the Caspian Sea. Nations in the AOR are: Portugual, Spain, France, Germany, the Ireland, the U.K., Austria, Belgium, Montenegro, Italy, the island of Crete, Greece, Bulgaria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzgovinia, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Responsible for waters off the Western Coast of Africa and Europe to the U.S. East Coast including the Mediteranean Sea, Caspian Sea, and Atlantic Ocean (assumed responsiblity for the former Atlantic Commands waters in 1999).	Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany
NORCOM	Northern Command	Extends from Alaska and includes all of the territory of North America including support to Canada, extending across the U.S. homeland, and south to northern Caribbean and Northern Mexico. Standup to occur on 10/01/2002.	Peterson AFB, Colorado, U.S.A.
PACOM	Pacific Command	Responsible for the entire Pacific Ocean from 500 miles off the U.S. West Coast including Hawaii and Guam, to the Eastern Coast of Africa and the Asia Major (Russia/China) coastline. As of October 1, 2002 there will be a coordination element interfacing to EUCOM for Russian military to U.S. military support efforts. Includes Asia including as far West as Malayasia, Singapore, Indonesia Philippines, Japan, Korea, and China. The AOR also covers all the Polynesian islands as well as Australia and New Zealand. The neutral territory of Antarctica is in the AOR of PACOM as well.	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.
SOUTHCOM	Southern Command	Responsible for Central and South America	Miami, Florida U.S.A.
Unified Commands
FORCECOM	Joint Forces Command	As of October 1, will relinquish all homeland security responsibility to NORTHCOM and will become a functional command tasked to continue joint weapons and doctrine development especially that of military transformation, focused on personnel and technology issues.	Norfolk, Virginia U.S.A.
SPACECOM	Space Command	All space borne and ground control elements for military use. Also given responsibility for cyber warfare and computer security and computer development for the services	Peterson AFB, Colorado U.S.A.
SOCOM	Special Operations Command	All U.S. special operations including air, ground and sea based elite units for spec ops. Includes training and operational doctrine, giving one command the responsibility for creating, maintaining force strength and capibility for immediate deployment of special warfare as directed by the National Command Authority in some cases within 24 hours. Assumed assets of the Ready Response Force	MacDill AFB, Florida U.S.A.
STRATCOM	Strategic Command	All strategic and combat elements related Mission is " Deter military attack on the United States and its allies, and should deterrence fail, employ forces so as to achieve national objectives" ¹	Offutt AFB, Nebraska U.S.A.
TRANSCOM	Transportation Command	Assumed the duties of all air and sea lift capabilities for U.S. military. Operates transport aircraft and ships	Scott AFB, Illinois U.S.A.