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NORTHCOM: Northern Command was established in the wake of the 9/11/2001 attacks and tasked with providing a central command organization of all DoD activities concerned with homeland defense and to provide a focal point for military relationships with civil authorities. It’s area of command includes the air, land and sea approaches and encompasses the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and the surrounding water out to 500 nautical miles (925km). It also includes the Gulf of Mexico (now Gulf of America), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

NORTHCOM is also responsible for security cooperation and the coordination of area defenses with Canada and Mexico. (Hawaii and all U.S. territories and possessions in the Pacific remain the responsibility of the Pacific Command. The Commander of NORTHCOM is double-hated as Commander, North American Aerospace Command (formally NORAD).

NORTHCOM also has a civil support mission that includes domestic disaster relief operations during fires, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. Support of counterdrug operations and managing the damage of a terrorist event that employs a weapon of mass destruction. The command provides assistance to a lead federal agency when tasked by DoD.

Major military forces are not assigned to NORTHCOM. The Atlantic Fleet is assigned to provide training and advisory functions.

NORTHCOM’s counterdrug operations are undertaken by Joint Task Force 6 (JTF6), headquartered at Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, Texas. The mission of the 160 soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and DoD civilians is to provide support to federal, regional, state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States.

NORTHCOM’s Joint Task Force Civil Support (JTF-CS) provides command and control for DoD assets that operate in support of the lead federal agency managing the consequences of a NBC or high-yield explosive incident within the U.S. JTF-CS is based at Fort Monroe, Hampton Virginia.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get more complicated….Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region has the mission to deter and respond to terrorist activated in the Washington D.C. area. JTH-NCR has the Army’s Military District of Washington, the Naval District Military District and certain Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard components. Headquarters is located at Fort Leslie J. McNair in Washington D.C.

Pacific Command: PACCOM has the largest geographic area of any of the unified commands, with responsibility for the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas. Less the Arabian Sea and for most of the non-Russian portions of the Asian mainland, Australia, and New Zealand.

The CinC PACOM is usually a Naval officer.

The service component commands under PACCOM are: Army Forces; Marine Forces ( I and III Marine Expeditionary Forces); Pacific Air Forces; Pacific Fleet (including the Third and Seventh Fleets); Special Operations Forces.

Pacific Command: PACCOM has the largest geographic area of any of the unified commands, with responsibility for the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas. Less the Arabian Sea and for most of the non-Russian portions of the Asian mainland, Australia, and New Zealand.

The CinC PACOM is usually a Naval officer.

The service component commands under PACCOM are: Army Forces; Marine Forces ( I and III Marine Expeditionary Forces); Pacific Air Forces; Pacific Fleet (including the Third and Seventh Fleets); Special Operations Forces.