A Confusing Mess, The DoD in the post T2K period

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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.

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Space Command: SPACECOM was disbanded 1/10/2002, and its responsibilities and activities were transferred to the U.S. Strategic Command. SPACECOM has responsibility over all U.S. activities and forces in space, including the monitoring of foreign space activities. In 1999, SPACECOM was also assigned responsibility for DoD computer network defense---monitoring and attempting to stop cyber intrusions.

The Army, Navy and Air Force Space Commands are the principal components of SPACECOM.

Special Operations Command: SOCOM directs U.S. special forces activities throughout the world through the subordinate commanders of the geographic operational commands. SOCOM differs from the other unified commands in that it has major budget planning and manpower responsibilities that are similar to those of the military services.

Its component commands, with published numbers of assigned personnel are: Air Force Special Operations (11,600); Army Special Operations (29,400); Naval Special Operations (6,300); Marine Corps Detachment (86). The Marine Corps component was only established 20/6/2003. Previously, the USMC shunned the formation of a special operations component, believing that any Marine unit is capable of such operations. Indeed, all deploying Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) are Special Operations Capable, hence MEU(SOC).


Strategic Command: All U.S. land-based and sea-based strategic forces are assigned to STRATCOM. The Air Force’s Strategic Air Command (SAC) was abolished in 1992, and the majority of its resources were assigned to STRATCOM. Also incorporated into the Strategic Command was the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff (JSTPS). A multiservice agency the planned targeting of U.S. strategic weapons as well as U.S. Navy SSBN operations. On 1/10/2002, U.S. SPACECOM was disbanded and its responsibilities and activities were transferred to Strategic Command.

STRATCOM became the defacto command and control entity for all U.S. strategy forces and assumed control of military space operations, computer network operations, information operations. strategic warning and intelligence assessments and strategic planning.

Components include the newly established Air Force Strategic Command, and Navy Task Forces 134 and 144 (Pacific and Atlantic Fleet submarine forces).

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Transportation Command: All non tactical U.S> military air and sea transport resources are assigned to TRANSCOM. Its component commands are: Air Force Air Mobility Command; Navy Military Sealift Command and Army Military Transportation Management Command.

But WAIT! There’s More!!!!

In addition to the nine unified commands, there are several sub-unified field commands and combined commands that have important roles in the national defense strategy. Two of these commands are unique and deserve special attention.

U.S. Forces Korea: Also known as USFK this is a subordinate command of PACOM and serving as the joint headquarters through which combat forces would be sent to the Combined Forces Command; the binational command that has operational control over U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) forces in South Korea.

The Commander, USFK also serves as CinC, United Nations Command and represents the United Nations Security Council on the Korean Peninsula. This position is a four-star general and is always an Army position.

North American Aerospace Defense Command: Also known as NORAD, this is a binational, combined command of Canadian and U.S. forces. The command is responsible for aerospace warning and aid defense for North America.

The Command, U.S. Northern Command also serves as Commander, NORAD, in the latter role has responsibilities both the U.S. President and the Canadian Prime Minister. This is primarily a four-star general position, usually Air Force, but with occasional Navay admirals.