Each of the 11 COCOMs is led by a four-star flag officer, who is known as the combatant commander, or CCDR. United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense.Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for strategic nuclear deterrence, global strike, and operating the Defense Department's Global Information Grid.It also provides a host of capabilities to support the other combatant . Kathleen J. McInnis, Analyst in International Security, Congressional research servce, (including Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities), List of former unified combatant commands, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, GoldwaterNichols Defense Reorganization Act, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, (Updated February 18, 2020) Defense Primer: Commanding U.S. Military Operations, Theresa Hitchens (26 Aug 2020) Exclusive: Milley To Sign New Unified Command Plan; Defines SPACECOMs Roles, MARGAUX HOAR, JEREMY SEPINSKY, AND PETER M. SWARTZ (27 Aug 2021) A BETTER APPROACH TO ORGANIZING COMBATANT COMMANDS, (JP-1) Air Force Doctrine, Annex 3-30 - Command and Control (7 January 2020) APPENDIX A: COMMAND AUTHORITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS, "US Space Command Takes Reins on Space Ops, but Questions Remain", "US Space Command Establishment Ceremony Launches New Era of Space Superiority", "History of the Unified Command Plan, 19461977", MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS SUBJECT: The Title "Commander-in-Chief", "Statement by President Donald J. Trump on the Elevation of Cyber Command", "Presidential Documents: Memorandum of August 15, 2017: Elevation of U.S. Cyber Command to a Unified Combatant Command", "Remarks by Vice President Pence at Kennedy Space Center", "Text of a Memorandum from the President to the Secretary of Defense Regarding the Establishment of the United States Space Command", The challenging world of command and support relationships, "History of the Unified Command Plan, 19771983", "Joint Publication 1, Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States", "Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms", Military Changes to the Unified Command Plan: Background and Issues for Congress, "US Creating New Africa Command to Coordinate Military Efforts", "U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility Countries", "Interactive MapUS Africa Command (USAFRICOM) area of operation", Special Access Program Oversight Committee, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, National Security Agency/Central Security Service, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, American Forces Radio and Television Service, General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense, Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, Assistant Secretary (Financial Management and Comptroller), Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller), Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment), Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisitions), Organization of the United States Marine Corps, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management & Comptroller), Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment & Logistics), Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs), General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Alternate National Military Command Center, United States Congress Committees on Armed Services, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Unified_combatant_command&oldid=1118424868, Unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2011, Articles needing more detailed references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, COCOM combatant command: unitary control not further delegatable by the combatant commander (CCDR), ADCON - administrative control of the command function of "obtaining resources, direction for training, methods of morale and discipline", OPCON - operational control of a command function, e.g. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean and the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command. The Secretaries of the Military Departments thus exercise administrative control (ADCON)[31] rather than operational control (OPCONthe prerogative of the combatant commander) over their forces. There are (as of january 2021) 11 unified combatant. Also known as a unified combatant command, or COCOM, these commands are the highest possible echelon of military command and are overseen by whats called the Unified Command Plan, or UCP. The area of responsibility consists of 53 African states, more than 800 ethnic groups, over 1,000 languages, vast natural . 11 months: This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Combatant Commands. USNORTHCOM defends America's homeland " protecting our people, national power, and freedom of action. Where are they located? SOUTHCOM is currently run by Adm. Craig Faller. Each combatant command can be led by a general or flag officer from any of the military services. [15] Known as the "Outline Command Plan," it would become the first in a series of Unified Command Plans. The UCP defines and authorizes things like each COCOMs area and/or scope of responsibility, as well as each commands mission. There are 11 Combatant Commands in the Department of Defense (DoD). A U.S. Air Force loadmaster assigned to the 15th Special Operations Squadron watches the sunset from the back of an MC-130H Combat Talon II during Exercise Emerald Warrior 16, May 12, 2016, at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Emerald Warrior is a U.S. Special Operations Command . Geographical means they are responsible for all operations, etc., within a clearly defined actual location on or above the Earth such as Africa or Space. Functional means they are responsible for a clearly definedspecific typeof operation, etc., but across all geographical and spatial lines for example, transport or special operations.. 2002 following the September 11 attacks, the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is a combatant command of the US military tasked with conducting . Well go in order of appearance. Previously, only one woman has led a CoCom. Four are responsible for unique capabilities: Strategic Command, Special Operations Command, Transportation Command, and Cyber Command. [21] Examples include the U.S. Learn English and Attend College in the U.S. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Copyright 2022 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. "We are creating operational data teams that will be dispatched to all 11 combatant commands," she said. A truly unified command for the Pacific War proved more difficult to organize as neither General of the Army Douglas MacArthur nor Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was willing to be subordinate to the other, for reasons of interservice rivalry. Africa Command, or USAFRICOM, was established in October of 2008. Functional combatant commands operate world-wide across geographic boundaries and provide unique capabilities to geographic combatant commands and the armed services, while geographic combatant commands operate in clearly . [20] CONAD itself was disestablished in 1975. [13], In the European Theater, Allied military forces fell under the command of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). Washington, In this article, well cover the seven geographical commands. Southern Command, or USSOUTHCOM, was established in June of 1963. U.S. Africa Command was established on 1 October 2007 as a sub-unified command under U.S. European Command. Do You Have to Vote for the Party You're Registered With? It is headquartered out of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. There are . Southern Command, or USSOUTHCOM, was established in June of 1963. Today, all 11 of the military's combatant commands are run by men. Thats 51 countries and territories total. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Each COCOM commander can come from any branch of service, and all COCOMs are composed of two or more service branches. Resources selected in this guide support academic research and courses in Military & Strategic Studies for the study of joint operations, national security, defense strategy, power projection, regional cooperation, global competition and security issues. U.S. Cyber Command hosted CYBER FLAG 23-1 CF23-1 a Multinational Tactical Exercise on October 17-28 as well as a Multinational Symposium MNS and Tabletop Exercise TTX October 27-28 at the Joint Staff Training Facility, Suffolk, Va. . Also known as a unified combatant command, or COCOM, these commands are the highest possible echelon of military command and are overseen by whats called the Unified Command Plan, or UCP. Geographical means they are responsible for all operations, etc., within a clearly defined actual location on or above the Earth such as Africa or Space. Functional means they are responsible for a clearly defined specific type of operation, etc., but across all geographical and spatial lines for example, transport or special operations.. The United States Defense Department has eleven (11) combatant commands which serve either a geographic or functional purpose. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. John Hyten said the military will change the way combatant commands refer to each other in order to clear up issues with morale and supporting command status. 1400 Defense Pentagon Furthermore, the Secretaries of the Military Departments (i.e. U.S. European Command works with NATO and partner nations to address security and defense in Europe and parts of the Middle East and Eurasia. There are (as of January 2021) 11 unified combatant . There are 43 four-star generals and admirals in the military today; 42 are men. If you reference the map in the feature image, you can see that this geographical commands area of responsibility, or AOR, includes all of the African continent except for Egypt, as well as the islands of Cape Verde, So Tom and Prncipe, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. How many geographic combatant commands are there? European Command. The Army and Air Force objected, and CINCLANTFLT was activated as a unified command on 1 November 1947. And that authority extends down to the subordinate commands that fall under each COCOM, so that all U.S. military forces across all branches of service are likewise aligned. Green Cards and Permanent Residence in the U.S. U.S. Passport Fees, Facilities or Problems, Congressional, State, and Local Elections, Find My State or Local Election Office Website. There are seven geographical COCOMs and four functional ones. Space Command. The GoldwaterNichols Act and its subsequent implementation legislation also resulted in specific Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) requirements for officers before they could attain flag or general officer rank thereby preparing them for duty in Joint assignments such as UCC staff or Joint Chiefs of Staff assignments, which are strictly controlled tour length rotations of duty. The UCP defines and authorizes things like each COCOMs area and/or scope of responsibility, as well as each commands mission. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. There are seven geographical COCOMs and four functional ones. Pursuant to my authority as the Commander in Chief and under section 161 of title 10, United States Code, and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs . The USA Department of Defense/Pentagon has established its missions and geographic responsibilities among 11 commands. (f) Combatant Command Staff.(1) Each unified and specified combatant command shall have a staff to assist the commander of the command in carrying out his responsibilities. It is headquartered out of Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. What do they do? There are currently 11 combatant commands responsible for U.S. military operations. Misuse of COCOM/CCMD always leads me to question the rest of the content and the authors knowledge on the subject, Your email address will not be published. 11 US Department Of Defense Combatant Commands & Their Meanings. Although slowly changing, the JPME requirement still continues to be frequently waived in the case of senior admirals nominated for these positions.[30]. The Unified Command Plan is a classified executive branch document prepared by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staf that assigns missions; planning, training and . It is headquartered out of Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. Visit the next version of USA.gov and let us know what you think. Each of these COCOMs exist to provide command and control for all units from all service branches, anywhere on the planet (or above it), during peace, war, and contingency operations. [24], A sixth geographical unified command, United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), was approved and established in 2007 for Africa. After that act, CINCs reported directly to the United States Secretary of Defense, and through him to the President of the United States. It seems a rather odd term for a command in. Only Cyber Command's Gen. Paul Nakasone, who is Asian . U.S. Northern Command (Northcom) The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks led to Northcom's creation, and its . *The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. But thats exactly what one of the highest levels of command in the military is called. COCOM refers to an order/authority issued by the combatant commander (CCDR). As the nation's combat logistics support agency, the Defense Logistics Agency manages the end-to-end global defense supply chain - from raw materials to end user disposition - for the five military services, 11 combatant commands, other federal, state and local agencies and partner and allied nations. If you reference the map in the feature image, you can see that this geographical commands area of responsibility, or AOR, includes all of the African continent except for Egypt, as well as the islands of Cape Verde, So Tom and Prncipe, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. Major . Thats 36 nations total, more than half the worlds population, 3,200 different languages, and 5 out of the 7 total U.S. collective defense treaties. Each of the 11 COCOMs is led by a four-star flag officer, who is known as the combatant commander, or CCDR. [14], The Joint Chiefs of Staff continued to advocate in favor of establishing permanent unified commands, and President Harry S. Truman approved the first plan on 14 December 1946. A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, and conducts broad and continuing missions. If you reference the map in the feature image, you can see that this geographical commands area of responsibility, or AOR, includes the Middle East, Egypt, Central Asia, and some countries in South Asia. Thats51 countriesand territories total. What is a combatant command? Africa Command. The UCP exists to keep each COCOM aligned with overarching national policy objectives. A sub-unified command, or, subordinate unified command, may be established by combatant commanders when authorized to do so by the Secretary of Defense or the president. Combatant Commands (CCMDs) U.S. Combatant Commands (CCMDs) Sites Africa Command; Central Command; European Command; Joint Forces Command; Northern Command; Indo-Pacific Command; Southern Command; Space Command; Special Operations Command; Strategic Command; Transportation Command; Specifically, all operations above 100km above mean sea level. Lock It is headquartered out of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Unified Combatant Commands. The Department of Defense has ten combatant commands that either cover a functional or geographic mission in order to provide effective command and control for U.S. military forces. Also known as a unified combatant command, or COCOM, these commands are the highest possible echelon of military command. If you reference the map in the feature image, you can see that this geographical commands area of responsibility, or AOR, includes all of Europe, all of Russia, and Greenland. special operations, force projection, transport, and cybersecurity. Northcom's top priority is homeland defense. A few days later, the CNO renewed his suggestion for the establishment of a unified Atlantic Command. Cyber Command has stood up forward-deployed planning cells within the combatant command staffs to help better coordinate offensive and defensive cyber effects. Combatant Commands. Each COCOM commander answers directly to the Secretary of Defense. [7] The chain of command for operational purposes (per the GoldwaterNichols Act) goes from the president of the United States through the secretary of defense to the combatant commanders. They hold the toughest problem sets, from protecting and defending the United States or its interests abroad, deterring aggression, carrying out missions, providing humanitarian assistance or building cooperation with other nations.. More and more, the commands face a complex operating . Indo-Pacific Command. So this COCOM is by far the largest in terms of AOR. U.S. Africa Command protects and defends U.S. interests by strengthening the defense capabilities of African nations. There are currently 11 unified combatant commands and each are established as the highest echelons of . We are now reaching the precipices, buckle up - it's going to get chaotic. It was also announced that the separation of the command from the NSA would be considered. [22] These commands have not existed since the Strategic Air Command was disestablished in 1992. This is particularly true in the case of senior naval officers, where sea duty / shore duty rotations and the culture of the naval service has often discounted PME and JPME as a measure of professional development for success. The operational chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense to the combatant commanders of the combatant commands. Six of them are in charge of geographic commands . All organizations have seams, but where you draw them matters. Each COCOM commander answers directly to the Secretary of Defense. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. There are currently 11 unified combatant commands in the Department of Defense - four functional and seven geographic. In that case, OPCON is embodied in the Army Field Support Brigades (, TACON - tactical control of sustainment, for example as embodied in a Contracting Support Brigade, Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center, Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service, This page was last edited on 26 October 2022, at 23:28. The chairman's mark of the Senate Appropriations Committee's defense bill for fiscal 2023 calls for additional funding to boost the "tactical artificial intelligence" capabilities of U.S. military combatant commands, and hints at additional funding for these initiatives in future years. See also area command; command. Although not part of the original plan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff also created specified commands that had broad and continuing missions but were composed of forces from only one service. A lock ( The Panama Canal and the area around the canal also fall under this COCOMs responsibility, when it comes to defense. [18] The responsibilities of the unified commands were further expanded on 7 September 1948 when the commanders' authority was extended to include the coordination of the administrative and logistical functions in addition to their combat responsibilities.[19]. Below the secretary of defense, at the top of the military's chain of command are the 11 officers who run 11 combatant commands, or COCOMs. There are currently eleven Combatant Commands in the United States military, four of which are 'functional' & seven of which are 'geographical'. Unified Combatant Commands. This follows [] Phone Number: 1-703-571-3343 ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Vice President Mike Pence announced on 18 December 2018 that President Donald Trump had issued a memorandum ordering the stand-up of a United States Space Command (USSPACECOM). There are currently 11 unified combatant commands and each is established as the highest echelon of military . Each COCOM commander can come from any branch of service, and all COCOMs are composed of two or more service branches. Establishment of United States Space Command as a Unified Combatant Command. Each combatant command (CCMD) is headed by a four-star general or admiral (the CCDR) recommended by the Secretary of Defense, nominated for appointment by the President of the United States, confirmed by the Senate and commissioned, at the President's order, by the Secretary of Defense. For instance, Cyber Command, which defends national security interests in cyberspace, and Africa Command, which strengthens the defense capabilities of African countries; and Space Command. DoD's 9 Combatant Commands explained. It stretches from the North Pole to Israel. The staff of nearly 150 Marines, Sailors and civilian employees are responsible for planning exercises, operations and overall support for the SOUTHCOM assigned area of responsibility, which covers Latin . The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. A locked padlock U.S. Southern Command works with allies and partners across Central and South America to enhance peace, promote human rights, deter illegal activities and conduct multinational military exercises. It seems a rather odd term for a command in the military an organization based around combat to be specifically labeled as a combatant command. The Armys little-known boat fleet is getting a big upgrade, The small Special Forces base in al-Tanf, Syria has large implications for regional security, Veterans Day free meals and discount offers for veterans and active-duty servicemembers. Required fields are marked *. The Panama Canal and the area around the canal also fall under this COCOMs responsibility, when it comes to defense. The relevant section of federal law, however, remains unchanged, and the President retains the power to establish a new specified command.[23].