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Unified Combatant Commands: Difference between revisions
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{{Organization | |||
|OrganizationName=Unified Combatant Commands | |||
|OrganizationType=Executive Departments (Sub-organization) | |||
|Mission=To provide operational command and control of military forces, enabling coordination across different branches of the military for strategic, operational, and tactical missions globally or within designated areas of responsibility. | |||
|ParentOrganization=Department of Defense | |||
|TopOrganization=Department of Defense | |||
|CreationLegislation=Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 | |||
|OrganizationExecutive=Combatant Commander (for each command) | |||
|Services=Military operations; Strategic planning; Force allocation; Command and control; Joint and combined military exercises | |||
}} | |||
{{Short description|United States Department of Defense command}} | {{Short description|United States Department of Defense command}} | ||
{{United States Armed Forces sidebar}} | {{United States Armed Forces sidebar}} | ||
A '''unified combatant command''', also referred to as a '''combatant command''' ('''CCMD'''), is a joint [[command (military formation)|military command]] of the [[United States Department of Defense]] that is composed of units from two or more [[service branch]]es of the [[United States Armed Forces]], and conducts broad and continuing missions.<ref>''Joint Pub 1'', p. GL-11.</ref> There are currently 11 unified combatant commands, and each is established as the highest echelon of military commands, in order to provide effective [[command and control]] of all [[U.S. military]] forces, regardless of branch of service, during peace or during war time.<ref>Story, p. 2</ref> Unified combatant commands are organized either on a geographical basis (known as an "[[area of responsibility]]", AOR) or on a functional basis, e.g., [[special operations]], [[force projection]], [[military supply-chain management|transport]], and [[United States Cyber Command|cybersecurity]]. Currently, seven combatant commands are designated as geographical, and four are designated as functional. Unified combatant commands are "joint" commands and have specific badges denoting their affiliation. | A '''unified combatant command''', also referred to as a '''combatant command''' ('''CCMD'''), is a joint [[command (military formation)|military command]] of the [[United States Department of Defense]] that is composed of units from two or more [[service branch]]es of the [[United States Armed Forces]], and conducts broad and continuing missions.<ref>''Joint Pub 1'', p. GL-11.</ref> There are currently 11 unified combatant commands, and each is established as the highest echelon of military commands, in order to provide effective [[command and control]] of all [[U.S. military]] forces, regardless of branch of service, during peace or during war time.<ref>Story, p. 2</ref> Unified combatant commands are organized either on a geographical basis (known as an "[[area of responsibility]]", AOR) or on a functional basis, e.g., [[special operations]], [[force projection]], [[military supply-chain management|transport]], and [[United States Cyber Command|cybersecurity]]. Currently, seven combatant commands are designated as geographical, and four are designated as functional. Unified combatant commands are "joint" commands and have specific badges denoting their affiliation. | ||
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{{See also|List of former unified combatant commands}} | {{See also|List of former unified combatant commands}} | ||
[[File:Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General David C. Jones lead briefing at The Pentagon.jpg|thumb|247x247px|Commanders of unified and specified combatant command during an annual meeting with [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] and members of the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] at [[The Pentagon]], Joint Chiefs of Staff Room also known as "The Tank" on January 15, 1981.]] | [[File:Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General David C. Jones lead briefing at The Pentagon.jpg|thumb|247x247px|Commanders of unified and specified combatant command during an annual meeting with [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] and members of the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] at [[The Pentagon]], Joint Chiefs of Staff Room also known as "The Tank" on January 15, 1981.]] | ||
[[File:US Navy 080129-N-0696M-033 Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates attend a meeting of military combatant commanders with President George W. Bush.jpg|President | [[File:US Navy 080129-N-0696M-033 Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates attend a meeting of military combatant commanders with President George W. Bush.jpg|President George W. Bush (sitting third from the right) and Secretary of Defense [[Robert Gates]] (sitting second from the left) meeting with the joint chiefs and combatant commanders|thumb|250px]] | ||
The current system of unified commands in the U.S. military emerged during [[World War II]] with the establishment of geographic theaters of operation composed of forces from multiple service branches that reported to a single commander who was supported by a joint staff.<ref>JCS (1985), p. 1</ref> A unified command structure also existed to coordinate British and U.S. military forces operating under the [[Combined Chiefs of Staff]], which was composed of the British [[Chiefs of Staff Committee]] and the U.S. [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]].<ref>JCS (1977), p. 1</ref> | The current system of unified commands in the U.S. military emerged during [[World War II]] with the establishment of geographic theaters of operation composed of forces from multiple service branches that reported to a single commander who was supported by a joint staff.<ref>JCS (1985), p. 1</ref> A unified command structure also existed to coordinate British and U.S. military forces operating under the [[Combined Chiefs of Staff]], which was composed of the British [[Chiefs of Staff Committee]] and the U.S. [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]].<ref>JCS (1977), p. 1</ref> | ||
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In the [[European Theatre of World War II|European Theater]], Allied military forces fell under the command of the [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force]] (SHAEF). After SHAEF was dissolved at the end of the war, the American forces were unified under a single command, the US Forces, European Theater (USFET), commanded by [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] Dwight D. Eisenhower. A truly unified command for the [[Pacific War]] proved more difficult to organize, as neither General of the Army [[Douglas MacArthur]] nor [[Fleet Admiral (United States)|Fleet Admiral]] [[Chester W. Nimitz]] was willing to be subordinate to the other, for reasons of [[interservice rivalry]].<ref>{{cite web |collaboration=Joint Chiefs of Staff |title=History of the Unified Command Plan, 1946–1977 |date=20 December 1977 |url=http://www.dod.gov/pubs/foi/reading_room/268.pdf |access-date=14 June 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528174827/http://www.dod.gov/pubs/foi/reading_room/268.pdf |archive-date=28 May 2010|page=1}}</ref> | In the [[European Theatre of World War II|European Theater]], Allied military forces fell under the command of the [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force]] (SHAEF). After SHAEF was dissolved at the end of the war, the American forces were unified under a single command, the US Forces, European Theater (USFET), commanded by [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] Dwight D. Eisenhower. A truly unified command for the [[Pacific War]] proved more difficult to organize, as neither General of the Army [[Douglas MacArthur]] nor [[Fleet Admiral (United States)|Fleet Admiral]] [[Chester W. Nimitz]] was willing to be subordinate to the other, for reasons of [[interservice rivalry]].<ref>{{cite web |collaboration=Joint Chiefs of Staff |title=History of the Unified Command Plan, 1946–1977 |date=20 December 1977 |url=http://www.dod.gov/pubs/foi/reading_room/268.pdf |access-date=14 June 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528174827/http://www.dod.gov/pubs/foi/reading_room/268.pdf |archive-date=28 May 2010|page=1}}</ref> | ||
The Joint Chiefs of Staff continued to advocate in favor of establishing permanent unified commands, and President | 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.<ref>JCS (1977), p. 2</ref> Known as the "Outline Command Plan", it would become the first in a series of Unified Command Plans.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Max Ostrovsky |url=https://archive.org/details/military-globalization/page/241/mode/2up?q=combatant&view=theater |title=Military Globalization |date=2018-08-01}}</ref> The original "Outline Command Plan" of 1946 established seven unified commands: [[Far East Command (United States)|Far East Command]], [[United States Pacific Command|Pacific Command]], [[Alaskan Command]], [[U.S. Northeastern Command|Northeast Command]], the [[U.S. Atlantic Fleet]], Caribbean Command, and European Command. However, on 5 August 1947, the CNO recommended instead that CINCLANTFLT be established as a fully unified commander under the broader title of Commander in Chief, Atlantic (CINCLANT). The Army and Air Force objected, and CINCLANTFLT was activated as a unified command on 1 November 1947. A few days later, the CNO renewed his suggestion for the establishment of a unified Atlantic Command. This time his colleagues withdrew their objections, and on 1 December 1947, the [[U.S. Atlantic Command]] (LANTCOM) was created under the Commander in Chief, Atlantic (CINCLANT).<ref>Joint History Office, ''History of the Unified Command Plan 1946–1993'', pp. 14–15.</ref> | ||
Under the original plan, each of the unified commands operated with one of the service chiefs (the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Chief of Staff of the Army]] or [[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force|Air Force]], or the [[Chief of Naval Operations]]) serving as an executive agent representing the Joint Chiefs of Staff.<ref>JCS (1977), p. 3.</ref> This arrangement was formalized on 21 April 1948 as part of a policy paper titled the "Function of the Armed Forces and the Joint Chiefs of Staff" (informally known as the "[[Key West Agreement]]").<ref>JCS (1977), p. 5.</ref> 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.<ref>JCS (1977), p. 6.</ref> | Under the original plan, each of the unified commands operated with one of the service chiefs (the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Chief of Staff of the Army]] or [[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force|Air Force]], or the [[Chief of Naval Operations]]) serving as an executive agent representing the Joint Chiefs of Staff.<ref>JCS (1977), p. 3.</ref> This arrangement was formalized on 21 April 1948 as part of a policy paper titled the "Function of the Armed Forces and the Joint Chiefs of Staff" (informally known as the "[[Key West Agreement]]").<ref>JCS (1977), p. 5.</ref> 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.<ref>JCS (1977), p. 6.</ref> | ||